Posted by Erin Eddy
October 03, 2008
Plaindealer staff report
"Mining for energy independence," with a focus on renewable resources, is the topic of a public presentation at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, at the Ouray Community Center.
Jim Burnell of the Colorado Geological Survey will talk about the importance of finding and developing domestic sources of minerals required for the development of generating energy from renewable sources.
Ouray County Surveyor Bob Larson said he expects attendance to represent the interests of mining, the environment and the general public.
According to Burnell, public support is growing for the development of energy generation from renewable sources. However, an aspect of renewable energy possibly unknown by many is the hardware needed for these technologies.
"The infrastructure requires mined materials, including imported strategic and critical minerals," said Burnell.
Burnell said silica, copper, gallium, indium, selenium, cadmium and tellurium are required for the dominant photovoltaic technologies. Silver and aluminum are necessary for "concentrating" solar power technology. Zinc, vanadium, platinum group metals and rare earth elements are key components of power storage, hybrid vehicle, and fuel cell applications.
"All these materials must be mined," said Burnell. "At present, the U.S. is woefully dependent upon import sources for most of these materials and demand is already squeezing the prices.
Domestic sources must be found and developed if energy independence is to be achieved using alternative sources." For information about the program, call Larson at 325-4600.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Forest Service Ice Park Deal Looming
Posted by Erin Eddy
October 03, 2008
By Samantha Tisdel Wright
City and Forest Service officials appear to finally be on the same page, regarding the city's proposed acquisition of U.S. Forest Service inholdings at the Ouray Ice Park.
Mayor Bob Risch met with USFS officials on Monday to discuss a recent proposal for the city to purchase slightly more than 20 acres of Forest Service land encompassing the Ice Park and the city's adjacent shooting range.
"Both sides want it done," Risch said. The city will conduct a survey of the area in the coming weeks, after which the Forest Service will need to conduct an appraisal before acquisition can move forward.
Two portions of the Ouray Ice Park are owned by the USFS, said OIPI Executive Director Erin Eddy: an area below the lower bridge, known as "Five Fingers," and the "New Frontier" further up the gorge to the south, toward the reservoir.
Risch estimated that the acquisition process would "slip into 2009," but was encouraged that the city's formerly stymied efforts to consolidate ownership of the park are finally inching forward.
"We missed it so badly last time," he said, referring to a former proposal by the city to purchase 40 acres of land in the area. This proposal included ice park and shooting range parcels as well as Forest Service land encompassing the city's water tank.
That proposal was jettisoned earlier this year when a USFS appraisal for the parcels came in at $870,000, a figure which City Administrator Patrick Rondinelli called "completely ridiculous and ludicrous" in that it disregarded the city's and county's own zoning regulations which prohibit development in the area, much of which is literally vertical.
The new proposal, agreed upon Monday, includes only that USFS land which is within the Ice Park's boundary, as well as the shooting range, which the Forest Service wants to get away from the business of permitting. Risch said that in this go-around, he is hoping the Forest Service will agree to use a local appraiser, more familiar with the area's particular real estate climate.
Four entities own land within the ice park: the City of Ouray, Ouray County, the Forest Service, and Eric Jacobsen who owns Ouray's Hydroelectric Plant and much of the land and infrastructure along the south rim of the gorge. The county currently retains administrative oversight of the Ice Park, a duty which County Administrator Connie Hunt is eager to pass off as soon as possible, she told USFS officials at a multi-jurisdictional meeting on Thursday.
Ice Park land acquisition is one of eight priority goals listed by city officials for the upcoming 2009 budget. Other items include the engineering and installation of a new water line from the Box Canon Spring toward the Hot Springs Pool, the replacement of 300 feet of damaged water main near Mineral Farms on Camp Bird Road, the construction of a second water tank, conversion to a Home Rule municipal structure, engineering and installation of of a new diversion in the Skyrocket channel, continued efforts to forward the cause of affordable housing, and adoption of a parks master plan.
October 03, 2008
By Samantha Tisdel Wright
City and Forest Service officials appear to finally be on the same page, regarding the city's proposed acquisition of U.S. Forest Service inholdings at the Ouray Ice Park.
Mayor Bob Risch met with USFS officials on Monday to discuss a recent proposal for the city to purchase slightly more than 20 acres of Forest Service land encompassing the Ice Park and the city's adjacent shooting range.
"Both sides want it done," Risch said. The city will conduct a survey of the area in the coming weeks, after which the Forest Service will need to conduct an appraisal before acquisition can move forward.
