Delta County Independent, Jan. 31, 2019

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NORTH FORK TIMES

SURFACE CREEK NEWS

BUILDING BRIDGES

MONEY & TAXES

UPWARD TREND

Abraham Connection earns award from Kids’ Pasta Project, B1

43 homes built in Orchard City, Cedaredge over last two years, C1

DELTA COUNTY

EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS Find out how to get the most bang for your buck, A6-7

JANUARY 30, 2019 VOL. 136, NO. 5

75¢

INDEPENDENT

www.deltacountyindependent.com

City of Delta grants first brew pub license; denies liquor store renewal BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

Approval of a liquor license for the newly-reopened CB’s Tavern proved to be the most straightforward action Delta City Council took on Tuesday, Jan. 22. The lengthy meeting was marked by three public hearings on liquor licenses. The tavern at 334 Main Street in Delta recently reopened under the management of TC Ventures, which is jointly owned by local residents Fred Carson and Cecelia Tafoya. The second hearing concerned the city’s first brew pub license, which was granted unanimously to Stoik Beverage Company at 1064 S.

Main Street. Owners William Tedrow and Stephan Snydstrup said they will be making some renovations to the building prior to opening their new establishment. The brew pub must also comply with state and federal regulations concerning the manufacture and sale of alcohol. Renovation of the building will include a small kitchen, brewing area, cold storage, seating area and outdoor patio seating. Tedrow, a resident of Arvada, said he and his partner chose Delta for their venture after looking for a bigger city on the Western Slope without a brew pub. He and his wife, a teacher, want

to move their kids from the Front Range to a quieter community. Snydstrup is from Palisade, where Tedrow also lived at one time. “Our focus is on being a tasting room, not a restaurant, not a bar,” Tedrow told council members. At a brew pub, food must account for just 15 percent of total sales. A “needs and desires” survey garnered favorable results from nearby residents and businesses. The third public hearing addressed a liquor license renewal application for Green Valley Liquors, 750 Main Street. Staff recommended LIQUOR LICENSES TO A3

Commissioners to Kalenak: The county is moving forward BY ANNETTE BRAND Staff Writer

On Jan. 22, JoAnn Kalenak, president of Delta County Citizen Report, was back before Commissioners Don Suppes and Mike Lane to reiterate her concerns about Elyse Casselberry. Casselberry, county community and economic developer, is also under contract with the Town of Collbran. In previous meetings, Kalenak accused Casselberry of “moonlighting” on her county position and “probable time theft fraud.” Kalenak, who calls herself “a constituent and government watchdog,” said, “It is clear to me — as it should be clear to you — that Ms. Casselberry’s contract with the Town of Collbran is not in the best interest of Delta County and the commissioners’ failure to act is a violation of the public trust.” Kalenak said many local residents believe their trust has been violated in the mat-

ter. Kalenak said, “Bottom line, this practice is unlawful and administrator [Robbie] LeValley is sanctioning the practice, by way of her co-signature on Casselberry’s time sheets, as is the Board of County Commissioners by not holding everyone involved responsible.” Kalenak further said, “Please understand, Commissioners, I expect a responsible resolution to this matter from the Board of County Commissioners that promotes fair, honest and equitable treatment and policies for all Delta County employees while prioritizing the public’s interests.” When Kalenak’s complaints surfaced in December, the commissioners said they were aware of the contract Casselberry had with Town of Collbran for eight hours a week providing consultant work in administration and planning. They have repeatedly praised the work, com-

Austin man killed in rollover accident BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

Michael Johnson, 43, of Austin, died as the result of a traffic accident Friday, Jan. 25. The accident occurred on Highway 92 near the intersection with 1900 Road east of Delta at about 7:40 a.m. Johnson was a passenger in a 1998 Ford pickup driven by Brittney Barbee, 22, also of Austin. She sustained serious injuries and was transported to Delta County Memorial Hospital. Johnson was also transported to DCMH, where he was declared dead. The Colorado State Patrol reports that Barbee was eastbound on Highway 92 when she lost control of her

INDEX

Accent ........................... A4 Activities ....................... A9 Back Page ................... D8 Bruin Tracks ............. C3-6 Business .......................A10 Church ........................... D6 Classifieds .................. D1-2 Editorial ......................... A2 Legals ......................... D3-5 Money & Taxes ........ A6-7 North Fork Times ........B1-3 Obituaries ......................C8 School ..................... A5, A8 Sports ..........................B6-8 Surface Creek News ...C1-7 TV Listings ..................B4-5

vehicle. The pickup went off the south edge of the roadway, struck a delineator post, returned to the roadway and went off the north edge into the median where it began to roll. Johnson, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the vehicle. A 2001 Oldsmobile sedan headed westbound on Highway 92 struck debris from the Ford. The driver, a 43-yearold male from Cedaredge, was not injured. According to the Colorado State Patrol, drugs and alcohol were not involved. The investigation is continuing. Traffic was detoured around the scene of the accident for several hours Friday morning.

