By Mark Esper
Silverton probably has the coolest Town Hall in Colorado. But recently it’s been a bit too cool.
At the Town Council meeting Monday night, Oct. 12, Mayor Terry Kerwin was wearing a winter hat and no one bothered to take off their jackets.
The town is still waiting for the installation of its new propane furnace to be completed.
Town Clerk Brian Carlson said the contractor hopes to have the job completed in the next few days.
The town’s old coal-fired boiler bit the dust earlier this year.
In early September, after receiving assurance from Travelers Insurance that replacing the old boiler with a propane furnace would be fully reimbursed, the Town Council hired Keenan’s Plumbing & Heating of Montrose to do the installation at a cost of $45,390.
But for now, the Town Hall is without a functioning heating system.
Two public meetings scheduled for this week had to be postponed or moved to another location.
And the Town Hall staff is trying to cope with the discomfort.
Carlson installed a chin-up bar in one of the old jail cells to help him keep warm through exercise.
Assistant Town Clerk Anita Steck checked the thermostat Tuesday afternoon. It was 52 degrees. She said she stays warm by “going outside a lot into the sun.”
She can only use a tiny space heater, since a larger one kept blowing out a circuit breaker.
Town Planner David Michaelson said that “coffee sales are up dramatically in the Planning Department.”
And Town Code Enforcer Keith Thompson said he is advising the town to place an advertisement in the Standard for anyone seeking a lot of extra refrigerator space.
