Brick Orders for War Memorial Wall

The Fremont County Veterans Service Office is taking orders to engrave the names of more veterans on the War Memorial Wall at the Fremont County Airport. Several more applications are needed before the next order is submitted to engrave the next 50 names on the wall.

The War Memorial Wall is for all honorably discharged veterans, living or deceased. Honored veterans can be local Fremont County residents or from outside of the area, even from states other than Colorado. Veterans honored on the wall can be from any branch of military service including the Coast Guard and the Merchant Marines.

Fremont County Veterans Service Officer Betty Hanawalt suggests that this is a perfect opportunity to honor a veteran in your family at Christmas time by arranging for a gift of an engraved brick in his or her name on the wall.

The Veterans Service Office will pay to have the names engraved of any person killed in action or missing in action who was a Fremont County resident at the time of their enlistment.

To fill out an application for an engraved brick on the War Memorial Wall stop at the Veterans Service Office in room LL-8 on the lower level of the Fremont County Administration Building or call the office at 276-7400. You will need to provide the name of the veteran, their rank, branch of service, period of service, and the $50 engraving fee.

North Canon Sanitary Sewer Progress Report

The Fremont Sanitation District is considering a pair of options to complete the financing package for the proposed North Canon Sanitary Sewer project. Sanitation District Manager George Medaris presented a progress report on the project to the Fremont County Commissioners at the board's November 13th meeting.

Medaris said the latest cost estimate for the North Canon sewer project has increased to $2,949,417. He said the escalated cost is due to a central vacuum system that would be needed to make the gravity flow sewer functional on at least 27 homes in the north Canon area. Medaris said the sewer lines would flow to a pot where it would be drained by a switch activated vacuum.

The Sanitation District has already secured a $600,000 Community Development Block Grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs to assist with the project. The rest of the $2.94 million project will have to be financed through a mix of grants and loans.

Medaris said he has been talking with the Rural Development agency about federal grants and loans. He said based upon a 25 percent grant from Rural Development, the rest of the project would have to be financed through a loan with an estimated payoff of $61.77 in monthly sewer fees for each residence. Medaris said that amount is still within the $62 maximum monthly cost listed in the residents' contract agreements.

The other alternative financing being explored is through the Colorado Water Protective and Development Association. But Medaris said because that agency requires any loans be paid off within a 20 year period the monthly charge would climb to over $75 which is outside the maximum cost listed in the contracts.

Medaris said next March is probably the earliest the proposed North Canon Sewer project could come before the county commissioners for a public hearing to consider formation of a public improvement district. Medaris also said that if everything stays on schedule the earliest that construction could begin would be in June of 2008.

Fremont Airport Honored by Pilots

The Colorado Pilots Association honored the Fremont County Airport on November 10th in Denver with presentation of a General Aviation Airport Award. The airport and its' manager, Richard Baker, were nominated by Phyllis Wells whose letter was endorsed by thirty-five other airport users. Wells is a member of the Pilots Association.

In Wells' letter she praised the services of the Fremont County Airport as a user friendly airport and said the airport management team is the airport's strongest asset. She noted that Baker is a pilot, a veteran, and a longtime local resident who is dedicated to his job and has been successful in securing a number of grants for airport improvements.

Baker said it was an honor to receive the award from the pilots. Baker said "It's a team effort with the county that supports the facility, the elected officials, the maintenance central shop that takes care of the equipment, and the finance department for funding of the airport".

District 2 County Commissioner Larry Lasha said the commissioners have historically and are currently very supportive of the airport. Lasha said "We are proud of the accomplishments and all the hard work the Airport Advisory Board does along with Richard Baker who have worked on safety issues and the airport itself".

November 13th Commissioners Meeting

A public hearing on the proposed 2008 Fremont County budget highlighted the agenda for the Commissioners regular meeting Tuesday. County Finance Director Dana Angel said that the budget document presented at the hearing did not include any allowance yet for additional revenue the county would gain from the passage of Issue 1-B which voters approved one week earlier. The Commissioners did take the opportunity to thank the voters for their support in passing 1-B and expressing trust in the Commissioners to address the most urgent need with the additional dollars.

The 2008 budget message prepared by Angel noted that the only decision made so far about the anticipated $487,383 in additional 1-B revenue is that the Commissioners ear marked $250,000 immediately for Road and Bridge projects in 2008. Final decisions on use of the rest of the money in 2008 will be made prior to the December 11th budget adoption. The Commissioners said that in fact they hope more money might be spent on Road and Bridge projects but that it's also important to address the General Fund reserves which were drawn down to extremely low levels the last three years. General Fund reserves are expected to be $601,000 by the end of 2008 with a goal by the Commissioners to reach a targeted reserve of $1 million by the start of 2010.