Park re-opens

petency and integrity of both Casselberry and LeValley. Don Suppes, chair of the county commissioners, told Kalenak, “Elyse Casselberry is an exempt employee. Her work with Collbran is not a conflict of interest. There is nothing unlawful about this matter. This is a non-issue with the Board of County Commissioners. The commissioners have received zero complaints — no one has come forward with complaints about Elyse Casselberry. “We are moving forward,” Commissioner Suppes said.

Photo by Randy Sunderland

Winter fun

Cooper Rist toasts marshmallows over a fire pit placed on the snow at Crawford State Park. The park hosted a variety of winter activities on Saturday, Jan. 26, including sledding, cross-country skiing and ice fishing. Hot dogs, hot chocolate and marshmallows were available to all who participated.

City council wrestles with medical marijuana licensing BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

A deadlocked city council has left licensing requirements for medical marijuana facilities in the City of Delta unresolved. If an answer isn’t found — and fairly quickly — state regulations will take effect and any attempt to exert local control will be lost. That includes a cap of two on each type of license, a point on which there’s been no disagreement among council members. The agenda for their Jan. 22 meeting included the second reading of two ordinances, one on zoning for medical marijuana and the other on licensing. Upon approval, both would take effect 30 days after publication in the Delta County Independent. The zoning ordinance passed 3-1 with little discussion. The dissenting vote was cast by Mayor Ron Austin; council member Christopher Ryan was absent. “I only hope we’ve covered all the bases we need to cover,” said council member Gerald Roberts. Licensing regulations proved to be more controver-

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Curecanti National Recreation Area resumed regular operations on Monday, Jan. 28. Superintendent Bruce Noble thanked winter visitors for their patience and their willingness to care for their public lands. Aside from full trash cans and messy restrooms, both sites weathered the shutdown well. “Special thanks go to J&K Services of Gunnison for their donation of in-kind services to clean restrooms along Highway 50,” said Superintendent Noble. “We had many offers of assistance from the local communities and we appreciate all that support.”

sial, with citizens Orval Proctor and Scott Schaible continuing to voice their objections. Both urged council members to take their time and do more research. Schaible said the council’s 3-2 votes are “hijacking” the city and the city council. Mayor Austin reiterated his concern about the ability to purchase 2 ounces of marijuana-infused edibles every 24 hours, which he believes could lead to “stockpiling.” “Until that process is restricted I can not support or condone the enabling of this activity in our community and I feel very strongly about that,” he said, adding that he has no concerns about the legitimate use of medical marijuana. Although state law already prohibits possession of more than 2 ounces of marijuana, council member Kevin Carlson wondered if the city could limit the frequency of purchases. He would also like to limit the type of facility, to reflect the size of our community. The state licensing structure places medical marijuana centers into one of three categories, depending on the

Real estate sales drop

An annual report issued by Heritage Title Company indicates the number of real estate transactions in Delta County decreased slightly in 2018. There were 1,059 sales for the year compared to 1,073 in 2017. In total dollar volume, 2018 reported $223 million in real estate sales, a 15 percent increase from 2017. The largest 2018 sale was $3.3 million for a 3,800acre ranch sold by Farm Credit in Cedaredge. Foreclosure activity continues to diminish. Filings in Delta County dropped 38 percent from 87 in 2017 to 54 in 2018. Looking forward, the real estate sector could slow more in 2019 when faced with low inventories and the possibility of rising mortgage rates.

number of patients — 1-300, 301-500 and 501 or more. After a motion was made to adopt the licensing regulations on second reading, Roberts said he would be voting nay. “I realize the citizens of the City of Delta did pass on this, but the conversations I am having with people that I represent are saying no. That’s the will of the people I represent who have talked to me.” With council member Christopher Ryan absent, and Austin voting nay with Roberts, the vote was split 2-2. McConaughy quickly reviewed the city charter before determining there was nothing to preclude reconsideration of the ordinance on second reading. The presence of all five council members would eliminate the possibility of a tie vote. At the next meeting on Feb. 5, McConaughy promised to have answers to two lingering questions — the ability of the city to limit the type of facility and the ability of the city to limit the frequency of purchases. “Until there’s a majority vote to deny this ordinance, we can try again,” he said.

GOP reorganizes Delta County Republican Central Committee is holding its biennial organizational meeting Tuesday, Feb. 5, at 6 p.m. at the Surface Creek Community Church located at 21987 Austin Road in Austin. The purposes of this meeting are to elect executive officers and conduct other business as outlined by the state GOP guidelines. This is an open meeting and all may attend. For more information contact Roger Bentley at 970-874-1114 or Fred McKee at 856-7513.


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