Town Council reviews new incentive application

The Haxtun Town Council acted on a second Economic Incentive Policy application for the year during a recent, Monday evening July 3 meeting. In addition to reviewing and voting on an incentive application from Meraki Salon and Spa, council members also voted on a change order for swimming pool construction and approved the 2022 financial audit.

The July meeting opened with the approval of the 2022 audit as it was presented by Scott Szabo with Lauer, Szabo and Associates during a June 19 work session. Report findings came back as they typically do, the Town of Haxtun is in good financial standing and staff have done their due diligence following the budget and maintaining records for such.

The Council also approved a portion of a request from Meraki Salon and Spa, to be located in the 100 block of South Colorado Avenue in downtown Haxtun. The spa, under construction now, is set to open in the near future. The application from the spa came in with a request of just over $40,000 and the Council agreed to fund $1,000 of the application to cover use tax and building permit fees. Council members encouraged owners to re-apply again with an itemized list and encouraged them to include items related to the front of the main street building.

At the end of action items, the Haxtun Town Council voted to approve two change orders for the current pool remodel. The first, Clerk Kelsey Harms said, is to repair cracks in the existing pool structure before applying new plaster and the second is for the addition of additional deck drains. She said both of the items were unknown before crews began construction. The additional repairs total about $15,000.

During discussion items, the Council, again, discussed the current truck route in town. The subject has been a topic around the council table for over year with hopes to protect recent street construction. Haxtun Police Chief Tom Bullard was not present at the meeting so the discussion was short, however, Harms said council members would like to come up with a route that protects the town street investments as well as accommodates Haxtun as a rural community.

The Council also briefly discussed Proposition 123 regarding Affordable Housing. Plans are to invite Mikey Brown with Phillips County Economic Development to a future meeting for more in-depth discussions.

In the short, one-hour meeting, Town administration gave reports to the Council. Superintendent Ron Carpenter said work to the water tower is finished as have repairs to streets. He noted that electrical work completed over the past few years seems to be paying off as the Town hasn’t seemed to lose power as often as in the past during summer storms.

Carpenter added that work to well houses are being completed now by Klimek Construction and added that demo work is complete on the generator. Carpenter is in the planning stages of obtaining bids to put a fence around the slab that the generator once sat on to use the space as storage.

In her report, Harms told council members that Deputy Clerk Sherri Wagoner will be attending Clerks Institute later this month.

At the end of the meeting, in council concerns, Council Member Dave Green asked if the town maintenance crew could work on building up some of the gravel streets in town to prevent standing water. Carpenter said he has plans to do so, when weather cooperates.

The Council also approved the following building permits: Bonita Benson, 630 Prospect Circle for a new fence; Don and Debbie Myers, 406 West Second Street for a fence and concrete pad; Frank Tamasy, 109 South Miller for porch repairs; El Paso Mexican Restaurant 606 South Colorado Avenue for a fence; Dan and Matt Firme, 529 North Colorado for new sidewalk and driveway; Valva Hofmeister, 101 Westridge for a new sidewalk; Melinda Rovetti, 130 North Washington Avenue for window and door replacement; Randall and Lisa Jones, 142 West Strohm for a sprinkler system and new siding; Janice Everitt, 414 North Washington Avenue for windows, doors and siding; Randall and Lisa Jones, 142 West Strohm for siding, rock and trim; Sara Grauberger, 624 Prospect Circle for a Tuff shed; Caroline Davis, 205 North Logan Avenue for a sprinkler system; Ryan Clark, 507 West Grant Street for a sprinkler system; Every Bloomin’ Thing, 121 South Colorado Avenue to replace store front windows and doors.