Fremont County Tourism Council Annual Appointments

The Fremont County Board of Commissioners is soliciting letters of interest from Fremont County residents for appointment to two positions on the Fremont County Tourism Council (FCTC). The Tourism Council develops and administers a Tourism Marketing Plan for Fremont County utilizing the proceeds from the Fremont County Lodging Tax.

Each position is for a three year term beginning January 1, 2008. The two positions are currently held by Mike Bandera of the Royal Gorge Bridge Company and Mike Merlino of Merlino's Belvedere Restaurant. Both are eligible for reappointment.

FCTC members are required to attend monthly meetings as well as any special meetings as voted upon by the council. Periodic attendance at other community meetings pertaining to tourism issues may also be necessary. These positions involve voluntary service with no compensation.

Your letter of interest addressed to the Fremont County Board of Commissioners must be received at the Commissioners Office in Room 105 of the Fremont County Administration Building, 615 Macon Avenue, Canon City, CO 81212 no later than 4 p.m., Friday, November 16th.

Your employment or ownership in a tourism related business as defined by the Colorado Tourism Office will be a determining factor in the FCTC recommendation to the Board of Commissioners. Your employment or ownership in a tourism related business as detailed in the FCTC by-laws will be considered by the Board of Commissioners in making their appointment.

Any questions regarding the Tourism Council vacancies can be directed to FCTC Chairman Mike Bandera at 275-7507.

October 23rd Commissioners Meeting

Action that could lead to the sale of some county owned industrial property west of the Fremont County Airport highlighted the business agenda for the Fremont County Commissioners Tuesday. The board ratified the signatures of Commissioners Ed Norden and Mike Stiehl on a contract option with a Denver company that is hoping to market the property for federal immigration offices. The option needed to be in place with the signatures by October 19th to meet a deadline by the General Services Administration (GSA).

The Denver firm has an option to buy eight acres on Lot 38 on the west side of Highway 67 for $200,000. An Iowa firm has an option to buy a neighboring eight acre lot for $200,000. The two companies will compete for the opportunity to build a new office building for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). GSA would lease the building for ICE which would use the facility to process immigration detainees. Officials say they expect GSA to select a location and development firm within the next two weeks. A Pueblo site is also in the running. But since ICE is now leasing bed space at the Fremont County Jail it's believed Fremont County might be in a favorable position to land the facility along Highway 67.

The Commissioners note that the expected $200,000 revenue was already used in the county's 2007 budget calculations and would improve the county's general fund reserves for 2008 budget preparations.

The Commissioners approved an intergovernmental agreement with the E-911 Authority for the county to handle the purchase of new dispatch equipment in the Florence Dispatch Center. The Commissioners also approved contracts with Motorola and WDSL for the purchase of a new radio console and consolettes. The E-911 Authority is contributing $120,000 to the purchase price while the Fremont County Sheriff's Department and Office of Emergency Management secured a $130,000 Homeland Security grant for the balance of the cost.

In other action the Commissioners:

• Granted a one year extension to Doug and Cathie Brill for the Lone Eagle subdivision along County Road 45 at Howard;
• Approved a one year extension for Mesas on Sunrise Ridge final plan for an 89 lot residential development along Van Loo Road just east of the Dozier Avenue intersection;
• Approved a six month extension for the L & B Richards two lot minor subdivision along Moore Drive south of Florence;
• Scheduled a public hearing on the 2008 proposed Fremont County budget for 10 a.m., November 13th.

NRCS Offers Cost Sharing to Deal with Invasive Plants

LAKEWOOD, CO - The U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service in Colorado will offer up to one million dollars through a Call for Proposals (CFP) process to fund the FY 2008 Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Invasive Plants Program.

The program is targeted to control invasive plant species and will be offered in limited geographical areas for watershed-scale projects that will significantly reduce the abundance and impacts of newly emerging noxious weed species and improve the surrounding plant communities.

"Due to limited funding, only project areas identified by organizations, units of government, or other groups that have an existing program or organized effort to address invasive plant species will be considered for funding," said Tim Carney, Assistant State Conservationist for Programs, Lakewood, CO.

Since EQIP funding can only be utilized on private working lands through contracts with individual landowners, this funding will not be offered as a grant. Once the project area is selected, individual landowners or groups of landowners can apply for funding within the approved project areas.

Responses to the CFP will be accepted from organizations, units of government, or other groups with an ongoing weed management or invasive plant species initiative or program. To be considered for funding, CFP's must be complete and accurate, and received at the NRCS State Office by Friday, November 2nd.

Mail Ballot Signature & Date Errors

The Fremont County Clerk's Office is calling voters' attention to an error that is tied to an important requirement when returning mail ballots. Fremont County mail ballots began arriving in mail boxes this week. Instructions with the ballot point out that voters must sign and date the ballot for their votes to count.