Two portions of the Ouray Ice Park are owned by the USFS, said OIPI Executive Director Erin Eddy: an area below the lower bridge, known as "Five Fingers," and the "New Frontier" further up the gorge to the south, toward the reservoir.
Risch estimated that the acquisition process would "slip into 2009," but was encouraged that the city's formerly stymied efforts to consolidate ownership of the park are finally inching forward.
"We missed it so badly last time," he said, referring to a former proposal by the city to purchase 40 acres of land in the area. This proposal included ice park and shooting range parcels as well as Forest Service land encompassing the city's water tank.
That proposal was jettisoned earlier this year when a USFS appraisal for the parcels came in at $870,000, a figure which City Administrator Patrick Rondinelli called "completely ridiculous and ludicrous" in that it disregarded the city's and county's own zoning regulations which prohibit development in the area, much of which is literally vertical.
The new proposal, agreed upon Monday, includes only that USFS land which is within the Ice Park's boundary, as well as the shooting range, which the Forest Service wants to get away from the business of permitting. Risch said that in this go-around, he is hoping the Forest Service will agree to use a local appraiser, more familiar with the area's particular real estate climate.
Four entities own land within the ice park: the City of Ouray, Ouray County, the Forest Service, and Eric Jacobsen who owns Ouray's Hydroelectric Plant and much of the land and infrastructure along the south rim of the gorge. The county currently retains administrative oversight of the Ice Park, a duty which County Administrator Connie Hunt is eager to pass off as soon as possible, she told USFS officials at a multi-jurisdictional meeting on Thursday.
Ice Park land acquisition is one of eight priority goals listed by city officials for the upcoming 2009 budget. Other items include the engineering and installation of a new water line from the Box Canon Spring toward the Hot Springs Pool, the replacement of 300 feet of damaged water main near Mineral Farms on Camp Bird Road, the construction of a second water tank, conversion to a Home Rule municipal structure, engineering and installation of of a new diversion in the Skyrocket channel, continued efforts to forward the cause of affordable housing, and adoption of a parks master plan.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Great Doings in Ouray Schools by Erin Eddy
The Ouray School’s Strategic Plan
by Tim Finkbeiner, Elementary School Principal and Deputy Superintendent of Ouray SchoolsSep 23, 2008 | 30 views | 0 | 0 | | BOARD BULLETIN
The concept of strategic planning has been utilized in the corporate and business world for decades. It has only been in the last 15 years that school districts around the country have begun implementing strategic plans to improve education. The Ouray School District has formulated its first strategic plan to guide the board, administration, teachers, staff, and the community for the next five academic calendar years, through June 2013.
The overarching goal is that: By June 2013 the Ouray School will be recognized as a top 10 percent school on the CSAP test while educating the complete child.
We believe that this goal and the accompanying supporting goals are challenging but realistic and achievable. Success will require a dedicated effort by the entire district and community. As described in previous Bulletins, funds from passage of the mil levy override on this November’s ballot will be used to support important programs that would not otherwise be funded. Many of these programs will require extra funds because their normal funding will be required to support unfunded mandates by the state of Colorado that by law must be implemented.
The plan is being used to establish a common basis and direction for the school and the community to achieve our full set of goals. It is used to set budgets, establish curricula, evaluate the compatibility of potential new hires, hold the district accountable, and to communicate with the community progress towards our mission statement.
The plan was formulated using a process that involved planning teams consisting of district teachers, staff, administration, the board, and the community. This process created:
* a common vision for the future of the school;
* a mission statement to provide a concise yet comprehensive way to communicate articulation of our vision;
* goals, the end points to achieve during the planning period; and
* approximately 100 programs that we will implement to achieve the goals.
The vision and mission statement provide the framework for the plan; the goals and programs constitute the plan itself.
The plan is structured in three major areas, each of equal importance:
* excellence in education fundamentals,
* excellence in education enhancements, and
* excellence in education enablers.
For each of these main areas, the planning teams drafted top-level goals for the school and from these, developed the lower level goals necessary to achieve them. Each goal has a benchmark by which progress and success can be measured.
Once direction was established by the goal setting, the planning teams then defined the individual programs necessary to achieve the goals – how to reach success. Each program incorporates a year-by-year action plan which includes estimated costs by year and the individual responsible for the program.
Progress for each major area will be reviewed on a rotating basis by the board at monthly meetings. Adjustments will be made on an annual basis to reflect the current environment and progress, which will be used to extend the plan for an additional year.
The plan is available for viewing at the school’s website, http://ouray.k12.co.us (click on the District and then the Strategic Plan tabs), at the school office, and at the Ouray Public Library.
