by George Gramlich,
News and Commentary
The March 27, 2025 Custer County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) regular meeting started at 9 a.m. at the All Aboard Westcliffe meeting room. All three Commissioners were present: Chair Bill Canda and members Lucas Epp and Paul Vogelsong.
In Commissioner Items, Epp said he attended a Colorado Wildfire Fire Protection Plan meeting where the attendees reviewed maps and zones in Custer County. County Interim Attorney Dan Slater said another ex county employee is suing the County. He doesn’t think this lawsuit “has a lot of merit”.
In New Business, Accounts Payable was first up. Epp led the discussion noting that this AP (which covers just the first two weeks of March) was high due to a lot of normal, annual expenses that come in around this time. Epp reviewed all the expense items greater than $5k. The total of $567k was approved.
Next was the announcement that the annual Towns of Westcliffe and Silver Cliff Clean Up day will be May 10th. Residents of the two towns can put out items on the curb to be taken away. No batteries, tires or household trash. No appliances that use freon. All county residents can bring their electronic items
to the Dome in Silver Cliff to
be recycled.
Eight County Resolutions were next. These supplemental resolutions were to approve money to pay for expenses that were above the budgeted amounts. The Commissioners
Health Insurance got $13.6k. The VSO got $6k for training. The VSO got another $20.8k for the new assistant. Road & Bridge received $66k for the newly acquired used roller/compactor. $49.5k was allocated for the infamous chipper.
The County Clerk got $69k for recording services and the airport was on the receiving end of $125k for improvements to the
fuel system there.
The last Agenda Item was a Resolution for a Moratorium on
new Short Term Rental applications and permits. This would last until December 31, 2026. Planning & Zoning needs time to adjust the regulations based on issues that came up in the last few years plus new state laws are coming down. (A new state regulation will control the size of the STR septics and will use the number of beds, instead of bedrooms, as the measurement tool.) The Resolution was approved.
And that was it.
Category Archives: 2025
Hanme Clark Hearing, Transportation Issues
by George Gramlich
There was another hearing in the alleged Hanme Clark triple homicide case Thursday, March 27, 2025. It was held in the 11th Judicial District, Custer County District Court with Judge Swan
presiding. Attorney Janene McCabe led the defense team while District Attorney Jeff Lindsay headed the prosecution. Clark is being held in the Pueblo County Jail on $2 million cash bond.
The defense noted that Clark was and is “pale” and that was concerning to them. Judge Swan also noted that Clark was “pale” at the last hearing.
The main issue of the day was that apparently Clark alleged he was mistreated in the trip from Custer County to the Pueblo Jail at the last hearing. It was a bit unclear, but it appeared that Clark alleged that the seat belt was rubbing against his neck causing some pain or discomfort. The Judge stated that she looked at the photos taken at the jail when he arrived and she did not notice any “redness” in the neck area.
The defense then stated that the Custer County Posse members were the ones that transported Clark and that none of them were “post certified”.(i.e., actual deputies). And somehow this was not right. The defense also stated that the vehicle used in the transport was somehow deficient in some way.
The Judge asked DA Lindsay to comment on this and Lindsay deferred to Custer County Sheriff Rich Smith. Sheriff Smith said that it is normal and customary for jail transports to be done by Posse members and that is often the case in southern
Colorado.
Smith then noted that due to Clark’s alleged offenses and the fact that he is a trained mixed martial arts fighter and has been in official fights that a vehicle with a cage is the preferred transportation method. Smith also said the Pueblo Jail personnel had told the Custer Posse members that Clark “spends all day working out”. DA Lindsay also commented that when the Posse members went to pick Clark up he had a bad attitude declaring, “I don’t care what happens to me”. DA Lindsay said he asked Sheriff Smith to have a camera in the vehicle for all future transports.
Judge Swan concurred and ordered Sheriff Smith to have body cameras operational or have a post certified deputy in the
vehicle in all future transports.
