TORRINGTON – The Torrington City Council convened Tuesday evening for the second meeting of the year at the Torrington Council Chambers. Mayor Herb Doby called the meeting to order promptly at 7 p.m. 

Present were Mayor Doby and council members Dennis Kelly, Shane Viktorin, Wayne Deahl. Councilmen Dr. Richard Patterson was absent. 

The meeting started with the Pledge of Allegiance, led by councilmen Viktorin and quickly moved into the mayor’s informational items.

“If you haven’t been hiding under a rock or vacationing in a warm area, you know we are now deep into the winter season,” Doby began. “Thank you to all the residents and property owners for keeping your sidewalks clear of ice and snow. Thank you to the streets and sanitation departments for their quick and efficient snow removal on the designated routes and streets. Thank you to the private snow removal contractors for all they do, including cooperating with the city snow removal efforts to work towards the most efficient snow removal,” Doby continued. 

Doby went on to thank the water and wastewater department for their hard work and dedication to keep things flowing efficiently in the sub-zero temperatures Torrington has experienced recently.  

“For everyone, because of the sub degree, these temperatures can be life-threatening and even deadly, take extra care and watch out for yourselves, especially your older relatives, friends, and neighbors,” Doby said. “It is a good thing to visit them and make sure they have appropriate heat, food, and transportation if necessary. Finally keep an eye on your pets and the pets in your neighborhood. May we all take extra care of them in this frigid weather.” 

Moving on the next item of business, a motion was made to accept the consent agenda which was approved with no discussion from the council. 

The next item, approval of the agenda for the evening’s meeting was approved with no discussion. 

Dr. Cynthia Porter, Torrington High School Principal, delivered packets to Doby and the council members during the Public Forum portion of the meeting.

“I just wanted to present to you some suggestions that I am bringing from my previous position in Rock Springs,” Porter began. “What you have in front of you are city ordinances from Rock Springs. There are two of them that I’d like to draw your attention to, the ‘daytime curfew’ and the ‘breech of peace.’”

Porter explained if she had to pick one topic to discuss with the city council, she would choose to advocate for the ‘daytime curfew’ ordinance.

“Just to give you a quick summary of what that daytime curfew means. It is similar to an evening curfew, the day-time curfew means any minor that is supposed to be assigned to a place such as a school needs to be in that school. And if they are not in that place where they are assigned to be, they could be cited,” Porter explained to the council members. “How I would imagine this would be used is of course going through all of the proper progressions to give students the opportunity to the right thing. Stop wandering the halls, to not skip school, not be skipping school in the school parking lot, and not being at the zipline park across the street. After we worked through all of those and have no success, I would imagine that would be the opportunity then to issue what would be a city ordinance citation for violating the daytime curfew. They are not where they are assigned to be,” Porter continued. “There are some students in Torrington that have troubles getting to where they need to be.”

The council then moved on the action item on Tuesday evening’s agenda.

The council left the regular session and began a public hearing regarding the transfer of a retail liquor license from the 307 Sports Bar and Grill to Essential Fuel, LLC.

“This is just a standard liquor license transfer,” Silvia Anaya, deputy city clerk stated to the council. “We are in the current term so it will only be for a couple of months, February, and March. If the transfer is approved tonight the applicants will have to turn and immediately submit a renewal to be considered with the rest of our renewals at the second meeting in February,” Anaya said. 

Doby announced the council would entertain public comments in support and against the license transfer since the item of discussion.

Eric Reichert Essential Fuels President spoke briefly about his upcoming plans for the truck stop. 

“We own the liquor license. When we purchased the WTT (Western Travel Terminal) location, but it is leased to 307 bar and we are trying to get just that back in our name, and we will have that part of the business back in our business,” Reichert explained. 

Reichert explained his intention were to seek a new license for the establishment once the current one expires. 

“You’re saying the packaged liquor store will remain the same,” Deahl asked Reichert. 

“Correct, currently at our other locations we have all package liquor.  When we purchased this one, the way the liquor license is, leased to the 307 bar, we are just trying to get that package liquor back under our control,” Reichert explained. 