Written by Tim Finkbeiner and posted by Erin Eddy
by Tim Finkbeiner, Elementary School Principal and Deputy Superintendent of Ouray SchoolsSep 23, 2008 | 30 views | 0 | 0 | | BOARD BULLETIN
The concept of strategic planning has been utilized in the corporate and business world for decades. It has only been in the last 15 years that school districts around the country have begun implementing strategic plans to improve education. The Ouray School District has formulated its first strategic plan to guide the board, administration, teachers, staff, and the community for the next five academic calendar years, through June 2013.
The overarching goal is that: By June 2013 the Ouray School will be recognized as a top 10 percent school on the CSAP test while educating the complete child.
We believe that this goal and the accompanying supporting goals are challenging but realistic and achievable. Success will require a dedicated effort by the entire district and community. As described in previous Bulletins, funds from passage of the mil levy override on this November’s ballot will be used to support important programs that would not otherwise be funded. Many of these programs will require extra funds because their normal funding will be required to support unfunded mandates by the state of Colorado that by law must be implemented.
The plan is being used to establish a common basis and direction for the school and the community to achieve our full set of goals. It is used to set budgets, establish curricula, evaluate the compatibility of potential new hires, hold the district accountable, and to communicate with the community progress towards our mission statement.
The plan was formulated using a process that involved planning teams consisting of district teachers, staff, administration, the board, and the community. This process created:
* a common vision for the future of the school;
* a mission statement to provide a concise yet comprehensive way to communicate articulation of our vision;
* goals, the end points to achieve during the planning period; and
* approximately 100 programs that we will implement to achieve the goals.
The vision and mission statement provide the framework for the plan; the goals and programs constitute the plan itself.
The plan is structured in three major areas, each of equal importance:
* excellence in education fundamentals,
* excellence in education enhancements, and
* excellence in education enablers.
For each of these main areas, the planning teams drafted top-level goals for the school and from these, developed the lower level goals necessary to achieve them. Each goal has a benchmark by which progress and success can be measured.
Once direction was established by the goal setting, the planning teams then defined the individual programs necessary to achieve the goals – how to reach success. Each program incorporates a year-by-year action plan which includes estimated costs by year and the individual responsible for the program.
Progress for each major area will be reviewed on a rotating basis by the board at monthly meetings. Adjustments will be made on an annual basis to reflect the current environment and progress, which will be used to extend the plan for an additional year.
The plan is available for viewing at the school’s website, http://ouray.k12.co.us (click on the District and then the Strategic Plan tabs), at the school office, and at the Ouray Public Library.
Written by Tim Finkbeiner and posted by Erin Eddy
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Ouray County Communications Tower vs. Real Estate
RIDGWAY – In one of the most complex issues to come before the Ouray Board of County Commissioners in recent years, an application for a special use permit to erect an 80-foot communications tower and equipment shed on Log Hill Mesa has been approved. However, the approval comes with six conditions, which could ultimately bring the entire matter back before the commissioners at a future date.
The commissioners based their decision on the requirements of the land use code, rather than bowing to pressure to sidestep various review requirements in favor of expediency of providing emergency communications.
The permit’s conditions require that the visual impact restrictions of the Ouray County Land Use Code be considered, and that the Log Hill Village Unit I architectural control committee, or ACC, must also approve the application. Another condition includes a prohibition of lights on the tower.
Commissioner Don Batchelder added a condition requiring a bond for removal of towers at the site that are not being used; he also specified that any uses other than those approved would require additional special use permits. A sixth condition requires appropriate documentation between Verizon and Ouray County on any subleasing of the tower.
The tower is expected to provide multiple services that will enhance emergency communications among state and local agencies, as well as provide better cell phone coverage for the region. Approved uses include an emergency services antenna, the Verizon antennas, which could be up to 12 units total, and a microwave antenna for the Colorado Wireless Interoperability Network.
The requirement for ACC approval could result in an appeal of the permit, since the ACC previously denied the application. Log Hill Village resident and ACC member Jim Kennedy said that the original proposal for an emergency communications structure included a 10-foot antenna, but that the addition of the cell phone component changed the picture. “What Verizon came back with was a gargantuan cell phone tower and well beyond what any of us had envisioned,” Kennedy said. “We’ll support an emergency tower, but this failed the test. Were it not for the Verizon component, this might have worked out. The covenants give us no choice but to say ‘no.’”
The commissioners’ decision was preceded by an exhaustive two-day public hearing. Over 60 citizens registered their wide-ranging views about the suitability of the tower’s location on Aug. 25, and about 30 citizens appeared on Sept. 2, when the commissioners made their final decision.