Opposition Growing Against Round Mtn’s Sludge Proposal
Opposition Growing Against
Round Mtn’s Sludge Proposal
by George Gramlich,
News and Commentary
After the Sentinel’s front-page article (March 17, 2025) on
Round Mountain Water and Sanitation District’s (Round Mountain)
proposal to disperse the accumulated waste treatment sludge at the bottom of their sediment lagoons as fertilizer on a ranch on the valley floor, there has been a flood of citizens coming forward to object to it. On various grounds.
Note that there are a lot of facts and issues still up in the air as Round Mountain and the contractor hired to do the job, Denali Water Solutions, have yet to bring their case to the public. (This will occur on March 27th, after the Sentinel’s press deadline this week. The Board of County Commissioners decided to have a public meeting, at Lange Hall on that date concerning the sludge proposal. Denali and Round Mountain are scheduled to talk about the issue. The public can ask questions only in writing, however. The Sentinel will report on this in detail.)
Continue reading Opposition Growing Against Round Mtn’s Sludge Proposal
March 20 BOCC: Some Fatal Fire Facts, P&Z Stats, Sludge/Fertilizer Comments
by George Gramlich,
News and Commentary
The March 20, 2025 Custer County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) regular meeting was held at the All
Aboard Westcliffe meeting room and started at 9 a.m. All three Commissioners were present: Chair Bill Canda and members
Lucas Epp and Paul Vogelsong.
In Commissioner Items all three Commissioners reported attending several meetings. Canda noted that he is setting up a town hall meeting with the Upper Arkansas Water people to discuss Upper Ark’s plans for our county (including raising the water lever at Lake DeWeese). Continue reading March 20 BOCC: Some Fatal Fire Facts, P&Z Stats, Sludge/Fertilizer Comments
Round Mountain Water’s Sludge Disposal Plan Fertilizes Hay Fields
Sludge-Be-Gone
Round Mountain Water’s Sludge Disposal Plan
Fertilizes Hay Fields
by George Gramlich
Early this week the Sentinel received a whole bunch of inquiries concerning a proposed sludge disposal plan for Round Mountain Water & Sanitation District’s waste treatment project. The district wants to dispose of the dry sludge from its sediment/containment ponds as fertilizer on a local ranch. The inquiries mostly regarded possible soil contamination, especially with “forever chemicals” (often referred to as PFAS chemicals (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances).
The issue is about disposing of the dry sludge found at the bottom of the sediment treatment ponds at Round Mountain’s waste treatment facility. The dry sludge must be removed so that the ponds can be refurbished for Round Mountain’s new revolutionary treatment process that they want to install. (The project has just been approved by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE)). Construction of the infrastructure for the new process is tentatively scheduled for mid-summer, and if everything goes all right, the new plant could go online in the fall. (Dave Schneider, Round Mountain’s Director, is the man behind installing this low cost, low tech, electrical coagulation process. This system can process the wastewater effluent at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods. Dozens of other Colorado counties and municipalities are facing the same problem we are; traditional waste treatment processes, as mandated by CDPHE, are not fiscally possible for small tax based entities. Dave has worked with CDPHE for years trying to get them to approve of this new technology and he has finally got it done. (It is truly revolutionary.)
To find out the facts of the situation, we went over and talked to Dave. He said Round Mountain has contracted with a firm in Fort Lupton, Colorado, Denali Water Solutions (DWS), to dispose of the sludge. In turn, DWS has contracted with a Colorado rancher out of Pueblo, Joseph Knopf, who owns a large tract of pasture in the Valley, to dispose of the sludge on his land as it is considered outstanding fertilizer. The land Mr. Knopf will be applying the sludge to is a section of a larger lot. Mr. Knopf hays that lot.
