Commissioners look to increase storage capacity

The Phillips County Board of County Commissioners, at its March 8 meeting, moved to acquire more storage and staging capability for the Road and Bridge department in the southeast part of the County. It approved a contract to purchase, for $35,000, 3.4 acres of which the location is in the northwest 1/4 of section 2, township 6 north, range 43 west. The property includes a 1,050 square foot building, a well and a septic tank.

In other business, the board met with an individual for a progress report on cleaning up his property to comply with the junk and weed resolution.

Two matters were tabled. The first was a decision on the fair manager contract until some details could be clarified with the fair board. The second was the issuing of a county public health order regarding the requirements for sheltering migrant persons. The board wanted to wait until the attorney for the Northeast Colorado Health Department had finished a review of the department’s public health order covering the six counties in its region, which includes Phillips County.

The board approved the following new business items:

• A reduction in fairground rental fees, consistent with the previous year, for the Platte Valley Rodeo Bible Camp scheduled for June 10-17;

• A request from the road and bridge manager to place an employee on a leave of absence;

• Accept a quote from Platinum Technology to replace a firewall, which involves hardware in the server room, with a three-year subscription, for $16,644;

• The purchase of two printers from Journal Office Supply for $16,644;

• A contribution of $200 each for the Haxtun and the Holyoke high schools’ After-Prom events; and

• A request to waive rental fees for a 4-H Horse Clinic to be held in the BOC Pavilion June 1-2.

Road and Bridge workers received an inquiry about damaged roads at the Haxtun Cemetery and whether or not the county would do any of the work if the roads needed to be replaced. Since the ground is independently owned by the West Phillips County Cemetery District, the board will recommend to the cemetery board that it acquire its own contractor.

Meeting minutes are available through the county administrator’s office and can also be located at the county’s website, http://www.phillipscounty.colorado.gov/.