After a few more questions regarding the new outlay of the truck stop, restaurant, bar and package liquor sales, Reichert expressed the outlay would remain the same as it currently is, with a new face lift. 

With no public comments, the council voted on the transfer of 307 Sports Bar and Grill retail liquor license to Essential Fuel, LLC. The motion was approved and passed with no further discussion. The council returned to the regular session.

Doby briefly spoke about his recent appointment of Albert Lira for a two-year term on the safety committee and announced he would be appointing Joshua Odermann to replace Lira. Lira recently announced of his retirement from Torrington Emergency Services. 

The motion was made and approved by the board with no discussion. 

Jeff Harkins, Director of Public Works, spoke to the council regarding the much-needed upgrade of the cemetery booster pump station’s electrical components. 

“We are recommending the award to High Pointe Electric. Basically, this project consists of upgrading the cemetery booster pump station by installing new variable frequency drives to the existing pumps,” Harkins told the council. 

Two bids were received. 

The new upgrades to the pump station will feature new insulation, new walls, new electrical equipment, lights, receptacles, and transformers. 

The council had the opportunity to see the repairs needed in the building in photographs displayed and briefly asked Harkins a few questions about the project. 

“The only question I would have is, there is like $80,000 difference between the bids. Is there, or did you figure out anything for that much of a spread,” Kelly asked. 

“In this current climate, this has been fairly typical. Some of the bids we are receiving some were 80 and 100,” Harkins said. “I think the public works building was $180,000 difference between the low and the next sized bid. It’s just the climate we are working in. Some people are more hungry than others this time of the year.”

The anticipated costs were still less than the actual cost, according to Harkins. 

According to Tom Troxel, water/wastewater supervisor the building was constructed in 1984 and it is one of three pump stations in Torrington. 

“The costs the last couple of years is just crazy,” Troxel said.

The construction is to be complete by June 28, 2024. 

With no further discussion a motion was made to award the bid to High Pointe Electric LLC. by Kelly and it was seconded by Viktorin. The motion carried. 

The next item of business was an award bid for a ¾ ton crew-cap pickup and staff recommended the council award Yoder Fleet and Commercial of Greeley. 

“Fifty percent, just for those of you listening, 50% of the price of this pickup is going to be funded by a grant and that’s been approved,” Doby asked emergency management coordinator, Chuck Kenyon. 

“Yes, sir. The Emergency Management Grant Program through the state. That’s a reimbursed type of grant. We spend the money, and they reimbursed the matched amount.” once the money is spent. 

Kenyon reassured the council the vehicle being purchased would meet all of the demands the emergency management team.

The 2024 GMC long box, crew cap is in production at the moment, according to Kenyon and the Yoder Fleet and Commercial is the new bidding group for Weld County Garage, a company the city has previously done business with. 

Feeling secure in Kenyon’s explanations, the council heard a motion to award bid to the Greeley company. The motion was seconded and approved.

Clerk/Treasurer, Lynette Strecker, submitted the bills for approval, which were approved by the board, after a brief discussion. 

Torrington Volunteer Fire Department Chief Lance Petsch gave his fire report to the council during the public comment portion of the agenda.  

“It was a busy weekend for the fire service. Busier than what we would like but better than it could have been. Last week we had a motor vehicle accident south of town. I think it was near Silvertip maybe south of there. Sunday, we had a structure fire here in town and then this morning about 5:15 we had a call up at the care center and then nine this morning we had another call, kind of a propane smell so it was a little busy,” Petsch stated. 

Petsch went on the explain the department had a good turnout for their calls from department members. 

After a brief discussion on the problematic rescue unit, which is awaiting a fuel pump replacement, Denis Estes addressed the council.

“Mayor, I would like to say, with your help last year we replaced the hoist that it (the rescue unit being repaired) is sitting on right now. We never could lift that truck up or a truck of that type. We replaced that hoist out to a heavier hoist and move the one that was there to the other end of the shop, and we now use it for a mower lift so we can put mowers on it with an attachment,” Estes said. 

With no further comment or discussion, Doby reassured the community the temperatures are looking up and the meeting was adjourned.