Other things Greeley City Council did Tuesday

By Trenton Sperry

• Received an update on COVID-19 from Dan Frazen, director of emergency management. Frazen said Greeley’s hospitals have stopped reporting their ICU capacity, but that the two hospitals in town have six COVID patients. He noted that Weld County will soon end its vaccination clinic but that the city is requesting the state send some buses to help the vaccination effort. Frazen also said the county health department is anticipating another spike in cases over the next month due to the Omicron BA.2 variant. He said it’s still unclear if that variant is more transmissible or severe.

• Heard from Public Works Director Paul Trombino about the establishment of a railroad Quiet Zone in the downtown area along the Union Pacific line that parallels 8th Avenue. A portion of the Quiet Zone, in which trains passing through cannot blare their horns, went into effect from 16th Street south to Garden City. The remainder of the corridor is expected to be in effect by spring 2023. That’s because the city will install barricades, chain-link fences and signs near crossings. Notably, the bells and lights at crossing gates would not go silent when the quiet zone is in place. Several members of council urged Trombino and city staff to look into additional lighting in this area as well given that trains will be moving through the corridor faster when their horns are not active.