Center board’s K-9 work session May 21

CENTER — Center town trustees met May 12 via Zoom to discuss town business and plan a work session for further discussion of Police Chief Dale Meek’s request that the town approve a K-9 unit for use in detecting drugs and also bombs.


Trustees at their April meeting had brought up objections to the plan and asked to bring additional questions to Meek at a future date. The town will hold the work session Thursday, May 21.
Center town administrator Brian Lujan offered the following highlights from the meeting:

Police report
Chief Meek delivered the police report, telling trustees that now that the weather is warmer, he has seen a decrease in break-ins and burglaries. This also could be the result of better policing and neighborhood watch awareness though, he said.

Public works
Utility director David MeHaffie reported people have been asking about yellow grass in Community Park. MeHaffie said some sprinklers were not working properly and the grass should green up soon. The water meter project is back up and running and the town is asking those residents in areas where meters are being installed to pay attention to notices their water will be off for a while. Filling up bathtubs and containers with water will help get residents past the installation, Lujan said.
Municipal Court  has been postponed until further notice owing to the COVID crisis. Nothing major is on the docket, Lujan said.

Utility shut-off order
Lujan advised trustees that while the state has formally declared that no utilities currently will be shut off owing to financial difficulties caused for some families by COVID-19, this does not mean that any accumulated utility expenses will be forgiven. “This is a delay, not relief,” Lujan said. “No funding is available to relieve utility expenses, and you are still obligated to pay your bill.” He urged those who are having difficulty making payments to call and make arrangements with the town if they can prove they have been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. Center averages 50-80 utility disconnects for non-payment each month, he noted.

Center Dental Clinic
Van Iwarden has been awarded the contract to do renovation construction on the Center Dental Clinic, to be located across the street from Center Schools. Construction began this week, Lujan said. The project is scheduled to be completed by October. Other details will need to be finalized after that date, and then Valleywide Health will set a time for the grand opening.

La Sierra Bar
Residents who initially relocated from Eagle County working to remodel a bar in Center were told last week they cannot stay in their camper on the bar site but must move it to a camping facility. Jones Oil offers camping spots. Lujan said the bar owners had not produced the proper paperwork needed to secure a variance for the camper, but the town would reconsider the request for a variance once the right paperwork is completed.

COVID update
Town Hall remains closed, but the drive-up window is open for those wishing to make payments. If town employees are exposed to the virus, they will be placed on a 14-day quarantine, Lujan said. “We are taking all the necessary precautionary steps,” Lujan said. He urged residents to visit the CDPHE website if they have any question about the virus at https://covid19.colorado.gov