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Planning Commission Meeting set for July 7th
The Fremont County Planning Commission will hear an application for a site development plan for a rafting company at Parkdale and consider a conditional use permit application for a sandstone quarry north of Canon City at the Commission's July 7th meeting.
Royal Gorge Rafting is seeking approval of a site development plan on a one acre site bordering the Arkansas River and Highway 50 at Parkdale. The property contains a spring fed pond, graveled parking area, port-a-toilets, a shed, and a gazebo. Royal Gorge Rafting uses the site as a commercial rafting put-in and take-out site.
KrauthCo Incorporated is seeking a conditional use permit to take over ownership of an existing sandstone quarry currently owned by Joe Stock. KrauthCo wants to mine sandstone on about 15 acres on the 35 acre site. Only about a half acre was disturbed when the quarry was previously permitted under J & J Stone.
Because of scheduling conflicts due to the Independence Holiday observance on July 5th, the Planning Commission rescheduled their monthly meeting for Wednesday afternoon, July 7th, at 4:00 p.m. at the Fremont County Administration Building.
Fremont County Fire Ban Imposed with Stage 2 Restrictions
On the heels of another devastating wildfire in Fremont County the Fremont County Board of Commissioners today adopted an emergency resolution immediately imposing a fire ban acknowledging the consistent Red Flag fire danger conditions across the county.
Fremont County Sheriff Jim Beicker said a fire ban may not have prevented the Parkdale Canyon wildfire burning near the Royal Gorge west of Canon City, but the fire emphasizes the extreme fire danger conditions and the need for citizens to take extra precautions.
The Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the emergency resolution as Sheriff Beicker said he had decided to immediately advance the precautions to the Stage 2 fire restrictions. Two areas where the Stage 2 fire ban imposes tougher restrictions are bans on outdoor smoking and use of charcoal grills.
The complete list of Stage 2 fire ban restrictions prohibit: Open fires or campfires; Outdoor smoking except within an enclosed vehicle or building, at a developed recreation site, or within a designated smoking area with an approved container for discarding cigarette butts; Use and/or discharge of any fireworks or pyrotechnic device; Use of explosives; Welding and grinding except when done with proper distance from combustibles and with proper fire protection and suppression equipment; Use of any internal or external combustion engine, including a chainsaw and/or other equipment without an approved spark arrestor; Cross-country use of a motor vehicle off of a governmental designated route on public property; Parking off-road on public property is allowed only when parked in an area devoid of vegetation for a distance of 10 feet of the roadway or when parked overnight in a developed campground or at a trailhead that is devoid of vegetation; All agricultural burning including but not limited to weeds, brush, and grass; Use of rock ring burn pits; Recreational below ground cooking; Use of charcoal grills.
Town Hall Meeting set at Deer Mountain Fire Station
Residents of the Copper Gulch area southwest of Canon City are being invited to attend a town hall meeting the evening of June 24th at the Deer Mountain Fire Station. District 3 Fremont County Commissioner Ed Norden said the town hall meeting is being called to discuss several issues of interest to Copper Gulch residents.
Norden said the findings of a speed study conducted on County Road 3 and County Road 28 at the request of a local resident will be shared at the meeting. He said the speed study resulted in some recommendations for speed limit changes on the road and the county wants to get input from Copper Gulch residents on those proposed changes.
Norden said newly appointed Fremont County Department of Transportation Director Anthony Adamic will be on hand to discuss how the reorganization of the Road and Bridge Department is intended to improve efficiencies in the department county wide. He will also discuss the road improvement projects the county is undertaking this summer with the money earmarked from the Tabor Timeout that voters approved several years ago.
Norden will also discuss the need to have residents throughout the county register their wireless phone numbers into the E 9-1-1 database so they can receive 9-1-1 emergency reverse notifications when those calls are made in their neighborhoods.
Any candidates seeking elected office this year who are in attendance will also be introduced to citizens.
