The Colorado Department of Local Affairs has notified Fremont County that following review by the state Energy and Mineral Impact Advisory Committee the county will receive a $200,000 grant to help build salt-sand sheds for the Road and Bridge Department. Fremont County had sought $234,000 in grant funds to build salt-sand sheds at each of the four road department shops in the county as part of an estimated $361,000 project.
The sheds will offer both economic and environmental benefits. Storing and mixing the salt and sand under a protective roof from the weather will allow the county to purchase bulk quantities prior to winter snow conditions. Last winter's frequent snow storms left county crews scrambling to find additional salt-sand materials and paying premium prices. Stockpiling the material without protection from the weather would result in the ice melting chemicals being leached out before winter arrives. That would create environmental concerns if the materials leach into the ground.
The Mineral Impact grant application was prepared by foremen in the Road and Bridge Department with guidance from Judy Lohnes of the Upper Arkansas Area Council of Governments. The foremen were among several county employees who took part in a grant writing workshop offered earlier this year. The county commissioners praised the employees for taking the initiative to write the grant to help secure the much needed salt-sand sheds.
Key to securing the grant is $25,000 in matching cash funds from the Cripple Creek and Victor Gold Mine. The company supported the grant application because of the estimated sixty Fremont County residents who travel county roads year round to work at the mine in Teller County. In awarding the $200,000 grant the advisory committee did express concern about the low matching funds from the county. County Commission Chairman Ed Norden noted that concern prior to the July 26th grant hearing in Meeker. Norden said the county's continuing fiscal problems and low cash reserves prevent the county from supporting many grant applications with an adequate level of matching cash dollars. The grant application did include over $80,000 worth of manpower and equipment to erect the salt-sand sheds.
The county expects to award bids for concrete, electrical work, and the building kits in the coming weeks in hopes the sheds can be erected in time for use this winter.
The sheds will offer both economic and environmental benefits. Storing and mixing the salt and sand under a protective roof from the weather will allow the county to purchase bulk quantities prior to winter snow conditions. Last winter's frequent snow storms left county crews scrambling to find additional salt-sand materials and paying premium prices. Stockpiling the material without protection from the weather would result in the ice melting chemicals being leached out before winter arrives. That would create environmental concerns if the materials leach into the ground.
The Mineral Impact grant application was prepared by foremen in the Road and Bridge Department with guidance from Judy Lohnes of the Upper Arkansas Area Council of Governments. The foremen were among several county employees who took part in a grant writing workshop offered earlier this year. The county commissioners praised the employees for taking the initiative to write the grant to help secure the much needed salt-sand sheds.
Key to securing the grant is $25,000 in matching cash funds from the Cripple Creek and Victor Gold Mine. The company supported the grant application because of the estimated sixty Fremont County residents who travel county roads year round to work at the mine in Teller County. In awarding the $200,000 grant the advisory committee did express concern about the low matching funds from the county. County Commission Chairman Ed Norden noted that concern prior to the July 26th grant hearing in Meeker. Norden said the county's continuing fiscal problems and low cash reserves prevent the county from supporting many grant applications with an adequate level of matching cash dollars. The grant application did include over $80,000 worth of manpower and equipment to erect the salt-sand sheds.
The county expects to award bids for concrete, electrical work, and the building kits in the coming weeks in hopes the sheds can be erected in time for use this winter.