Delta County Independent, Feb. 28, 2018

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NORTH FORK TIMES

SURFACE CREEK NEWS

SCHOOL HONORED

Paonia Elementary named finalist for $15,000 Succeeds Prize, B1

SPORTS

PROGRAM EXPANDS

COURTSIDE

Volunteers needed to provide ‘A Little Help’ for seniors, C1

DELTA COUNTY

Regionals will determine who advances to state, B5-8 FEBRUARY 28, 2018 VOL. 135, NO. 9

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INDEPENDENT

www.deltacountyindependent.com

Caucuses kick off 2018 general election BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

Precinct caucuses — the first step in the process for selecting party delegates, endorsing candidates and setting party platforms — take

place across the state Tuesday, March 6. Precinct caucuses are meetings of registered electors within the Republican and Democratic parties. Only voters affiliated with one of those

Photo submitted

On Feb. 22, Karl Hanlon, Democratic candidate for the 3rd Congressional District seat currently held by Scott Tipton, Karl Hanlon took time to meet local Democrats at Needle Rock Brewery in Delta. He shared his values, thoughts, ideas and concerns with voters prior to the March 6 precinct caucus. Hanlon is from Carbondale, where he practices water law.

parties are allowed to vote, but the caucuses are open to the public. The caucuses begin at 7 p.m. at the following locations: Republicans — Precincts 114, Delta High School, 1400 Pioneer Road; Precincts 15-20, Hotchkiss High School, 438 Bulldog Street. Democrats — Precincts 1-8, Technical College of the Rockies, 1765 Highway 50, Delta; Precincts 9-14, Cedaredge Civic Center, 140 NW 2nd Street; Precincts 1516, Memorial Hall, 151 1st Street, Hotchkiss; Precinct 17, Crawford Town Hall, 425 Highway 92; Precincts 18, 20; Paonia tech college campus, 218 4th Street. At the caucuses, delegates will be chosen for the county assemblies. The Delta County Republican Assembly will convene at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 24, at the Delta Performing Arts Center. Delegate check-in runs from 8 a.m. at 9:45 a.m. Alternate designations will be selected for delegates not present at 9:45 a.m. For more information, visit www.deltagop.com. The Delta County Demo-

cratic Party County Assembly is also Saturday, March 24. Registration begins at 9 a.m., and the assembly starts at 10 a.m. at Memorial Hall in Hotchkiss. Additional information can

be found at www.delta dems. org. If you have questions about your voter registration, call the Delta County clerk’s office at 874-2153 or 874-5903, or visit govotecolorado.com.

Photo by Pat Sunderland

Cary Kennedy, Democratic candidate for governor, also visited Delta last week. Kennedy, former state treasurer, was gathering support from local Democrats prior to the caucuses March 6. A recent media report lists nearly a dozen candidates, of all affiliations, for governor of Colorado.

City candidates talk marijuana, finances BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

On Monday, a community forum on the “Effects of Marijuana on Our Community” drew a sparse crowd, but the topic of marijuana still figures largely in the upcoming municipal election. The communities of Delta and Orchard City are both asking voters to consider taxation of retail marijuana and marijuana products, although the sale of marijuana is not legal in either community. Delta City Council members explain they’re being “proactive.” They’ve also devoted numerous work sessions to discussions about zoning for marijuana establishments. An ordinance prohibiting the sale of marijuana in the City of Delta has been on the books since 2013. City council members have the authority to reaffirm or repeal that ordinance without a vote of the citizens. But all three city council candidates — Nathan Clay, Kevin Carlson and Jay Stooksberry — said they would be reluctant to take that step. They would, however, be willing to put the question before voters. “I think it’s worth reexamining this issue,” said Jay Stooksberry. “Marijuana could be a viable source of tax revenue, but I recognize it’s a contentious issue. It’s worthy of a public vote, and I would respect the results of whatever that would be.” If voters are overwhelmingly in favor of the two taxing questions on the April ballot, Stooksberry said he would consider that an indication

INDEX

Accent ........................... A4 Activities ....................... A7 Back Page ................... D6 Church ............................C6 Classifieds .................. D1-2 Editorial ......................... A2 Legals ......................... D3-4 North Fork Times ........B1-4 Obituaries ..................... A6 School Zone .................. A5 Service Directory ........ D5 Sports ..........................B5-8 Surface Creek News ...C1-5 TV Listings ..................C3-4