County Clerk Norma Hatfield said the county's vendor that prints and distributes the ballots mailed them to voters from Denver without removing the signature and date examples of "George Washington" and "July 4th, 1776". The Clerk's office says that voters should use the ballot they received in the mail and simply write in their own signature above Washington's name, and write the current date next to 1776. An example of where to sign your ballot is posted on the Clerk's web page at www.fremontco.com. Then click on the 'Election Department' link under the Clerk and Recorder's link.

Mrs. Hatfield says she regrets the printing error but urges voters to make sure they still write in their own name and date on the ballot affidavit. As was the case with past mail ballots, unless the ballots are signed and dated by the voter, they cannot be accepted.

Fremont County Fairboard Vacancies

The Fremont County Board of Commissioners is accepting letters of interest for appointments to the Fremont County Fair Board. Terms on the fair board are for three years. Fair Board meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m.

Persons interested in volunteering to serve on the Fair Board should submit a letter of interest and mail it or delivered it to the Fremont County Commissioners Office, 615 Macon Avenue, Room #105, Canon City, CO 81212.

The deadline for letters of interest for Fair Board appointments is Friday, November 9th at 4:30 p.m.

October 9th Commissioners' Meeting

The Fremont County Commissioners awarded a pair of bids for construction of four salt-sand sheds this fall in preparation for snowy and icy roads this winter. Key to the project is a $200,000 Colorado Mineral Impact grant the county Road & Bridge Department secured this summer. The Commissioners awarded a low bid of $250,170 to Patch Construction for concrete work to build ten-foot high side walls for all four sheds. Cover-All was the successful bidder for the shelter covers on the four sheds with a low bid of $39,528.

The $289,698 project cost is still $54,000 more than the cash the county had available for the project. In addition to the $200,000 grant the county has a $25,000 contribution from the Cripple Creek-Victor Gold Mine and had $10,000 in county matching funds. Because of the need to finish all four sheds in time for winter road maintenance the Commissioners decided the $54,000 balance will be paid from the Road and Bridge reserve fund. The Commissioners said they felt it is important that the project not be delayed so concrete work can be completed before winter sets in. The Commissioners say they also hope that getting the salt-sand sheds constructed will not only keep the salt from leaching out of the sand into the soil but also produce cost savings by allowing bulk purchases in off season months when prices may be lower.

The Commissioners also approved the renewal of an agreement with the Upper Arkansas Area Council of Governments to continue participation in the regional recycling program. Cost of participating in the recycling program in 2008 will be $27,761, money that the county collects from surcharges on trash dumped at local transfer stations and Twin Landfill. Finance Officer Dana Angel said that amount is down $7,600 from the 2007 cost because of revenues collected from sales of recycled materials.

The Commissioners approved on second and final reading an ordinance adopting the 2003 version of the Colorado Model Traffic Code. Among several changes, the code puts in place new surcharges collected with traffic fines for speeding and other traffic violations. Most of a new $12 surcharge is directed towards state mandated programs while only $2 of the surcharge is kept in Fremont County for administration costs.

In other business the Commissioners:

• Reappointed Brian Rupp to the Fremont County Building Code Board of Appeals;
• Reappointed Andy Neinas to the Fremont County Tourism Council for a three year term retroactive to January 1, 2007, when his term originally ended;
• Approved annual agreements for the Colorado Works Program, the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program, and the Emergency Food Assistance Program (USDA Food Commodities) with the Upper Arkansas Area Council of Governments.

Building Code Board of Appeals Vacancy

The Fremont County Commissioners are seeking a person for appointment as a member to County Board of Building Code Appeals. The board meets three times annually and as needed to hear appeals of the county's building code. If you have building experience or a background in contracting, you are encouraged to apply.

Letters of interest for appointment to a three year term on the Fremont County Board of Building Code Appeals should be submitted no later than 4 p.m. November 16th to the County Commissioners' office at 615 Macon Avenue in Canon City.

Tourism Council Accepting Applications for 2008 Community Grants

The Fremont County Tourism Council is now accepting applications from community organizations for 2008 tourism funding allocations. Community organizations and non-profit groups that conduct special events which attract tourists and visitors to the area are invited to submit applications for funding assistance. The Tourism Council by-laws require that at least five percent of County Lodging Tax revenues each year be distributed to community groups to support their special events. The total amount of money to be distributed will be determined by the Tourism Council as part of their 2008 budget adoption in December.

Application forms are available at the Fremont County Commissioners Office at 615 Macon Ave., Room 105, in Canon City, or go on-line to the County's web site at www.fremontco.com. Click on the funding application link found on the main page. The application deadline for the 2008 tourism funding allocations is 4 p.m. October 31st at the County Commissioners office. The Tourism Council will hear oral presentations from the applicants at their December 4th regular meeting.