Denali has approached Custer County Planning & Zoning with details of the plan to apply the dry sludge/fertilizer to the local hay field in the Valley. Denali has had the sludge tested for everything that Colorado and the Feds require, including PFAS chemicals. This has been done at least four times in recent months and according to Dave, the sludge has passed all the tests easily. Thus, it is good fertilizer. Denali will also comply with all state setback requirements, e.g., from water sources, buildings, roads, etc. Round Mountain is paying Denali $300,000 to dispose of the sludge at Mr. Knopf’s ranch. (The cost is very low due to the short distance to the dispersal site.) Dave said that if they can’t use Mr. Knopf’s ranch, and the sludge has to go out-of-county, the cost would skyrocket to $1.5 to $2.0 Million! Dave noted that Round Mountain does not have the money for that (not even close) and if that was the only option, the project would probably have to be canceled and Custer County would be in serious trouble with CDPHE as our current waste treatment is obsolete and out-of-compliance. This would also halt any new customers for Round Mountain.
In other words, a total disaster.
We talked to Commissioner Bill Canda about this and he was aware of it. (Bill lives near the application site.) Canda said that no Special Use Permit would be needed as it is a fertilizer application which ranchers do all the time with various companies that supply solid and liquid fertilizer to increase hay production. Bill noted that fertilizer application is a standard, non-regulated ranching/farming practice.
We will have to see how this plays out with P&Z, as the source fertilizer is a bit different than commercially prepared solid and liquid fertilizers. However, since it has been repeatedly tested and passed all standards, there shouldn’t be a problem.
The bottom line is that Round Mountain needs to use Denali, and a local ranch, to dispose of this pond sludge for it to go forward with its “last hope” waste treatment project due to the cost of having it dispersed out of county.
Folks, if we don’t get this done, we could be in big trouble financially.
Stage 1 Fire Ban for Custer County
Stage 1 Fire Ban for Custer County
Reminder to Stay Updated for Everbridge Notifications and Know Evacuation Routes
Stage 1 Fire Restrictions Custer County Colorado
From Custer County
Sheriff’s Office
March 13, 2025, after consultation with the WMFPD Fire Chief and a thorough review of current fire danger conditions Sheriff and Fire Warden Rich Smith has implemented Stage I Fire Restrictions for Custer County.
Stage I Fire Restrictions are now in effect, and the following activities are prohibited by statute:
- Open burning, with exceptions for fires and campfires within permanently constructed fire grates in developed campgrounds and picnic grounds; charcoal grills and wood-burning stoves at private residences in areas cleared (three feet distance) of all flammable materials.
- The use of any fireworks without a professional display permit, outdoor pyrotechnics such as explosive targets, or model rockets.
- Outdoor smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter, barren or cleared of all flammable materials.
- Welding or operating an acetylene or similar torch with an open flame is prohibited except in an area cleared of vegetation.
- No internal combustion engine operation without a spark arresting device properly installed and in working order.
- Prescribed burns: any previously issued permits for such burns are revoked.
These restrictions, which take effect today, March 13, 2025, will remain in effect until they are modified pursuant to Custer County Resolution 18-17.
For updates on restrictions and guidelines, please go to: https://custersheriff.colorado.gov/
If a fire evacuation becomes necessary the Sheriff’s Office uses the opt in program Everbridge to alert residents by cel phone, land line, text or email. To opt in to Everbridge or update your methods of contact please use the link on the page above or click https://member.everbridge.net/355009111785665/new
Do you know what the fire evacuation routes are for your neighborhood? If not use the webpage above or click https://custersheriff.colorado.gov/…/FireEVACRoutes.pdf
###
(Editor Note: The evacuation route map is on pages 12 &13 of this week’s issue and can also be found on the main page of our website: SDCSentinel.com HERE.)
New Custer County Assistant Veteran Service Officer
Press Release from the Custer County Veteran Service Office—March 7, 2025
I wanted to take a second to introduce the new Custer County Assistant Veteran Service Officer, Cortney Shank.
