NORTH FORK TIMES
SURFACE CREEK NEWS
HIGH AND DRY
SHARING THE LOVE
Leak triggers emergency boil order for water users in Paonia, B1
SPORTS
Surface Creek Seniors spring for lunch on Valentine’s Day, C1
DELTA COUNTY
ACTION STARTS THURSDAY The stage is set for state wrestling tournament in Denver, B7-10
FEBRUARY 20, 2019 VOL. 136, NO. 8
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INDEPENDENT
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PUC declares jurisdiction over Tri-State Commission will next decide if Tri-State’s imposed exit charge to DMEA is unreasonable and discriminatory DMEA PRESS RELEASE
A major ruling Feb. 14 by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) set the stage for the commission’s review of an allegedly unreasonable and discriminatory charge demanded by Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association (Tri-State) from Delta-Montrose Electric Association (DMEA). Last year, DMEA filed a complaint asking the PUC to rule that Tri-State’s demanded exit charge is unreasonable and to establish a “just, reasonable and nondiscriminatory” charge as required by Colorado public utilities law. Tri-State asked the PUC to dismiss DMEA’s complaint in a filing last month, argu-
ing the PUC was powerless to protect DMEA and its 28,000 retail customers from TriState’s charge. On Feb. 14, the PUC confirmed that it does indeed have jurisdiction to review the charge. “The commission is right to reject Tri-State’s claim that it can force rural Coloradans to pay whatever Tri-State wants when co-ops like DMEA exercise their right to leave the association,” said DMEA board president Bill Patterson. “This ruling moves us one step closer to an exit charge that ensures DMEA pays its fair share to Tri-State’s remaining members — but no more. It also prevents TriState from restricting DMEA’s access to more local power and holding our members captive to higher rates that hurt local economic development.” DMEA’s decision to bring a complaint against Tri-State before the PUC has received broad statewide support, with key entities, elected officials and stakeholders supporting the PUC’s jurisdiction over Tri-State. The Colorado Ener-
McMillan, Burke seek school board seat BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor
Two men with lengthy ties to Delta County Joint School District #50 were interviewed for the school board vacancy created by the resignation of Richard Hypio in January. The two candidates, Mike McMillan and Dan Burke, both reside in the Hotchkiss area district vacated by Hypio. The two men were interviewed by school board members Pete Blair, Jan Tuin, Jill Jurca and Ron Germann at a school board work session Tuesday morning. Prior to the interviews, school district attorney Julie Huffman advised the school board that the law requires only that someone be appointed to fill the vacancy within
60 days of Hypio’s resignation. The school district sought letters of interest from potential candidates, but technically, she said, school board members can appoint anyone from the Hotchkiss area they believe to be qualified and willing to serve. Regardless, the appointee will serve until the election in November. Although McMillan and Burke are well known to many school district employees, they met some of the school board members for the first time Tuesday. Burke introduced himself by saying he and his wife have lived on Rogers Mesa for 36 years. He retired from Delta County Joint School District #50 after 28 years as a teacher, coach, counselor, assistant SCHOOL BOARD TO A3
gy Office, which represents Gov. Polis and the state on energy issues, asked the PUC
Island clean-up
PRESS RELEASE
INDEX
Accent ........................... A4 Activities ....................... A9 Agriculture ................... C6 Back Page ................... D6 Business .......................A10 Church ........................... D4 Classifieds .................. D1-2 Editorial ......................... A2 Legals ......................... D2-3 North Fork Times ........B1-4 Obituaries ...................B5-6 School Zone ............... A5-6 Sports ........................B7-10 Surface Creek News ...C1-5 TV Listings ..................C3-4
part of the land use regulation update taking place this year. This first forum is titled “Why do land use regulations matter in building community prosperity?” The forum will feature a panel including an economic developer, a business owner, a local developer, a Delta County planning commissioner, and a Delta County commissioner. This interactive discussion will explore how land use regulations and policies impact our ability to grow community prosperity and economic development. The county is deploying various means of reaching out
legislators sent a bipartisan letter to the PUC in support TRI-STATE TO A3
City of Delta photos
With assistance from a prison work crew, the city’s parks department recently finished cleaning up a four-acre island situated between Fort Uncompahgre and the Gunnison River. This project is a continuation of ongoing efforts to rid the park and the fort of invasive tamarisk and Russian olive trees. The area was so overgrown (see the “before” photo on the right), it was of no use to the public, said Wilma Erven, director of parks, recreation and culture. The fort plans to use the island for outdoor science labs, while the city has long-range plans for river access and trail extensions.
