The Haxtun-Fleming Herald - What can we reason but from what we know? -Alexander Pope

In two months, Haxtun will have a new mayor. With elections nearing, the Haxtun Town of Haxtun opened up nomination packets for the mayor position as well as seats on the Haxtun Town Council. One packet was submitted for mayor as well as three of four open council seats. Current council member Mike Ensminger turned in the lone packet to run for Mayor and with just three packets for four open seats, the general November election for the Town of Haxtun will be canceled. Three community members, incumbents Lori Lundgren and Bob Coinek, and Dave Green will all take seats around the council table this fall. The Council will have one remaining vacancy and will be tasked with appointing an eligible community member by December.

As of the time being, Lundgren is serving as the interim Mayor for the Town of Haxtun. That appointment came at the resignation of former Mayor Brandon Biesemeier, who resigned in mid-August due to a move out of city limits. Lundgren will fill the Mayor role until Ensminger is officially appointed Mayor following the general election date in November. At that time, Lundgren will re-join the table as a councilwoman and will take an oath of office, with Coinek and Green, to fill a four-year term. The person who is appointed to fill the remaining vacancy will serve a two-year term, until the next municipal election.

News of the changes to the municipal election came during a Tuesday evening, Sept. 6 meeting of the Haxtun Town Council. Town Clerk Kelsey Harms updated the Council on the election at the conclusion of the meeting. Those who may be interested in filling the open vacancy on the Haxtun Town Council should contact Harms at the Town Hall at (970) 774-6104.

The September meeting opened with a report and request from Trisha Herman, Executive Director of Phillips County Economic Development. Herman gave an update on the successes and accomplishments of the PCED in the Haxtun community, including her most recent help with the Haxtun Swimming Pool project. With that effort, Herman said she has been a resource for the Great Outdoors Colorado grant writing process. Additionally, she has submitted a grant application requesting $100,000 for the pool fundraising efforts from the Gates Family Foundation. Herman is also working to connect the pool committee to apply for additional funding from the State Outdoor Recreation Department.

Other areas Herman has been present in within the Haxtun community include the Roadmap to Recovery grant through the Department of Local Affairs, Ogallala Commons and youth development, including two local interns this summer and workforce and development including assistance to three Haxtun businesses with small business development consulting. She also noted that over the past few years, she has grown PCED membership from 31 to 56.

“We are really growing and there are a lot of resources out there,” she told council members.

Herman also talked to the Council about a rural housing planning grant for Phillips County and the Rural Jump-Start program. Council members voted to participate in both; one grant would allow the Town of Haxtun to develop documents for potential builders to ease the process of construction new homes in Haxtun as well as to update old municipal building codes. The Rural Jump-Start Program incentivizes new businesses start in or move into rural, economically distressed areas and hire new employees. To be eligible, businesses cannot compete with similar businesses in the county or adjacent economically distressed county. The program provides both a grant and tax credit to businesses.

Keeping on topic of the swimming pool, the Council voted to move forward with a letter of intent and a bid from Advance Pools. Approving the two from Advance Pools will allow for committee members to have a rendering and engineered designed to submit with the GOCO grant application, which was due this week. The cost of the two is expected to be roughly $25,000, which will come out of the existing pool fund raised by local committee members over the past few years. Should the grant not be approved, funds will be refunded.

The Town of Haxtun has been notified that the pool project is one of 13 grants approved from Great Outdoors Colorado to advance to the next stage of the grant process. News of the grant status is expected in December.

In other business the Council:

• Held a public hearing for a special event liquor permit for the Haxtun Chamber of Commerce annual Corn Festival event. No public comment was made and the permit was approved;

• Approved workers comp and property/casualty for the coming year;

• Discussed the possibility of changing the golf cart ordinance to allow drivers 16 years of age and above. The ordinance currently states drivers of golf carts must be 18 or order;

• Superintendent Ron Carpenter said the street project is entering phase three of four;

• The following building permits were approved: Dale Westbrook, 135 North Lava for a re-roof; Alan Coffin, 337 South Lincoln Street for residing; Christina Freemyer, 422 East Strohm for a privacy fence; Melissa Brenton, 230 West First Street for new flooring and shelving; Ryan Clark, 507 West Grant Street for residing, new windows and a fence.