NORTH FORK TIMES
SURFACE CREEK NEWS
BLM SALE APPROACHES
Town of Paonia outlines concerns with BLM’s oil/gas lease sale, B1
SPORTS
CLASSICS TOUR COLORADO
RUNNERS GO THE DISTANCE
Colorado Grand cruises through Delta County this Friday, C1
DELTA COUNTY
Paonia girls pick up first team win at Hotchkiss cross-country meet, B5 SEPTEMBER 12, 2018 VOL. 135, NO. 37
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INDEPENDENT
www.deltacountyindependent.com
Delta voters will consider four marijuana questions BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor
Photo by Pat Sunderland
9/11 remembrance
Lee Marts VFW Post #3571 observed Patriot Day 2018 with the long-standing tradition of planting a tree to remember those who were injured or died during the terrorist attacks in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. This year, an evergreen was placed on city property at the intersection of Highway 50 and Confluence Drive. Since the first anniversary of 9/11 in 2002, the VFW has planted trees throughout the city, including the cemetery and every school in Delta.
An unprecedented number of area residents addressed Delta City Council on the issue of marijuana, input that was welcomed by council members who said they wished citizens were equally outspoken on a broader range of topics. The issue of marijuana came to the forefront of the Sept. 4 meeting, where council members considered four marijuana questions for the November ballot. The first asks voters if retail marijuana sales should be allowed in the City of Delta. The second addresses medical marijuana sales. The third concerns marijuana cultivation facilities, marijuana product manufacturing facilities, marijuana testing facilities and marijuana transport. The fourth question would allow those same endeavors only for medical marijuana. Each of the four questions was approved 3-2, with Ron Austin and Gerald Roberts casting “no” votes four consecutive times. Of the 14 individuals who spoke, five supported marijuana sales in the City of Delta; the other nine expressed con-
cerns about the impacts on the city and its children. Hartland Clubb Jr. said marijuana establishments would reflect poorly on the family values for which Delta is known. Orval Proctor said the city’s voters were “tricked” in April when they were asked to consider taxing the sale of marijuana. Some council members point to the 61 percent of the city’s voters who supported that measure, saying that indicates support for marijuana sales. “The passing of the taxation initiative was not nor should it be considered by this council as a mandate for marijuana in our community,” Mayor Ron Austin said in a prepared statement he read at the meeting. A majority of the individuals who addressed council are not residents of the city, and so will not be able to vote on the four questions, but said they, their children and their grandchildren, will all be impacted. Opponents again brought children into the conversation with direct references to the families of the three council members — Kevin Carlson,
North Fork speakers appeal to BoCC regarding BLM leases BY ANNETTE BRAND Staff Writer
During constituent time at the Sept. 4 meeting of the Board of County Commissioners three people from the North
Fork appealed to the county commissioners to take additional action on the Bureau of Land Management leases up for sale in December. Mariah Whoolilurie said
Locals take part in Club 20 debates BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor
Despite the early hour, an estimated 150 voters attended the Club 20 debate Saturday morning between House District 54 candidates Matt Soper and Thea Chase, an independent candidate from Palisade. They led off a series of debates that continued throughout the day and featured two other Republican candidates from Delta County — Mike Mason, House District 61, and Olen Lund, Senate District 5. In his opening remarks, Soper said he would like to be the first person in 54 years elected from Delta County to serve in the state Legislature. He listed his priorities as water, transportation, jobs and the economy. Thea Chase described herself as a problem solver with a proven ability to work across the aisle. She said she is committed to fiscal responsibility and to using taxpayer dollars wisely. As an independent, she said she will be “100 percent focused on constituents and their needs,” not what
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any political party is telling her to do. Each debate followed the same format, with opening comments followed by four questions posed by Club 20 panelists. The first question for Soper and Chase addressed the biggest issues facing the state of Colorado. Soper again pointed to water, transportation, jobs and the economy. “My goal is to find a way to fund the Colorado Water Plan. We can not conserve our way out of a drought.” He cited the need to increase the volume of reservoirs, and fix old and outdated water delivery systems. As for the economy, he said the rest of the state is booming, but western Colorado is lagging behind. It’s important to get projects like Jordan Cove off the ground, he said. In addition to protecting our water, funding transportation and boosting the economy, Chase pointed to education and the need for workforce training. Education is key to keeping our economy moving forward, she said. The second question dealt with a skills gap identified
Nathan Clay and Christopher Ryan — who voted to take the issue to the voters. Ryan said he does not support the use of marijuana, and he is raising his children with that viewpoint. “However, I do not stand behind this B.S. that government shall mandate what we may or may not do individually,” he said. “I think that each and every one of you in this room is able to go out and do the research to determine what is appropriate for you, and for your family and for your community. “Please quit underestimating yourselves and your neighbors. Educate yourselves and do what’s right for you.” If voters approve any of the four marijuana ballot questions, city attorney David McConaughy said marijuana establishments will not be “springing up overnight.” Council will have to implement licensing requirements similar to those in place for the sale of alcohol. Council may also consider a cap on the number of establishments that would be allowed to operate in the city, and define where those establishments may be located.
