November 27th Commissioners Meeting

The Fremont County Commissioners tabled consideration of a moratorium on requiring site development plans in zoning regulations at their regular meeting Monday. The County Planning Commission on November 8th voted to recommend that the Board of Commissioners place a moratorium on the requirement for site development plans in various zoning districts in the county.

Several persons from the business, industrial, and real estate sectors have complained that the new requirements added as a zoning amendment last spring place too much of a burden on small businesses trying to get started or change use of their property. A lot of the concern has focused on language in the amendment stating that site development plans will be required if there is a substantial change of use. To this point the Planning Commission and Commissioners have been unable to define application of the word 'substantial'. Several of the business people say requiring detailed traffic studies for a change of use is too burdensome, too costly, and takes too much time.

The Commissioners say they recognized the problem when site development plan requirements were adopted and that is why they did not want them applied unless there was a 'substantial' change of use. But the Commissioners say they continue to hear from citizens who say that growth, both residentially and commercially, must pay for itself. The Commissioners said the county does not want to create a hardship on businesses but to make sure the impacts of growth are addressed.

The Commissioners said instead of putting a moratorium in place now they would first prefer to meet with the Planning Commission to discuss options and possible solutions. The Commissioners tabled the recommendation until January 9th when they will either consider the moratorium or other possible solutions.

In other action Monday the Commissioners:

• approved a two lot minor subdivision for Jack Roberts on 6.24 acres of property on the northwest corner of Pinion Avenue and Locust in Lincoln Park;
• announced plans for the second legislative summit prior to the 2007 session of the Colorado Legislature. Senator Ken Kester, and Representatives Buffie McFadyen, Tom Massey, and Bob Gardner will meet with the County Commissioners and municipal officials at 2 p.m. on December 14th at the County Administration Building;
• and approved liquor license renewals for Penrose Post #2788 and Shadow Hills Golf Club.

Shots Fired at County Building Department Vehicle

The Fremont County Board of Commissioners is asking the public for information in helping track down the person responsible for firing shots at a Fremont County pickup truck earlier this month. The incident happened November 1st along U.S. Highway 50 at Coaldale in western Fremont County. A Sheriff's report states that Fremont County Building Inspector Dan Brixey was conducting an inspection inside a home under construction with the contractor when they heard several gunshots. Five bullet strikes all landed in a small area of the driveway between the contractor's pickup and the County's building department pickup. The report said two of the contractors' employees who were at a picnic table near the driveway had to scramble to take cover when the shots were fired.

Anyone with information about the shooting incident is asked to call Fremont County Crimestoppers at 275-STOP. You could qualify for a reward if the responsible person is arrested and prosecuted in connection with the incident.

November 14th Commissioners Meeting

The announcement of the 2006 Fremont County Employee of the Year highlighted a brief agenda for the Fremont County Commissioners regular meeting Tuesday.

The Commissioners presented the Employee of the Year certificate and a $300 check to Kent DeGarmo, Detention Division Commander at the Fremont County Sheriff's Department. DeGarmo is a 13 year veteran with the Sheriff's Department having started as a detention officer in 1993. He was promoted to Commander to take over the jail administration in 2005. Sheriff Jim Beicker and the County Commissioners credit DeGarmo with helping to get control over spending in the jail through detailed review of inmates' medical claims. DeGarmo was also instrumental in organizing the Sheriff's Department's Wildland Fire Team. The letter nominating DeGarmo for the honor said "he is truly a pleasure to work with.....his positive attitude, efficiency in his position as Commander, as well as involvement in the Wildland Fire Team is just part of the reasons why he should be recognized as Fremont County Employee of the Year".

The Commissioners also approved a resolution which initiates the transfer of some properties in the Penrose area from the John C. Fremont Library District at Florence into the Penrose Library District. District 2 Commissioner Larry Lasha noted that the confusion was uncovered after tax bills were mailed out two years ago after the John C. Fremont District was created. Lasha said that when the Penrose Recreation District was formed years ago a number of agricultural properties were exempted from that district. When the Penrose Library District was formed it followed the same boundaries and included the same properties as the Penrose Recreation District. The problem emerged when the John C. Fremont Library District was formed to include all properties in the RE-2 School District that were not part of the Penrose Library District.

The Commissioners resolution now shifts fifteen parcels of property into the Penrose Library District. It may take a couple more years before all of the affected property owners around Penrose are contacted so they can petition out of the Florence district into the Penrose Library District.

