$262,000 to digitize historical records at the Fremont County Clerk's Office is part of a long term finance package approved last week by the Board of Commissioners.
The Fremont County Commissioners took action on Tuesday to set up a $6.26 million dollar finance package through the George K. Baum Company that addressed three county issues.
The Commissioners said the resolution that was adopted first addresses the refunding of $2.245 million in Certificates of Participation which were first issued several years ago to finance the construction of the County Human Services Office Building, the Fremont County Judicial Center, and the 96 bed expansion of the Fremont County Jail. County Finance Director Dana Angel said that as those certificates have matured the annual payments have continued to grow on the expectation that sales tax revenue would also continue to grow. But severe declines in sales tax revenue the past 2 1/2 years has forced the county to adjust the payment schedule. Alan Matlosz of George K. Baum said the refunding of the certificates will lower the county's payments over the next four years. Matlosz said when the original certificates reach their call date in 2013 the county could restructure the debt further if sales tax revenue has not recovered.
The second component of the finance package is $2.3 million for energy conservation measures in county buildings. The County Commissioners last year secured a grant through the Governor's Energy Office to perform an energy audit. The result of that audit by the Ennovate Corporation was a series of energy saving recommendations. The contract with Ennovate guarantees that the cost of the facility upgrades will be covered by the energy savings in the coming years. One of the costliest upgrades and principal energy savers will be installation of a new boiler and chilling system in the Fremont County Administration Building. The old boiler system has been in use for more than 50 years. Besides energy inefficiency the old boiler has become more and more costly for the county to maintain.
The third portion of the finance package approved by the Commissioners is $1.5 million worth of capital equipment expenditures. Among items to be financed over eight years with that money will be a pair of new road graders and pickup truck replacements for the Road and Bridge Department, new telephone systems for the Administration Building and the Public Health Department, and the complete digitization of all of the county's historical records in the Fremont County Clerk and Recorders' Office. The digitization of the county records is a project that County Clerk Norma Hatfield has been prioritized in her office for more than ten years.
The Commissioners Tuesday voted to authorize the Chairman's signature on grant documents with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). An FAA grant totaling $316,962 will be used for a pavement maintenance program on the runway at the Fremont County Airport. Airport Manager Dick Baker said nothing significant has been done for maintenance on the runway itself since 1995. The FAA is funding 95 percent of the project while Fremont County and the Colorado Aeronautics Division will each pay a 2 1/2 percent share of $8,341.
Jane Mannon of the Cripple Creek and Victor Gold Mine presented an annual report of the mine's activities in Teller County. Mannon said that of the 383 current employees at the gold mine, 88 of them live in Fremont County. She said the average hourly wage of the mine employees living in Fremont County is $26. She said the direct hourly wage paid out to those Fremont County employees in 2009 totaled $4,778,000. Mannon said the CC & V Gold Mine expects to expand their work force to 430 employees later this spring and summer.
The Commissioners Tuesday appointed Byron Alsup of Coaldale to fill a vacancy on the Fremont County Planning Commission created by the recent resignation of Keith McNew. Commission Chairman Ed Norden said the Commissioners received seven applications for the vacancy and that the board was impressed with the qualifications of all the applicants. Norden said Alsup is a 19 year resident of the Coaldale area and currently serves on the board of the Western Fremont Fire Protection District. The Commissioners appointed Alsup to fill the remainder of McNew's term through August and for another three year term beyond that date.
In other business Tuesday the Commissioners:
The Commissioners said the resolution that was adopted first addresses the refunding of $2.245 million in Certificates of Participation which were first issued several years ago to finance the construction of the County Human Services Office Building, the Fremont County Judicial Center, and the 96 bed expansion of the Fremont County Jail. County Finance Director Dana Angel said that as those certificates have matured the annual payments have continued to grow on the expectation that sales tax revenue would also continue to grow. But severe declines in sales tax revenue the past 2 1/2 years has forced the county to adjust the payment schedule. Alan Matlosz of George K. Baum said the refunding of the certificates will lower the county's payments over the next four years. Matlosz said when the original certificates reach their call date in 2013 the county could restructure the debt further if sales tax revenue has not recovered.
