State Weed Managers Honor Fremont Commissioners

The Colorado Weed Management Association (CWMA) has presented its 2007 'Commissioner of the Year' Award to the Fremont County Board of Commissioners. The award was announced during the December annual conference of CWMA at the Pueblo Convention Center. The three Fremont County Commissioners were presented with the award at their regular meeting December 11th.

Fremont County Weed Control Manager J.R. Phillips said the CWMA typically recognizes one county commissioner in the state who has advanced the objectives of weed management through the support of the programs in their particular county. Phillips said this year the entire Fremont County Board of Commissioners was nominated for the honor because of the support shown in issues dealing with management of noxious weeds in Fremont and surrounding counties. Phillips said that in addition to the Commissioners taking an interest in work by the Fremont County Weed Advisory Board, Commissioner Larry Lasha even donned a back pack sprayer and took part in spraying elongated mustard plants in rocky terrain in the Wellsville area last summer.

The award was presented to the Commissioners by Paul Telck, President of the Fremont County Weed Advisory Board; Alan Schwartz of Buena Vista, President of the Upper Arkansas Cooperative Weed Management Area; and Larry Walker, Weed Control Manager for Park and Teller Counties and a member of the CWMA Board of Directors.

December 21st Commissioners Meeting

End of the year budgetary matters highlighted a brief agenda of business for the Fremont County Commissioners. The Board met in a rare Friday session since the meeting was rescheduled due to the regular meeting date occurring on December 25th.

The Commissioners approved a resolution certifying all of the mill levies for every governmental entity in the county that relies on property taxes as part of its revenue. The annual mill levy certification is required by state law. The final summary showed a total of $24.96 million being estimated for collection in property taxes for schools, cities, towns, the county, and all special districts against a total Fremont County assessed valuation of $429.527 million. That represents an increase of $56.22 million in assessed value from one year ago. The Commissioners say the increase is a credit to the hard work by new County Assessor Stacey Seifert and her staff to get a five year back log of properties on the tax rolls in Fremont County.

The Commissioners adopted a resolution formally approving the service plan for the proposed new Western Fremont Fire Protection District at Coaldale. The Commissioners conducted a public hearing at the December 11th meeting on the plan. Commission Chairman Ed Norden noted that there was no public opposition to the plan which would split the Coaldale area off from the Deer Mountain Fire District. Norden said there were a number of letters from the Coaldale and Deer Mountain area that supported the proposal. The next step is for organizers to file the plan in Fremont County District Court in hopes of conducting an election in May. That election would seek approval from Coaldale residents to form the new district and elect their own board of directors.

In other business the Commissioners:

• Approved resolutions for a supplemental 2007 budget to reflect changes primarily due to grant monies received and disbursed and for transfer of appropriated funds between various budget lines;
• Approved a resolution supporting Fremont County's involvement in the Preserve America program in an effort to secure a grant for historical heritage programs;
• Approved a resolution expanding the medical providers' list for workers compensation insurance;
• Approved the grant contract for receiving $400,000 in Colorado Gaming Impact Funds for spending in 2008;
• Approved a waiver to permit Cemex of Florence to replace a failed leach line to their septic system at 213 South Robinson instead of being forced to install 900 feet of sewage pipe to hook into Fremont Sanitation District lines.
  

December 11th Commissioners Meeting

A public hearing on a proposed new fire district in western Fremont County, introduction of the 2007 Employee of the Year, and adoption of the county's 2008 budget highlighted business during a two-hour regular meeting of the Fremont County Commissioners.

The Commissioners approved a 2008 budget totaling $27,271,000 for all funds. That breaks down to a General Fund budget of $10.7 million, $7.27 million for Human Services, a Sheriff's budget of $5.17 million, and a Road and Bridge budget of $3.03 million. The 2008 budget carries a total property tax mill levy of 12.482 mills. That includes the 12.294 mill levy maximum set by the Tabor amendment in 1992 and allowed by voters with the approval of Issue 1-B in November. The additional .188 mills is permitted under Tabor to recover dollars spent over the past year in property tax abatements or refunds.

County Finance Director Dana Angel noted that due to an increase in the county's assessed property values the allowable revenue growth rate under Tabor in 2008 will be 2.97 percent. That compares to a growth rate of 1.31 percent that was estimated last August based on early valuation figures. When combined with a 2.8 percent inflation increase in the consumer price index it means Fremont County's 2008 revenue will be allowed to grow by 5.77 percent.

