Retired HC VSO Nick Vigil honored
by E.E.Mullens
WALSENBURG — With no appointments and no land use issues to discuss, and a short list of action items, the Huerfano Board of County Commissioners made short order of their regular session this week, completing its business in under 20-minutes, but, before adjourning, the board passed a proclamation concerning nursing home residents’ rights.
Proclamation Approved:
In a 2-0 vote, with Commissioner John Galusha absent this week, Commissioner Arica Andreatta and Commission Chairman Gerald Cisneros voted in favor of Proclamation 21-04.
The proclamation declares October 2021 as Huerfano County Long-Term Care Residents’ Rights Month. The proclamation read, in part, “ the Area Agency on Aging and Region 14 Lone Term Care Ombudsman, along with individuals and groups across the county, will be celebrating Residents’ Rights Month with the theme “ Reclaiming My Rights, My Home, My Life”, which acknowledges the impact of this past year on residents and highlights the need for residents’ rights to be recognized, recovered, and reasserted.”
The proclamation noted there are nearly 100 residents currently living in long term care facilities in Huerfano County and said, “ all residents should be aware of their rights so they may be empowered to live with dignity and self-determination.”
In Other Business:
Ray Odem, representing the Colorado County Veterans Service Officers’ Association, spoke about his recently retired mentor in the profession, Nick Vigil. Odem and a group of veterans from Huerfano County attended the commission meeting to present Vigil with a plaque for his years of service to local veterans.
In a late meeting public comment, Ryan Gies, prompted by an action item concerning the county’s purchase of road signs, asked the board to consider installing a yellow curve sign with a suggested speed limit in the southbound direction of the ‘Stairs to Nowhere’ curve on CR 340. He told the two members of the board present at the Tuesday, Oct. 5, session, that the curve was a blind one when traveling south bound and there have been some near collisions as motorists often drift into the on-coming lane when making the curve. The suggestion was taken under advisement.
Action Items:
In addition to the proclamation, the commission had only three other action items scheduled for its first meeting of October.
• The board approved a quote from A-1 Barricade and Sign, Inc., of Pueblo and Colorado Springs for pedestrian and CR signs for $10,082.50. The quote includes installation and material including an L.E.D. solar pedestrian sign.
• The commission approved a $7,425 quote from Eaton Sales and Service for fuel pump repair at Spanish Peaks Airport. While the item was approved, to allow for continued fuel sales, commission members requested staff research the cost of a new fuel pump for comparison to reoccurring repair costs.
• Andreatta and Cisneros also approved a $1,095 expenditure with Flowpoint Environmental Systems of Denver for annual renewal for software maintenance for the GPID (Gardner Public Improvement District.)
There was no need for any executive session this week, nor was there an attorney’s report.