“You certainly gave us some things to think about,” Commissioner Chair Keith Meinert told those in attendance at the Aug. 25 meeting.
While no one present questioned the need for enhanced emergency communications capability, numerous people questioned whether the proposed site is the best location for such a tower.
Emergency responders from Ouray and Montrose County agreed about the need for a tower, maintaining that the Log Hill Village site is the best one. “Until we have CWIN [Colorado Wireless Interoperability Network], these two radios can’t talk to each other,” said Ouray County Emergency Coordinator Alan Staehle, referring to state’s 800 MHz system and the county’s VHS communication network.
Testimony was conclusive that cell phone traffic from 911 calls is escalating in Ouray County and neighboring communities such as Telluride and Montrose, and that gaps exist in cell phone and pager coverage on Log Hill Mesa and in other corners of the county. Ouray County Director of Public Health Cheryl Roberts told the commissioners about her recent experience involving a rescue and stabilization procedure in which she was “out of communications” for one and a half hours.
Issues were raised about the legal ownership of the proposed tower site. “It’s not a legal property that you can grant building permits on; you’re looking at a precedent you may not want,” said Montrose attorney Bob Thomas, who submitted a 61-page document to the commissioners.
Ouray County Attorney Mary Deganhart informed the commissioners on Sept. 2 that the there is “a lot of ambiguity in the covenants,” but that the parcel in question was owned by the permit’s applicant, Dallas Creek Water Company. “I apologize that it’s kind of as clear as mud,” she added.
Issues of visual impact violations, originally raised at a previous planning commission public hearing, were joined by a question as to whether microwave emissions from the tower pose a health risk to the community. “This tower will subject the entire county to microwave radiation,” said Ruth Davis, who opposes the location of the proposed tower. She tied potential DNA damage, early onset of Alzheimer’s Disease and irregular heart beats to exposure to radiation. “It produces headaches and chronic fatigue; you’ll find people who wake up and are not being able to live in their house,” she said. Davis provided documentation for her position, including material from the International Firefighters Association about the health effects of microwave emissions to firefighters.
Mark Young, president of the Montrose County Sheriff’s Posse, countered that the health effects from microwave emissions are negligible. “You’ll get more microwave energy sitting in front of your microwave. One-half of one watt. It won’t nuke you if you stand there for 100 years.”
Reggie Kajer, a resident of Log Hill who lives nearby, asked the commissioners to explore all of the options before proceeding with an approval. “Stop, set the proposal aside and go into work session with those who have technical or legal knowledge,” Kajer said.
After the two-hour hearing on Sept. 2, Commissioner Heidi Albritton at first objected to the conditions, in part because the review of visual impact regulations and other code compliance issues would extend the process, postponing a solution to the more immediate health, safety and welfare issues that would be solved by the emergency communications aspect of the project. “Our hands are tied by the code. I know where everyone is coming from. But health, safety and welfare trumps look,” Albritton said.
However, Meinert and Batchelder maintained that the board could not sidestep reviews associated with the building permit process, however circuitous it may be.
Written by Christopher Pike and Posted by Erin Eddy
The commissioners based their decision on the requirements of the land use code, rather than bowing to pressure to sidestep various review requirements in favor of expediency of providing emergency communications.
The permit’s conditions require that the visual impact restrictions of the Ouray County Land Use Code be considered, and that the Log Hill Village Unit I architectural control committee, or ACC, must also approve the application. Another condition includes a prohibition of lights on the tower.
Commissioner Don Batchelder added a condition requiring a bond for removal of towers at the site that are not being used; he also specified that any uses other than those approved would require additional special use permits. A sixth condition requires appropriate documentation between Verizon and Ouray County on any subleasing of the tower.
The tower is expected to provide multiple services that will enhance emergency communications among state and local agencies, as well as provide better cell phone coverage for the region. Approved uses include an emergency services antenna, the Verizon antennas, which could be up to 12 units total, and a microwave antenna for the Colorado Wireless Interoperability Network.
The requirement for ACC approval could result in an appeal of the permit, since the ACC previously denied the application. Log Hill Village resident and ACC member Jim Kennedy said that the original proposal for an emergency communications structure included a 10-foot antenna, but that the addition of the cell phone component changed the picture. “What Verizon came back with was a gargantuan cell phone tower and well beyond what any of us had envisioned,” Kennedy said. “We’ll support an emergency tower, but this failed the test. Were it not for the Verizon component, this might have worked out. The covenants give us no choice but to say ‘no.’”
