Less Waste Through Education, Not Legislation

TELLURIDE – In keeping with its stated goals and objectives for 2010 the Telluride Town Council directed staff move forward with plans to annex the Valley Floor into its municipal limits during a worksession it held on Tuesday.

The first step in the process begins with filing an annexation petition and application, after which council must determine that the annexation meets the minimum eligibility requirements under Colorado law.

According to Colorado law at least one-sixth of the perimeter of the area proposed for annexation must be contiguous with the existing incorporated town boundary.

Additionally, “a community of interest” between the land proposed for annexation and the town must be demonstrated, and the land must be shown capable of being integrated with the town.

Compliance with the contiguity requirement is considered a basis for finding compliance with the second two requirements, according to Town Attorney Kevin Geiger.

“It will be very easy to meet those requirements,” Program Director Lance McDonald briefed council.

Once the town finds that the proposed annexation meets the eligibility requirements – which it must do by formal resolution – it must then set a public hearing between 30 and 60 days later.

During that time the Planning and Zoning Commission would review the application, after which council would consider two readings of an annexation ordinance.

Council also agreed that the town should request that San Miguel County waive an annexation impact report also required by state law for properties larger than 10 acres.

Although the town acquired the property from the San Miguel Valley Corporation in June 2008 after the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that the town could condemn the 572-acre parcel for as open space following years of legal wrangling, the Valley Floor will remain in San Miguel County until the annexation is complete, which could be as early as late March or early April.

Zoning would also be applied to the Valley Floor as a part of the annexation process.

“It will be very important that the zoning is consistent with the Valley Floor Conservation Easement and Management Plan,” said McDonald.

The Valley Floor Conservation Easement, which was entered into this past summer, is held by the local San Miguel Conservation Foundation and prohibits development on the land in perpetuity.

The Valley Floor Management Plan, compiled by the Evergreen, Colo.-based Ecological Resource Consultants, designates the Valley Floor into various management zones of low, medium and high values – and puts into place a host of policies as related to wildlife management, trails and trail use, winter activities, structures, utilities, cultural and historic resources, activity permitting, and water rights among many others.

During a separate work session council agreed with a staff recommendation that it not pursue a formal resolution to reduce the amount of waste leaving the community like the one adopted by the Mountain Village Town Council in October 2008.

That resolution implemented a Zero Waste Action Plan and set goals to divert 50 percent of the town’s solid waste from landfills or incinerators by 2011, 75 percent by 2018 and 90 percent or more by 2025.

“The zero waste action plan resolution we feel is much too ambitious,” said Project Manager Karen Guglielmone.

“For a small community far from a lot of places it seems like that would be unachievable.”

Still, there is no question that the town should do something to address its waste production.

“The big compelling argument here is that trash that ends up in a dump typically degrades anaerobically creating methane, and methane is a much more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide,” said Guglielmone – putting its strength at 72 times that of carbon dioxide over a 20-year period.

“There are a lot of incentives to start figuring out how can we divert more from our waste stream.”

Instead, in a time of tight budgets, council stated its support for zero waste initiative that would initially take a more educational approach and work to decrease trash volumes, increase both participation in the curbside recycling program and the volume of recyclable materials, and increase the capacity for composting in the community.

“We support those recommendations and would like you to come up with an education program that will help guide us through this morass of garbage,” said Mayor Stu Fraser.