The second component of the finance package is $2.3 million for energy conservation measures in county buildings. The County Commissioners last year secured a grant through the Governor's Energy Office to perform an energy audit. The result of that audit by the Ennovate Corporation was a series of energy saving recommendations. The contract with Ennovate guarantees that the cost of the facility upgrades will be covered by the energy savings in the coming years. One of the costliest upgrades and principal energy savers will be installation of a new boiler and chilling system in the Fremont County Administration Building. The old boiler system has been in use for more than 50 years. Besides energy inefficiency the old boiler has become more and more costly for the county to maintain.
The third portion of the finance package approved by the Commissioners is $1.5 million worth of capital equipment expenditures. Among items to be financed over eight years with that money will be a pair of new road graders and pickup truck replacements for the Road and Bridge Department, new telephone systems for the Administration Building and the Public Health Department, and the complete digitization of all of the county's historical records in the Fremont County Clerk and Recorders' Office. The digitization of the county records is a project that County Clerk Norma Hatfield has been prioritized in her office for more than ten years.
The Commissioners Tuesday voted to authorize the Chairman's signature on grant documents with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). An FAA grant totaling $316,962 will be used for a pavement maintenance program on the runway at the Fremont County Airport. Airport Manager Dick Baker said nothing significant has been done for maintenance on the runway itself since 1995. The FAA is funding 95 percent of the project while Fremont County and the Colorado Aeronautics Division will each pay a 2 1/2 percent share of $8,341.
Jane Mannon of the Cripple Creek and Victor Gold Mine presented an annual report of the mine's activities in Teller County. Mannon said that of the 383 current employees at the gold mine, 88 of them live in Fremont County. She said the average hourly wage of the mine employees living in Fremont County is $26. She said the direct hourly wage paid out to those Fremont County employees in 2009 totaled $4,778,000. Mannon said the CC & V Gold Mine expects to expand their work force to 430 employees later this spring and summer.
The Commissioners Tuesday appointed Byron Alsup of Coaldale to fill a vacancy on the Fremont County Planning Commission created by the recent resignation of Keith McNew. Commission Chairman Ed Norden said the Commissioners received seven applications for the vacancy and that the board was impressed with the qualifications of all the applicants. Norden said Alsup is a 19 year resident of the Coaldale area and currently serves on the board of the Western Fremont Fire Protection District. The Commissioners appointed Alsup to fill the remainder of McNew's term through August and for another three year term beyond that date.
In other business Tuesday the Commissioners:
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Tabled a decision on the renewal of a liquor license for the Whitewater Bar & Grill on Eight-Mile Hill west of Canon City until the April 13th meeting. The Commissioners listened to concerns about how loud music from the bar late at night impacts neighboring businesses. Bar owner Ty Seufer did not appear and the Commissioners tabled the renewal until Seufer could appear before the board;
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Approved a Temporary Use Permit for the Canon City Music and Blossom Festival Carnival to operate at Oak Creek Grade Road and Elm Avenue from April 27th through May 3rd;
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Approved a three year extension on requirements for surfacing an additional parking area next to a new warehouse at the Estes-Cox plant at Highway 50 and 'H' Street in Penrose. Joe Seiberlich told the Commissioners that Estes-Cox is under new ownership and management. He said in addition to dealing with the recession the model rocket manufacturer has had to spend some $700,000 to deal with new federal consumer safety regulations on toys;
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Approved a two year extension of the deadline for submittal of contingency items for Colorado Springs Utilities' Southern Delivery System Special Review Use Permit. Springs Utilities said they want to keep the permit active even though plans are moving forward to run the SDS pipeline through Pueblo County.