The town hall meeting begins at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, June 24th, at the Deer Mountain Fire Station.
County Road Chip Sealing and Paving Projects Underway
The Fremont County Department of Transportation is advising motorists in the Canon City and Florence area that they will have to find alternate routes next week due to a road improvement project planned on MacKenzie Avenue east of Canon City. Transportation Director Anthony Adamic said that 2.2 miles of MacKenzie Avenue will be chip sealed over the course of three days on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, June 22nd, 23rd, and 24th.
Adamic says that during construction MacKenzie Avenue will be closed to through traffic. Motorists who do not want to encounter delays in the construction area should use the detours or plan to use alternate routes.
The chip sealing of MacKenzie Avenue is one of several road improvement projects being undertaken by county road crews this summer. Adamic says a chip seal coating will also be applied on two miles of road surface on the upper end of County Road 28, the Copper Gulch Road. That project is tentatively scheduled for June 29th and 30th.
County road crews this week completed a chip seal project on 9th Street in Penrose. Other chip seal or paving projects scheduled in July and August include portions of: County Road 1A at Cotopaxi Heather Lane in Howard The High Park Road to Cripple Creek Broadway in Penrose Garden Park Road north of Canon City.
County Commission Chairman Ed Norden said while funds are limited for such chip seal and paving projects, the work this summer reflects a continued commitment from the Board of Commissioners to earmark funds for road maintenance from the Tabor Timeout measure that voters approved in 2007.
Dedication Set for 72 Engraved Names at War Memorial
Fremont County veterans and their families will gather this Saturday to dedicate the latest listing of names added to the wall at the Veterans War Memorial at the Fremont County Airport. Fremont County Veterans Service Officer Betty Hanawalt says the names of 72 veterans were engraved on the wall earlier this spring.
Hanawalt says a brief dedication ceremony is scheduled at 10 o'clock Saturday morning at the airport. Chaplain Scott Simpson will deliver the dedication address. American Legion Post #13 will provide the color guard while Boy Scout Troop 121 will perform a flag folding ceremony. Tim Grabin will close the ceremony with the playing of Taps.
Hanawalt notes that the brick engravings are typically done every one or two years dependent upon a minimum order of 50 name engravings. The latest group of veterans' names came from the annual concerted effort during the holiday season last winter. Names engraved on the wall can honor any veteran, living or deceased. There is a $50 engraving charge for each name that is turned in to the Veterans Service Office.
June 8th Commissioners Meeting
The Fremont County Commissioners heard details about the Colorado Wildland Fire Training Academy in Canon City and listened to complaints about the Planning Commission's handling of the Master Plan at the Commissioners regular meeting on June 8th.
Lynn Barclay, Liaison Officer with the Colorado Wildland Fire and Incident Management Academy, reported to the Commissioners that 534 students from 23 states were in Canon City for the week attending six days of classes at Canon City High School. She said 29 classes were on the schedule offering training in fields relating to risk management, the Incident Command System, and other fire related topics. Incident Commander Todd Richardson said there had been great support from Canon City and the surrounding communities in hosting the academy. He said in addition to the 534 students, the academy was attended by 47 instructors and 32 staff members for a total of 644 attendees. Barclay estimated that the week-long academy would have a potential $400,000 impact on the Canon City area economy.
Mike Sheahan, President of Front Range Aggregate which operates a quarry at Parkdale, spoke to the Board of Commissioners during the citizens public comment period. Sheahan said he was also speaking for other industry leaders in the audience including John Todd of the Holcim Cement Plant. Sheahan said that while they support the county Master Plan process in general, the industry leaders have become aware of some issues. Sheahan said his group believes the Master Plan review process is not being respected by some members of the Planning Commission.
Sheahan said that Fremont County is blessed with an abundance of minerals and provides a steady source of income for companies and employees. He said the Master Plan should reflect the interests of the entire community and not just those of special groups. Without targeting the names of any Planning Commission members, Sheahan asked the Board of Commissioners to review the behavior of the Planning Commission and that if some are not suitable to the task of the Master Plan review, he asked that those members be removed.