Cortney is a proud Westcliffe native and a proud 21 year USAF veteran/retiree. Her career field in the US Air Force was Traffic Management Office (TMO) and she also served as a First Sergeant. Her active duty experiences have helped shape her for this role; networking and seeking out additional resources are both critical components to supporting our veterans and their families.
“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to not only support my community, but do it by helping those that made it possible for me to serve.” she said.
Cortney is currently trying to get through her initial state/federal training to garner access to systems, and become a fully accredited representative. Once completed, she will primarily be taking on initial intakes so [VSO Dominic Edginton] can focus more heavily on claims. Courtney will eventually start taking on claims of her own. Her office hours will be Monday and Tuesday 8 a.m.-4 p.m. by appointment, and Wednesday 8 a.m.-12 p.m (Wednesday morning is veterans coffee followed by a statewide CVSO huddle).
VSO Dominic Edginton remarked “I am grateful that the BOCC recognized the need for the additional support and I am confident that Cortney will be an amazing asset to the Custer County veterans community. “
Round Mountain Water Progress Projects and Accomplishments
Round Mountain Water Progress
Projects and Accomplishments
by Fred Hernandez
A meeting with Round Mountain District Manager Dave Schneider was convened on March 3, 2025, to receive an update on the
status of some of their ongoing projects. For an hour and a half Dave, in esoteric and highly technical language, explained the details of Round Mountain’s various projects. In the interest of quicker understanding for non-experts and general clarity of the information we translated, as best we could, the complex narrative into readily acceptable layman’s terms:
Project #1 Water Meters
All the “ancient” water meters have been replaced. The new system (AMI), Advanced Metering Infrastructure, utilizes Ultrasonic Smart Meters. This state of the art, high technology meter “communicates” hourly to the computers at the office of Round Mountain and to the cell phones of their team members transmitting from the AT&T tower close to the Sheriff’s Office. The metering system is monitored and managed with software known as Aquahawk. With this powerful combination of high-tech equipment Round Mountain receives critical information heretofore not available including such amazing details as the volume of water flowing through each tap in the network, how fast or how slow the water is flowing, the temperature of the water and it will send an alert if there is an uptick in the flow or no flow at all. It is now possible to save hundreds of thousands of gallons of water, an achievement not possible in the past. As an example, when snowbirds are absent from their homes and a leak occurs there was no way to tell until the end of the month when the meter was read and by that time a great volume of water was lost. With this new equipment, the office is alerted within the hour. Only a handful of counties in the state are this well equipped. This is quite an accomplishment by Round Mountain Water and Sanitation District.
Project #2 Wastewater
Project Number Two which is currently on the table, is the ongoing work to upgrade the wastewater treatment plant to meet state standards. The cost of the state’s requirements was prohibitive, and District Manager Dave Schneider went shopping for something more affordable. From a company called Powell Water Systems, Inc. with forty years experience in water treatment he learned of the ElectroCoagulation System which he presented to the state. The whole approval process which went on for quite a while was an uphill battle with the state and with the Department of
Local Affairs who would provide he grants for this project if it was to be implemented. The electrocoagulation system has been used in the mining and oil industries for a long time. The problem is that there were only a couple of waste treatment facilities that were using it and that was not enough to convince the State of Colorado to approve the innovative technology.
Over time, however, through sheer determination and hard work Round Mountain (RMWSPD) made progress with the state and with DOLA and are now on the verge of implementing a pilot project funded with DOLA grants and a company called EPIC (Environmental Policy Innovation Center). No funds from RM will be used in the pilot program. This is about to be approved by CDPHE (Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Updates will be issued as progress is made.
Project #3 – The Reservoir
Project Number Three is a state mandated requirement from the Colorado Division of Water Resources for Round Mountain to build a reservoir. There is much history and many details that have led to this requirement by the state.
In the interest of space we will get to the point directly. Over a number of years Round Mountain has used water that they were technically not entitled to. It was for this reason that they had to purchase the Johnson Ranch to help in the augmentation plan.