The commissioners’ decision was preceded by an exhaustive two-day public hearing. Over 60 citizens registered their wide-ranging views about the suitability of the tower’s location on Aug. 25, and about 30 citizens appeared on Sept. 2, when the commissioners made their final decision.
“You certainly gave us some things to think about,” Commissioner Chair Keith Meinert told those in attendance at the Aug. 25 meeting.
While no one present questioned the need for enhanced emergency communications capability, numerous people questioned whether the proposed site is the best location for such a tower.
Emergency responders from Ouray and Montrose County agreed about the need for a tower, maintaining that the Log Hill Village site is the best one. “Until we have CWIN [Colorado Wireless Interoperability Network], these two radios can’t talk to each other,” said Ouray County Emergency Coordinator Alan Staehle, referring to state’s 800 MHz system and the county’s VHS communication network.
Testimony was conclusive that cell phone traffic from 911 calls is escalating in Ouray County and neighboring communities such as Telluride and Montrose, and that gaps exist in cell phone and pager coverage on Log Hill Mesa and in other corners of the county. Ouray County Director of Public Health Cheryl Roberts told the commissioners about her recent experience involving a rescue and stabilization procedure in which she was “out of communications” for one and a half hours.
Issues were raised about the legal ownership of the proposed tower site. “It’s not a legal property that you can grant building permits on; you’re looking at a precedent you may not want,” said Montrose attorney Bob Thomas, who submitted a 61-page document to the commissioners.
Ouray County Attorney Mary Deganhart informed the commissioners on Sept. 2 that the there is “a lot of ambiguity in the covenants,” but that the parcel in question was owned by the permit’s applicant, Dallas Creek Water Company. “I apologize that it’s kind of as clear as mud,” she added.
Issues of visual impact violations, originally raised at a previous planning commission public hearing, were joined by a question as to whether microwave emissions from the tower pose a health risk to the community. “This tower will subject the entire county to microwave radiation,” said Ruth Davis, who opposes the location of the proposed tower. She tied potential DNA damage, early onset of Alzheimer’s Disease and irregular heart beats to exposure to radiation. “It produces headaches and chronic fatigue; you’ll find people who wake up and are not being able to live in their house,” she said. Davis provided documentation for her position, including material from the International Firefighters Association about the health effects of microwave emissions to firefighters.
Mark Young, president of the Montrose County Sheriff’s Posse, countered that the health effects from microwave emissions are negligible. “You’ll get more microwave energy sitting in front of your microwave. One-half of one watt. It won’t nuke you if you stand there for 100 years.”
Reggie Kajer, a resident of Log Hill who lives nearby, asked the commissioners to explore all of the options before proceeding with an approval. “Stop, set the proposal aside and go into work session with those who have technical or legal knowledge,” Kajer said.
After the two-hour hearing on Sept. 2, Commissioner Heidi Albritton at first objected to the conditions, in part because the review of visual impact regulations and other code compliance issues would extend the process, postponing a solution to the more immediate health, safety and welfare issues that would be solved by the emergency communications aspect of the project. “Our hands are tied by the code. I know where everyone is coming from. But health, safety and welfare trumps look,” Albritton said.
However, Meinert and Batchelder maintained that the board could not sidestep reviews associated with the building permit process, however circuitous it may be.
Written by Christopher Pike and Posted by Erin Eddy
Monday, September 1, 2008
Local economy holding its own
August 22, 2008
It's turning out that, for the local economy, 2008 may be turning out to be "one of those years," reminiscent perhaps of the fire and drought-hampered down year 2002.
We just got back the first important indicators for the all-important summer season. While not disastrous, they are a bit gloomy, about what one might expect in the current climate of high gas prices and a housing crunch.
The City of Ouray just received back its sales taxes from Denver, those collected in June when tourism time was kicking in. The tax number was $81,500, down about 7% from the same period in 2007, though nearly identical to the June 2006 collections.
For the first eight months of 2008, overall sales tax collections remain down by about 1.5%, an amount that translates to a measly $7,500 downturn in tax receipts to the city.
The hotel numbers echoed the sales tax, down from 2007 (52% occupancy rate vs. 54%), and on par with 2006. (And with an extra buck on the lodging tax, those receipts are running almost 40% over last year).
Likewise, admissions to the Hot Springs Pool were off 6%, but in line with 2006.
Glass half-full-type people might say that in the current economy, Ouray seems to be holding its own, that single-digit declines are tolerable.