The Commissioners took Sheahan's comments and his submittal of a number of supporting letters from other businesses under advisement for further review.
The Commissioners also scheduled a series of five public hearings for the July 13th Board meeting. Items slated for public hearing that day include: A Special Review Use Permit application for Van Diest Supply Company on a lot along Highway 67 west of the Fremont County Airport; A Special Review Use Permit application by A.T. & T. Wireless for installation of a 150 foot monopole along Highway 115 about three miles southwest of the Fremont-El Paso County line; A Special Review Use Permit application by Innovative Structures for building sheds and garages on property at the northwest corner of Highway 50 and 'N' Street in the Penrose area; A Special Review Use Permit application by River Mountain Recreation for seasonal camping for employees at an existing rafting business on the west side of County Road 3A about a quarter mile south of the Highway 50 junction at the Royal Gorge turnoff; A proposed 2nd Amendment to the Fremont County Zoning Resolution dealing with commercial wind energy systems, small wind and residential energy systems, contractors yards or buildings, and temporary towers. Commission Chairman Ed Norden encouraged citizens concerned about the content of the zoning amendments to visit the county's website and review the proposed amendment under the link to the Planning and Zoning Department.
In other business at the June 8th Board meeting the Commissioners: Approved a Special Events malt liquor permit for the Fremont Fairs and Shows Association 2nd Annual Barn Raisin' fundraising event at Pathfinder Regional Park on Saturday, July 10th; and Approved a Special Events malt liquor permit for the Fremont Fairs and Shows for the annual Ranch Rodeo prior to the county fair on Saturday, July 24th, at the Canon City Rodeo Grounds.
May 25th Commissioners Meeting
Approval of a Conditional Use Permit for a coal mine rail loadout near Williamsburg topped a brief agenda of business for the Fremont County Commissioners at their regular meeting on May 25th. The Commissioners conducted a public hearing on the request of Northfield Partners LLC to operate a railroad loadout on the northeast side of County Road 79 about a mile east of the junction with County Road 11A near Williamsburg. The rail loadout would be located on 11 acres and include a coal stockpiling area, a conveyor system to move the coal, and front-end loaders to load the coal in rail cars. Angela Bellantoni of Environmental Alternatives said that Northfield plans to stockpile about 12,000 tons of coal on the loadout site which would be enough to load a 100-car coal train. She said the proposed conveyor system would eliminate most of the concerns about coal dust.
Northfield earlier secured a Conditional Use Permit from the county in 2006 to operate the coal mine about two miles west of the railroad loadout.
The primary issue of concern involves the need to close County Road 79 to all through traffic for an estimated 12 to 18 hours twice a month while the coal train is loaded and blocking the rail crossing. Bellantoni said as the train is loaded it is moved forward one car at a time. She said a test using an alternate paved route instead of County Road 79 added only about 60-seconds to the driving time. She also reported that the Florence Volunteer Fire Department would not use County Road 79 to respond to emergency calls in that area.
In approving the permit the Board of Commissioners listed conditions requiring Northfield to notify the Florence Police Dispatch Center and the Sheriff's Department in advance of the anticipated road closure. Northfield will also have to post signage warning of the pending road closure 24 hours in advance as well as appropriate signage when the road is actually closed.
At the May 25th meeting the Commissioners also voted to approve the purchase of a pair of road graders and four pickup trucks for the Fremont County Department of Transportation. Colorado Machinery submitted the winning low bid for two John Deere motor graders at a cost of $343,221 which includes the trade-in of a pair of 20 year old motor graders. Colorado Springs Dodge was the successful low bidder on four pickup trucks at a combined price of $119,940. The total cost of the equipment purchase was $463,000 compared to $535,000 that the Commissioners had budgeted for the capital equipment purchases.
