Delta County Independent, Sept. 2, 2015

Page 1

NORTH FORK TIMES

SURFACE CREEK NEWS

HOME AGAIN

Travis Mann plays rare home gig at Celebrate the Fork, B3

SPORTS

ON THE BEAT

HITTING THE LINKS

Reserve officers augment Cedaredge Police Department, C1

DELTA COUNTY

Bruins, Panthers among 9 teams at Delta Invitational, B7 SEPTEMBER 2, 2015 VOL. 132, NO. 35

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Police chief on paid administrative leave matter,” he said. Delta Mayor Ed Sisson said Delta Police Chief Robert the investigation is related to Thomas is apparently the an issue he shared with the subject of an internal inves- city attorney. “I don’t know tigation and has been placed how it will resolve itself, but I on paid administrative leave do know we’re in good hands. until that investigation is We’re going to be okay. This is complete. Sgt. Charles Ket- just something that needs to tle is serving as acting police be checked out.” There is no criminal inveschief. Assistant city manager tigation, “to my knowledge,” Glen Black declined to provide Delta County Sheriff Fred McKee said. any other details. Thomas has “I’m going to be served as police tight-lipped about chief since April this,” he said last 2008. At the time Friday. “This is a of his hire, he had personnel matter.” been in law enforceHe also declined ment for 24 years, to say why Comall with the Boulder mander Jesse Cox, City Police Departthe department’s ment in a variety of second-in-command, capacities. was not named did not He interim police chief. return a phone call “Again, that conto the DCI. cerns a personnel Thomas

BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

Summer is winding down

Photo by Pat Sunderland

Labor Day is often considered the unofficial end of summer, but there are sure to be many more warm sunny days to cast a fishing line into one of the many lakes on Grand Mesa.

DMEA board differs on Internet plan BY HANK LOHMEYER Staff Writer

The directors of DeltaMontrose Electric Association are trying to work through differences about whether or how to move forward with a third study of a fiber optic network project often referred to as “broadband.” Discussion of the matter was prompted by a proposal at the board’s Aug. 25 meeting for the third study of the co-op’s Internet broadband idea, a study projected to cost $60,000. Action on the proposal was deferred, but not until after some board differences were aired. Director Marshall Collins objected to two of the meeting’s agenda items: one for “broadband recommendations” and another for “possible broadband action.” Collins said he had understood DMEA would take no further action on broadband at the present time. The board’s consensus at a three-hour-plus strategic session Aug. 17 was to “wait and see what happens” after DMEA completes its own inhouse fiber optic data net-

work, Collins explained. Collins hadn’t expected to see the two items on the agenda for possible action. Board member and Internet broadband advocate John Gavan said there was “some feeling on the board” that the Internet broadband initiative should continue and that “we shouldn’t shut the door.” Earlier in the meeting Gavan had described the proposed study as “one possible way forward” on the issue. The proposed study would be a $60,000 effort by consultants to describe the planning process necessary for DMEA to set up an Internet broadband “pilot project,” according to discussion at the meeting. Board president Bill Patterson explained that by placing the items on the agenda he was “looking for more information.” Collins said, “That’s information versus spending $60,000.” He added that the board is “pushing (the issue) down the road toward a decision” to commit. Gavan called the study “due diligence.”

Rec center closes for annual maintenance BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

Bill Heddles Recreation Center is closed through Monday, Sept. 7, for maintenance. Recreation center director Wilma Erven says the pools will be emptied and cleaned. All duct work, including that in the aquatics area, is being cleaned. Rec center staff will be painting, cleaning carpets and deep cleaning the locker rooms. The racquetball courts and conference room floors

INDEX

Accent ........................... A4 Activities ....................... A7 Agriculture .....................B5 Back Page .................... D6 Business ........................ A8 Church ............................C6 Classifieds .................. D1-2 Editorial ......................... A2 Legals ......................... D3-4 North Fork Times ........B1-4 Obituaries ..................... A6 School Zone .................. A5 Service Directory ........ D5 Sports ..........................B6-8 Surface Creek News ...C1-5 TV Listings ..................3-4B

will be resurfaced. The gym received new flooring earlier this year, and is slated for new bleachers. Front desk personnel will be available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Friday, Sept. 4, for registrations and general information. The recreation center reopens to the public Tuesday, Sept. 8, at 5:30 a.m. For more information, call the recreation center at 8740923.

