September Planning Commission Agenda

A pair of applications to erect wind monitoring towers in the Tallahassee area northwest of Canon City make up the agenda for the Fremont County Planning Commission's September 3rd meeting. E.C. & R. Colorado L.L.C. is the applicant for the two towers described as Badger Creek wind monitoring masts which are both to be located on state school land.

One application is for a 262 foot tall wind monitoring tower to be located north of the Stirrup Ranch near the intersection of County Roads 2 and 2A. The other application is for a 198 foot tower nearby in the same general vicinity. Both parcels of property are currently used for grazing. The two wind monitoring towers would both be painted according to Federal Aviation Administration standards. The two towers would also be equipped with a medium intensity red flashing light on top.

The Fremont County Planning Commission meets at 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, September 3rd in the County Commissioners meeting room (LL-3) in the County Administration Building at 615 Macon Avenue, in Canon City.

Applicants Sought for new Fremont Heritage Commission

The Fremont County Commissioners are accepting letters of interest from persons willing to serve on the newly formed Fremont Heritage Commission. After adopting a resolution last December designating Fremont County as a 'Preserve America' community the commissioners Tuesday adopted a resolution which formally establishes a seven member Heritage Commission. It will be the Commission's task to protect and preserve Fremont County's historic, cultural, natural, and economic resources and to enhance those historical values through preservation efforts.

The resolution calls for the seven member Heritage Commission to be organized through appointment by the Board of Commissioners by September 23rd. The Commission will be made up of seven members demonstrating a representation of the following interests or geographic locations:
a. Canon City area
b. Florence area (may include Williamsburg, Rockvale, Coal Creek)
c. Penrose area
d. Western Fremont County
e. Heritage museum: This consortium of Canon City Museums currently consists of:
- -Royal Gorge Regional/municipal museum
- -Fremont Center for the Arts
- -Dinosaur Depot Museum
- -Museum of Colorado Prisons
f. Education (RE-1, RE-2, Cotopaxi, Pueblo Community College, etc)
g. Tourism industry

Any person interested in historical preservation and willing to serve on the Heritage Commission should submit a letter of interest indicating what region or interest in the county they represent. If an applicant has multiple interests for possible representation they should indicate so in the letter. The deadline for letters of interest is 4:30 p.m., Friday, September 12th in the Commissioners Office, Room 105, of the County Administration Building, 615 Macon Avenue, Canon City.

August 26th Commissioners Meeting

The Fremont County Commissioners today voted to lift the fire ban that was in effect for the past 3 1/2 months. Fremont County Sheriff Jim Beicker requested that the Stage One Fire Restrictions be lifted due to rainfall in recent days and moderating temperatures. The fire ban on all open burning, agricultural burning, and fireworks was imposed on May 13th, the day after the Ferguson Wildfire broke out in the Deer Mountain area southwest of Canon City. District 3 Commissioner Ed Norden noted that the county's fire ban applied only the unincorporated areas of Fremont County. He said some fire districts, including the Deer Mountain Fire District, still have a fire ban in effect.

The commissioners approved a resolution creating a seven member Fremont Heritage Commission. Creation of the Commission comes on the heels of Fremont County receiving a "Preserve America" designation last spring. The seven members of the Commission will represent all regions of the county plus the special interest areas of museums, tourism, and education. The commissioners will accept letters of interest for the Heritage Commission appointments expected to be made at the September 23rd meeting. Details on how to apply are explained in a separate news article.

The commissioners Tuesday also:

• Approved a hotel and restaurant liquor license for the Hot Shot Restaurant and Saloon in the Crossroads Arena and Events Center in Penrose (formerly the Broken Spoke);
• Authorized the chairman to sign the contract with the Department of Local Affairs to receive a $405,000 Energy and Mineral Impact Grant which will be used to purchase new and replacement equipment for the Road and Bridge Department;
• Accepted reports from the County Building Department on cabin and septic inspections at the Top Rail Ranch Recreation Camp in the Tallahassee area. The commissioners found the camp to be in compliance following a complaint which had been filed over a year ago;
• And approved county sponsorship and administration of a Community Development Block Grant for the Upper Arkansas Area Development Corporation Community Housing projects in Fremont and Teller Counties.