In other business the Commissioners: Approved a six month extension of a zone change for Lonny Thompson for property at Highway 50 and 'K' Street in Penrose to allow extra time for handling deed and ownership issues; Approved a $350 refund to the Grand Lodge of the Independent Order of the Oddfellows of their application fee for a recreation area in the Copper Gulch region.
May 11th Commissioners Meeting
The Fremont County Board of Commissioners approved a site development plan for a 130 unit mini-storage facility in Penrose as part of a brief agenda at the board's regular meeting on May 11th. Mike Schuster of Eagle Peaks Investments is developing the mini-storage facility on just under two acres along Highway 115 in Penrose at the corner of 7th Street and Werner Road. Schuster said he plans to build the mini-storage units in phases based upon demand for the rental units. The Commissioners' approval of the site plan included the waiving of landscaping, buffering, and lighting requirements.
In the only other action item on the agenda, the Commissioners voted to reappoint Planning and Zoning Director Bill Giordano to be the county's representative on the Fremont County Regional G.I.S. Authority.
Commission Chairman Ed Norden also announced at the meeting the recent appointment of Tony Adamic as the Director of the Fremont County Department of Transportation. As part of the reorganization of the Road and Bridge Department a director's position was created. Norden said while the reorganization creates a new supervisory position the total number of supervisors remains unchanged. Adamic will simply be elevated from his post as the Equipment Maintenance Foreman to a position that oversees all road and bridge functions under the new name of the Fremont County Department of Transportation.
Norden said the reorganization also restructures supervisory duties. Instead of three road foremen and a crew handling all responsibilities across three independent districts in the county each foreman will assume specific duties on a county wide basis. As an example, the Roadway Group Supervisor will be responsible for county wide maintenance of all paved and gravel roads.
District 1 Commissioner Mike Stiehl noted that contrary to rumors, all of the existing maintenance shops in Canon City, Florence, Cotopaxi, and in the Tallahassee area will remain operational. Stiehl said the role of those shop locations will remain vital to winter snow plowing operations. Crews will continue to operate from those shop locations to handle winter snow plowing.
District 2 Commissioner Larry Lasha commended the effort that went into the reorganizational plan adding that it was the five road foremen who worked over the past five months with County Manager George Sugars to develop a structure that would work best for them and all Department of Transportation Employees.
Commissioner Norden also reported at the meeting that representatives from the Ennovate Corporation met with county officials on May 4th to discuss the calendar for getting started on energy upgrades in county buildings. Norden said Scott Logan will be Ennovate's Fremont County project manager and plans to be on site at least three days a week to supervise all of the construction. Logan told county officials that after contractor bids are awarded for the various project, he expects work will actually get underway by sometime in July. The biggest pieces in the $2.1 million worth of energy upgrades include replacement of the boilers and air conditioning chiller units in the Fremont County Administration Building with new high efficiency units. Logan said some work will be scheduled according to the seasons. He said the boilers would be replaced during the summer months while the air conditioning chiller units will not be replaced until later this fall and winter. The utility cost savings guaranteed under contract by Ennovate will be used to pay for the energy improvements which are being pursued under an original energy audit and grant from the Governor's Energy Office.
April 27th Commissioners Meeting
After twice tabling the renewal of a liquor license for a popular summer nightspot, the Fremont County Commissioners on April 27th voted to renew the liquor license for the Whitewater Bar and Grill after the owner assured the board that modifications in the operation are being made.
Whitewater owner Ty Seufer appeared before the Commissioners detailing the efforts he had made in recent weeks to bring his bar on Eight-Mile Hill into compliance. The Commissioners had initially tabled action on the liquor license renewal on March 23rd when Seufer failed to appear to address concerns raised by neighbors over loud music coming from the bar on weekends. On April 13th the Commissioners tabled the renewal again after expressing concerns that Whitewater's outdoor serving area was much larger than originally licensed and that modifications had been made to the building which had never been approved of in a license modification application.
