About a dozen constituents attended the October 29, Colorado City Metro District (CCMD) meeting. District Manager Jim Eccher began the meeting with a glowing report regarding the Community Clean up sponsored by Valley First and the Metro District with help from San Isabel Electric.
Three-hundred-gallon containers of paint, 275 gallons of used motor oil and 120 tires, along with seven dumpsters of junk, were collected and disposed of. San Isabel Electric brought a mulcher and chipped discarded trees and shrubs, creating mulch for anyone in the community who wanted to take it.
A significant portion of both the study session and regular meeting were spent on Colorado City Architectural Advisory Committee (CCAAC) issues. Two of three new building projects brought before the Metro board were put on hold until there was clarification on the paperwork. Both were tabled by a 4-1 vote.
A deck project on W. Colorado was the only approved measure by a 5-0 vote.
The District Manager was told by the board to get a backhoe and remove a bridge and pull posts on CCMD greenbelt at a Camelot address. He was also instructed to get a survey done near a property on Rosemore which the CCAAC board also believes is on greenbelt.
An engineering proposal presented by GMS Inc. Consulting Engineers won no warm feelings. The board has been waiting sometime for three proposals and, as Chairman Neil Elliot mentioned, of the $307,000 proposal $120,000 of it was administrative costs.
There was much discussion about grinders or retro-fitting existing grinders but, along with Marla Nugent, there was a great deal of concern that the engineering firm had anything resembling a solution.
Action was put on hold until a more definitive response was received, at which time an emergency meeting will be called to take action if there is any to be taken.
By a 5-0 vote the members of the CCAAC will be allowed to view a confidential letter between the board and the board attorney in regard to HB24-1267, allowing penalties for covenant violations.
After that vote, Board Member Greg Collins questioned the wisdom of having a Denver attorney for the board when he felt that equally qualified, less expensive attorneys were much nearer. A second board member, Clint Gross, said he felt the output from the current attorney was slow and not very thorough.
A first draft of the 2025 budget was given to the board and a budget committee meeting will be scheduled soon. Board Members Greg Collins and Clint Gross are on the committee. A public hearing on the budget will be at the December 10 meeting.
District Manager Eccher reported that papers had been sent to Stewart Ranch in regard to hooking up to CCMD water but no response had been returned. The board instructed Eccher that the water should be shut off.
Resolution 13-2024 updating Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) fees passed 5-0 with little discussion. During community input, Bob Smith asked if the Metro District would insert information sheets on permit requirements of Pueblo County. Eccher indicated they would also be put online.
The 18 Hole well (golf course) is being investigated for lightning or a power surge that caused the well to short out and fail. The Rodeo well (next to rodeo area) is still out of service due to the well company getting a piece of equipment stuck in it. They will fix it when they come to fix the 18 Hole well. Summit, in South-Park, is running great at this time after it was fixed from lightning strike, as is the Rec well (north side of lake) which has been running since the middle of July to help blend water. The wells are named for their location, and all are piped to the lake to help fill the lake in time of need. The Duell well is still in holding due to a collapsed section in the well at around 500 ft.
The second meeting in December will be fluid and set later in order to not meet on either December 24 or December 31. The first meeting of the month will be on December 10 at the regular time. Before the meeting closed, Board Member Collins asked the board to draft a resolution prohibiting signs being posted on the greenbelt or other metro property. He indicated he had noticed lots of signs, many of them political, posted illegally.
Director Gross indicated his desire to find a grant writer to procure a grant for a new irrigation system on the front nine at Hollydot Golf Course. He said he thought grant money was a better choice than out of the general budget.
The Metro District meets the second and last Tuesday of each month at 6:0 p.m. The public is encouraged to attend.
