Joint-dispatch workshop postponed

At the May 7 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council, Mayor Chuck Davis said the public hearing to consider whether to create a joint dispatch center to serve the sheriff’s department and the county municipalities set for May 13 was tabled for logistical reasons.

“The council is working to get a date confirmed,” Davis said, referring to when to reschedule the meeting. Getting everyone’s schedules to agree had proven difficult.

Police Chief Mike Morris said they have agreed “in principle” that the best way to create a joint dispatch center would be to form a joint powers board, but that could “take many forms.” Carbon County is a “unique situation” in that it is a large land mass and will require a lot of time to plan a joint powers board, if that is what is decided.

Davis said the town does not know how much money such a venture would cost or if it can afford to do it. It doesn’t have the money now.

“It’s a very important meeting and I want to get as many people there as possible, including all the council members, if possible,” Davis said.

In other business, the council voted to appoint Bub Barkhurst to the vacant council seat and the mayor swore him in at the meeting.

In the Recreation report, Director Kim Hemenway said the department had to cancel the spring soccer season because they could not get enough kids to register in some age groups.

The department is sending out a survey to ask parents what they would like to see in the way of soccer recreation. She said maybe the department could offer some sorts of soccer skills classes.

In other business, Public Works Director Emery Penner asked the council to approve another invoice for OV Consulting in the amount of $31,428.75 for its work on the Transportation Alternatives Master Plan, which it did.

Penner also asked the council to approve paying an invoice in the amount of $60,201.83 to Plattoga Aggregates for crushing asphalt. This saved the town about $65,000 compared to the price it would have cost to purchase the asphalt in the already crushed form.

Council approved payment of the invoice.

The council also approved the purchase of an oxidation-reduction potential system for as much as $5,000.

Penner said the town had a preconstruction meeting and “soft start” on the River Street waterline replacement project has begun this week. Work on the project should be completed by the end of August.

The town is proceeding with its inventory of the condition of water service lines, as required by law. The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing requiring the replacement of all drinking water pipes made of lead.

The Public Works Department is sending a notice that tells residents how they can diagnose the lead content in their pipes, Penner said.

In other business, the council approved a motion on first reading of the town’s 2024/2025 Budget Ordinance 869.

In police department personnel matters, council approved the hiring of dispatch employee Stephen Fletcher at a beginning rate of $17 an hour and also approved the part-time officer pay to be set at $24 an hour.

The council approved the purchase of an air conditioner and radiator on the Durango police vehicle at a cost of $2,519.62.

The Airport Advisory Board approved the reimbursement of $747.20 from state funds for improvement work done at the airport.

The next meeting of the Saratoga Town Council will be at 6:00 p.m. on May 21 at Saratoga Town Hall.l

Council approved the following bills:

Deposits - $169,014.61

Accounts Payable - $121,990.05

Transmittals $19,537.49

Payroll $42,415.35