NORTH FORK TIMES
SURFACE CREEK NEWS
COMMUNITY JOINS IN Stock dogs, handlers compete in Hotchkiss this weekend, B1
SPORTS
CASHING IN
Orchard City Town Council sees revenue in marijuana sales, C1
DELTA COUNTY
PLAY SET FOR MAY 11-13 Paonia qualifies five for state tennis championships, B5
MAY 10, 2017 VOL. 134, NO. 19
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INDEPENDENT
www.deltacountyindependent.com
Yearlong planning process launched PRESS RELEASE
Last week, Delta County officially launched a yearlong process to update the Delta County Master Plan. A master plan provides the overall vision for how the built environment — infrastructure, housing, transportation, recreation, business and industry — support and complement the other less tangible aspects of community — the economy, health, the environment and quality of life. On May 2, the Delta County Planning Commission, which is responsible for the master plan, met to review the planning process and timeline with Gabe Preston of RPI, the planning consultant selected to develop the plan. “This plan will be the people’s plan,” stated Dick Disner, chairman of the planning commission. “Our community needs development policies that are fair, predictable and based on a shared vision for the future of
the county.” The county’s current master plan, a 14-page document, was adopted in 1996. Since its adoption, the county’s demographics and economy have changed. Following rapid population growth in the 1990s and early 2000s, the Great Recession of 2007 shifted the county’s trends. The county’s overall population has declined slightly despite many new residents relocating here attracted to Delta County’s high quality of life. The closing of the mines left the county with nearly 1,000 fewer jobs. Community statistics indicate many of Delta County’s residents are struggling. This fact is most evidenced within the Delta County Joint School District where the percentage of youth on free and reduced lunch has increased to 56.5 percent of the student population. Change, while challenging, MASTER PLAN TO A3
Photo by Hank Lohmeyer
Improved access
The county commissioners and staff took a field trip Monday to view progress on the new Escalante Bridge. The bridge improves access to the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area.
City incentives support DIP Co. expansion BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor
DIP Co., located in Delta’s Industrial Park, will be the first enterprise to benefit from an economic incentive policy adopted by the City of Delta nearly a year ago. The policy is intended to support new and expanding business development in the City of Delta. On a case-by-case basis, the Delta City Council agreed to provide incentives ranging from the refund of development/building permit fees and use taxes, to a donation of utility expenses. A company interested in the incentives must first meet with Delta County Economic Development to assure the eligibility requirements are met: • The business must make a considerable investment in plant, equipment, building, operational, and/or employees
during the calendar year in which a proposal is made for incentives. Innovative Diversified Products, or DIP Co., has built a 5,850-square-foot addition to its current facility and will be moving equipment to Delta to expand into the offset printing industry. Additionally, DIP Co. is purchasing a die-cutting service and moving the equipment from Grand Junction. Total investment is $670,650. • The business must create/retain qualifying jobs with an overall annual wage that is at or above 80 percent county’s average annual wage rate of all commercial/industries. With the new space and equipment, DIP Co. will be hiring 1.5 additional employees during the first year of operation. The wages are about 14 percent higher than the average county wage. • The business must be
Church vandalized; break-ins increase BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor
Thieves who broke into the LDS meeting house in Delta over the weekend didn’t get much for their efforts, but they left behind an expensive clean-up job. The break-in at 1679 Pioneer Road occurred sometime the night of Saturday, May 6, or during the early morning hours of May 7. Bishop Joel Butzin said entry was gained through a window on the east side of the building that is shielded by bushes. The thieves then forced open every locked door
INDEX
Accent ........................... A4 Activities ....................... A9 Back Page ................... D8 Bruin Tracks ............. C3-6 Business .......................A10 Church ............................C8 Classifieds .................. D1-2 Editorial ......................... A2 Legals ......................... D3-4 North Fork Times ........B1-4 Obituaries ..................... A8 School Zone .................. A7 Sports ..........................B5-8 Surface Creek News ...C1-7 TV Listings ................. D5-6
inside the church, apparently searching for money because they didn’t touch electronics. “All donations are deposited immediately,” said church member Morgan Yost. “The church does not keep any valuables in the building. We also want to reassure members that no personal information was compromised.” Bishop Butzin said the only items missing are keys to the building, so the doors will be rekeyed after the interior doors and frames are repaired. “They made a mess,” the BREAK-INS TO A3
