The Fremont County Commissioners dealt with a brief agenda of business for their regular meeting on October 11th. The Commissioners honored Karen Hawver for her 30 years of service with the Fremont County Department of Human Services.
The County’s West Nile Virus Program Coordinator J.R. Phillips detailed his 2005 West Nile activity report. Phillips noted that confirmed cases of West Nile Virus human infections dropped significantly this past summer compared to 2003 when over 3,000 cases were confirmed with 63 deaths. State Health Department statistics show only 75 confirmed West Nile Virus human infections in Colorado this year with one death. Phillips said there were three human West Nile cases in Fremont County.
Phillips said most of the West Nile Virus program efforts this year dealt with the cooperative effort between the County and the cities of Cañon City and Florence to trap and test mosquitoes that could transmit the virus. The trapping was done during the peak season in June and July for the culex tarsalis mosquito, the principal carrier of the virus. The most culex tarsalis mosquitoes ever gathered in Fremont County this summer was six during the week of June 20th. Phillips says the good news is that of all the culex tarsalis mosquitoes sent to a Fort Collins laboratory this summer, none tested positive for West Nile.
The Commissioners approved a list of 12 petitions from the Assessor’s Office for tax abatements or refunds as recommended by the Assessor’s staff. The staff recommended abatements on nine petitions but no abatements on three others.
The Board also scheduled four public hearings for the November 8th Commissioners’ meeting. The hearings will deal with a conditional use permit for Shane Cooper to operate a gravel pit in the Glen Vista area 1 ¼ miles east of Copper Gulch Road and Iron Mountain Road; a zone change from Ag Estates to Business for property south of County Road 27-A and ‘D’ Path in the Colorado acres area; a zone change from Ag Estates to business for property between 3rd Street and Highway 115 in the Rainbow Park area east of Florence; and a hearing for a special review use permit for expansion of the Mountain Vale cemetery operation by Bill Holt on the southeast corner of Chestnut and Highway 115 in the Lincoln Park area.
The County’s West Nile Virus Program Coordinator J.R. Phillips detailed his 2005 West Nile activity report. Phillips noted that confirmed cases of West Nile Virus human infections dropped significantly this past summer compared to 2003 when over 3,000 cases were confirmed with 63 deaths. State Health Department statistics show only 75 confirmed West Nile Virus human infections in Colorado this year with one death. Phillips said there were three human West Nile cases in Fremont County.
Phillips said most of the West Nile Virus program efforts this year dealt with the cooperative effort between the County and the cities of Cañon City and Florence to trap and test mosquitoes that could transmit the virus. The trapping was done during the peak season in June and July for the culex tarsalis mosquito, the principal carrier of the virus. The most culex tarsalis mosquitoes ever gathered in Fremont County this summer was six during the week of June 20th. Phillips says the good news is that of all the culex tarsalis mosquitoes sent to a Fort Collins laboratory this summer, none tested positive for West Nile.
The Commissioners approved a list of 12 petitions from the Assessor’s Office for tax abatements or refunds as recommended by the Assessor’s staff. The staff recommended abatements on nine petitions but no abatements on three others.
The Board also scheduled four public hearings for the November 8th Commissioners’ meeting. The hearings will deal with a conditional use permit for Shane Cooper to operate a gravel pit in the Glen Vista area 1 ¼ miles east of Copper Gulch Road and Iron Mountain Road; a zone change from Ag Estates to Business for property south of County Road 27-A and ‘D’ Path in the Colorado acres area; a zone change from Ag Estates to business for property between 3rd Street and Highway 115 in the Rainbow Park area east of Florence; and a hearing for a special review use permit for expansion of the Mountain Vale cemetery operation by Bill Holt on the southeast corner of Chestnut and Highway 115 in the Lincoln Park area.