Energy Impact Grant will Buy Road & Bridge Equipment

The Colorado Department of Local Affairs has notified Fremont County that the county has been awarded a $405,000 Energy and Mineral Impact grant to replace aging Road and Bridge equipment. The $405,000 grant represents the full amount the county sought in its application. District 3 Commissioner Ed Norden, Road and Bridge Department Shop Foreman Tony Adamic, and Pat Long of the Tallahassee District Road Shop made a formal presentation of the grant request to the Energy and Mineral Advisory Committee when it met in Canon City on July 24th for grant hearings.

Commission Chairman Larry Lasha said the commissioners relied on $200,000 in matching funds the county received in additional revenues in 2008 from the eight year Tabor Timeout ballot measure that Fremont County voters approved last November. Lasha noted that the Tabor Timeout measure on property taxes yielded $427,000 in additional revenues in the 2008 budget to help the county deal with its fiscal problems. The Commissioners committed $250,000 of that money to the Road and Bridge Department.

Norden said what is particularly pleasing is that through this single grant award, using the voter approved money as matching funds, the commissioners were nearly able to double the money. Norden told the Energy Impact Committee that voters had recognized the need for investment in road repairs and equipment and approved the ballot question.

Adamic said the equipment priorities listed for purchase with the grant money include a used tractor-chassis for a water truck, a cab and chassis for the sign department truck, a new tandem dump truck with snowplow, an oil distributor truck, an asphalt paver, and a paving roller.

Lasha said the paving equipment will enable the county to pave some of its own roads and stretch the distance paved when those dollars become available. Lasha commended the Road and Bridge Department staff for preparing the grant application adding that it's the second grant they secured after attending a grant writing class last year.

August 12th Commissioners Meeting

The Fremont County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday took formal action to get a contract in place for a third party water expert for the Black Range uranium exploration on the Taylor Ranch. The commissioners voted to authorize Chairman Larry Lasha to sign the contract with Western Water and Land (WWL) of Grand Junction once the firm completes their own legal review of the contract. Once the contract is signed the commissioners will work with WWL to finalize the scope of work to be followed. The commissioners again noted that even while approval of the contract was pending, WWL's Bruce Smith had already initiated communication with Whetstone Associates, the firm hired by Black Range Minerals, to establish protocols for water monitoring wells in the Tallahassee area.

The board approved a resolution of support for an application to Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) for a $200,000 grant to aid in installation of restrooms, bleachers, and lighting at the county's outdoor arena at Pathfinder Regional Park west of Florence. The county's first application for the GOCO funding a year ago was denied.

The commissioners on Tuesday also:

• Approved a Temporary Use Permit for the Penrose Chamber of Commerce annual Apple Day parade and festivities on October 4th;
• Approved a three lot preliminary plan for Maple Leaf Estates on ten acres at the southeast corner of Windsor and York Streets north of Canon City for property owned by Ed and Linda Jarosz;
• Approved a zone change from Business to Ag Suburban for 3 1/2 acres on the north side of Highway 50 at Swissvale owned by Matt Brown;
• Set public hearings on the September 9th board agenda for the 26th Amendment to the county zoning resolution and to change Fremont County Airport zoning from Airport Industrial Park to the new zone districts of Airport and Industrial Park;
• and the commissioners received 'Friends of 4-H' awards from the 4-H Families of the Year.
  

Commissioners Launch County Manager Search

A vacancy in a key county administrative post will afford the Fremont County Commissioners the opportunity to convert the duties into a long anticipated County Manager's position.

Fremont County Human Resources Director George Overstreet recently informed the commissioners that he will leave that position this fall so that he and his wife might return to their former home in Kansas. Overstreet said he plans to depart the post no later than November 1st but may vacate the position earlier depending on his relocation plans.