willing to provide an economic impact analysis that estimates the total economic benefits to Delta and the incentive payback period. DIP Co. is working with DCED on the economic impact analysis, which will be reviewed by the city manager before the agreement is formalized. After discussion, council members directed the city attorney to draft an agreement that refunds 50 percent of the use tax received by the city, estimated at $5,400, and a portion of the electric utility profits for a period of four years. The exact percentage was the only question council members expressed about
the process. Council member Chris Ryan questioned whether the city should set a precedent at 50 percent. The incentives that are offered are based on what the city has received through the development, city manager David Torgler explained. The electricity donation will be calculated from month-tomonth comparisons of electrical use from the previous three years. DIP Company has been located in Delta for 17 years. It manufactures “quick change” ink tray liners that make four-color printing faster and cleaner. The liners are made from rejected USDA milk carton material. The DIP crew
folds, assembles, staples and ships hundreds of cases of tray liners every day. The company’s commitment to the community was highlighted by Trish Thibodo, executive director of Delta County Economic Development, who said she was first introduced to DIP Co. when the company received state incentive funds for a 2014 expansion. At that time, the Minneapolis facility was merged with the Delta operation. While DIP Co. is the first company to seek economic incentives from the city, council member Ron Austin, serving as mayor pro-tem, said he hopes it will be the first of many.
Mental health care options are expanding BY HANK LOHMEYER Staff Writer
Improvements being planned to mental health care were the focus of the municipal quarterly meeting in Paonia. Roger Sheffield, vice president of development for Mind Springs Health, detailed the company’s $17.5 million fundraising plans for expansion of the West Springs Hospital in Grand Junction from 16 to 48 beds. The current 16 beds at the facility located off North Avenue are the only psychiatric beds on the Western Slope. West Springs is the only psychiatric hospital between Denver and Salt Lake City. The lack of beds has caused problems for Delta County and municipal law enforce-
ment. Agencies must respond to psychiatric incidents when called. If beds are not available, patients can end up back in dysfunctional living arrangements, in the hospital emergency room, or even in the county jail. Delta County Memorial Hospital CEO Jason Cleckler said psych patients have spent days in the local emergency room waiting for appropriate care at an available bed in Grand Junction. Cleckler also announced an initiative between DCMH and the Center for Mental Health that hopefully will lead to a psychiatric stabilization unit being established in Montrose. Cleckler applauded the Mind Springs expansion project for Grand Junction, but
9th Street closure
Stormy Griffith convicted
The traditional painting of 9th Street Hill by graduates of Delta High School will result in a street closure. The City of Delta is honoring a request from the Delta High School Student Council to close the street the evening of Tuesday, May 16. The street will remain closed Wednesday and Thursday, May 17 and 18. Parents who use 9th Street Hill to transport their students to Delta Middle School will need to choose another route on Wednesday and Thursday.
Following a trial in the federal court in Grand Junction, Stormy Griffith was found guilty on charges related to a large commercial marijuana operation near Cedaredge. He and his wife, Staci, are expected to be tried for state charges in Delta District Court this summer. The federal jury found Stormy Griffith, 37, guilty on three counts — conspiracy to distributed a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute and felon in possession of a firearm. Griffith was indicted on felony charges after authorities seized 478 marijuana plants, 203 pounds of processed marijuana and 28 guns from his property on Cactus Park Road.
he said even 48 beds would not be enough to handle the need here. Government and agency officials also heard from Kathy Welt, who reported West Elk Mine “is not out of the woods, though we are very hopeful.” Twenty-two workers have been hired back from last year’s 100-employee layoff. West Elk’s parent, Arch Coal, has emerged from bankruptcy reorganization after only nine months. “This year is definitely a lot better than last year,” she said. • Michelle Haynes of Region 10 reported that broadband service in the cities of Delta and Montrose is nearly complete. She predicted that Delta County towns would have carrier neutral locations by year’s end.
New name for DMTC
A bill changing the name of DeltaMontrose Technical College to Technical College of the Rockies has received legislative approval and is waiting for the governor’s signature to become official. The name is intended to reflect the expanding geographical boundaries of the technical college, which offers classes in Gunnison and Montrose counties, as well as Delta. School board president Tammy Smith and superintendent Caryn Gibson traveled to Denver twice to encourage legislative support of the bill.