Delta County Independent, Aug. 8, 2018

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NORTH FORK TIMES

SURFACE CREEK NEWS

VICTIM OF DROUGHT Fire Mountain Canal closure comes unusually early, B1

SPORTS

SOUNDING THE SIREN Cedaredge Volunteer Fire Dept. seeks new members, C1

DELTA COUNTY

FLEET FEET

Farm to Fiddle 5k kicks off weekend festival in Hotchkiss, B8 AUGUST 8, 2018 VOL. 135, NO. 32

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INDEPENDENT

www.deltacountyindependent.com

Land swap appeals to Delta City Council BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

The City of Delta is exploring a possible land swap with Bill St. James, a move that would exchange park land on the north side of the Gunnison River for numerous parcels St. James owns on the south side of the river from Ute Street to the east. The land swap will require voter approval, and to get the question on the November ballot, the wording must be finalized by the Sept. 4 council meeting. The pressing deadline has resulted in numerous work sessions with St. James to hammer out details. Visibility, accessibility and the possibility of commercial development, in addition to recreational amenities, are seen as the biggest advantages to the city taking ownership of parcels east of Highway 50 and south of the river. In exchange, the city would give up Riverbend and Cottonwood parks. Riverbend has been set aside for future development and is not open to the public. Cottonwood, the former location of the city’s ninehole golf course, has reverted to a natural state, with about four acres carved out for soccer fields. The park is open to the public, but parking, restrooms and accessibility are limited. St. James is interested in both properties because he could tie them in with parcels he has purchased on that side of the river. If voters approve the land swap, the soccer fields would be moved to the newly acquired land. Mayor Ron Austin said he envisions a sports complex that would include expanded soccer fields, ball fields and even tennis courts connected to a riverfront trail system. Two questions must be addressed before council signs off on the ballot question. The first is whether the land swap

would be equitable to both parties. St. James stands to gain acreage; the question is whether visibility and infrastructure offset the disparity. An appraisal to be completed later this month will answer that question. St. James said he’ll be curious to see how the valuation comes out. “It’s not about acreage; it’s about value,” he pointed out. The second is the status of a Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) grant that was used to purchase Riverbend Park. Wilma Erven, director of parks, recreation and culture, said GOCO provided $175,000 of the $253,921 purchase price. It’s her belief that an exchange for riverfront property of similar acreage would be acceptable, but she has not received confirmation from GOCO. “I’m not comfortable with moving forward on a deal without knowing these things,” the mayor said. He added that it makes no sense to acquire another piece of land without a means of generating revenue, which led to a discussion about potential uses of the property. The land falls within the boundaries of the Delta Urban Renewal Authority, so any commercial development would generate revenue for future DURA projects. David Torgler, city manager, and Stacey Voigt, executive director of Delta County Economic Development, said the ballot question should be worded in such a way so voters know how much of the land will be set aside for commercial development and how much will be designated for recreation, open space and riverfront activation. If the land swap moves forward, the hotel could potentially be back in play at that location. Voigt urged LAND SWAP TO A3

West Nile reported in Delta County STAFF REPORT

The first two human cases of West Nile virus in Colorado in 2018 have been reported in Weld and Delta counties. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reminds people that preventing mosquito bites is the No. 1 way to avoid getting any mosquito-borne illness. Weekly mosquito testing for West Nile virus began statewide in June. Adult mosquitoes are trapped and tested to provide an estimate of the number that are infected. The results help pinpoint the risk to humans in the area. Most human West Nile virus cases are reported in August and September. “When the virus is present, people are at risk,” said

INDEX

Accent ........................... A4 Activities ....................... A9 Agriculture ................... B6 Back Page ................... D6 Business .......................A10 Church ............................C6 Classifieds .................. D1-2 Editorial ......................... A2 Legals ......................... D3-4 North Fork Times ........B1-4 Obituaries .................. A7-8 School Zone .................. A7 Service Directory ........ D5 Sports .............................B8 Surface Creek News ...C1-5 TV Listings ..................C3-4

Jennifer House, state public health veterinarian. “Use an effective insect repellent, wear protective clothing or stay indoors when mosquitoes are active, and mosquitoproof your home.” In 2017, there were 68 human cases of West Nile virus in Colorado, including four deaths. Most people who are infected with West Nile virus don’t have symptoms. About 20 percent have flu-like symptoms, and fewer than 1 percent develop a serious, potentially deadly illness. People over age 60 and those with certain medical conditions are at greater risk of serious illness. See a health care provider if you develop severe headaches or confusion.

