News Now Blog

The Fremont County Commissioners approved a pair of intergovernmental agreements at the regular board meeting on February 22nd . The Board approved an agreement with the City of Florence setting into place the contract for dispatching service for the Fremont County Sheriff's Department for the next three years. The agreement calls for an initial annual fee of $180,500 plus any annual increases in dispatcher health insurance costs and any pay increases up to five percent.

The Fremont County Commissioners voted 3-0 at Tuesday's regular meeting to deny an application by Twin Landfill Corporation for an amendment to its' Certificate of Designation for the Phantom Landfill along County Road 67. Twin Landfill had sought permission to accept friable asbestos and low level radioactive sludge for disposal at the landfill.

The Fremont County Commissioners met in special session February 15th to consider approval of an intergovernmental agreement with the Canon City Recreation and Park District and the Florence-Penrose RE-2 School District for the new regional park on 178 acres along Highway 115 west of Florence . The agreement is the culmination of several months of negotiations that will split ownership of the park property and irrigation ditch shares to allow each entity to pursue development of separate parcels.

Local governments in Fremont County are expected to again utilize the services of state inmate work crews from the Colorado Department of Corrections (D.O.C.) for a number of spring and summer maintenance projects. The loss of inmate work crews in 2004 was noted at the joint meeting in January of the Fremont County Commissioners and the Florence City Council. Florence Mayor Pete Gamache noted the importance and value of the work crews to Florence and the County in the past and urged their reinstatement.

Fremont County Code Enforcement officials Walter Elkins and Robert Sapp detailed their 2004 annual report to the Fremont County Commissioners at a recent meeting. The officers reported that they handled 119 code enforcement cases through the Planning and Zoning Department last year. That is down from 176 cases handled in 2003. Most of the cases investigated are initiated by complaints from neighbors. Elkins and Sapp say sixty-seven percent have come into compliance with zoning regulations. Sapp says only nine cases were forwarded to the county attorney in 2004 for possible legal action.

SALIDA -- The Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area (AHRA) is accepting nominations for their Citizens Task Force (CTF). The nominations will be accepted through February 28, 2005.
The task force represented by 14 members has been functioning since 1990 as an advisory group to the Bureau of Land Management's River Manager and Colorado State Park's Park Manager. The task force gives recommendations to AHRA on management, growth and development issues throughout the recreation area.

One delegate is needed to represent each of seven interest areas:

Representatives of local government agencies have met to begin mapping out strategy for the 2005 effort to fight West Nile Virus. Attending a January 28 th meeting with the Fremont County Commissioners were county health and extension officials, Canon City and Florence Municipal officials, and officials from the Fremont Sanitation District and Canon City Recreation District.

Fremont County Weed Control Coordinator Paul Telck was named the 2004 Weed Manager of the Year by the Colorado Weed Managers Association (CWMA). Telck received the award at the CWMA Annual Conference in December in Grand Junction . The award is presented to an individual who has best achieved success without regard to budget, agency, or other obstacles.

Fremont County has secured another grant from the Colorado Aeronautical Board. Airport Manager Richard Baker, Airport Advisory Board Chairman Walt Giffin, and District Three Commissioner Ed Norden appeared before the Aeronautical Board in Denver January 25th to request approval of a grant to finance purchase and equipping of a First Response Vehicle at the Fremont County Airport.

The Fremont County Board of Commissioners, the Canon City Recreation and Park District, and the Florence-Penrose RE-2 School District continue to move towards adoption of the final master plan and an Intergovernmental Agreement for the new regional park and events center site. The site is on 178 acres along the Arkansas River along Colorado 115 west of Florence.