The Rifle City Council passed a few agenda items during the last regular meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 21 after swearing in the newest officer for the Rifle Police Department, Wyatt Bornholdt. 

First on the agenda was awarding a bid of $155,600 to the company JVA Inc. for the design of the Second Pond Inlet project. 

This project was approved for 2025, but it was deemed necessary to put out bids now instead. The project is to construct a new inlet at the city water treatment plant, as the one in use now isn’t as accessible as it used to be. 

The first intake was built in 2006, but due to river morphology, how the river path has changed its course over the years, but the current inlet became clogged and fouled this summer. 

“During high water events, like we experienced this year, the intake became totally fouled with sand, trees and debris, just because of the geometry of where it sits and the current of the river totally blocked it,” explained Jared Emmet, utilities director for the city of Rifle. 

Construction would begin in winter 2025, when the water is low.

The new location will allow the pond to be filled, pull directly from the river and would be better hydraulically, Emmet said. 

A grant application was submitted to Garfield County Federal Mineral Lease District for the Fifth Street and Ute Avenue Improvements Project for $1 million. 

The total for the project is $1.5 million and the city will match the grant for 30% from the General Fund. 

The city, through the Rifle Police Department, also applied to the Garfield County FMLD for a mini-grant for the purchase of two radar speed trailers. 

“Recently, we did have a traffic radar trailer. It broke,” said Chief Debra Funston. “It was beyond repair. The age of it, our computer systems weren’t even compatible with it anymore. We hadn’t budgeted to get that replaced in 2024, not knowing it was going to break down.”

The trailers themselves have boards on them to write messages, like detours for emergencies or construction, and depending on the model, are connected to the cloud, so Rifle police could put a message on a board from a mobile phone. They can also collect data, like traffic patterns. 

“They don’t give speeding tickets?” asked councilor Clint Hostettler, half-joking.

The Chief said no, and they’re not taking pictures or monitoring license plates. 

The plan is to purchase two ATS5 model trailers for $18,505.72 and then one ATS3 model trailer for $11,819.85, for a total of $30,325,57. The grant itself is for $25,000, which would cover most of the cost. 

The city, since it saved money on the recent fleet purchases for the Police Department, could use those savings for the remaining $5,325.57 for the trailers. 

All agenda items for the city were approved that night.