Lundgren appointed mayor following resignation

Mayor Brandon Biesemeier submitted his letter of resignation to the Haxtun Town Council during a Monday evening, Aug. 1 meeting at the Haxtun Community Center. Biesemeier notified the Council in early spring that he and his family planned to move outside city limits and he would no longer be able to fulfill his term as Mayor.

“Please accept this letter of resignation from my current position as Mayor of the Town of Haxtun, effective Aug. 14,” Biesemeier said as he read his letter out loud. “As I stated previously in a meeting, I would soon be residing out of the city limits and unfortunately that time has come. I regret that I cannot finish my term under those rules, however the legal precedent of being required to live in the jurisdiction you represent is a very sound rule.”

In light of Biesemeier’s resignation, the remaining Council opted to appoint Mayor Pro-Tem Lori Lundgren as Mayor until upcoming elections in November. Following that motion, council members opted to name existing member Tana Pope as Mayor Pro-Tem.

This coming November, Haxtun residents will be tasked with electing a new mayor in addition to four council members; seats currently held by Rob Martinez, Bob Coinek, Lori Lundgren and Mike Ensminger.

Haxtun municipal elections will coincide with general elections in November. Nomination petitions for a seat on the Haxtun Town Council can be picked up at town hall now and must be returned by 4 p.m. on Aug. 29. For more information about seeking an office, contact Clerk Kelsey Harms at the Town Hall at (970) 774-6104.

“We set some lofty goals as a group and I can say that I feel very good with what we have been able to accomplish in such a short time that I served with all of you,” Biesemeier said in closing. “I have complete confidence that this Council will continue to be progressive and move forward with what is best for the Town of Haxtun. It was a privilege serving with all current and previous council members, town employees as well as for the community members of Haxtun.”

At the start of the regular August meeting, and again later during discussions, the Council discussed the current situation of the Little Sprouts Learning Center. The local daycare facility has had its fair share of hardships over the past year due to adminstrative indiscretion. Board Member Meredith Sparks first spoke to the Council, at the start of the meeting, letting members know the difficult financial situation the center is currently facing. Sparks said that with upkeep of the building and additional unforeseen costs, LSLC is in desperate need of help financially.

Under previous direction, the center, under a prior name, lost its status as a non-profit entity as well as other grant and free money/services. Now, staff and board members are working to pick up the pieces, follow through with necessary building repairs and fight to keep the center open. Sparks said over the past year, the Board has been forced with fixing the furnace and air conditioning in order to provide a safe environment for children. They also need to replace the commercial hot water heater, a price they said has been quoted to cost nearly $10,000. Additionally, the center is working to keep, train and educate quality staff members to care for children.

“We weren’t aware of how deep the hole had been dug,” said new LSLC Board Member Darcy Garretson. “We are in a bit of a scramble right now.”

Numbers at the center, in terms of children attending, Garretson said, have remained about the same, however, it is a double-sided sword in keeping and accepting new families while also trying to hire and retain quality staff. “We can’t compete with salaries,” she said.

Sparks said the LSLC has increased fees slightly, but have done so cautiously to not raise them too high and risk losing children.

Later during discussion items, Council Member Pope said she recently joined the local daycare board and she hopes the Town and the community can do what is needed to help save the center. “They are in fact struggling financially. It is extremely important for our community to keep the center open,” she told her fellow council members.

New LSLC Director Julie Brown also spoke, noting her goals of being open and transparent with the parents of those who attend the center, the Board and most importantly, the community.

“Transparency is a big deal,” Brown said. “No one knew what was going on before,” she said.

At this point, the LSLC has obtained a new, non-profit status and are now working to obtain grants and other assistance available from numerous resources. A community member, Brown said, has stepped up to help with grant writing but that, she said, can take time. In the meantime, LSLC needs help to keep from shutting its doors. Pope said she worries if the center closes, it will be an even tougher challenge to re-open it at some point.

Brown also noted that because of falsified documents by a previous director, the center has lost its status with the United States Department of Agriculture, which provided funding for food for children. The loss of that status, Brown said, is for seven years.

The Town of Haxtun owns the building that houses Little Sprouts Learning Center and at the August meeting, council members agreed to a memorandum of understanding to retain ownership in the immediate future.

Superintendent Ron Carpenter also agreed to help Brown look further into the hot water heater issue to come up with the best possible solution.

The local daycare is planning a free-will community breakfast on Saturday, Aug. 13 from 7-9 a.m. at the Haxtun Community Center. The breakfast is open to the public.

Additionally, LSLC board members are selling Papa Murphy’s Pizza and distributing them from the Community Center every Thursday night. Pizzas will sell between $20-$25. Look for the flyer on Facebook at Little Sprouts Learning Center for more information. CHS elevators are also accepting donations of any kind of grain by the bushel. Monetary proceeds from donations will be paid out to Little Sprouts Learning Center.

Later in the August meeting, Garretson switched hats and spoke to the Town Council on behalf of the Community Food Basket. She asked the Council to agree to be host for a possible grant with the Department of Local Affairs to purchase or construct a new building for the community organization.

The currently building that houses the food basket is in disrepair and provides a safety hazard for both employees and the clients it serves. The building has no bathroom, no running water and very poor lighting, among other issues.

The Council agreed to serve as the fiscal agent for a grant Garretson said the Community Food Basket plans to pursue in the future. The plans are to apply for a $150,000 DOLA grant geared specifically towards local food baskets.

At the end of action items, the Council voted to enter into executive session to conference with the Town’s attorney for the purpose of receiving legal advice on specific questions pertaining to Chandler’s Bar and Grill’s liquor license. After 21 minutes, the Council reconvened the regular meeting and took no further action on the matter.