by Carol Dunn
LA VETA- The La Veta-Cuchara Chamber of Commerce approached the La Veta Town Board Wed. Nov. 5 to suggest more lighting in the Town for the holiday season. Chamber President Steve Perkins said lights could be strung on the trees along Main Street, on the gazebo in the park, on Town Hall and in Charlie’s Park. There is also a plan to place luminarias along the train platform, except in the unlikely event of wind. There was some discussion about exactly who would string the lights and whether they would be strung in the canopies of the trees or just around the trunks, but no one expressed misgivings that these would be insurmountable problems.
Perkins was accompanied by Mitzi Keairns and Liz Henson, and the three told of upcoming opportunities to encourage visitors to shop and eat in La Veta between late November and New Year’s Day. The North Pole Express train for families will run December 6, 13 and 20. C.L. Brown, a professional photographer from Alamosa, will be taking photos and selling them in conjunction with the train events. Also, according to Perkins, a Christmas concert will be held at the Tims Art Quilt Retreat Center on Dec. 20.
Trustee Dale Davis reported that there had been complaints about dust from the ongoing water project destruction and construction, and Davis said he would discuss remedies with the engineering liaison. The building at the water plant is part of the water system upgrade process, however the bid for the building has expired. Before getting new bids, the trustees will be considering the building and whether the needs and specifications for the structure have changed.
Davis also reported that the sidewalk project is nearly finished except for a section contiguous to the residence of Ken Fulfs. Thwarted by the earthmoving on Main Street, the sidewalk at Main and Francisco will need to be finished next spring. According to Davis, “The water project got in the way.”
At the intersection of Cherry Street and Francisco, the Town will put in a pan instead of a culvert for conduct of water. Seventy feet of the borrow ditch will also be lined with concrete.
The Board extended the existing lease on the Francisco Center for Performing Arts through Dec. 31, 2008. This will allow Shane Clouse and others a chance to decide on construction and fix-up projects they would like to accomplish at the Center in lieu of lease payments.
CommNet has notified the Town that it is now considering mounting its cell phone panels on poles next to the water tank instead of mounting them directly on the tank. According to Mayor Mickey Schmidt, that would put the poles at least four feet away from the tank because of the footprint of the concrete base. Schmidt said CommNet will need to propose an amendment to the lease, and the Board would then consider whether to agree to the amendment.
The Board accepted a redevelopment permit application from Don and Netta Easter to add a category of “personal services” to their existing use permit at 305 South Main Street.
The Board delayed accepting a commercial development permit application from A.R. Miller for a parking lot along Highway 12, adjacent to Elk Valley RV Park. Trustee Davis said he would prefer waiting until the Colorado Department of Transportation addresses the issue of a culvert under Highway 12, which has an outlet adjacent to the proposed parking lot. Miller said, “In the ten years that I’ve owned it, I’ve never seen water come through it.”
Mayor Schmidt reported that the roof of the museum has been sealed up, and work continues on the ceiling. “George just about blew off the scaffold,” Schmidt said, “so they took that down.”
The Trustees set the final budget hearing for Dec. 2 at 6:45 pm. The budget is set for adoption during the regular meeting immediately following the hearing.
