ROCKY FORDCITY COUNCIL
June 27, 2017
Rocky Ford City Council met for a work session at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 27, 2017,in Council Chambers.Following the work session, Council met in regular session at7:00 p.m. Mayor Sitton called the regular meeting to order. Those present at roll call were:
Mayor: Jarold Sitton
Councilmembers: Susan Jung,J. R. Thompson, Charles Pattie, Rachel Patrick, Rich Geist,
Leon Ortega
Staff: City Manager Gary Cox, City Clerk Cheryl Grasmick
Others present: Danelle Berg, Jolly Rose, Dorothy Perea andnew male intern at the Daily Gazette.
Mayor Sittonledthe Pledge of Allegiance.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Councilmember Pattie moved to approve the minutes of the regular June13, 2017Council meeting, as presented. Motion was seconded by Councilmember Patrick. Voting results were:
YESJung, Pattie, Patrick, Geist,Sitton
NONone
ABSTAINThompson, Ortega
Motion carried 5-0, with 2 abstentions.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
It was moved by Councilmember Thompsonand seconded by Councilmember Pattie to approve the agenda, as presented. There were no consent items.Voting results were:
YESJung,Thompson, Pattie,Patrick, Geist,Ortega, Sitton
NONone
Motion carried 7-0.
CITIZEN’S REQUEST TO SPEAK TO COUNCIL– None
PRESENTATIONS– None
STAFF REPORTS AND UPDATES
City Manager Gary Cox reported on the following items:
- He and City Attorney Mendenhall received an email from Jack Barker recently. Council will have to wait until the attorney returns and reviews the email for an update on the IWT proposal.
- Since there was no attorney present for tonight’s meeting, there is no report on Bill McKnight’s request to amend the medical marijuana rules and regulation ordinance.
- City Manager Cox asked Council if they would like to meet with the Rural Fire Board and city residents to advise them of developments on the public safety building and to ask for directions for the future of the building. He spoke with representatives from offices of State Senator Leroy Garcia, U. S. Senator Cory Gardner and Congressman Ken Buck, but they knew of no further funding opportunities at this time. It was the general consensus of Council to hold the suggested meeting at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, July 7, 2017 in Council Chambers. City Manager Cox will ask for the baggage room at the depot for contingency use in case there is an overflow of people for the meeting. The meeting will be posted as a work session.
- It has been a busy, hectic week at the City. City Manager Cox continued to search zealously for possible funding for the public works building, while public works crewsworked to complete work at the swimming pool in preparation for the community picnic and swimming pool party July 1. They are continuing to patch potholes and will start tagging properties for clean-up after receiving numerous complaints for weeds, junk and trash.
- City Manager Cox advised Council that the water line has sprung another leak on Highway 266.
OLD BUSINESS
Councilmember Patrick moved to approve advising City Attorney Mendenhall to finish his review of Mr. Barker’s proposal and have his recommendation ready on the proposed financing agreement for Council’s consideration at the July 11, 2017 regular council meeting. Councilmember Thompson seconded the motion. Voting results were:
YESJung, Thompson, Pattie, Patrick, Geist, Ortega, Sitton
NONone
Motion carried 7-0.
NEW BUSINESS– None
ORDINANCE CONSIDERATION – None
RESOLUTION CONSIDERATION – None
CITIZEN’S REQUEST TO SPEAK TO COUNCIL– None
MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL – SPECIAL REPORTS & UPDATES
Councilmember Jung reported that the swimming pool is ready for fun day at Babcock Park on Saturday, July 1. There will be a ribbon cutting for the splash pad that morning. The Police Department is also sponsoring a community picnic and free swimming pool party. She displayed the oven mitt she received at the CML annual conference in Breckenridge last week. Each municipality will receive 100 free mitts if they request them, so Councilmember Jung will talk to CML. Councilmember Jung thanked Council for their support in her campaign for representative for small municipalities (5000 and under) on the CML executive board. There was a tie between Jim Collins of Las Animas and herself. Mr. Collins won the tie-breaker. Councilmember Jung then reported on the work sessions and dinners she attended at the conference. She felt most were motivating, inspiring and worthwhile. Councilmember Jung thanked Council for allowing her the opportunity to attend.
Councilmember Patrick reported on the sessions that she attended at the CML conference. She also felt the experience was worthwhile and appreciated the opportunity to meet and talk with so many. It reinforced that a lot of municipalities face many of the same issues. Councilmember Patrick thanked Council for the opportunity to attend the conference.
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Mayor Sitton thanked both Councilmembers Jung and Patrick for their reports and said they were two of the better conference reports he has heard during his terms on Council.
Councilmember Thompson reported on the recent Swimming Pool Commission meeting. They discussed the ribbon cutting for the new splash pad at 11:30 a.m. on July 1, 2017. Committee members voted to name the splash pad after Marion Van Dyk Portner. Pool Manager Cindy Abert told commission that the water quality at the pool is improved this year. She is backwashing more frequently due to residue left behind from sunscreen that swimmers are applying. Jumpstart school program will only use the pool one week at the start of school, so the pool will only stay open in the afternoons for that week. Councilmember Thompson reported that the Melon Man Triathlon will be held August 5, 2017. He then told Council that the Arts Commission did not have a quorum for their June meeting.
Councilmember Pattie reported on the June OCLI/OPI meetings. Representatives from Crowley County will meet with Lex Nichols to discuss using the blue shale found at the Otero landfill for stabilizing some of their roads. When the shale is ground and mixed properly it makes a good road base. The landfill can accept contaminated soil if those wishing to dispose of it have the proper state and court paperwork. A break-in occurred at the Manzanola Landfill over the weekend. Items taken were computers, phones and half a box of earplugs. There was discussion of installing security cameras at the landfills. After Landfill Manager Danny Chavez had a conference call with Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to discuss changes, he reported that nothing has changed. Other items reported on were a ribbon cutting by City of La Junta on July 1 for their new wastewater plant, a new hanger at the La Junta airport and The Sign Shop in La Junta successfully moved to their new location on Santa Fe Avenue.
Mayor Sittonreported that Action 22 wrote a letter to Senator Cory Gardner addressing the effect on Medicaid that the new medical bill, if passed, would have on rural areas like ours. The Tree Board cleaned and pruned in front of City Hall, and on the east and west ands of the last Saturday. Mayor Sitton is helping with arrangements for a pass-through bank account for the Melon Field GOCO grant, with the City acting as fiscal agent.
Councilmember Thompson reminded Council that he is the City representative on the Melon Field Project. The project committee discovered that the old track was actually two feet lower on the north end. Otero County crew has since leveled the field. Astroturf is being laid on the new track because it is more cost effective than the high cost of watering grass. The field will possibly be ready by football season. Curb and asphalt base are being put down for new track and a coating will be sprayed over the asphalt.
ITEMS FOR NEXT AGENDA
- City Attorney’s recommendation on IWT financing agreement proposal
ADJOURNMENT
Councilmember Thompson moved to adjourn. There being no further business, Mayor Sittonadjourned meeting.
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Jarold Sitton, Mayor
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Cheryl Grasmick, City Clerk
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