Seufer explained that he was installing additional fencing and secured gates, improving closed circuit TV monitoring of the premises, and will make sure the front door is closed after midnight to help mitigate the problems with loud noise. Seufer said that Sheriff Jim Beicker and Canon City Clerk Becky Walker had spent nearly two hours on site with him offering guidance on how to come into compliance with the state liquor code.
Walker sent a written report to the Commissioners who also heard directly from Sheriff Beicker. Beicker said he is satisfied that Seufer is making a diligent effort to become compliant as part of a modification of premises application. The Commissioners unanimously approved the Whitewater's liquor license renewal stipulating that the Sheriff inspect the bar to assure compliance and that Seufer attend the next available licensed vendor training offered at city hall.
The Commissioners also voted to reappoint Dean Sandoval to another three year term on the Fremont County Planning Commission. Sandoval currently serves as chairman of the commission. The County Commissioners said it's important to keep Sandoval on the Planning Commission because of his leadership in working on Fremont County's Master Plan.
Also at the April 27th meeting the Commissioners: Voted to approve annual ambulance licenses for American Medical Response, the Florence Fire Department, the Penrose Fire Department, Northwest EMS, and Arkansas Valley Ambulance; Approved a contract with U.S. Imaging in the amount of $282,000 for the digitizing of all the historical records in the Fremont County Clerk and Recorder's Office plus repair of the bindings and pages of many of the old record books; Approved a 1st Amendment to the Fremont County Building Code establishing provisions for alternative energy systems in one and two family dwellings and townhomes.
Annual Holcim Tire Recycling Day
The Holcim Cement Plant at Portland, Fremont County, and Geocycle are sponsoring another tire collection day as part of the annual spring cleanup campaign. The Holcim Plant along Highway 120 east of Florence will accept tires from Fremont County residents at no charge from 8:00 a.m. until 12 noon on Saturday, May 8th. Holcim will accept only clean passenger vehicle tires that are off the rim. No tractor tires, monster or semi-truck tires will be accepted. There will be a limit of 20 tires accepted per household and you must show photo identification for proof of residency in Fremont County.
When taking tires to the cement plant on May 8th you should follow the signs to the west entrance of the plant. Tires will be accepted only on the special tire recycling day and only during the specified hours.
The Holcim Cement Plant provides the free tire recycling day to Fremont County residents as a community service. Since 2004 Holcim has used over 11 million recycled tires to fuel its kiln at the cement plant.
Annual Holcim Tire Recycling Day
The Holcim Cement Plant at Portland, Fremont County, and Geocycle are sponsoring another tire collection day as part of the annual spring cleanup campaign. The Holcim Plant along highway 120 east of Florence will accept tires from Fremont County residents at no charge from 8:00 a.m. until 12 noon on Saturday, May 8th. Holcim will accept only clean passenger vehicle tires that are off the rim. No tractor tires, monster or semi-truck tires will be accepted. There will be a limit of 20 tires accepted per household and you must show photo identification for proof of residency in Fremont County. When taking ties to the cement plant on May 8th, you should follow the signs to the west entrance of the plant. Tires will be accepted only on the special tire cycling day and only during the specified hours. The Holcim Cement Plant provides the free tire recycling day to Fremont County residents as a community service. Since 2004, Holcim has used over 11 million recycled tires to fuel its kiln at the cement plant.
April 13th Commissioners Meeting
The Fremont County Board of Commissioners heard testimony today from five people on the issue of temporary regulations for medical marijuana dispensaries.
Beverly Kinard spoke out against the use of marijuana saying Amendment 20 in the Colorado Constitution should not be expanded. Kinard said the amendment did not call for the setting up of marijuana dispensaries. Lisa Pinnello of Penrose, who explained how she carefully manages her marijuana dispensary to medical marijuana caregivers, said she had a concern about the use of the term 'primary caregiver' in the county's regulations. Debbie Giem urged the Commissioners to proceed slowly with regulations and to observe what is going on at the local dispensaries. She said she has seen children enter the dispensaries, has seen 'stuff' passed around in vehicles after people leave a dispensary, and observed children being given medical marijuana patient cards. Giem said young people going into these places is not acceptable.