Total proposed county spending for 2008 is $27,311,000, an increase of 4.5 percent from 2007 spending. Sheriff's Department expenses are expected to increase by $654,000 in 2008 due to the opening of 96 new jail beds. The county expects those costs to be offset by revenues the Sheriff will collect from leasing at least 48 of the beds to other agencies. The Commissioners say their hope is that the Sheriff will collect sufficient revenues to start building a reserve fund of his own without relying on more money from the county's General Fund. The Commissioners say their concern is that without the passage of the Sheriff's proposed half-cent sales tax for public safety, within a couple of years the money from Issue 1-B might again have to be funneled to meet the mandated requirements to operate the jail. The Sheriff's budget will actually show a $54,000 deficit at the end of 2007 due to the county's share of hiring staff to open the 96 new jail beds.

The proposed 2008 county budget shows varied increases to salaries for county employees as a result of a salary survey performed during 2007. The minimum compensation increase any employee will receive is 1 ½ percent. Average salary increases by fund include 4 percent in the General Fund, 2.88 percent in the Road and Bridge Fund, 4.83 percent in the Sheriff's Fund, and 2.71 percent in the Human Services Fund.

Cripple Creek and Victor Gold Mine Operations Manager Larry Newcomer and Community Affairs Manager Jane Mannon attended the Commissioners meeting to present a $25,000 check to the Commissioners as part of the funding to build salt-sand sheds at each of the Road and Bridge Department's four district shops. Commission Chairman Ed Norden said the gold mine's $25,000 gift was integral to the county's success in securing a $200,000 Colorado Mineral Impact Grant this past summer. The county matched $65,000 for the project from Road and Bridge reserve funds. The salt-sand sheds will enable the county to purchase material in bulk during the summer and fall at more economical prices. The sheds with concrete floors will also prevent leeching of the salts out of the sand into the soil.

The Commissioners set a public hearing date of Tuesday, December 11th, at 10 a.m. for the proposed creation of the Western Fremont Fire Protection District. Residents at Coaldale are proposing the new fire district to be split off from the Deer Mountain Fire District. The public hearing and the Commissioners approval of the service plan are required as first steps in setting up the new fire district.

In other business the Commissioners:

• Approved a resolution transferring another 37 parcels of property out of the John C. Fremont Library District at Florence into the Penrose Library District due to the fact that boundaries were improperly drawn when John C. Fremont was first formed;
• Approved a resolution authorizing the chairman to sign an agreement verifying the dry up of acreage at Pathfinder Park as it pertains to ownership of irrigation ditch shares;
• Changed the date of the November 27th regular meeting to Monday, November 26th at 9:30 a.m. and changed the date of the December 25th regular meeting to Friday, December 21st, at 9:30 a.m.;
• Approved transfer of the Arkansas River Tours special review use permit from Reed and Karen Dils to Robert Hamel L.L.C.;
• Approved the temporary cessation of a special review use permit for a garage shed at the Tallahassee County Shop property since it is no longer used to store a fire truck;
• Voted to rescind a special review use permit for the I.O.O.F. Indian Wells Park, a neighborhood park project that never got underway on seventeen acres west of the Deer Mountain Fire Station.
  
  
  
  

County Weed Manager Coordinates Tamarisk Eradication

Fremont County Weed Control Manager J.R. Phillips helped to lead the southern Colorado effort this past summer in the fight to rid rangeland and riparian areas of the invasive plant tamarisk. An article in the October publication of 'Rocky Mountain Times' from the Canon City U.S.D.A. Service Center reviewed the coordinated efforts to treat tamarisk this summer.

John Knapp, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service area conservationist reports that 532 acres of tamarisk were treated over the summer in Fremont, Pueblo, Huerfano, Otero, and Bent Counties. Knapp said special thanks goes out to Phillips for coordinating the spraying with the landowners and agencies in the counties so that southeastern Colorado could secure the services of the west slope based aerial applicator.

Other partners with the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) included Fremont County, the Fremont County Weed Board, Fremont Conservation District, Turkey Creek Conservation District, Pueblo County, Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Upper Arkansas Weed Management Association, Herfano County, CSU Cooperative Extension, Upper Huerfano Conservation District, West Otero Timpas Conservation District, Colorado State Forest Service, Colorado Division of Wildlife, Otero County, Bent County Conservation District, Arkansas River Conservancy District, and the US Forest Service.

Tamarisk contributes to the development of saline soil conditions which thins out native plants. The tamarisk stands are typically dense which impede the movement of wildlife and livestock. Tamarisk also impairs the function of shallow water wetlands by lowering water tables. The chemical used for tamarisk control takes three years to kill all parts of the plant so that no re-growth occurs.

The Fremont County Commissioners also express their appreciation to the efforts of J.R. Phillips in coordinating the tamarisk control efforts in southeastern Colorado the last several years.