The Fremont County Commissioners took the following action at the regular Board meeting on May 10th:
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Commission Chairman Larry Lasha commended the Canon City and Florence Fire Departments, the Sheriff’s Department, Fremont County Emergency Management Director Ray Southard, The Colorado Department of Public Health, and the Environmental Protection Agency for their timely response to the May 5th oil spill into the Fremont Ditch which eventually reached the Arkansas River.
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Commissioner Ed Norden reminded citizens that June 1st is the deadline to file protests of property valuations which were mailed out at the end of April. He reported that commercial properties saw an average increase in value of 22 percent while residential property saw an average value increase of 13 ½ percent. Commissioner Norden noted that property valuation increases will not necessarily mean an increase in property taxes, adding that Fremont County must still abide by TABOR Amendment revenue restrictions.
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The Commissioners appointed Tom Doxey of Penrose to fill a vacancy on the Fremont County Planning Commission for the Penrose area seat. Doxey succeeds Gary Schenk who had to resign after moving to Colorado Springs.
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The Commissioners conducted public hearings on amendments to street cut and driveway access permit regulations and on the first amendment to county subdivision regulations. Among proposed changes are that all utilities will be required to be installed on a particular side of a county road depending on the road’s orientation. Asphalt road surfaces in the future will also be required to be paved at a 3-inch depth instead of 2-inches. Formal resolutions on the changes will be considered by the Board at their May 24th meeting.
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The Commissioners approved a special review use permit to allow the Holcim Company to erect a 199 foot weather monitoring tower near the Portland Plant east of Florence. The Commissioners added a stipulation that Holcim light the tower despite an FAA height exemption.
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Approval was given for the Fallwell Subdivision creating ten residential lots along the north side of Elm Avenue between Walnut and Pine Streets in Lincoln Park. The subdivision plan includes a proposal to control stormwater by using a retention pond to store rain water from as high as a 100-year frequency storm event. The developer is choosing to install a retention pond instead of a detention pond because the stormwater is not intended to negatively impact the Deweese-Dye Irrigation Ditch or other private property owners to the north.
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The Commissioners, meeting as the Board of Health, granted a waiver allowing Richard and Diana Degroot to enlarge an existing septic system at 1208 ½ South 9th Street in Canon City instead of forcing them to hook onto the Fremont Sanitation District’s sanitary sewer which is within 400 feet of their residence.
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The Commissioners also approved a mail ballot election for the November 1st, 2005, coordinated election, approved a permit for the annual Temple Canyon Hill Climb, and approved a special events liquor permit for the Canon City Rodeo Association to stage a demolition derby at the rodeo grounds on June 4th.