October 25th Commissioners’ Meeting

The Fremont County Commissioners approved a set of 44 address changes for lots in the Acres of Ireland subdivision at Howard during their regular meeting Tuesday. Planning and Zoning Department Code Enforcement Officers Walter Elkins and Robert Sapp worked on the readdressing project which arose over public safety concerns. Sapp reported to the Commissioners in September that there was so much confusion and no sequence in the Acres of Ireland addresses that it posed a safety threat for emergency responders such as fire trucks, ambulances, and deputies trying to find a particular location.

The Commissioners also reviewed a sketch plan for ‘The Mesas on Sunrise Ridge’. After the Commissioners previously rejected a planned unit development for that 29 ½ acre site next to VanLoo Road northeast of Cañon City, developer Allan Miller returned with a plan to develop 89 residential lots under the existing Low Density Residential zone district. The Commissioners offered comments to Miller on traffic issues at Dozier and VanLoo as well as drainage issues on the site as he prepares his application for a preliminary plat.

In other business, the Commissioners:

• Recognized Mary Sandner for her 30 years of service with the Fremont County Department of Human Services. Mary works in the Child Welfare Department of Human Services.
• Reappointed Florence City Manager Tom Piltingsrud to another three year term on the County Planning Commission. He serves as the Florence area representative on the Commission.
• Approved a two lot minor subdivision for Louis and Linda Engelhardt on the north side of County Road #45 in the Coaldale area.
• Approved a three lot minor subdivision for Michael and Gerry Howard on 7.43 acres at the northwest corner of 11th and South Broadway in Penrose.

Fremont County Tourism Council Public Notice

The Fremont County Tourism Council (F.C.T.C.) is soliciting letters of interest from Fremont County Residents for two positions of three year terms each on the F.C.T.C. The F.C.T.C. develops & administrates a Tourism Marketing Plan for Fremont County with the proceeds from the Fremont County Lodging Tax.

F.C.T.C. members are required to attend monthly meetings as well as any other meeting as voted on by the council. Attendance at certain community meetings that pertain to tourism may also be required. These positions are for voluntary service with no compensation or reimbursements of any kind.

Your letter of interest addressed to “Fremont County Tourism Council Letter of Interest” must be received at the Canon City Chamber of Commerce Office at 403 Royal Gorge Blvd. Canon City, Colorado 81212, no later than October 31, 2005 at 5:00 P.M. All letters submitted after this date will not be considered. Your employment or ownership in a tourism related business as defined by the Colorado Tourism Office will be a determining factor in the F.C.T.C recommendation. Your employment or ownership in a specific tourism related business as detailed in the F.C.T.C. By-Laws as adopted by the Fremont County Commissioners will govern all recommendations made by the F.C.T.C.

Any questions on this notice can be addressed to either F.C.T.C. Chairperson Vicky Casey at 275-5149 or F.C.T.C. Secretary Danny De George at 269-8245.

FREMONT COUNTY MAIL BALLOTS

Fremont County Clerk Norma Hatfield says ballots for the November 1st Coordinated Mail Ballot Election have been mailed to voters in Fremont County. Voters can expect those ballots to arrive by October 17th. The mail ballot will be the only method to vote in the election. There will be no polling places and no early voting for the election. Mrs. Hatfield says voters can deposit their completed ballots into the box at the Clerk’s Office no later than 7:00 p.m. Election Day November 1st. Voters can also drop their ballots in boxes located in the Clerk’s Branch Office at 31 Werner Road in Penrose or the Florence City Hall at 300 West Main in Florence by 4:30 p.m. November 1st.

Mrs. Hatfield says special postage is required if you return your ballots by mail. Voters should attach 60 cents in postage to their ballot for return mail. A 37 cent stamp will not be sufficient to guarantee return of the ballot to the Clerk’s Office.

If you are a registered voter but did not vote in the 2004 general election, then you will not receive a ballot in the mail. Registered voters who do not receive a ballot in the mail will have to appear in person at the Clerk’s Office, Room 102, of the Fremont County Administration Building at 615 Macon Avenue in Canon City. The appearance is required because state law requires voters to show proper identification and sign a signature card. If you are a registered voter and have not received a ballot in the mail by October 24th you should call the County Clerk’s Office at 276-7332 for information on your voting status.

Ballots returned by mail must be received in the Clerk’s Office by November 1st. Ballots with a November 1st postmark will not be counted if received after Election Day.

October 11th Commissioners’ Meeting

The Fremont County Commissioners dealt with a brief agenda of business for their regular meeting on October 11th. The Commissioners honored Karen Hawver for her 30 years of service with the Fremont County Department of Human Services.

The County’s West Nile Virus Program Coordinator J.R. Phillips detailed his 2005 West Nile activity report. Phillips noted that confirmed cases of West Nile Virus human infections dropped significantly this past summer compared to 2003 when over 3,000 cases were confirmed with 63 deaths. State Health Department statistics show only 75 confirmed West Nile Virus human infections in Colorado this year with one death. Phillips said there were three human West Nile cases in Fremont County.

