The Dolores Board of Trustees reported Sept. 8 that the town failed an insurance audit, largely because of a set of baseball bleachers that become dangerously hot in the summer sun. The bleachers would cost $63,000 to replace, but town officials plan to explore other solutions.
The audit was conducted by the Colorado Intergovernmental Risk Sharing Agency, which provides workers’ compensation and property casualty insurance for the town.
Town officials said during the Board of Trustees meeting that Dolores received infractions in the audit, with the overheated bleachers being the most serious. The bleachers could expose the town to liability in the event of an injury.
Most of the infractions were easily fixed, said Town Manager Leigh Reeves. But the bleachers might need to be replaced.
“A guy came with a thermal gun and put it on the bleachers and said ‘these are too hot,’” Reeves said during the Sept. 8 meeting. “So, we have to put up signage that says ‘Beware, these are hot.’”
The signage is a temporary fix, town officials said. To comply with CIRSA insurance requirements, the bleachers may eventually need a full replacement costing around $63,000.
The town is exploring other options, Reeves said.
Dolores developed an action plan to present to CIRSA, said Treasurer Kelley Unrein, including steps to address the bleachers. That plan has allowed the town to remain in good standing with its insurance provider, she said.
The decision to spend more than $60,000 on new bleachers would need to be included in the next budget, officials said. A public budget workshop is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 22