They might purport that we're still attracting about the same number of tourists, but casual observation indicates that the $4 gasoline means they're coming from closer places, such as Grand Junction and the Front Range. Presumably, many people are choosing to vacation here instead of the big trips to Europe or Disney World.
But the pessimists might look at the June numbers and wonder if we're just waiting for the other shoe to fall. Could the current slow-down just be the tip of an iceberg of serious financial difficulties?
Economic crystal balls are notoriously opaque, so we'll just have to see how it plays out.
Regardless of how the monthly tourism-driven numbers continue to roll in, Ouray enjoyed a jolt of news this week that relates to its economy. And it can only be considered positive.
That, of course, is the purchase of the relatively new water bottling facility that never got over the hump for its originally intended purpose, when 80 or so jobs were first promised.
Now, after years of the seeing the plant/warehouse facility wallow in a morass of legal and financial condition, it is owned free and clear by two local young and energetic entrepreneurs, Ben Lockard and Eli Doose.
With the water bottling equipment headed to Arkansas, that business plan has been thankfully put to rest. Instead, Lockard and Doose intend to use the facility to help create "a new economy" for Ouray, one where small enterprises manufacture specialty products.
We'll eagerly watch to see how this mixed-use light industry develops under the guidance of Lockard and Doose's High Country Development Group.
So for now, while the local economy's not great, this fiscal sky is definitely not falling. And on the horizon, we see some great promise to finally realize the potential of the big facility in north Ouray.
— David Mullings
It's turning out that, for the local economy, 2008 may be turning out to be "one of those years," reminiscent perhaps of the fire and drought-hampered down year 2002.
We just got back the first important indicators for the all-important summer season. While not disastrous, they are a bit gloomy, about what one might expect in the current climate of high gas prices and a housing crunch.
The City of Ouray just received back its sales taxes from Denver, those collected in June when tourism time was kicking in. The tax number was $81,500, down about 7% from the same period in 2007, though nearly identical to the June 2006 collections.
For the first eight months of 2008, overall sales tax collections remain down by about 1.5%, an amount that translates to a measly $7,500 downturn in tax receipts to the city.
The hotel numbers echoed the sales tax, down from 2007 (52% occupancy rate vs. 54%), and on par with 2006. (And with an extra buck on the lodging tax, those receipts are running almost 40% over last year).
Likewise, admissions to the Hot Springs Pool were off 6%, but in line with 2006.
Glass half-full-type people might say that in the current economy, Ouray seems to be holding its own, that single-digit declines are tolerable.
They might purport that we're still attracting about the same number of tourists, but casual observation indicates that the $4 gasoline means they're coming from closer places, such as Grand Junction and the Front Range. Presumably, many people are choosing to vacation here instead of the big trips to Europe or Disney World.
But the pessimists might look at the June numbers and wonder if we're just waiting for the other shoe to fall. Could the current slow-down just be the tip of an iceberg of serious financial difficulties?
Economic crystal balls are notoriously opaque, so we'll just have to see how it plays out.
Regardless of how the monthly tourism-driven numbers continue to roll in, Ouray enjoyed a jolt of news this week that relates to its economy. And it can only be considered positive.
That, of course, is the purchase of the relatively new water bottling facility that never got over the hump for its originally intended purpose, when 80 or so jobs were first promised.
Now, after years of the seeing the plant/warehouse facility wallow in a morass of legal and financial condition, it is owned free and clear by two local young and energetic entrepreneurs, Ben Lockard and Eli Doose.
With the water bottling equipment headed to Arkansas, that business plan has been thankfully put to rest. Instead, Lockard and Doose intend to use the facility to help create "a new economy" for Ouray, one where small enterprises manufacture specialty products.
We'll eagerly watch to see how this mixed-use light industry develops under the guidance of Lockard and Doose's High Country Development Group.
So for now, while the local economy's not great, this fiscal sky is definitely not falling. And on the horizon, we see some great promise to finally realize the potential of the big facility in north Ouray.
— David Mullings
Saturday, July 26, 2008
BIOTA Water Plant and Real Estate Sells Again
OURAY – The next chapter has begun for the beleaguered BIOTA water bottling plant in north Ouray. The property, which includes the land, plant and equipment, was auctioned to Mountain Pure Water, of Bee Branch, Ark., on Thursday, July 17, for a price tag of $2.35 million. John B. Stacks, a senior officer of the corporation, participated in the bidding. No statement was available from Stacks as to future plans for the plant.
The auction company, GoIndustry/DoveBid, described the package in a brochure as a blow molding and water bottling facility with real estate comprising 3.02 acres of land, a 21,500-square-foot light industrial building and an attached 15,000-square-foot warehouse, as well as assorted bottling equipment.