Phillips said most of the West Nile Virus program efforts this year dealt with the cooperative effort between the County and the cities of Cañon City and Florence to trap and test mosquitoes that could transmit the virus. The trapping was done during the peak season in June and July for the culex tarsalis mosquito, the principal carrier of the virus. The most culex tarsalis mosquitoes ever gathered in Fremont County this summer was six during the week of June 20th. Phillips says the good news is that of all the culex tarsalis mosquitoes sent to a Fort Collins laboratory this summer, none tested positive for West Nile.

The Commissioners approved a list of 12 petitions from the Assessor’s Office for tax abatements or refunds as recommended by the Assessor’s staff. The staff recommended abatements on nine petitions but no abatements on three others.

The Board also scheduled four public hearings for the November 8th Commissioners’ meeting. The hearings will deal with a conditional use permit for Shane Cooper to operate a gravel pit in the Glen Vista area 1 ¼ miles east of Copper Gulch Road and Iron Mountain Road; a zone change from Ag Estates to Business for property south of County Road 27-A and ‘D’ Path in the Colorado acres area; a zone change from Ag Estates to business for property between 3rd Street and Highway 115 in the Rainbow Park area east of Florence; and a hearing for a special review use permit for expansion of the Mountain Vale cemetery operation by Bill Holt on the southeast corner of Chestnut and Highway 115 in the Lincoln Park area.

Penrose Town Hall Meeting Scheduled

The Fremont County Commissioners will conduct another town hall meeting, this time traveling to the east end of the County. Commission Chairman Larry Lasha has organized a town hall meeting for the Penrose community on Tuesday evening, October 18th. Tom and Carol Doxey have agreed to make the Apple Shed restaurant available for the town hall meeting. It will begin at 7 p.m. on October 18th. The Commissioners and Sheriff Jim Beicker plan to attend and discuss a number of issues. The Commissioners will discuss finance, budget, and road issues while Sheriff Beicker will discuss law enforcement, jail, and finance issues. All citizens are welcome to attend the town hall meeting and will have the opportunity to address questions to the Commissioners and the Sheriff.

This is the third town hall meeting the Commissioners have conducted this year with the previous meetings in Howard and the Deer Mountain Fire Hall. Other town hall meetings are to be scheduled in the coming months in Florence, Canon City, and Cotopaxi.

Fremont County Secures 2006 Gaming Impact Grant

The Colorado Department of Local Affairs has notified the Fremont County Commissioners that Fremont County was awarded a State Gaming Impact grant in the amount of $400,000 for 2006. The grant award was made following a September 15th meeting of the Local Government Limited Gaming Impact Advisory Committee in Gilpin County. Fremont County Commissioner Ed Norden and County Engineer Jack Effinger appeared before the committee requesting a grant in the amount of $484,000. The notification letter indicated all of the grant requests exceeded the total amount of money available for distribution.

The County intends to use the grant to complete the final 1.2 miles of asphalt overlay on County Road 11 (High Park Road) next summer. Fremont County last week completed another three miles of the two-inch asphalt overlay project utilizing $415,000 in gaming impact grant money awarded for 2005. The Road and Bridge Department had hoped to complete the 12 miles of overlay in three years but higher asphalt and fuel costs will extend the project into a fourth year in 2006.

Also targeted for spending in 2006 with the $400,000 grant is chip sealing asphalt on 15 miles of Red Canyon and Garden Park Roads north of Canon City, three storage sheds for storing salt and sand for winter maintenance for High Park, Garden Park, and Phantom Canyon Roads that lead into Teller County, and depending on the remaining funds.....chip sealing asphalt on 8 to 12 miles of the High Park Road.

Money awarded from the gaming impact grants for road improvements can only be used on roads impacted by traffic from casino gambling in Teller County. Norden noted that if the County did not receive the gaming impact grants the projects could not be completed because the County currently has no funds of its' own available for any chip seal or asphalt paving work .

November Election - - Mail Ballots

The Fremont County Clerk’s Office is busy preparing for the Coordinated Mail Ballot Election. Although November 1st is Election Day in Colorado, Fremont County Clerk Norma Hatfield notes that there will be no polling places open on Election Day. The only method of voting will be done by the ballots each voter will receive in the mail. Mrs. Hatfield says that state law requires the County Clerk’s Office to put the ballots in the mail between October 7th and the 17th. She says the ballots are being mailed only to active voters.

If you are a registered voter but did not vote in the 2004 general election, then you will not receive a ballot in the mail. Registered voters who do not receive a ballot in the mail will have to appear in person at the Clerk’s Office, Room 102, of the Fremont County Administration Building at 615 Macon Avenue in Canon City. The appearance is required because state law requires voters to show proper identification and sign a signature card. If you are a registered voter and have not received a ballot in the mail by October 24th you should call the County Clerk’s Office at 276-7332 for information on your voting status.

