- Commissioners approve a scoping letter to the BLM concerning an upcoming oil and gas lease sales scheduled for December. Several parcels in the upper North Fork water shed and Paonia reservoir areas are under consideration. Commissioners encouraged BLM to permit these parcel sales despite opposition from several North Fork groups including the Town of Paonia, Citizens for a Healthy Community and the Western Slope Conservation District. No public comment was permitted at the meeting. https://www.blm.gov/programs/energy-and-minerals/oil-and-gas/leasing/regional-lease-sales/colorado
- Commissioners signed an Intergovernmental Agreement between Town of Cedaredge and Delta County to chip-seal the Town of Cedaredge portion of East Main Street for 1,350 feet.
- Commissioner agree to drop the current Stage 2 fire restrictions to Stage 1 in unincorporated Delta County-County Attorney John Baier suggests that the sheriff’s office handle these kinds of decisions in the future — for later discussion.
- Crawford resident Bill Bailey, complained that the commissioners haven’t “done their homework to learn about marijuana.” Bailey argued that outlawing residential growth is unconstitutional and asked commissioners to resend the law.
Leroux Creek Area Planning committee member Elisa Greco submitted a letter for the record expressing concern about use of misuse of a “governmental” email list. READ LETTER.
Andrew Gudmundson with Citizens for a Healthy Community submitted a letter for the record informing commissioners that the BLM does not have the authority to implement methane capture as suggested in the commissioner’s scoping letter to the BLM concerning upcoming oil and gas lease sales.
- North Fork Airport manager Mike Clawson asked commissioners for help to build fencing to mitigate deer from entering the runway areas of the airport. No decision made.
- Region 10 and DMEA staff told commissioners that they are finding some big “holes” in their broadband line coverage. On the plus side, they reported that they are now a little more than two years into a five-to-six-year plan with 12 zones in service and have five zones under construction, due for completion soon. With 4,000 active subscribers, they are finding some holes in rural areas where the cost to implement is as much as $9,000 per user. Crawford is expected to be the last community to get fiber. Elevate is considering installing service at Crawford library, school and fire station. Elevate say they may “take the hit” in Crawford even though they have not gotten the “group-funding” support in rural Crawford. “We don’t want to see one community left out,” said one staff member.
- Commissioners approved a change of use from gravel mining to residential for Riverbend Subdivision Lot 6, owned by Greg and Judie Fedler. The Fedler’s want to sell Lot 6 and have a prospective buyer despite the active gravel operation on the adjacent lot.