The county's temporary medical marijuana regulations deal primarily with restricting the operation of dispensaries in business and rural highway business zones; minimum distances from schools, churches, and other such shops; signage; and allowing caregivers working from their home to have only enough marijuana supply for three medical marijuana patients. Commission Chairman Ed Norden said the board did not want caregivers to start big greenhouse operations in the backyards of residential areas.
Asked what would happen if the Commissioners rejected the temporary medical marijuana regulations in their entirety, County Attorney Brenda Jackson said it means dispensaries could operate anywhere in the county without restrictions other than what is regulated in the constitutional amendment or by the legislature.
The Commissioners voted to extend the current temporary regulations until October 31st to provide time to weigh the county's temporary regulations against what may be adopted by the Colorado General Assembly this spring.
The Commissioners today once again tabled action on renewal of the hotel and restaurant liquor license for the Whitewater Bar and Grill on Eight Mile Hill west of Canon City. The renewal application was tabled from two weeks ago to allow bar owner Ty Suefer to address concerns raised again over loud music generated by live bands during the summer.
Most of the discussion shifted to the issue that the outdoor area where liquor is served appears to be much larger than the sketch drawing that was part of the original liquor license approval. Suefer said his serving area is accurately depicted in the drawing. Referring to photographs of the Whitewater Bar's outdoor serving area, the Commissioners said having eight free-flow entrance and exits and permitting drinking on the sidewalk outside the front door, would never be permitted under the state liquor code. Suefer said the serving area is the same that the Commissioners have approved the past six years. Chairman Ed Norden said that regardless of oversights by previous boards, the Commissioners could not approve something that would be an obvious liquor code violation once Suefer begins operating this spring.
The Commissioners tabled review of the Whitewater liquor license until the April 27th board meeting. They asked Suefer to submit plans that would bring his service area into compliance with the liquor code and suggested he mostly likely will still have to apply separately to modify his premises beyond what his drawing currently depicts.
The Commissioners today also: Approved a request from Fremont Search and Rescue to pay $3,700 in insurance costs for the group this year from the county's General Fund reserves; Approved appointments of twelve people to staggered terms on the Fremont Fairs and Shows Association. By changing the by-laws to have the appointments made by the Board of Commissioners the group will qualify for county liability insurance coverage for such events as the annual 4-H Livestock Auction; Approved a resolution transferring $243,645 from the General Fund reserves to the Sheriff's fund to cover shortfalls in the 2009 Sheriff's budget; Approved an annual resolution for exclusion of certain private parcels of land from the John C. Fremont Library District at Florence and properly moving them into the Penrose Library District; Approved proclamations for Child Abuse Prevention Month in April and Foster Care Month in May; Formally approved the Energy Performance Contract with the Ennovate Corporation which conducted an energy audit of all the county's buildings with a grant from the Governor's Energy Office. The contract cost of $2.1 million guarantees that the county will see a minimum of $127,000 in energy savings but actual energy savings are estimated closer to $253,000 per year. The biggest project under the contract is replacement of the 1960's era boiler and chiller units used to heat and cool the Fremont County Administration Building; Authorized an expenditure of $59,750 with Pueblo Wintronics for new audio and video equipment to be installed in the Commissioners' Board room to televise meetings. Money for the project comes through the City of Canon City from Bresnan Cable Company franchise fees; Approved a Temporary Use Permit for the annual Temple Canyon Hill Climb on May 8th and 9th on Temple Canyon Road south of Canon City; Approved a Temporary Use Permit for the Penrose Chamber of Commerce to operate flea markets at the Gooseberry Restaurant parking lot on the first Saturday of each month starting May 1st; Approved a fee of $250 for persons applying to the Planning and Zoning Department for review of medical marijuana dispensaries.
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