County Commission Chairman Larry Lasha said the commissioners have believed for several years that Fremont County is need of a county manager to oversee operations of the various county departments and the county's 300 plus employees. Lasha said the commissioners anticipate the county manager can also provide coordination and utilization of limited resources within the county's nearly $11 million general fund budget.

Lasha said budgetary concerns prevented the county from hiring a county manager the past four years. He said the vacancy savings from the Human Resources Director's post now enables the county to pursue a county manager whose responsibilities will include human resources.

Lasha said getting a county manager on board should improve the efficiency of making day to day administrative decisions without having to schedule all three commissioners onto the calendar for a briefing to make a decision. Lasha said he looks forward to the commissioners being able to spend more time in the field discussing issues with constituents. He said it will also allow the commissioners to tackle broader county policy and planning matters.

Rabies Vaccinations Urged

There have been several recent reports in the media regarding skunk rabies that appears to be entering eastern Colorado from Kansas. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has issued advisories to local public health agencies and veterinarians regarding 8 confirmed cases of rabies in wildlife in the eastern part of Colorado, including 7 skunks and 1 coyote, over the past year. Based upon the widely dispersed locations of these rabies-positive specimens, it appears that skunk rabies may be circulating in eastern areas of Colorado and potentially moving west toward the Front Range.

Besides the fact that current rabies vaccinations are required by state law, there have been recent incidents that really reinforce the need to keep these up to date.

Fremont County Environmental Health Officer Sid Darden notes that a few years ago in Fremont County, 2 'barn' cats owned by a couple were exposed to a bat. Unfortunately the bat was not able to be tested for rabies, and following protocols established by the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, it must be assumed that the bat was positive for rabies. To further complicate the situation, neither of the cats had ever been vaccinated. The owners of the cats were faced with 2 options:

• Have the cats euthanized immediately.
• Put the cats into quarantine at a veterinarian's clinic for 3 months at the owner's expense and immediately begin the series of rabies vaccinations.

If at the end of the 3 month quarantine at the veterinarian's clinic the cats were healthy and showed no sign of disease, they could be released to the homeowners for an additional home quarantine of 3 more months.

Darden says that last year, a local dog owner observed his dog in an encounter with a raccoon. The dog killed the raccoon, but this dog had also never been vaccinated for rabies. The raccoon was sent to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Lab for rabies testing and fortunately it was negative for rabies; the owner subsequently got his dog vaccinated with the shots that he should have had all along. If the raccoon had tested positive or if the raccoon couldn't have been tested, the dog's owner would have been in the same situation as the owners of the unvaccinated cats.

In both scenarios, the fact that these domestic pets did not have current rabies vaccinations and, in fact, had never been vaccinated, was the critical factor. If their rabies vaccinations had been current and up to date, even without the ability to test the bat or the raccoon, it would have been a relatively simple matter of a rabies booster and a period of observation, depending on what their veterinarian and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment recommended. Keep your pets vaccinated and keep vaccination records up-to-date.

August 5th Planning Commission Agenda

The Fremont County Planning Commission Tuesday evening takes up discussion for a third consecutive monthly meeting on changes in zoning definitions at the Fremont County Airport. There are two primary points of discussion under which two new zone districts would be created on the south side of the Fremont County Airport with elimination of an Airport Industrial Park zone.

One issue deals with creation of a new Airport Zone that would intend to restrict uses in the immediate area of the airport, runways, and taxiways to aviation related uses. The second issue deals with creation of an Industrial Park zone just outside of the new airport zone on the south side of the airport runway.

Members of the Airport Advisory Committee and a representative from Armstrong Consultants of Grand Junction plan to attend the Planning Commission meeting to aid in identifying the types of aviation uses that might be allowed or restricted in an Airport zone district. Part of that discussion is what should be permitted by 'right' in both Airport and Industrial Park zone districts and what types of uses would be allowed only through a special review.

The Planning Commission will also consider a zone change request from Ag Forestry zone to Ag Living zone district for a parcel southeast of the intersection of County Roads #127 and #129 near Brush Hollow Reservoir. The property is owned by Bruce and Catherine Benthagen and Marilyn Smith and contains 162 acres in the Beaver Park area.

