A blueprint that seeks to protect the source water for the City of Cañon City and its residents was agreed upon by the Fremont County Board of Commissioners at their November 26th regular meeting. The agreement is in the form of a Source Water Protection Area Memorandum of Understanding (MOA) between the city and Fremont County. City Water Superintendent Bob Hartzman said work on the document has been underway for a number of months. He said the MOA does not obligate either the city or the county to spend any money. The agreement says if specific water protection measures are proposed separate agreements will be sought.
Hartzman said basically the MOA has the county recognizing that the watershed that provides source water to the City of Cañon City passes through the rural jurisdictional areas of Fremont County. The MOA affords the city the chance to review and comment on any land use activity applications within certain time frames. District 3 Commissioner Ed Norden noted that while Cañon City water officials will be invited to comment on permit applications on such things as mining and gravel pits, the county has no legal obligation to follow any recommendations.
Commission Chair Debbie Bell said the Commissioners and representatives from other agencies that play a role in source water protection met recently to discuss details of the MOA in a workshop session.
Fremont County Budget and Finance Officer Sunny Bryant presented a monthly report on the county’s retail sales tax collections as relayed by the Colorado Department of Revenue. For the most recent report of the month of September Bryant said sales tax collections totaled $336,344 which is $7,500 ahead of the same month a year ago. For 2013 year to date Bryant said total retail sales tax collected amounts to $2,853,000 which is $9,100 less than the same period in 2012. But in reality the year-to-date number is good news because that total is $16,000 or .58 percent ahead of the revenue that was budgeted. The Commissioners said that it would be particularly good news if the county closes out 2013 with more sales tax revenue than was budgeted given the anticipated drop in revenue after the wildfire in the Royal Gorge Park.
In other business the Commissioners:
- Approved an amendment to the county’s subdivision regulations regarding the section on minor subdivisions;
- Appointed Emily Eggleston to a three year term on the Fremont County Heritage Commission;
- Approved a three lot minor subdivision for John and Gail McDermott on 2.18 acres along Pisgah Lane in Lincoln Park. The minor subdivision creates two new residential lots next to the McDermott’s home. The property will also have to be rezoned before they can be developed as residential property.