Demolition, construction schedule outlined for West’s BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor
The City of Delta is picking up the pace on the demolition of West’s Home Center at 327 Main Street. At a recent city council meeting, Betsy Suerth, utilities and public works director for the City of Delta, outlined an estimat-
Delta County launches land use and development forum Curious about how subdivision works? Want to understand more about zoning? Confused by our existing land use requirements? Interested in understanding the difference between a master plan and regulations? Delta County invites community members to the first in a series of community forums on Thursday, Feb. 28, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at The Creamery in Hotchkiss. The purpose of these forums is to build a solid base of understanding about the various land use tools and processes the county will be exploring as
to exercise jurisdiction and decide the case. Additionally, more than 60 Colorado state
to county residents, property owners and businesses during the land use update. Community forums are being scheduled over the next few months to help Delta County build an understanding of the different toolboxes available in land use regulations and the different ways those tools can be applied in Delta County to support the county’s vision and goals. To be notified about community forums, receive updates, and learn about other ways to get involved, sign up for email notifications at www. deltacountyplan.com.
ed schedule for the project. Council approval dates, notice of award dates, project design, construction times, and other dates are subject to change as they are influenced by several variables. In February, city staff will assemble, finalize and circulate the asbestos abatement/ demolition bid package with environmental, structural consultants and the city project manager. A request for proposals will be published in the Feb. 27 DCI. In late March, the CU Denver conceptual designs are expected. These designs are based on the input received during a community workshop held in January. March 27 is the deadline for asbestos abatement/demolition bids. The bids will be reviewed at the April 2 city council meeting. It’s anticipated that a notice to proceed will be issued the following morning. The city is estimating 10 weeks for completion of this phase of work, which puts the deadline for abatement/ demolition at June 17. On April 10, a RFP for a pocket park architect will be published in the DCI. The
deadline for submissions is April 30. At the May 7 city council meeting, council will approve a contract with the winning bidder. The architect will be expected to submit a final set of plans by May 31, then the project will go out to bid for four weeks. City council is expected to approve the project bids on July 16, and the contractor will begin work within a few days. Completion date is estimated to be Sept. 30. Suerth noted the project may actually require seven to eight weeks, but the city is allowing up to 10 weeks because without a final design, material availability and delivery issues can not be anticipated. The city is using a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to acquire, then demolish the building and create a pocket park. Total anticipated cost is $272,560, with CDBG funding limited to $234,402 and the city contributing $38,158. The CDBG grant is intended to assist the city with blight remediation within the Delta Urban Renewal Authority boundaries.
City creates marketing position
Community meeting scheduled
The City of Delta is meeting one of city council’s top goals for 2019 by launching a search for a marketing coordinator to promote the city locally and across the state. This new position will be housed at Bill Heddles Recreation Center, close to supervisor Wilma Erven, director of parks, recreation and golf. This individual will be expected to coordinate new and existing special events, facilitate citywide marketing and branding efforts, manage the city’s website and social media, and serve as a public information officer. The position is advertised in the DCI with an application deadline of March 1. Erven said she is excited to see how this position will dovetail with an effort that’s underway to increase tourism revenue for the city in partnership with Delta County Tourism and the Colorado Tourism Office.
The Delta Police Department announces a community meeting regarding a sexually violent predator who is moving into the community. This meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 21, at Bill Heddles Recreation Center, 531 N. Palmer Street. Details will be provided at the meeting, which is required by state statute. Educational information regarding sexual offending will also be presented by a team of professionals involved in the management of sex offenders in our community. The goal of the meeting is to enhance public safety and protection. The individual subject of the notification has been convicted of a sex offense that requires law enforcement registration. Further, he/ she has been determined to present a high potential to re-offend and is subject to community notification regarding residence in this community. For more details, call the DPD at 874-7676.