The Commissioners conducted a public hearing on the service plan for the newly proposed Western Fremont Fire Protection District (WFFPD). Residents of Coaldale want to split off from the Deer Mountain Fire District and form their own fire district. The plan proposes that all current fire equipment housed at the Coaldale Fire Station would be transferred to the new fire district. The new district would also maintain the same levy of 3.992 mills as Deer Mountain with the tax proceeds inside the new boundaries being transferred to WFFPD.

Commission Chairman Ed Norden said the board received more than twenty letters in support of the split and no letters in opposition. Norden said he appreciated the vision of the Coaldale residents by suggesting the possibility of emergency medical rescue services in the future and the choice of Western Fremont for a name allowing for expansion of boundaries beyond Coaldale if area residents desire that in the future as well.

The Commissioners asked that a resolution be drafted in support of the new fire district for consideration at their December 21st meeting. The next step for the Coaldale organizers would be to seek permission through the District Court for an election in May. An election would seek approval from Coaldale residents to form the WFFPD, set a mill levy, and elect a new board of directors.

The Commissioners honored county payroll clerk Cyndy Angel as the 2007 County Employee of the Year. Cyndy has worked with the county for 16 years. The nomination letter from a fellow employee noted that "Her character was a valuable asset to keep things running smoothly this year". Angel was presented with a certificate and a $300 bonus for the honor.

The Commissioners reappointed Mike Bandera of the Royal Gorge Bridge Company to the Fremont County Tourism Council and newly appointed Florence businessman Morrie Aves. Aves replaces Mike Merlino who did not seek reappointment after serving three years on the council. The Commissioners also thanked Ron Hinkle of Florence and Pete Mugasis of Penrose for applying for the vacancies and urged both to stay active with the Tourism Council as ex-officio members for their respective communities.

The Commissioners approved a site development plan for Jeff and Lissa Pinello for the Biker Town development located on the west side of Highway 115 between 6th and 7th Streets in the Penrose area. The property will contain a single building that will house three retail stores, a professional office, a storage area, and a motorcycle repair shop on a 4.6 acre parcel.

In other business the Commissioners:

• Recognized Code Enforcement Officers Walter Elkins and Robert Sapp for being recertified by the State of Colorado;
• appointed Edie McLish of the Fremont Economic Development Corporation to represent the county on the Southern Colorado Economic Development Corporation Board and the Enterprise Zone Advisory Committee for the Upper Arkansas Area Council of Governments;
• and voted to authorize the chairman to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Bureau of Land Management that will have the county participate in the federal and state governments' review process for Christo and Jeanne Claude's proposed 'Over the River' art project. The Commissioners noted that language in the memorandum preserves the county's authority to conduct hearings to consider issuing local permits for the project.

November 26th Commissioners Meeting

The Fremont County Commissioners handled a brief agenda of business for the November 26th regular meeting. Adoption of a resolution setting new photocopy fees at the Fremont County Clerk and Recorder's Office highlighted the day's agenda.

A new law passed during the 2007 session of the Legislature limited photocopy fees by state and local government to 25 cents for a standard page unless higher fees were supported by research showing higher actual costs associated with making copies. The fee schedule adopted by the Commissioners is based on a study performed by Public Research Management Group which examined time spent on researching historic records by the Clerk's staff to produce those copies. The Clerk's new fee schedule keeps the cost for standard pages at 25 cents each for electronic documents, $1.25 per page for documents requiring physical research of records, and $5 per page for maps and other oversized documents. Additionally, records requiring staff research to locate documents or requiring more than one hour will incur a $23.31 hourly charge.

The Commissioners also reappointed Barbara Carochi, Virginia Haynes, Ralph Kunselman, and Buddy Nichols to the Fremont County Fairboard and newly appointed Barry Acton of Florence to the Fairboard.

In the only other business the Commissioners approved a request for a six month extension of a three lot minor subdivision for Kurtis and Trudy Zerby northeast of the intersection of Field and Melvina Avenues north of Canon City.

Applicants sought for County Planning Commission

The Fremont County Commissioners are accepting letters of interest for appointments to the County Planning Commission and the County Board of Zoning Adjustment.

The Planning Commission meets the first Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. to review land use proposals and other issues. The two Planning Commission terms begin January 1, 2008, and will run for three years. Chuck McIntyre and Mike Schnobrich currently serve in those two seats on the Planning Commission and both have applied for re-appointment.

The Board of Zoning Adjustment (BOZA) meets the third Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. to review variances to the Fremont County Zoning Resolution. That seat is also for a three year term.

Interested persons should deliver a letter with qualifications and reasons for wanting to serve to the County Commissioners at - 615 Macon Avenue - Room 105, Canon City, Colorado 81212 or fax to 276-7304, or email to: bocc@fremontco.com. Letters or e-mails should be received by 4:00 p.m. Thursday, December 27, 2007.