that people believe marijuana could be a revenue-generating activity, which means they would be open to supporting marijuana sales if that question appeared on a future ballot. Kevin Carlson, who is running opposite Stooksberry, said he believes marijuana would likely generate a “meaningful” amount of revenue. But he also believes it would create additional expenses for policing and enforcement of regulations. “We need to educate ourselves, for or against,” he said. And the decision should be made by the voters. “Three people [council members] should not have the power to allow the sale of marijuana inside city limits.” Nathan Clay is unopposed in his quest for the District #3 council seat. “I personally believe that the tax on marijuana would be a nice injection of cash, but it’s a huge hot button issue. It’s one I would vote for, but it has to be a mandate of the people. I won’t push this through.” During recent interviews, the candidates also voiced their thoughts on city finances. All three have been sitting in on a series of staff/council sessions addressing the city’s financial prospects. “It’s pretty grim,” Stooksberry said. The options laid out by staff and city council include raising taxes, raising utility rates, cutting services, or a combination of two or more. “I’m not a big fan of any of those options,” Stooksberry said. “Reinstituting property

taxes would be a huge detriment to small businesses here in Delta. Increasing utility rates is just passing the buck. Those rates are already inflated because we transfer so much money out of those funds to make up for lack of revenue in the general fund.” The focus of city council should be on increasing the tax base, not the tax burden, he said. The first step is to determine why Delta has earned a reputation as a tough place to start a business. “Whether that’s too many regulations or building code enforcement, we need to take a close look at how we can make it easier to set up shop in Delta,” he said. Although he recognizes the city operates on a thin mar-

gin, he would also like to see a detailed analysis of overall spending, to see if the city can cut overhead in any areas. Carlson said he is hopeful Delta Urban Renewal Authority’s efforts to attract a riverfront hotel will kickstart efforts to generate more economic activity. He is concerned, however, about subsidizing competition for existing hotels. For that project, and for development in general, Carlson said the playing field has to be level. He also thinks the city should make the process of starting a business easier. He cited a recent example where an established business owner requested a change in zoning so he could display modular homes on a lot he purchased

in North Delta. The zoning change was discussed in work session, but a final decision was tabled for two weeks. “I wish council hadn’t hesitated,” Carlson said. “That guy stood up and answered every one of the questions they had. I don’t think we should string this guy out. That’s the first step to countering the perception Delta is not business friendly.” Clay also weighed in on city finances. He said it’s alarming to consider that a huge portion of city sales tax revenue comes from one business. On the other hand, municipalities really don’t have the ability to create new revenue, other than through taxation. “I think the answer in the CITY CANDIDATES TO A3

County urges relocation of BLM headquarters to the Western Slope BY ANNETTE BRAND Staff Writer

County Commissioners Doug Atchley, Mark Roeber and Don Suppes recently sent a letter to Ryan Zinke, Secretary of the Department of Interior. They supported the secretary’s efforts to reorganize the various agencies housed in the Department of Interior to achieve efficiency. They recommended engaging local stakeholders in a more meaningful fashion. The commissioners expressed appreciation for Zinke’s efforts to streamline the NEPA process. As a county

which has endured numerous project delays due to extended NEPA review in a multi-jurisdictional project, the commissioners suggested Zinke designate a lead agency to conduct the necessary NEPA analysis. They urged the secretary to consider the relocation of the national headquarters for the Bureau of Land Management to the Western Slope of Colorado, pointing out that Delta County is home to the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area and that Delta, Montrose and Mesa counties surround the DominguezEscalante National Conservation Area.

The commissioners noted that both these National Conservation Areas had strong community support when they were put forward for congressional approval. All three counties continue to take an active role in the partnership of management. With the BLM national headquarters located on the Western Slope these two National Conservation Areas would enable the National BLM to have a strong connection to the lands they manage and would provide easy access to transportation amenities located in the surrounding areas.

Beef roast planned

Nominations due Friday

Candidate forum

The 69th annual Delta County 4-H Beef Roast will be held in two locations Sunday, March 4. The county’s 4-H’ers will be serving a meal of smoked beef or pork, mashed potatoes and gravy, coleslaw, vegetable, cheesecake and a beverage at the Delta Middle School and at Hotchkiss High School. Serving times are noon to 3 p.m.; takeout will be available. Prices are $10 for adults and $7 for children 12 and under. For more information, call the Delta County 4-H Office at 874-2195.

Delta County Memorial Hospital is seeking nominations for three directors to serve four-year terms on the hospital board. A self-nomination form must be filed with attorney Aaron Clay, the designated election official,or the county clerk by Friday, March 2. The Delta County Ambulance District (874-7001) will also fill three seats on the board of directors. Two directors will be elected to four-year terms and one director will be elected to a two-year term. Other special districts conducting elections on May 8 include Delta County Fire Protection Districts #1, #3 and #4, North Fork Pool, Park and Recreation, North Fork Mosquito Abatement District, Delta Conservation District and Bone Mesa Domestic Water District.

A city council candidate forum is scheduled Thursday, March 1, 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Delta Performing Arts Center. This event is hosted by the Delta Area Chamber of Commerce. The discussion will be moderated; audience members will have an opportunity to submit questions to be answered by the three candidates — Nathan Clay, Kevin Carlson and Jay Stooksberry.


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