Hotchkiss’s Allows Second Church’s Use of Willow Heights Park – Street Light Change to LEDs Will Save Town Money

Metal artisan, Ricky Sparks, of Crawford, installs one of two new downtown bicycle racks, the latest step in the Town/Chamber joint Downtown Improvement project

Hotchkiss’s Allows Second Church’s Use of Willow Heights Park -

Street Light Change to LEDs Will Save Town Money

By Thomas Wills

Hotchkiss Town Council

June 11, 2015

Present: Mayor Wendell Koontz, Dustyn Foster, Lindee Cantrell, Larry Jakubiak

and Tom Wills (this reporter). Absent: Jim Roberts, and Mayor pro-tem – Carrie Wingfield

For the second time in the last couple months the subject of allowing the use of the Willow Heights Park by a local church for a religious kid’s day camp was considered. This time it was the West Elk Family Church, a Baptist affiliated church, that meets in a former business building at 4th and Bridge in Hotchkiss, who for the third year in a row will be holding a “God and Nature Day Camp” on June 15-19, June 22-26, July 6-10 and July 13-17 at the park from1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on those days. The council, after being assured that adequate liability insurance, including the Town as an additional insured party, was in place, unanimously approved the request for park use on those dates.

No complaints from other park users or neighbors have been received during the two previous years the church has used the park. Trustee, Lindee Cantrell, who is an immediate neighbor, said that the groups seemed to have always left the park even cleaner than they found it.

Pastor, Lee Byram, said that the day camp combines fun games along with moral lessons.

Previously, the Council approved the use of the park for a one week church day camp run by Pastor, Windell Howard, of the Hotchkiss Church of Christ, which meets at Memorial Hall. That camp concluded on June 11 and was hindered a bit by recent rains.

But, the two back-to-back park use requests, coupled with a March approval of the commercial use of another Town owned property, at the Hwy92/133 intersection, did highlight the Town’s need for a parks/town property use policy. Mayor, Wendell Koontz, said that he would task the planning commission with discussing the issue and formulating such a draft policy for the consideration of the Council. The Town of Paonia is also in the process of fine tuning their parks use policy, particularly in relation to commercial uses.

DMEA to Change Street Lights to LEDs

Phil Zimmer from DMEA presented information to the council concerning the positive side of switching out the Town’s mercury vapor and high pressure sodium street lights with more efficient LED lights. DMEA is offering the switch out of all 70 of the Town’s streetlights at their equipment cost of $19,768.30. The cost would be recovered in the energy savings for the first 25 months of new light use, and bulbs (diode clusters), and photo cells to turn them on and off at dusk and dawn, would last between 10 and 15 years. Current monthly cost of electricity for streetlights is $1,550.89. The new lights would halve this to $794.82.

Besides saving money, the new lights are more directional in only sending light downward. The light emitted is also white, which allows for observation of actual colors at night, something that will be useful for law enforcement. Three test lights have been installed: one at the 4th and Bridge, one at the east entrance of town, and one at Lorah Lane and Hwy 133. Citizens are urged to observe these lights and comment.

The trustees seemed very receptive to the offer and the only question was when to move on the project, during 2015 or wait until 2016.

Ace/Gambles to Recycle Old Paint

Kim Shay of Hotchkiss Ace/Gambles informed the council of her plan to set up a paint recycling storage area in a secured structure on a lot south of the store. A state law taking effect July 1, 2015 requires all architectural paint retailers to collect a recycling fee on paint sold, and sets of a state-wide recycling program. Shay would like to be the local recycling drop-off center. The council agreed that such a service would be a positive thing. Once the storage area is in place old paint can be dropped off during regular business hours.

Shay would also like the Town to look into improving the drainage in the alley behind her store, particularly where the paint storage structure will be placed. The Town will be replacing the sewer line in the alley in the next few month,s and Shay suggested that might be a good time to install drainage. Public Work Director, Mike Owens, said that directing flows to the center of the alley and on to First Street might be possible.

Two-Hour Downtown Parking Un-enforcable

Kim Shay also expressed concern that some downtown core business owners parked on Bridge Street during the day, sometimes all day, taking up limited parking for visitors and shoppers. Marshal Dan Miller said that although there are some signs indicating that parking is limited to two hours, there is no ordinance establishing that limit, and regardless, the signage itself, put in place by CDOT, is not installed correctly. Mayor Koontz suggested the Hotchkiss Chamber of Commerce could be helpful in requesting its members and other businesses to limit owner and employee parking on Bridge Street.

Town to Give More Money Back to the State?

A frustrated Town Engineer, Joanne Fagan, reported that the on and then off and then on again, long planned pedestrian bridge over the river at Highway 92 south was off again since Delta County had been unable to figure placement for the bridge from their property to private land on the south side. Fagan wanted to know if the council would like to admit defeat and give the $325,000 in funding back to the State? Most council members seem to be okay with that.

The Town, in 2013, citing frustration with cost escalations due to government regulation, returned a similar amount awarded for use on the Leonard Trail from the Hotchkiss K-8 to 7th Street, and chose to do the project on their own. Little progress has been made on that project since that time.

Trustee, Tom Wills (this reporter), wanted time to consider options to returning the funding, including just building a section of trail south of the river, leapfrogging the bridge project. He pointed out that the project (with a bridge or not), extending an off-highway pathway for pedestrians and bicycles from town to the high school/pool area, would have to be done sooner or later. However, the project is not the highest priority on the Town’s Sidewalks and Trails Plan, which identifies the lack of a sidewalk from 4th Street to 6th on the south side of Bridge as number one on the list along with a short section along Hwy 133 from the K-8 trail at east main south to the pan at the North Fork Motel.

Other discussion and actions:

The Council members concluded the meeting with a closed-to-the-public executive session to receive advice from the Town Attorney, Bo Nerlin, regarding Town-owned property.

A special events liquor license for the North Fork Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s annual banquet on August 22, at Heritage Hall, was approved. The chapter’s chairman is Hotchkiss mayor, Wendell Koontz, who recused himself to present the application.

Marley Duclo presented a proposal to move a driveway access on a property on Highway 92 south of Town. Town approval is needed since the lots affected are part of a previous annexation to the town. The council took the issue under advisement and the access change will require approval from CDOT.

The Trustees approved the closure of South 3rd Street, between Bridge and the alley, for a fundraiser breakfast on Saturday August 8, the day of the Delta County Fair Parade.

A special Town Council meeting to open and consider bids on the sewer line replacement project was set for Monday, June 22 at 6 p.m.