Delta County Independent, June 21, 2017

Page 1

NORTH FORK TIMES

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

�����

FESTIVAL SUPPORTERS Paonia couple honored for their “undying love” of the valley, B3

SPORTS

������ ��������

ADVENTURE AWAITS

��������� �������� ����� ��������� ������������ ������ ������ ������������ ������������

2017 Visitors Guide will help you make the most of summer, Inside

DELTA COUNTY

ALL-COLORADO

Paonia’s Kayden Seriani stands out on the baseball field, B8 JUNE 21, 2017 VOL. 134, NO. 25

75¢

INDEPENDENT

www.deltacountyindependent.com

Legislation provides one-time funding boost for rural schools BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

Time to grow

Photo by Pat Sunderland

Under the direction of Jaime Ogden, members of the Garnet Mesa Greenhouse Club are growing tomatoes, green beans, squash, radishes, lettuce, corn, melons, cucumbers and flowers at the greenhouse erected near the school playground. Though school is out for the summer, students are learning valuable lessons about where their food comes from, whether it’s the school garden or from a field trip to the farmers’ market.

Senate Bill 267, titled “Rural Sustainability,” not only converted the hospital provider fee to an enterprise fund, it also directed funds to rural schools. A one-time allocation of $30 million will be spread across the state, bumping per-pupil funding for Delta County students by $171.70. That amounts to about $819,000. News of the unexpected bump in state funding came just as the Delta County School Board was considering the budget for the 2017-18 school year. “This is big to us,” said school district business manager Jim Ventrello. “We need to thank our legislators. They came through for schools.” The school board previously adopted new salary schedules that incorporated pay increases for all district employees. Incremental salary increases will bring classified employees to the state-required minimum wage of $12/hour by 2020. The school district also plans to use about $4 million from the general fund balance to match a BEST grant for construction at Delta Middle School. Through the use of reserves and grant funds, the $17 million project will be

debt-free. Other funds are designated for technology, curriculum, new route buses and preowned fleet vehicles. At a work session earlier this month, school board members discussed how the one-time funds could be used to enhance technology in the high schools. They discussed purchase of lightweight Chromebooks, which are priced at just $214. After meeting with principals, business manager Jim Ventrello said each core subject area will be equipped with 20 Chromebooks, as a pilot project. The goal is to ultimately provide computers for each high school student. Funds have also been designated for purchase/renovation of a new school district office, although that project is on hold for now. The school district backed off a previous decision to purchase the Bank of Colorado building at 134 E. 4th Street when remediation costs came in higher than anticipated. Negotiations are ongoing, Ventrello said. While the school district was able to set aside $1.2 million for infrastructure needs last year, the budget for capital projects dropped substantially for 2017-18. School board members agreed some

of the unanticipated state funds should support facilities maintenance. School board member Pete Blair pointed out that Mesa County has identified $50 million worth of infrastructure needs. “We need to be proactive,” he said. School board members agreed to add another $150,000 to the capital reserve budget for projects already identified by John McHugh, maintenance supervisor. The parking lot at Hotchkiss High School will take a big chunk of the budget. Other projects at Hotchkiss K8, Cedaredge Elementary and Delta High School will beef up school security. Interior/exterior LED lighting, backflow preventers, ADA restrooms and public address systems are priorities throughout the district. The general fund budget totals just over $39 million. With bond redemption, capital projects, special revenue and miscellenous funds, the total comes in at $58.5 million. Ventrello said the budget was based on a drop in enrollment of 35 students, with the hope that the five-year trend of declining enrollment is leveling off. The school district has lost 400 students over the past several years, superintendent Caryn Gibson noted.

Delta’s urban renewal: ‘There is no Plan B’ BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

The clock is ticking. The Delta Urban Renewal Authority (DURA) has 120 days to reach agreement with the taxing entities it’s asking to help fund a gateway project near the intersection of Highways 50 and 92. Half that time has elapsed, and there is no Plan B, city manager David Torgler emphasized during a meeting with taxing entities Monday. With tax increment financing, the city would acquire land, make infrastructure improvements and provide access to property that would then be offered to a hotel developer. With improvements in place, there would be significantly less financial risk for the developer. While a hotel is not the only option for that parcel of land, the gateway project, with complementary river corridor improvements, was identified as the best opportunity for capturing lost revenue in an extensive feasibility study conducted in 2015. The study was completed by Better City, which sent three representatives to the question-and-answer session organized by the city. Based in Ogden, Utah, Better City works with communities to diversify their economy, attract private investment and create jobs. Tax incentive financing requires the taxing entities to give up property tax they would have realized from

