Ensminger switches seats; Green joins table

New Mayor Michael Ensminger and Councilmember Dave Green took their oaths of office to serve the Town of Haxtun in a Monday night, Dec. 5 meeting at the community center. In addition to filling new positions around the table, council members adopted the 2023 budget along with appropriate resolutions and met in an executive session for nearly an hour to discuss the Chief of Police position.

Ensminger took the Mayor position with the Haxtun Town Council, relieving Lori Lundgren of her Mayor Pro-Tem position she's filled over the past few months. Lundgren has filled in as mayor since the resignation of Brandon Biesemeier this summer. In recent November elections, Ensminger ran for mayor unopposed, winning a four-year term to serve the Town of Haxtun.

Green also ran for an open council seat unopposed and he, too will fill a four-year term with the Haxtun Town Council. He took the seat of Rob Martinez, who opted not to run for a second term.

Ensminger's move to mayor creates an open seat on the Haxtun Town Council. The Town of Haxtun is accepting letters of interest to fill the vacancy. Anyone one who has lived in the Town of Haxtun for 12 consecutive months and is 18 years of age or older is eligible to fill the seat. Those interested in doing so are asked to submit a letter of intent and resume to the Town Clerk by Thursday, Dec. 29. For more information, contact Town Clerk Kelsey Harms at (970) 774-6104.

The December meeting opened with a public hearing on the proposed 2023 budget. Clerk Harms noted in the public hearing that a supplemental budget would be required for the Community Center Fund for unexpected expenses in 2022. She said the community center required a new hot water heater, flooring and most recently a new refrigerator. Those necessities went above and beyond this year's budgeted amount for the Community Center Fund, requiring a supplemental budget approval.

Other items to note in budget talks, she said, are an increase in salaries for cost of living and the move of $23,000 from the ColoTrust Fund to Capital Reserves. Harms said the $23,000 in the ColoTrust Fund was a requirement as part of the bond and loan from the 2011 street project. Since the Town of Haxtun has since paid that project off, the $23,000 can now be released for use in other areas. Plans are to move the funds into the Capital Reserves fund for future major equipment purchases.

As the first few items of business, the Council approved the 2023 budget, appropriate sums of money and set mill levies. Motions approved also included those for the supplemental budget and fund balance cash transfers.

Later in the meeting, council members voted to enter into a closed-door executive session for a conference with the Town's attorney for the purpose of receiving legal advice on specific legal questions in relation to the Police Chief.

Haxtun Police Chief Nate Nadow was placed on paid administrative leave following a special meeting including an executive session on Oct. 24. At that time, Nadow was placed on leave pending an investigation.

After the executive session in the December meeting, which lasted over an hour, the Town's attorney read a short statement that said no action would be taken and that the Haxtun Town Council would meet in executive session again, for the same purposes, on Dec. 19 to discuss the matter further.

Nadow was at the December meeting but did not stay in for the executive session regarding his position.

In other business the Council:

• Discussed the plastic pollution reduction act passed by the State that will require Haxtun Super's, Dollar General and Zip Trip to charge 10 cents per plastic bag;

• Superintendent Ron Carpenter said the maintenance crew is getting closer to moving into the new Town Shop on the west end of town;

• The following building permits were approved: Michael R. Bradley Living Trust, 142 East First Street for a storage unit; Damon Lundgren, 242 West Fletcher Street for a fence; Darrel Philips, 605 South Colorado Avenue to replace a roof; David Bickford, 605 South Colorado Avenue for a concrete slab and 206 North Washington Avenue for a concrete slab; Taylor Wilson, 214 West Chase Street for an underground electric tap.