Sometimes it seems like there is so little we can do to make a difference in our community. Take the water situation in Colorado City, for instance. As a member of the Colorado City Metro District Board of Directors, I have been involved in meetings with political representatives from a myriad of agencies as we try to figure out how to turn the water rights we have into clear, clean sufficient water in the taps.
I remember, in particular, one meeting which involved about a dozen people on a ZOOM call. Everyone seemed willing to help Colorado City. Everyone was concerned about the quality and quantity of the Colorado City drinking water. Everyone explained what they could or couldn’t do to help, and all of them answered questions completely and fully when they were asked.
When the meeting ended I was a bit more hopeful, overall, but a lot more confused. It seems that for Agency A to help us ,we have to have some help from Agency B, who can’t begin to help us till a date down the road. Agency C has a new program in the works that will aid us, but Agency C hasn’t completely rolled it out yet and, after it does, Agency D will have to fund Agency C’s project. Agency E also believes they can help us, but their CEO is on an extended personal leave and nothing is really going to happen until he/she gets back.
Throw in the fact that each agency speaks their own language and has acronyms for several other agencies, and the common dullard like myself won’t make much sense of any of it.
After swimming in a sea of confusion for awhile, one of the board members, I believe Sarah Hunter gets the credit, suggested we talk to Amanda Atencio of Atencio Engineering. Our wise and esteemed Chairman, Neal Elliot, asked if I would make the second contact and see what I thought. I concurred with Board Member Hunter’s assessment, Amanda was kind enough to make a presentation to the CCMD, and we contracted with them to help us wade through the multiple agencies with their multiple forms that sometimes need folded in special ways, sometimes need spindled, but never need mutilated.
Atencios, unlike outside agencies or consultants, drink, bathe and cook in the Colorado City water.
Changes in pricing affect them. Much of their experience has been with smaller metro or governmental districts so they know the problems the David’s of the political spectrum experience that the Goliaths do not.
And they, along with the Colorado City Metro District, are asking for your help. On page 5 of this issue of the Greenhorn Valley View is the contact information and a request that you write a simple letter or email.
The letter needs to be done fairly quickly because some meetings are already scheduled for February and involve funding for the Beckwith Dam project. The letter can be quite brief and simple. It only needs to state that you support the efforts of the CCMD to make changes to the Beckwith Dam and Beckwith Lake that will improve water quality and quantity.
As my grandpa used to say, ‘the squeaky wheel gets the grease’. Let’s be squeaky.
If you live in Colorado City, or own a business in Colorado City, or have family in Colorado City, write a letter. If you vacationed here once, or stopped at the rest area and used the facilities and had a drink from the water fountain, or filled your overheated radiator from a hose at a local business, write a letter.
If your kids go to school at Craver Middle School, or you go to church in Colorado City, or you buy groceries or get gas in Colorado City, please write a letter.
Friends and neighbors, in-laws and outlaws, Democrats and Republicans – Squeak on!