At this point it has been determined that a reservoir be
built to continue in the assistance to the augmentation plan. The site is about one mile south of the town of Westcliffe near the Gallery well, a Round Mountain property. The design of the reservoir is now ready for approval by the state. The total cost of this project is about three and a half million dollars of which seventy five percent is already funded. One of the partners in this venture is the Upper Arkansas River Conservancy with Round Mountain owning two thirds of the venture. The reservoir will occupy approximately nine acres of land and this project is scheduled to break ground in
the summer.
Finally, Round Mountain has a parcel of land about forty acres
on which they are currently discharging treated residual sludge. As soon as the waste-water treatment plant is fully operational the plan is to tie up with a solar company to use the land for a solar farm and thus create a new income stream for the district.
The Round Mountain Water and Sanitation District has made significant progress in recent months and promises to be on target to meet all their short and medium term goals.
A Fresh Valley Proud Initiative
A Fresh Valley Proud Initiative
Marketing a Wet Mountain Valley Agricultural Collective
Press Release
Custer County Tourism
The Custer County Tourism Board, under the direction of Bianca Trenker and Debbie Adams, is very excited to be building momentum with a fresh Valley Proud initiative to market the Wet Mountain Valley
Agricultural Collective. We are thrilled so many of the valley’s ranchers, farmers, and producers will be participating in an ambitious enterprise to give them the opportunity to showcase the amazing products raised and grown here. Continue reading A Fresh Valley Proud Initiative
“A Well Informed Citizenry…”
“A Well Informed Citizenry…”
by Rick Meckstroth,
Rural Custer County Citizen
Thomas Jefferson has a very famous quote: “A well informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.”
At a conference this past weekend, I saw a great example of how well (or poorly) informed we are that came from a recent study conducted by the The Institute for Citizens and Scholars (formerly Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation.) According to the report, only 39 percent of Americans can pass a multiple choice test with questions taken from the U.S. Citizenship Test (the passing score is 60% correct). Less than a quarter (24%), knew why the colonists fought the British and 2 percent thought we fought World War II over climate change.
If one looks deeper into the numbers, they would see that 74% of my generation of +65 year old Americans can pass the test. Contrast that with Americans aged 45 or younger and only 19% passed. With the median age of +60 years in Custer County, perhaps that is why we have so many self-avowed patriots. But more importantly, it is clear we have failed to educate several generations of Americans on the timeless principles of liberty in America’s founding and that
is tragic.
If you feel we are failing today’s younger generations on our founding principles, there is hope. Colorado has a very unique program that teaches the timeless principles of America’s founding with the mission to preserve and celebrate the greatest free country the world has ever seen. The Leadership Program of the Rockies (or LPR for short) has trained over 2,000 Colorado citizens on America’s founding principles over the last 25 years- why they were important when Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence and how they apply to our challenges today. In fact, LPR alumni have become local and national elected officials, top state leaders, federal judges, and presidential cabinet members. Others have become prominent activists in the political process, policy change, business, and especially in education.
LPR is not run by a political party, nor is it a one-time seminar or conference; rather, it’s a class of nine-full day sessions. Each class focuses on the preservation of the American idea and builds capabilities of the attendees to become screaming advocates for freedom. Four Custer County citizens are graduates of LPR and even includes an LPR Faculty member that is an expert on laissez-faire capitalism and Ayn Rand’s writings.
If you are interested, you can learn more at leadershipprogram.org and there is no other program like it in the remaining 49 states. Each year, LPR conducts an Annual Retreat that just occurred at the Broadmoor on February 19 & 20 and included about 600 past graduates and followers- the second largest gathering of liberty-lovers in Colorado. Speakers this year included Daniel Krauthammer, Buck Sexton, Newt Gingrich, Jonathan Turley and many more.
This year’s LPR Retreat focused on the preparation and an early celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence to be celebrated next year. Who will own the 250th celebration next year in Custer County? Maybe we should use this celebration to find our way to a better informed citizenry in the Wet Mountain Valley?