The seller was United Postal Service Capital Business Credit, of Lubbock, Texas, former creditor to BIOTA. UPS bought the company for $3 million at a foreclosure sale in August 2007, and then auctioned the land, plant and equipment to Black Gold Organic Fertilizer, Inc. in October 2007 for the price of $3.8 million.
Shortly after the October 2007 auction, a legal dispute erupted over ownership of the intellectual property rights involving the brand name BIOTA, an acronym for “Blame It On The Altitude.” Black Gold filed a lawsuit against UPS for the rights, which they claimed were included in the package. The purchase agreement between Black Gold and UPS fell through following a U.S. District Court dismissal of the lawsuit in May 2008.
Immediately following the dismissal, Ouray County Treasurer Jeanne Casolari reported that her office received more than $328,500 from UPS on current and delinquent taxes due for personal property and real estate property at BIOTA.
The plant was constructed in 2003 and went into production in 2004 through a contract with the city for water from the underground Weehawken Spring, but discontinued bottling operations in early 2007.
The auction company, GoIndustry/DoveBid, described the package in a brochure as a blow molding and water bottling facility with real estate comprising 3.02 acres of land, a 21,500-square-foot light industrial building and an attached 15,000-square-foot warehouse, as well as assorted bottling equipment.
The seller was United Postal Service Capital Business Credit, of Lubbock, Texas, former creditor to BIOTA. UPS bought the company for $3 million at a foreclosure sale in August 2007, and then auctioned the land, plant and equipment to Black Gold Organic Fertilizer, Inc. in October 2007 for the price of $3.8 million.
Shortly after the October 2007 auction, a legal dispute erupted over ownership of the intellectual property rights involving the brand name BIOTA, an acronym for “Blame It On The Altitude.” Black Gold filed a lawsuit against UPS for the rights, which they claimed were included in the package. The purchase agreement between Black Gold and UPS fell through following a U.S. District Court dismissal of the lawsuit in May 2008.
Immediately following the dismissal, Ouray County Treasurer Jeanne Casolari reported that her office received more than $328,500 from UPS on current and delinquent taxes due for personal property and real estate property at BIOTA.
The plant was constructed in 2003 and went into production in 2004 through a contract with the city for water from the underground Weehawken Spring, but discontinued bottling operations in early 2007.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
New Streetscape plan unveiled
RIDGWAY – Town planning officials and members of the public viewed a proposed streetscape plan for the Downtown Historic Business District on May 27 that, if approved, would serve to position the Town of Ridgway for economic revitalization. The design features a one-way, concrete-cobbled Clinton Street in a pedestrian-friendly, plaza format. The overall plan is replete with ornate iron benches, rustic mining period street lamps, perennial flower palettes, and tree-lined, paved streets.
Representatives from Durango-based Russell Engineering, Inc., a civil engineering and land planning firm commissioned by the town to design a new storm water system and streetscape, gave a PowerPoint presentation and answered questions from members of the Town Planning Commission during its regular meeting at the Community Center. The airing included a street-by-street cost breakdown, recommended construction phasing schedule, as well as the streescape layout. The scope of the project, however, was reduced due to “anticipated funding limitations,” limiting the streetscape plan to just the north side of Colorado Highway 62 between Laura and Railroad streets, according to Assistant Planner Jennifer Coates.
The cost of the project would be $2.7 million and could take 20-30 years to finance, according to Town Manager Greg Clifton, who noted that any recommendation by the Ridgway Town Council would have to be approved by voters at the polls.
The principal streets included in the renovation would be Railroad, Clinton, Laura, Cora, and Lena. The plan depicts the street layout while accommodating underground utilities; the named streets would be asphalted except Clinton, which would be paved in concrete. Clinton would once again serve as the hub of the Historic District, and could be closed to motor vehicle traffic for special events.
The intersections of the streets would also be paved in an earth-toned concrete color to “keep pedestrian flow,” according to William “Frowny” Frownfelter, who, along with Walker Christensen, Katie Nelson and Drew Chandler of Russell Engineering and THM Design, produced the plan.
The plan includes a lighted intersection at Railroad Street and Hwy. 62, with the last several yards of Railroad being moved westward onto what is now the southern portion of the tennis courts, as mandated by the Colorado Department of Transportation; buried power lines; the removal of the microwave repeater dish now in place at the Qwest Communications station on Clinton; the addition of trees on the named streets; and the utilization of more color and flower “palettes” to make Lena Street a “gateway to the town.”
“The additional trees would keep the character of the architecture,” said Chandler.