Dave Strom reported to the Commissioners that he and Dennis Withers are making slow but steady progress to secure donations that will help finance the mounting of two Vietnam era helicopters on display stands at the War Memorial Park at the Fremont County Airport. Strom said the Veterans Day spaghetti dinner at the V.F.W. Hall raised over $2,400 that will first help towards the cost of mounting the Cobra helicopter in the park. Anyone willing to contribute to the effort to erect the helicopter displays can contact Strom at 275-2305. Commissioner Ed Norden added his thanks to the efforts by Dennis Withers to clean up the weeds at the War Memorial Park which got out of hand following the heavy rains last July. Withers took it upon himself to mow and pull many of the weeds around the park this past summer.

In other business at Tuesday's meeting the Commissioners:

• Announced that the Board will conduct two public hearings on the proposed 2007 Fremont County budget. The hearings are set for 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Tuesday, November 21st;
• Changed the date of the Board's next regular meeting from November 28th to Monday, November 27th at 9:30 a.m.;
• Also changed the date of the monthly meeting of the Board of Social Services from November 28th to Monday, November 27th, at 1:30 p.m. The meeting dates were changed because of a conflict with the winter conference of Colorado Counties Inc.
  

Vacancies on County Board of Zoning Adjustment

The Fremont County Board of County Commissioners is accepting letters of interest from citizens of Fremont County wishing to serve on the Fremont County Board of Zoning Adjustment.

The Board of Zoning Adjustment meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. to review requests for variance from the Fremont County Zoning Resolution, for the issuance of medical hardship waivers or appeals of decisions made by county officials in interpretation of the Fremont County Zoning Resolution. The Board of Zoning Adjustment makes final decisions.

Interested persons should submit a letter stating their qualifications and reasons for wanting to serve by mail or in person to the Fremont County Board of County Commissioners at 615 Macon Avenue - Room 105, Canon City, Colorado 81212, or by facsimile at (719) 276-7304. All applications must be received no later than December 8, 2006.

For more information concerning these memberships please contact the Fremont County Department of Planning and Zoning by telephone at (719) 276-7360, by email at planning@fremontco.com, or by visiting the web site www.fremontco.com.

Planning Commission Vacancies

The Board of County Commissioners is accepting letters of interest from citizens of Fremont County wishing to serve on the Fremont County Planning Commission.

The Commission meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. to review land use proposals, such as subdivisions, zone changes and use permits and make recommendations to the County Commissioners who render a final decision on land use proposals. The Planning Commission is also responsible for updating the Master Plan, a county-wide guideline for reviewing land use proposals.

Interested persons should submit a letter stating their qualifications and reasons for wanting to serve by mail or in person to the County Commissioners at 615 Macon Avenue - Room 105, Canon City, Colorado 81212, or by facsimile at (719) 276-7304. The deadline is December 8th, 2006.

For more information concerning these memberships please contact the Department of Planning and Zoning by telephone at (719) 276-7360, by email at planning@fremontco.com, or by visiting the web site www.fremontco.com.

Biggerstaff Posthumously Honored as Civic Leader

A Canon City banker who died earlier this year has been honored by having his name added to the list of Outstanding Civic Leaders of Fremont County. The name of Darryl Biggerstaff has been added to the Civic Leaders plaque which hangs in the south entryway of the Fremont County Administration Building. Biggerstaff was nominated for the honor by the Advisory Committee of the Fremont Campus of Pueblo Community College of which he was a longtime member.

Biggerstaff was part of the original group of citizens who began discussing the idea of a local college. When Pueblo Community College announced plans to build a permanent campus on the old prison gardens west of Canon City, Biggerstaff became the driving force behind the efforts to raise $1 million for the building. He generously contributed funds to start the campaign and took it upon himself to encourage many citizens to help the community's dream become a reality. Biggerstaff was President of Fremont National Bank at the time of his death.

The plaque honoring outstanding civic leaders was first erected in 2003 to posthumously honor persons who made significant contributions to their community. Previous honorees include former Canon City Mayor Ruth Carter nominated by the American Association of University Woman (AAUW), Frank Romanick nominated by the local chapter of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), and Sharon Cushman nominated by the Canon City Zonta Club.

The inscription on the plaque in the County Administration Building honoring Biggerstaff reads "Darryl Biggerstaff, Banker-Philanthropist, 1990 Distinguished Citizen, Community Leader and Fundraiser, Pueblo Community College-Fremont Campus, 2006".