Photo by Don Benjamin

Last-minute advice

Pearl Burruss of Delta conferred with her father Charlie last Sunday as she got ready to show her horse Tiv. A member of the New Pride of the Valley 4-H Club, Pearl joined several other 4-H and FFA members as the Delta County Fair opened with the youth horse competitions. Pearl placed second in intermediate showmanship. The fair continues in Hotchkiss through Aug. 12.

Encampment draws attention of health officials BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

The sight is all too common in Delta County — an older RV is parked in the middle of a parcel of land without access to water or a sewage disposal system. Some folks are just passing through; others seem to be more permanent, surrounding their residences with a growing collection of vehicles, outbuildings and, on occasion, trash and cast-off items. It was the trash blowing onto a neighbor’s property that prompted a complaint to the Delta County Health Department about a series of encampments along Alkali Basin Road north of Delta. To get to his home, the man has to drive through the unsightly mess of dilapidated RVs, campers and buses that have been parked on a 40acre parcel of private land,

with the owner’s permission. None have adequate sewage disposal systems, which has been the focus of the health department. “It was a legitimate complaint,” said Delta County environmental health specialist Keith Lucy, who explained the difference between a public nuisance and a public health nuisance. At the end of July, Lucy, a co-worker and a sheriff ’s deputy issued notices of violation to the various occupants along Alkali Basin Road. The notice advises occupants they have 90 days to submit an application for a sewage disposal permit to the local health department. “We talked to everyone — or taped notices to the door if they weren’t available — so everybody is aware of the violation,” Lucy said. The notice outlines the steps to be taken

to remedy the situation. “They have to take out an application, obtain the services of a registered professional engineer, and submit the application and design to us. Then we can issue a permit,” said Lucy. “But this is not an isolated situation,” he added. “The dilemma is that these situations are popping up all over the county for various reasons. When we become aware of similar situations, we investigate and determine if they’re in violation. “We understand that the resident’s financial situation is often a factor, but we have regulations that we’re charged with enforcing. It’s not fair for some residents to apply for a permit and come into compliance, but not others. This procedure is required for everybody, and we need to be ENCAMPMENT TO A3

Photo by Pat Sunderland

RVs, buses and camp trailers are scattered on both sides of Alkali Basin Road north of Delta. Most of the squatters have the owner’s permission to occupy the land, but run afoul of county health requirements for septic disposal systems.

Junior Market Livestock Sale is Saturday The Delta County Fair continues this week with Heritage Hall exhibits, livestock shows and special events including a wild game chili cookoff Wednesday, Aug. 8, at 6 p.m.; Mountain States Ranch Rodeo at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 9; JC Propane Team Roping Saddle Shoot-out Finals and royalty coronation at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 10; and the Demolition Derby and ATV Barrel Race at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 11. The Junior Livestock Sale is scheduled at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 11.The livestock sale is the cumulation of months of hard work for exhibitors who have spent countless hours feeding, grooming, exercising and working with their livestock projects to get them ready for the county fair. By purchasing a market animal(s) at the livestock auction, you are helping finance the future of a 4-H/FFA member. Members typically use profits from the sale of their project(s) to purchase animals for the next year, or set aside the money for college. Market livestock is sold by the head with the exception of rabbits, chickens, turkeys and dairy milk products, which are sold by the lot. For more information about the sale, visit the fair website at DeltaCountyFair.com.

Reviews are online

Performance evaluations of Colorado appellate and trial court judges standing for retention in the 2018 general election are available online at www.ojpe.org. The performance evaluations also will be included in the “Colorado Voter Information Guide,” commonly referred to as the Blue Book, to be mailed this fall to every active registered voter household in Colorado. The evaluations were conducted by the State Commission on Judicial Performance and 22 local judicial district performance commissions, each of which consists of six non-attorney members and four attorney members.


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