Mrs. Hatfield adds that the Coordinated Mail Ballot election also means there is no need for early voting. Voters can simply return their ballot by mail or drop their ballots into the box at the Clerk’s Office no later than 7:00 p.m. Election Day November 1st. Voters can also drop their ballots in boxes located in the Clerk’s Branch Office at 31 Werner Road in Penrose or the Florence City Hall at 300 West Main in Florence by 4:30 p.m. November 1st.

Ballots returned by mail must be received in the Clerk’s Office by November 1st. Ballots with a November 1st postmark will not be counted if received after Election Day.

Tire Collection Day a Success

The first community wide tire collection day hosted by the Holcim Company for Fremont County residents on Saturday, September 24th, attracted a lot of interest from citizens. Fremont County and the Upper Arkansas Recycling Program co-sponsored the program with the desire that citizens would use the opportunity to clean up old tires on private property. Keith Krugh of the Holcim Company reported that 1,182 passenger vehicle tires were delivered to the Holcim Plant at Portland along Highway 120 east of Florence. Krugh said that amounted to almost 12 tons of tires. Krugh said residents also got the opportunity to see first-hand how Holcim handles the tires by reducing them to smaller chips before being burnt in the cement kiln.

Tires contain hydrocarbons and pound for pound tires have more fuel value than coal. The intense heat of the kiln ensures complete destruction of the tires. There is no smoke or visible emissions from the tires. In fact, research shows that the use of tires as fuel can actually reduce certain emissions. The Rubber Manufacturers Association estimates that almost 130 million scrap tires were used as fuel in portland cement plants in 2003. The E.P.A. reports that tire derived fuel (TDF) contains about the same energy as oil and 25 percent more energy than coal.

Holcim, Fremont County, and the Regional Recycling Program hopes that from the interest shown in the September 24th tire collection day at Holcim, future recycling days can be scheduled to rid Fremont County and Colorado of old tires.

Dutch Elm Tree 2005 Survey

The Colorado State Forest Service Office in Canon City has reported to Fremont County that the annual Dutch elm disease survey for 2005 found no American Elm trees displaying symptoms of the disease. District Forester John Grieve said the initial survey was completed during the first week of July and the follow-up survey was completed the week of September 5th. Grieve said they observed numerous Siberian elms particularly in the Penrose area that are dead or contain a large number of dead branches. While Siberian elms do not contract Dutch elm disease, the dead wood can harbor the lesser European elm bark beetle which carries the disease. Grieve said they did not observe any signs of bark beetle activity in the dead Siberian elms. The high mortality rate among Siberian elms in Penrose and elsewhere in Fremont County appears to be drought related.

The highest concentration of American elms in Fremont County is in the Lincoln Park area south of Canon City. The survey crew sampled one tree along Park Avenue that is unhealthy but did not have all of the symptoms of Dutch elm. That tree will continue to be monitored.

The disease rate among American elms has decreased significantly over the years as control efforts were mounted to remove diseased trees. That is the only effective way to fight Dutch elm disease. Experts also recommend that anyone removing American elm trees or trimming branches make sure they dispose of the wood and do not put that wood into wood piles. American elm wood stored in wood piles can still harbor the elm bark beetle that will spread the disease to healthy trees.

September 27th Commissioners’ Meeting

Determining how many miniature donkeys make up an animal unit under Fremont County zoning regulations turned into an extensive debate at the County Commissioners regular board meeting. Bill Lowe was seeking approval to permit miniature donkeys on a five acre piece of property in Lincoln Park where he wants to relocate. The zoning district already identifies a number of animals as permitted uses but does not list miniature donkeys or the number of donkeys comprising an animal unit. After the Commissioners debated the issue from points of view of not adding the donkeys to the list at all, to having two donkeys equal one animal unit, the Board finally voted 2 to 1 to allow miniature donkeys at the rate of 1 = 1 animal unit. The Commissioners also said they plan to review the County Zoning Resolution to determine if other animals should be recognized on the list and if any animal unit calculation rates should be reconsidered.

In other business on a brief agenda the Commissioners:

• Approved a two lot minor subdivision for the Heart 4 Subdivision on the northeast corner of ‘J’ and 6th Street in Penrose. Lot 1 will contain 4.94 acres and lot 2 will contain 4.5 acres.
• Approved the final plat for a two lot major subdivision for Canon Creek Ranch filing four by Ross Jeffrey in the FourMile area. Lot 1 will contain 9.15 acres and lot 2 will contain 95.28 acres.
• Approved the final plat for a six lot major subdivision for Cool Commercial filing #1 located on the south side of Highway 50 between ‘L’ and ‘M’ Streets at Penrose. The Commissioners were assured that the plan for a drainage detention pond on lot 6 on the north side of Highway 50 would result in even less stormwater flowing across those properties and the corner of 15th and ‘M’ than has historically been the case.
• Tabled a three lot minor subdivision for H-D Prairie on the northwest corner of 11th and South Broadway in Penrose to work out concerns over a drainage plan for the property.