INDEX

Accent ........................... A4 Activities ....................... A7 Back Page ................... D6 Business ........................ A8 Church ............................C6 Classifieds .................. D1-2 Editorial ......................... A2 Health & Fitness ...... B5-7 Legals ......................... D2-4 North Fork Times ........B1-4 Obituaries ..................... A6 School Zone .................. A5 Sports .............................B8 Surface Creek News ...C1-5 TV Listings ..................C3-4

increased value of the developed property, the additional sales tax generated through sales in the plan area, and the lodging tax that would be levied on the hotel rooms. The city points out that taxing entities are not giving up anything they have in hand, because without the development there is no tax increment. The school district, library district, ambulance district and hospital district have agreed to give up all property taxes that would be generated through project development. The city does not have property tax, but would give up sales tax generated by the development. The county is asked to give up sales, property and lodging tax. Similar requests are being made of Tri-County Water Conservation District, Delta Mosquito Control District, Delta Fire Protection District #1 and the Colorado River Water Conservation District. It’s going to take participation from all the taxing entities to make the plan financially feasible, Torgler said, who reviewed the numbers previously shared with the taxing bodies. A financial analysis prepared by Better City places potential tax increment “revenue” at $220,462. Bond payments are estimated at $170,000, which leaves the margin bond firms are looking for. “Without full participation,

it’s unlikely we can do this project,” Torgler said. Carolynne White, special counsel to DURA, explained that tax increment financing is a tool made available to urban renewal authorities to mitigate risk to bring in private investment. That initial investment often generates new net revenue that will pay down the debt over time,

and also increase the total tax base for all tax entities with property/sales tax, she said. “The tax increment is meant to be the minimum amount needed to leverage private investment,” she emphasized. But without funds to correct the deficiencies on the parcel of land in question, the cost of development would

be “disproportionate” to the potential benefit, she said. “That was another reason tax increment was created, to level the playing field and make properties competitive with all other properties the developer could invest in.” Adam Hughes, a representative of Better City, discussed how strategic planning led to URBAN RENEWAL TO A3

City invites input on parks, recreation priorities BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

Montrose has a kayak park. Palisade is working on the “plunge.” The City of Delta doesn’t want to copy those ideas, but is looking for unique features to enhance its parks, open space and trails. “We only have so many dollars and a small staff,” said Wilma Erven, director of parks, recreation and golf for the City of Delta. “Should the funds be used for maintenance or should we build something new?” Area residents are invited to offer their input during an open house Thursday, June 29, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Bill Heddles Recreation Center. This will be an opportunity to brainstorm one-onone with city staff and the

consultants hired to complete a master plan for the city’s parks, recreation, open space and trails. The contract for the master plan was awarded to the firm of Logan Simpson, which will also be preparing a survey to be sent to over 3,500 households in the city. The goal of the open house and the survey is the same — to define community priorities for outdoor recreation amenities and determine the best use of limited funding. The county is embarking on a similar planning process, and both governmental entities expect their consultants to work together to create plans that dovetail with one another. Like the county, the city will also be seeking input from citizens through a series

of public meetings this summer. Unlike the county, the city plan will take into consideration the golf course and existing trails and parks. Within the city limits, there are 427 acres of park land, as well as five miles of developed trails in the city. As part of the plan, the consultant will be required to provide potential locations, sizes and estimated costs for construction of any new additions within the city. A major component of the plan will be the maintenance of facilities/trails/open space that are currently being utilized. The intent is to have the preliminary master plan completed by this fall, so city staff and council members can prioritize the community’s needs/wants as they budget for future years.

Tipton hosts telephone town hall

18-year-old killed in rollover

Congressman Scott Tipton (CO-03) will host a telephone town hall meeting on Monday, June 26, at 6 p.m. All constituents of the Third Congressional District of Colorado are invited to participate. “With a district that includes 29 of the 64 counties in the state, it’s not always possible to visit every community as many times as I would like each year. In addition to the regular in-person town hall meetings I host every Congressional session, I also hold telephone town hall meetings to give constituents the opportunity to ask questions about my work in Congress,” Tipton said. Anyone who is interested in participating in the telephone town hall on June 26 should call Tipton’s Washington, D.C., office at 202-225-4761 to sign up no later than Friday, June 23, at noon (mountain time).

Alexis Crosby, 18, of Montrose died as the result of a traffic accident the morning of Tuesday, June 13. The Colorado State Patrol reports Samantha Crosby, 20, of Olathe was westbound on Highway 50 at milepost 78, between Delta and Olathe. She lost control of her 2003 GMC Envoy, then overcorrected, causing the vehicle to skid off the left side of the road. The GMC rolled over in the center median and came to rest on its wheels in the eastbound lanes. Alexis Crosby was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected during the rollover. She was transported to St. Mary’s, where she died. Samantha Crosby was transported to Delta County Memorial Hospital with minor injuries. Alcohol/drugs are not suspected. The accident remains under investigation.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.