Board member Jim Elder pointed out, “We don’t even have a plan yet to perfect our easements.” The reference was to the requirement that DMEA pay for permission from landowners to use utility easements for a commercial enterprise — i.e., Internet broadband. “We can’t really move for two years,” Elder said. “We’re pushing this.” Collins said the board “is not walking away” from the Internet broadband idea by doing what was discussed at the strategic session. “Wait and see,” he said. “I’m not asking for any action myself,” Patterson said. “I wanted to get information to make a future decision.” Collins noted that the two broadband agenda items hadn’t been part of the strategic session discussion. He said the board needs to step back. Director Kyle Martinez said the board is not sending a clear message on the issue. A decision of some kind would help DMEA staff who “want

to know what to do.” Director Mark Eckhart said the board “needs to talk more” about the issue adding, “Now is not the time.” DMEA CEO Jasen Bronec agreed with Eckhart. He reminded directors that “a lot of resources” have been required for the FERC application issue. Staff has also been dealing with the Internet broadband issue. “It will take outside resources,” i.e., money, to continue moving forward on Internet broadband issues, he said. “We need a decision from the board before budget.” Director Tony Prendergast said, “It takes resources to move forward, even conceptually. We need to keep a little momentum going.” As far as what resources are needed, “$60,000 for an additional study is not inappropriate,” he said. Prendergast suggested a proposal on the study be placed on the directors’ agenda for Sept. 29. Eckhart explained his

view that DMEA’s interest in the Internet broadband idea “is a good thing” insofar it shows private Internet service providers in the area that the community is serious about getting better Internet access. A business cases study of Internet broadband was completed in June for the DMEA board. The study estimated 100 percent build-out cost for the proposed FTTP project at $94 million over seven to 10 years. Board president Patterson observed, “It would take all of our assets to follow the business plan. We could only do broadband.” The term being used by DMEA for its Internet broadband concept, “FTTP,” stands for “fiber to the premises.” It refers to an economic development proposal that DMEA make fiber optic cable-sourced fast Internet access available to each of the approximately 30,000 locations where DMEA electric meters are installed.

DMEA fiber estimate pegged at $94 million BY HANK LOHMEYER Staff Writer

A consultant’s estimate for building out DMEA’s proposed “last mile” Internet broadband business model is $94 million. The figure was confirmed last week by DMEA staff in an email reply to the DCI. “The estimate, from our consultants, for a 100 percent build out of fiber to every premise was $94 million,” confirmed administrator Virginia Harman, manager of member relations and human resources for DMEA.

Estimated build-out costs for the DMEA plan plus the Region 10 fiber optic network plan total $111 million. Also in answer to a DCI inquiry, DMEA’s Harman gave an estimate of the time it would take the co-op to complete its proposed project: “Seven to 10 years is the estimate from our consultants based on similar build-outs of other rural electric coops. But of course it is just an estimate.” At DMEA’s annual meeting last June, then board president Olen Lund announced

a consultant was developing three fiber optic network business scenarios for the co-op: one was a retail Internet service provider (ISP) plan, one a wholesale provider plan, and the third was a hybrid plan combining elements of the other two. The consultant delivered its findings to the DMEA board on June 24. On Aug. 17, the DMEA board held a “strategic session” discussing the fiber optic network and ISP issues. The DMEA directors have tasked staff to gather FIBER ESTIMATE TO A3

School board race draws 3

Don’t hop on ATVs yet

Three school board candidates submitted the required petitions prior to the deadline of Friday, Aug. 28, for the election to be held in November. Two directors will be chosen for four-year terms. In Director District II (Delta area), Genevieve Novinger and Jill Jurca are seeking the seat currently held by Kathy Svenson. Svenson declined to seek a second term in office. In Director District III (Cedaredge/Orchard City), Pete Blair is unopposed. Blair is completing his first term in office and is currently board president. Rene Loy Maas, Delta County election official, said the election will be conducted by mail, with ballots going out the week of Oct. 12. In addition to the school district, the North Fork Water Conservancy District, Delta County and five municipalities (Orchard City being the only exception) are also participating in the election. They have until Friday to certify their ballot wording.

Model traffic code changes that would permit the operation of off-highway vehicles in the City of Delta will not take effect until early October, if an ordinance adopting those changes was approved by Delta City Council Tuesday night. An ordinance is subject to two readings, and takes effect 30 days after final publication in the Delta County Independent. Pending council approval during the second reading Sept. 1, the ordinance will be printed in the Sept. 9 DCI and will take effect 30 days later. The changes permit the operation of off-highway vehicles on any street, alley or public right-of-way within the city, excluding Highway 50, Highway 92 and Highway 348. Off-highway vehicles must be properly registered and insured, and drivers must be licensed.


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