LA VETA — The La Veta Town Board heard on Tuesday night that, although the primary work on La Veta’s sewer improvement project is complete, there is still approximately $54,593 of additional work to address unexpected problems. This work, according to Mark Hornberger with GMS Engineering, comes via various change orders that allow the contractors to repair unforeseen problems. Fortunately, the project is on budget and on schedule. Restoration work will start soon on two blocks that have partially collapsed sewer lines. The town had previously approved, and has on hand, the additional funds for these change orders. Only one bid was submitted to the board for sidewalk improvements. That bid came from J. Siedel of Pueblo. The town had estimated the cost of this work to be around $26,000, but the bid came in at $34,972. Mayor Doug Brgoch stated considering the need for traffic control, the large number of locations (there are 16), and problems with tree roots the bid was not out of line. The board agreed and approved the bid, which must be completed within 30 days of starting. It was noted the contractor needs to be made
aware the Celtic Music Festival takes place the last weekend in September with Oktoberfest to follow on October 3rd. Under new business, Peggy Zehring and Kathy Hill, representing the La Veta School of the Arts and the Spanish Peaks Arts Council, approached the board with a request to move a sculpture/sitting bench into the park. The sculpture was carved from an old cottonwood tree in town that was cut down to improve street drainage. A large section for the tree was turned over to local surgeon Dale Gillan, who carved out a barn owl and a fish, along with creating a bench that can seat 12 to 15 people. The request is to place the bench on the south side of Town Hall, where a proposed stage will be someday be erected. Ultimately, additional seating would be installed allowing a small crowd to enjoy performances in the park. The sculpture would be placed on a concrete pad along with bricks bought by donors to fund the project. Additional bricks would be sold and used to create a pathway to the sculpture. The board approved the placement of the sculpture with the understanding that the brick project would need to be reviewed. The installation is dependent on fundraising and weather, with a projected move date occurring next spring. A public hearing was set for September 15 at 6:30 pm to address a liquor violation (and possible revocation of that license) by Deborah Katzman, the previous owner of La Veta Loco bar and restaurant. Although Katzman was contacted by the town clerk four weeks ago regarding options and a need to address issues associated with the license, Katzman allegedly never responded or took action. Katzman’s options were to take action or surrender the license, but she did neither. The new owner may now have to wait 40 to 60 days to obtain a new liquor license. On Wednesday, Debi Katzman told the World Journal, “No one has ever contacted us – and I don’t want anyone saying we aren’t cooperating with new owners. That is untrue. We thought the new liquor license would transfer. For the town to say we are revoking the license when the intent has always been about a smooth transition is a false hood. I literally found out on Facebook” In other business the board: • Approved the appointment of 17 year old Keeley Taggart to the Historical Preservation committee • Refunded the La Veta Fire Protection District Auxiliary $40 for its recent use of the community center for a fund raiser • Gave a $1,200 per year raise to Marshal Willburn as he has successfully completed his one year probation • Approved improvements to be made on the La Veta School Nature Trail, which include improving bridges, trail building, and new signage
