OURAY COUNTY BRIEFS

RIDGWAY – The Ouray Board of County Commissioners have modified changes to Section 6.12 of the Ouray County Land Use Code and sent those modifications to the Ouray County Planning Commission on Monday by resolution.

The section in the land use code that is currently up for revision deals strictly with amendments or alterations of a Planned Unit Development or Subdivision. In the revised document, which will now be handed to the planning commission for its review, the commissioners have taken out the current regulation that requires permission from two-thirds of all lot owners within the subdivision and neighboring landowners be obtained for an amendment to take place.

Instead, the commissioners are proposing that requirement be dropped entirely and that an amendment to a PUD or subdivision will require a unanimous vote by the county commissioners and that the affected property owners will have been duly “considered and addressed or mitigated.”

It is unclear when the draft regulatory document will go before the planning commission for discussion or if it will decide to hold a public hearing on the LUC changes.

County Seeks Estimates on 4-H Event Center Improvements

The Ouray Board of County Commissioners on Monday gave county staff the go-ahead to procure estimates for the purchase and installment of lighting equipment to improve the performance atmosphere of the county-owned 4-H Event Center in Ridgway.

Jorg Angehrn, who spoke to the commissioners representing the Ouray County Performing Arts Guild, said the lighting issue became apparent at a recent performance of the nationally recognized group Trio Solisti at the 4-H event center.

“Stage lighting is the big issue,” Angehrn said. “The lighting is simply not adequate for musicians. We really would like to see some overhead lights.”

Angehrn went on to say that providing some sort of stage platform for performers is also something that needs to be addressed.

“There were 160 people in here and many of them simply could not see,” he said. “Ridgway is becoming more of a center for these performances and we would like to give them and the audience a fine place to perform in.”

Both Commissioners Lynn Padgett and Heidi Albritton agreed that something needs to be done and that an estimate on the cost of lighting and stage improvements needs to occur first before the board can decide how to move forward.

“Clearly, the more we can fine tune what we offer here is a benefit to the community,” Albritton said. “I would also be inclined to take a look at what electrical estimates are. We want to make it as viable option as possible. I am in favor of directing staff to come back with a cost estimate of what is necessary.”

Commissioner Keith Meinert agreed that providing more electric access to those who use the building is something that needs to be done as he recently noticed similar distractions at a Club 20 function at the event center.

“While reviewing this, are there other issues with the sound systems or audio visual systems that we need to look at?” Meinert said. “What we are talking about here is making that room more conducive to the groups who use it.”

With that, the commissioners directed staff to seek estimates on the various improvements.

County Agrees to Occasional Plowing of CR 361

After a discussion with a representative of the Mt. Sneffels Mining Company on Monday, the Ouray Board of County Commissioners have directed County Attorney Mary Deganhart to draft a “flexible” winter maintenance agreement between the county and the mining company for winter plowing on County Road 361.

If the commissioners ultimately approve the document, it would be the second year in a row that the mining company will have entered into a maintenance agreement with the county.

Benjamin Crosby, a managing partner with the Mt. Sneffels Mining Co., told the commissioners that the previous year’s agreement for winter maintenance worked fine but that this year he would like to see if the county could participate in the plowing of the road in some fashion. Under last year’s agreement, it was solely up to the mining company to plow the road. Crosby told the commissioners that the mining company in the past had several partners who would help pick up the cost of the plowing but now it finds itself doing all of it.

While the commissioners seemed agreeable to sign another maintenance agreement, they seemed cautious about using county funds for the plowing.

“From the county’s perspective, money is the issue,” Commissioner Heidi Albritton said. “I think we are very glad to see you in operation for jobs but allocating additional resources to that road in the off season is going to be our challenge.”

County Road and Bridge Superintendent Chris Miller told the commissioners that maintaining the road during the winter saves the county $10,000-$15,000 a year, which is what is costs to plow the road in the spring when no winter snow removal takes place. “It helps us out in the spring,” Miller said. He added that he looked up the work history of opening CR 361 and it took no more than 20 days a season for the road and bridge crew to help the mining company get the road cleared. He basically considers the extra effort to be a trade, with the county putting their 20 days in throughout the winter rather than all at once in the spring. Miller told the commissioners his crews could put CR 361 maintenance on the bottom of their plowing list, removing snow there only as time permits.

The commissioners generally supported the idea but suggested that the agreement be reviewed on a yearly basis.

“Depending on what the weather does, it is going to be an experiment,” Albritton said.