Early COVID-19 Cases Begin to Increase
New Positive Cases of COVID-19 have been identified in a Health Care Worker and an area youth in Prowers County as of May 12, 2020.
This brings the total of cases in the county to nine. None have required hospitalization and prior cases have either been listed as isolated or quarantined until their cases have been updated.
The CDPHE website provides a daily summation of cases in the state with only four counties not listing any contagion as of May 12th. The website is updated daily at 4pm.
These are the current regional cases that have been noted for the southeast Colorado region: Baca-12, Bent-1, Cheyenne-5, Crowley-39, Kiowa-0, Kit Carson-25, Las Animas-4 and Otero-10.
Meat Packing Proposal Discussed by Granada Trustees
Granada Trustees voted to approve a letter of intent to supply water and electricity to businessman Curtis Tempel during their February monthly meeting. Tempel, who is proposing a small-scale slaughter, harvest and processing facility in Granada in the vicinity of Camp Amache. Temple explained the operation would be filling a need for the area with the construction of a 15,000 square foot building. “Right now, the only USDA inspected meat packing operation is in Fowler. This would be the first time in about 50 years this would be offered to this region,” he explained. He was accompanied by Clint States who is in charge of the physical construction of the building and project manager, Tanya McSwan.
City Council Conducts Video-Zoom Meeting
The council adopted Resolution No. 20-04-01 as well as No. 20-04-02 pertaining to measures taken to deal with the Coronavirus pandemic. The first resolution allows for the conduct of all city public meetings to be held by electronic means as a way of maintaining safe, social distancing. The second resolution is a Declaration of State of Emergency in the City of Lamar due to COVID-19. The declaration ensures that all units of government maintain the ability and option to any emergency funding from FEMA or other aid that would become available.
Lance Clark took his oath of office as City Attorney, administered by Judge Lane Porter. Clark is replacing Garth Nieschburg and is employed at the Steerman Law Offices in Lamar. Clark’s first charge of duties will be to rework a council motion, initiated by Mayor Kirk Crespin, which is a hardship deferral sales tax program. It would be a sales tax deferral which would assist those l
Syracuse Dairy Adding Beef Cattle to Holly Operation
The Prowers County Planning Commission, following a public hearing on Wednesday, January 15, 2020, approved the request from Syracuse Dairy in Holly for an amendment to their Special Use Permit. The dairy intends to add about 20,000 head of beef cattle on their 610 acre operation south of Holly. The dairy consists of 8,000 head of dairy cows and the heifer operation has 14,500 head.
After additional discussion and a reading of the recommendation from the Land Use Office by Michelle Heigel, the commissioners voted unanimously in favor of the amendment. Some areas addressed in the recommendations determined the special use will not adversely affect public health, safety or welfare.
The Lamar City Council finished business for 2020 with their final meeting of the year, Monday, December 21
st with a reminder that city offices will be closed December 24
th and 25
th as well as January 1, 2021.
City Administrator, Steve Kil, noted the Community Development Block Grant of $900,000 for the administration of funds earmarked for improvements to Plainsview Apartments on South 11
th Street in Lamar was awarded by the Department of Local Affairs. The city will be a third-party funding conduit between DoLA and the apartment complex owners.
Kil told the council the city is working with GOCO for an extension and modification of the Generation Wild grant that was awarded in 2015. The goal of the grant was to develop various outdoor projects appealing to Lamar’s youth. The project grant, $1.3 million was awarded to Lamar with $445,000 for capital projects and the balance invested in programs, pathways and capacity. The city used $380,000 for the skateboard facility