by Brian Orr
WALSENBURG- The Walsenburg City Council listened Tuesday evening as City Administrator Alan Hein described his early morning meeting with Council members, Huerfano activist Al Tucker about the possibility of delivering City water to residents of River Ridge. A representative of Petroglyph Energy also attended the meeting.
The idea was to dovetail into the City’s current plan to deliver drinking water to some two-dozen Huerfanos who use raw City water as it crosses through their properties as it comes down from the City lakes.
The meeting resulted in three action items. The first was to make sure with CDOT that the City could install a utility water line along Highway 160. Hein said he already checked on that, and they could. The second was to work on the engineering study with TetraTech as how to actually put in the water line, and the third item was to set up a meeting with state officials to begin seeking grant money for the project.
Petroglyph, which is looking to remediate the water problems of River Ridge, has indicated it may be interested in helping to fund a part of the water line, or help fund the engineering study.
Hein went on to tell the Council the Martin Lake valve replacement project is solidly moving ahead, with a drawdown of the lake expected to start Oct. 1. The Division of Wildlife has said it will build the coffer dam around the valve, and the insurance agency CIRSA is good to go with all the liability issues.
Hein reported that various City grant applications are in various states of progress. With the fiscal belt-tightening occuring at the state level, Walsenburg’s grants are going to be competing in a much tougher playing field.
In unfinished business, the City awarded Bachman and Associates the exclusive right to market the Kincaid Ranch, which the City is looking to sell.
The final steps in annexing the land around the wastewater treatment plant are almost done with the establishment of a fence boundary.
The Council moved to accept the one bid it received for a new auditing firm for the 2009 audit, noting they had high recommendations from their references.
Finally, Mayor Edi Sheldon appointed the Gateway Project, a plan to create welcoming signage on the north side of the hogback, to the Parks and Rec committee, chaired by Bruce Quintana.