The Planning Commission meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday evening, August 5th in the commissioners meeting room on the lower level of the Fremont County Administration Building at 615 Macon Avenue in Canon City.

Copper Gulch Road Reopened after Flash Flood

Copper Gulch Road (County Road 28) southwest of Canon City was reopened to traffic at noon Thursday after 3 1/2 days of emergency repairs were completed by District 3 Road and Bridge crews. The road was closed last Saturday evening after a flash flood hit the Copper Gulch area. It was estimated that a cloud burst of more than two inches of rain hit a 10 to 12 square mile area sending a torrent of flood water down the gulch.

The flood washed out one lane of the roadway in three different places along a seven mile stretch of road that was closed to traffic. Crews hauled 127 truckloads and 2,419 tons of material to accomplish the emergency repairs. Because the areas hardest hit by the flood washed away the chip seal surface, motorists will have to travel a rock and gravel surface on part of the roadway. As a result that seven mile stretch has been reopened with a 25 mile per hour posted speed limit.

Road crews will spend a couple more weeks in Copper Gulch repairing shoulders on the road. Road Foreman Curtis Stone said its likely placement of rocks and boulders along the shoulders to protect from future flooding won't be completed until later this fall. Stone expressed thanks to Hank Fry of Royal Gorge Ranch and to the Bureau of Land Management for their cooperation in permitting crews to perform work and move road base materials from areas on both private and public lands.

District 3 Commissioner Ed Norden praised the efforts of the road crews from both the Tallahassee and Cotopaxi shops in responding quickly to the flood last Saturday evening and in dealing with the necessary repairs to get Copper Gulch Road reopened after just 3 1/2 days. Norden said he understands the inconvenience such a road closure creates for people commuting to work but added that he appreciates the patience of everyone in the area during the road closure.

Commissioners Select Water Consultant on Uranium Exploration

The Fremont County Commissioners have chosen a Grand Junction firm to serve as the independent consultant on water issues associated with the conditional use permit that allows Black Range Minerals (BRM) to resume uranium exploration in the Tallahassee area along County Road 2. The commissioners are finalizing the contract language to hire Western Water and Land (WWL) of Grand Junction to serve as the independent hydrogeologist to review and make recommendations on the adequacy of the surface and groundwater monitoring program proposed by Black Range Minerals.

The commissioners interviewed officials from three firms in the final selection process. The other two firms were H.R.S. Water Consultants of Lakewood and U.R.S. Corporation of Denver. Commissioner Mike Stiehl said all three firms offered impressive resumes and vast experience on water issues. The commissioners received assistance from the Colorado School of Mines and the USGS to assemble an initial list of twelve candidate firms. The field was narrowed by several factors, including availability and potential conflicts of interest with Black Range.

Stiehl said that the progression of WWL's experience was as important as their credentials. The firm began as consultants to oil and gas, uranium and coal industries. Following that they worked for State and Federal regulatory agencies. Most recently WWL has consulted for Colorado Counties and Municipalities.

Commissioner Ed Norden said he believes WWL's resume of experience in uranium remediation projects in recent years will prove valuable in reviewing and monitoring water issues with Black Range's exploration on the Taylor Ranch.

Bruce Smith is the principal hydrogeologist for WWL and is a part owner of the company. Smith will personally supervise the work on the Black Range water issues. The commissioners also believe that as the lead person for the project Smith will work well in handling communications between BRM, neighbors in the Tallahassee area, and county officials.

The resolution approving BRM's permit requires BRM to pay the county $35,000 in the first three year period and $5,000 for each subsequent year of the eight year permit to cover the costs of the third party expert.

The county will work closely with Western Water and Land in designing the scope of work for the type of review and standards that will be followed on BRM's water monitoring program. Among the data for review will be extensive historical records of the Hansen Uranium Project in the Tallahassee area from 1978-80, which are in the county archives.