Parking would be increased from the current 180 places to 200, according to the design team.
The impact of additional street lighting was a topic of concern for some members in the audience. “I would like to see it a little darker,” commented Ridgway resident Brian Peters.
“If this goes forward, we're still two years off from actual construction,” said Clifton.
Hunter to Replace Rogers on Town Council
The ripple effect of the non-renewal of several Ridgway Secondary School teachers by the board of education on April 17 continues to be felt – most recently with some changes in the composition of Ridgway's planning commission and town council.
Planning commission chair Ellen Hunter informed the Town of Ridgway that she will be accepting an appointment to the Ridgway Town Council, filling the vacancy created by the May 15 resignation of Jonathan Rogers, who taught for four years at Ridgway Secondary School.
Town regulations provide that the runner up candidate be given an opportunity to be appointed by the town. Hunter lost to Rogers by seven votes in the April 1 election.
Rogers will be teaching language arts and journalism at Iowa City High. In his May 15 resignation letter, Rogers thanked citizens for the opportunity to serve: “It has been a pleasure to be part of this community and I look forward to hearing about new roads, festivals, green spaces, affordable housing, future issues of the Demon Press, and a renovated downtown that is sure to make Ridgway even better.”
At their May 27 meeting, planning commission members appointed member Jack Petruccelli chairperson and expressed their intent for the town to aggressively find a replacement for Hunter.
Representatives from Durango-based Russell Engineering, Inc., a civil engineering and land planning firm commissioned by the town to design a new storm water system and streetscape, gave a PowerPoint presentation and answered questions from members of the Town Planning Commission during its regular meeting at the Community Center. The airing included a street-by-street cost breakdown, recommended construction phasing schedule, as well as the streescape layout. The scope of the project, however, was reduced due to “anticipated funding limitations,” limiting the streetscape plan to just the north side of Colorado Highway 62 between Laura and Railroad streets, according to Assistant Planner Jennifer Coates.
The cost of the project would be $2.7 million and could take 20-30 years to finance, according to Town Manager Greg Clifton, who noted that any recommendation by the Ridgway Town Council would have to be approved by voters at the polls.
The principal streets included in the renovation would be Railroad, Clinton, Laura, Cora, and Lena. The plan depicts the street layout while accommodating underground utilities; the named streets would be asphalted except Clinton, which would be paved in concrete. Clinton would once again serve as the hub of the Historic District, and could be closed to motor vehicle traffic for special events.
The intersections of the streets would also be paved in an earth-toned concrete color to “keep pedestrian flow,” according to William “Frowny” Frownfelter, who, along with Walker Christensen, Katie Nelson and Drew Chandler of Russell Engineering and THM Design, produced the plan.
The plan includes a lighted intersection at Railroad Street and Hwy. 62, with the last several yards of Railroad being moved westward onto what is now the southern portion of the tennis courts, as mandated by the Colorado Department of Transportation; buried power lines; the removal of the microwave repeater dish now in place at the Qwest Communications station on Clinton; the addition of trees on the named streets; and the utilization of more color and flower “palettes” to make Lena Street a “gateway to the town.”
“The additional trees would keep the character of the architecture,” said Chandler.
Parking would be increased from the current 180 places to 200, according to the design team.
The impact of additional street lighting was a topic of concern for some members in the audience. “I would like to see it a little darker,” commented Ridgway resident Brian Peters.
“If this goes forward, we're still two years off from actual construction,” said Clifton.
Hunter to Replace Rogers on Town Council
The ripple effect of the non-renewal of several Ridgway Secondary School teachers by the board of education on April 17 continues to be felt – most recently with some changes in the composition of Ridgway's planning commission and town council.
Planning commission chair Ellen Hunter informed the Town of Ridgway that she will be accepting an appointment to the Ridgway Town Council, filling the vacancy created by the May 15 resignation of Jonathan Rogers, who taught for four years at Ridgway Secondary School.
Town regulations provide that the runner up candidate be given an opportunity to be appointed by the town. Hunter lost to Rogers by seven votes in the April 1 election.
Rogers will be teaching language arts and journalism at Iowa City High. In his May 15 resignation letter, Rogers thanked citizens for the opportunity to serve: “It has been a pleasure to be part of this community and I look forward to hearing about new roads, festivals, green spaces, affordable housing, future issues of the Demon Press, and a renovated downtown that is sure to make Ridgway even better.”
At their May 27 meeting, planning commission members appointed member Jack Petruccelli chairperson and expressed their intent for the town to aggressively find a replacement for Hunter.
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