The Fremont County Board of Commissioners voted 2 to 1 on Tuesday to give conceptual approval to a plan to erect a large stone display at the county’s War Memorial Park at the airport that will feature the motto “In God We Trust”. Project coordinator Dennis Withers said it will be 76 feet long with 4-foot high letters made up of 58,262 pennies representing the number of American soldiers who died in the Vietnam War. Commission Chairman Ed Norden said that while individual commissioners gave verbal approval to the project in the past, formal approval was never considered by the board and that’s why it was placed on the agenda. District 1 Commissioner Mike Stiehl voted against the project saying he believed a bronze statue is a higher priority for the park and the “In God We Trust” project was a topic he had wanted to bring up for the past five years. District 2 Commissioner Debbie Bell said she supports the project and that the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld use of the motto in a number of public displays. Follow up workshop meetings are planned to discuss the logistics of building the memorial, how it will be financed, the role of the Memorial Park committee, and whether the county might assist with some of the Conservation Trust (State Lottery) funds budgeted for maintenance at the Memorial Park.
The Commissioners approved a bid to proceed with the removal of asbestos from the ceilings in two rooms of the Fremont County Administration Building and cleaning of the vault on the lower level. The county will spend $35,517 with Colorado Hazard Control in the coming weeks to remove asbestos from the ceilings in Rooms #207 and #210 on the second floor. The two rooms are the former District Courtrooms when judicial offices were in the building. Room #207 is now used as a large conference room while #210 houses the Planning and Zoning Department. Once work is completed in Room #207, Planning and Zoning staff will temporarily relocate front offices to Room #207 so work can proceed in Room #210.
The Commissioners voted to authorize the chairman to sign an agreement with the Colorado Department of Local Affairs to seek a grant of $10,930 to create a Fremont County Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Emergency Management Director Steve Morrisey said the county has never had an EOC. Morrisey said the grant would be used to finance the installation of phones, computers, and other equipment. $13,000 in local matching funds would be necessary if the grant is approved. Morrisey said the basement of the Florence Municipal Building is being considered as the location for the EOC and if the grant is received, the county will have to pursue an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Florence.
The Commissioners tabled consideration of changes to the facility usage policy of the arena at Pathfinder Regional Park until the April 12th meeting. The changes would clarify that only county vehicles or equipment could be used inside the arena and use fees would be adjusted. Instead of a $50 charge for five hours of daytime use of the arena the Commissioners will consider a flat rate of $10 per hour. With arena lights now available the policy also proposes a fee of $60 for the first hour of usage of arena lights and $30 for each subsequent hour. Commissioner Norden proposed tabling consideration of the new fees to allow the public an opportunity to appear and comment at the April 12th meeting.
The Commissioners on Tuesday also:
- Approved a bid award of 44.5 cents per gallon to Envirotech for purchase of dust suppressant to be applied to county roads this spring and summer. $118,000 is budgeted for dust suppressant to cover 65 miles of roadway;
- Approved the purchase of 79 new radios in the amount of $148,000 for use by the Fremont County Transportation Department, area fire departments, and other emergency agencies. Purchase of the radios is funded 100 percent by a Homeland Security grant;
- Approved the appointments of Karen Olmen to the Penrose Community Library Board and Russell Helm to the John C. Fremont Library Board;
- Approved a resolution excluding certain properties from the John C. Fremont Library District and including them into the Penrose Library District;
- Approved a resolution increasing Civil Processing and mileage fees charged by the Fremont County Sheriff’s Department to bring them into line with fees permitted under state statutes.