Letters to the Editor

Letter to the Editor:
First of all, let me say that this is the very first Letter to the Editor I have ever written, and it may be my last. I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank our city manager, Pete Kampfer, for the outstanding job he is doing for Colorado City!

Before mentioning some of Pete’s accomplishments, let me tell you a little about myself. I grew up in Colorado City, and graduated from Colorado High School in 1965. After marrying Phil Anderson in 1965, we moved to Denton to attend college and get our degrees. After that, during a period of about ten years, we lived in five Texas cities due to Phil’s work with the Texas Education Agency and Chrysler Corporation. Those cities included Denton, Plainview, Austin, Tyler and Arlington. I taught in the elementary schools of two of those cities, and in a church school of one of them. In 1979, we moved back to our hometown, Colorado City, to continue raising our family and to buy and operate the Chrysler dealership here. I began teaching at Hutchinson Elementary and retired in 2001. I’m currently serving as Minister of Music at First Baptist Church here in Colorado City.
Now I’d like to share with you a few things that I know about Pete Kampfer and what he’s doing for our town. He serves our town with professionalism, and he’s very dedicated to making our town something of which we can be proud! He has a vision for the future, and because of this vision, we all can see what is possible for our town. When Pete first came here, the Public Works Dept. was very deficient in equipment, vehicles and organization. Under Pete’s direction and hard-working employees, the department has become more streamlined, more efficient, and better organized. New and used equipment has been purchased, including riding mowers, push mowers, trailers, two used dump trucks (repaired the one they already had), and three new pickups. In addition to many other jobs, they have been tearing down and hauling off dilapidated houses and buildings, eventually around 60 I believe! What a wonderful difference they are making in the appearance of our town!

Then, there’s the Sanitation Department. As you are well aware, we changed to the Duncan Disposal Company. Although the city crew had a done a great job collecting our garbage all those years, it wasn’t economically feasible. The really old garbage trucks were consistently breaking down, and costing thousands of dollars to repair! Now the money saved can be used in some other way to prove our city. Also, our alleys are much cleaner and neater, and our landfill isn’t being filled by our garbage. Thanks, Pete!

Now to the Water Department – Pete hired additional specialized personnel to make sure our drinking water is safe, and that it meets required standards set by the state. New equipment was bought to clean around the tanks at the Waste Water Treatment Plant. An emergency trailer was purchased for the Water Dept. that has parts and equipment for any emergency situation. Also, we now have a diesel engine and generator to power the Lift Stations in case of an electrical blackout! These are things we did not have before to meet emergency needs. Also, Pete is making sure our city has sufficient water supply for the future. We are cleaning out old wells and drilling new ones. The city is also purchasing a new water tower. Thanks, Pete!
Next, the landfill north of town is more efficient than ever. A new, used piece of equipment has been purchased which grinds up limbs and branches to make mulch. The machine is called a Tub Grinder. The mulch can be used by the community as needed. Also, the Recycling Centers are being used more and more – another great way to clean up our community!

Thanks also to our Code Enforcement Dept. for getting our citizens to clean up unsightly yards and lots. It seems to be “catching”. Many more are taking pride in their surroundings. Of course, many homes and buildings are irreparable and are being demolished. Thank you, David, for your work!

Then, there’s the Baker Hotel. We all know the state of the Baker, and how we hope that someday it can be returned to some of its beauty, but for now, I am thankful to Pete for seeing to it that it is safer than it was for our citizens. Who knows what its future might include? Also, Pete has had some renovation done to City Hall. The offices have been painted and refurbished. Glass security windows have been added to some offices.

These are just some of the improvements Pete has initiated as City Manager for Colorado City, and I am very proud of the progress being made under his direction. I love this town and the people here, and I look forward to a great future for us. Thank you Pete, members of the City Council, city employees and citizens of Colorado City!
Sincerely,
Martha Ann Anderson

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Letter to the Editor:
I would like to take this opportunity to commend our Colorado City pet owners for the excellent job they are doing in training their pets. Most of the dogs in my neighborhood seem to be aware of the “working” hours of our animal control warden, because they mostly stay at home during the work day but prowl the area from about 6 p.m. until about 8 a.m. during the week and all day on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. They are very smart dogs.

Almost every morning when I got out for my morning paper, there are three to six dogs in my yard that I have to chase away. In the evenings and weekends, they roam the area at will. I have reported these strays to the police department, but the problem seems to get worse instead of better. I for one, am sick and tired of cleaning other peoples’ dog mess from my property.

The stray cat problem is completely out of hand. I never go outside my house without seeing one to four stray cats, and they are increasing weekly. The skunk problem is almost as bad.

I am aware of the fact that the city has laws and ordinances to control stray animals. We also have laws and ordinances designed to keep pet animals off the streets and other peoples’ property.
It is blatantly obvious that these laws and ordinances are not being enforced.

I do not know what salary our “animal control warden” receives but it is very obvious to everyone that this person is grossly overpaid and under-worked. As a tax-paying citizen of Colorado City, I would very much like to get what I pay for.

Dan Dannheim
911 Elm St.

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Editor’s Note: In an effort to be fair, the Colorado City Police Department has been given a chance to answer some of the issues presented in Mr. Dannheim’s letter above.

Letter to the Editor:

In response to Mr. Dan Dannheim’s Letter to the Editor, I would first like to mention, as Chief of Police, my number one priority is the protection of this community and our citizens.

I am keenly aware of the nuisance of feral and unrestrained animals in our City, as I personally see and deal with these same issues daily. I would like our citizens to understand and appreciate that we are working as diligently as possible to curtail these problems, however, it is not an overnight success story and therefore patience is beseeched. I would like to assure our citizens that the Animal Control department answers calls daily regarding these animal nuisances, including cats, skunks and other varmints, and we are striving to make headway as best as possible.

Concurrently, traps are being set on an as needed basis, except for problem areas that come to the attention of Animal Control. “As needed” obliges our citizens to contact the Police Department to report the location of nuisance animals which will prompt an absolute response from Animal Control. Records of all calls for service regarding animal nuisances are maintained by the Police Department.
Additionally, I would like to reassure our citizens that the laws and ordinances concerning the animal nuisance situation are not being overlooked or ignored by neither Animal Control nor the Police Department. If any citizen feels that this is occurring, I would urge them to contact the Senior Animal Control Officer or myself immediately.

In conclusion, most of our citizens appreciate the efforts that our Animal Control Officers put forth in battling these animal nuisances, and they understand that these personnel are public employees who are not, by any means, netting a fortune. Frankly, salary has nothing to do with the nuisance issues.

Respectfully
Roy A. Owens
Chief of Police
Colorado City, Texas