during a survey of employers. Chase said it is important to work with industry, to ensure our students are receiving the education employers are looking for. Soper said high school graduates should be prepared to go either direction, to college or directly to the workforce. Concerning the state budget, Soper said that with a general fund of $13 billion, it’s hard to imagine we can’t accomplish everything we as a society want to accomplish. Without an additional source of revenue, Chase said it’s critical to look for efficiencies in state government, and that’s an area where she has gained a lot of experience over the years. During cross-examination, Chase pointed to Soper’s lack of experience and asked how he planned to be effective in a Democrat-controlled House. Soper insisted he has built coalitions across the aisle; the first step is a simple handshake. It’s one thing to shake hands, Chase said, reiterating that Soper has no practical experience in bipartisanship.
Soper countered with the fact that Chase, formerly a Democrat, has thrown her support only behind Democrat candidates, which is hardly indicative of bipartisanship. Chase said she remains an independent, very much in favor of small government and the efficient use of taxpayer resources. “Having observed your campaign finance account, I beg to differ with how well you manage your money. I’ve seen a lot of waste,” Soper told Chase. He continued on the offensive when he asked Chase about her switch from Democrat to unaffiliated. “What were the issues that made you realize the Democrats are wrong and misguided?” “Well, that’s going to get you really far in working across the aisle,” Chase said. Mason-McCluskie Mike Mason faced Julie McCluskie, a Summit County resident who has worked in public education. She also worked at the state capitol as director of communications for former Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia. CLUB 20 DEBATES TO A3
City contracts with real estate appraiser The City of Delta has contracted with Arnie Butler & Company to conduct real estate appraisals on a number of city-owned properties, including three that will be on the November ballot. The City of Delta will be asking voters for permission to sell, transfer or convey Cottonwood and Riverbend parks — a total of 115.2 acres — for a sale price of not less than $4,575 per acre. If the sale or exchange of property is approved, the city has announced its intention to pursue a swap for the St. James property on the south side of the Gunnison River. The appraiser will also be evaluating those parcels to determine if the swap is equitable. Voters are also asked to consider the sale or transfer of the non-operational municipal, light and power plant at 1133 Main Street. At their Sept. 4 meeting, Delta council members amended the sale price of that property to “not less than $100,000 or the fair market value” as determined by the appraiser. The appraiser will also be establishing value for smaller city-owned properties, including a house on E. 7th Street and parcels left over from construction of the alternate truck route. Arnie Butler & Company was one of two firms to bid on the service. The cost is not to exceed $20,250.
she arrived in the North Fork last November, battling health conditions, to heal and find fresh air. She fell in love with the area. Whoolilurie’s concerns about the BLM leasing the oil and gas locations in the North Fork are related to impact on the watershed, air, organic agriculture, human health, spills, potential seismic occurrences and transportation accidents. She said she was most concerned about harm to human health and harm to animals. She said to the commissioners, “Your responsibility as county commissioners is to listen to your constituents. Remove the North Fork parcels from the BLM December sale, the parcels around the Paonia reservoir. You have the capacity to remove these parcels. Please consider your constituents.” Andrew Forkes-Gudmundson with Citizens for a Healthy Community said he has concerns about the same issues as Whoolilurie. He said the Town of Paonia worked hard incorporating the community’s thoughts in a five-page scoping letter. It apparently disappeared and was omitted from the BLM’s preliminary environmental assessment. Forkes-Gudmundson asked the BoCC to withdraw the parcels in the North Fork from the BLM sale of leases and demand that the BLM NORTH FORK TO A3
County officials serve on CCI The Delta County Commissioners have appointed Commissioner Don Suppes as the county’s representative on the Legislative Priorities Committee for Colorado Counties, Inc., beginning with the Oct. 12 meeting of CCI. It was noted that Commissioner Mark Roeber is president-elect for Colorado Counties, Inc.