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October 23rd Commissioners Meeting

October 23rd Commissioners Meeting

Action that could lead to the sale of some county owned industrial property west of the Fremont County Airport highlighted the business agenda for the Fremont County Commissioners Tuesday. The board ratified the signatures of Commissioners Ed Norden and Mike Stiehl on a contract option with a Denver company that is hoping to market the property for federal immigration offices. The option needed to be in place with the signatures by October 19th to meet a deadline by the General Services Administration (GSA).

The Denver firm has an option to buy eight acres on Lot 38 on the west side of Highway 67 for $200,000. An Iowa firm has an option to buy a neighboring eight acre lot for $200,000. The two companies will compete for the opportunity to build a new office building for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). GSA would lease the building for ICE which would use the facility to process immigration detainees. Officials say they expect GSA to select a location and development firm within the next two weeks. A Pueblo site is also in the running. But since ICE is now leasing bed space at the Fremont County Jail it's believed Fremont County might be in a favorable position to land the facility along Highway 67.

The Commissioners note that the expected $200,000 revenue was already used in the county's 2007 budget calculations and would improve the county's general fund reserves for 2008 budget preparations.

The Commissioners approved an intergovernmental agreement with the E-911 Authority for the county to handle the purchase of new dispatch equipment in the Florence Dispatch Center. The Commissioners also approved contracts with Motorola and WDSL for the purchase of a new radio console and consolettes. The E-911 Authority is contributing $120,000 to the purchase price while the Fremont County Sheriff's Department and Office of Emergency Management secured a $130,000 Homeland Security grant for the balance of the cost.

In other action the Commissioners:
  • Granted a one year extension to Doug and Cathie Brill for the Lone Eagle subdivision along County Road 45 at Howard;
  • Approved a one year extension for Mesas on Sunrise Ridge final plan for an 89 lot residential development along Van Loo Road just east of the Dozier Avenue intersection;
  • Approved a six month extension for the L & B Richards two lot minor subdivision along Moore Drive south of Florence;
  • Scheduled a public hearing on the 2008 proposed Fremont County budget for 10 a.m., November 13th.