Westcliffe Town Meeting: Another Trustee
Resignation, Facade Grant Recipients Approved, Round Mountain Water Update
The Westcliffe
Board of Trustees Meeting
Tuesday, May 21, 2024,
5:30 p.m.
by Laura Vass
After the Pledge of Allegiance, Roll Call was taken. With Mayor Wenke absent and Loree Lund having resigned, there was still a quorum. The Pro Tem is currently Trustee George Mallory.
Under Old Business, the board approved Ordinance 2-2024 amending Title 10, Chapter 4, Section 3 Outdoor Lighting, adding paragraph H. The addition creates exemptions for 1) Holiday lighting, 2) Official government lighting maintained by the town for public health, safety, and welfare. 3) Special Events with outdoor lights with a special permit provision for such.
Next on the agenda was considering Westcliffe as a non-sanctuary town. The board decided that it’s not necessary since the county has made the declaration and the declaration carries no weight.
Mike with US Solar, who presented at the April meeting, was back. He noted that for those signing on to the life-time agreement, the estimated lifetime savings are $1,400. The Town of Westcliffe agreed to partner with US Solar which was interpreted to mean that they would promote information about signing up with US Solar. When asked, Mike explained that the relationship with Black Hills Energy (BHE) is that BHE partners in the plan to build Solar “Gardens” and work with customers who sign up to give them discounts on their electric plan. (US Solar has a Solar Garden about 40 miles east of Pueblo that folks in our area can sign up to participate in. See https://www.us-solar.com/)
Adding the new Chapter 6 Tiny Homes to the Town’s Land Use ordinances was approved unanimously with Ordinance 3 -2024. The new chapter addresses the building structure, increasing the allowed maximum size to 500 square feet and does not seem to deviate from the State definition and building code for tiny homes.
The Conservation Easement with the Town of Westcliffe and Colorado Open Lands to transfer property from Westcliffe to
United Business Bank was finalized. The land easement was approved followed by Resolution No. 4-2024 approving the transfer of property.
Under New Business, the trustees approved a Special Event
Liquor Permit for Veterans Ranch Rescue at 410 Main St.
A building variance for a new garage was approved for a homeowner.
Round Mountain Water and Sanitation (RMWSD) report was
next. Operations Manager Dave Schneider has quite a bit of good news considering the hurdles over the past three years. Dave reported that the new well is pumping 270 gallons a minute. CDPHE is requiring that they run an eight-month test to see if it affects the ground water that goes to the creek. That will be complete in October. The test was done in 2017 at the shallower well so it seems redundant. The new well is deeper and 80 feet farther east of Grape Creek. Red tape…
They are required to build a reservoir as part of the agreement with a ranch RMWSD bought 20 years ago. Some of the plans were rejected which dropped the amount of water the reservoir can hold by 30%. They are working with the adjacent rancher to buy another 100 ft. strip so they can enlarge the reservoir. RMW was able to sell as dry land, the 230 acres, for 1.5 million dollars, so that helps some of the expense of the 4-million-dollar reservoir project. Round Mountain just finished a 2.1 million dollar project for the meter replacement and well. Between the meter replacements, the solar array, and the grant, they do not need to raise rates again to cover the project.
RMW has to utilize the Upper Ark augmentation rules in order to use the full 270 gpm they are pumping. CDEPHE is requiring Round Mountain to hire an engineering firm to help design the plan for the wastewater treatment plant. They are still punching for grants, but the good news is that DOLA is allowing them to apply for a 400K grant. The new proposed configuration is creating quite a bit of interest in the state and nationally as it would be an effective solution and would cost about a third of what traditional treatment systems cost.
RMWSD is going to de-sludge the current holding pond and will use it as part of their demonstration project. Dave is hoping for a build in the spring of 2025. Dave reexplained how they obtained access to the new technology they plan to use. The system they’ll use for the project trials was designed as a demonstration trailer for wastewater in the Canadian Tar Sands. Canada closed the door on the project during Covid and the creators had put 1.5 million into it. So they allowed Round Mountain to use the trailer for this project. It can’t be hooked up until the design gets approved, but it is still being stored here.
Dave also noted that augmentation of snow has taken them up to almost 100%.
Under New Business, the Façade Grant applications were accepted. Recipients this year are Mountain Music Instruments, JH Westcliffe LLC, Boutique on Main, Rocky Carr (Old Town Hall), Westcliffe Center for Performing Arts, Western Star Center, Native Woods, and Wet Mountain Rustics LLC.
Other items under consideration: A request to move forward with heating the Memorial Park rest-rooms. A planning workshop was scheduled for (WPAC) and scheduling Affordable Housing and Housing Easements. (That workshop was held Friday the 31st
at 1 p.m.)
Under Board Adjustments, based on a letter to the board from Mr. Zawacki, the board considered the request to keep the Ace Hardware lights on the agenda each month until it is resolved. This did not sit well with the town lawyer. The town lawyer suggested that the town not address the request for the agenda item or address either party. He suggested the board wait and address it when it comes up as a code enforcement issue.
Manager Jeremy Handy was there to represent Ace Hard-ware. Mr. Zawacki was not in attendance. Jeremy offered an update: The timers are shut off in one area. They are set for a few hours usage in another area. Caleb Patterson went up with Jeremy in a lift to look at the higher lights and discovered they have three angle options. They can be turned directly downward.
Staff & Committee Reports
The town will run a Notice / Ad to solicit interest in the board opening left by Lorie Lund’s resignation. If they don’t receive any letters, they’ll have to have a special election.
The town lawyer, Clay Buchner, said if they have to run an election, it would be a good idea to propose on the same ballot, the ability to have a 5-person board. (It is currently a 7-person board.)
The Town Manager, Caleb Patterson, gave an update on the lots behind Jess Price Park, which are finished in time for the Farmer’s Market to set up. He also mentioned that the crosswalks and flashing lights still need to be approved and completed. One will go across Hwy 69 near Hermit Ln. The other will go across Hermit Ln. to the park.
With no public comment, the meeting adjourned.
Sangres Art Guild is pleased to announce the 1st and 2nd place winners of the 3rd Street Gallery show, July’s a Poppin’. Thanks to the artistic eye of Joe Cawlfield, a well-known Pueblo artist and art judge, Pattie Wall won $150 for 1st place with Wary and Wise and a $100 award for 2nd place went to Susan Marion for Rafters on the Arkansas. In addition, a 3rd place ribbon was awarded to Jill Westbrook for Just Add Water 
while honorable mention ribbons were given to Sandra Dalton for Miss Kitty B&W, Julie Hutslar for Fiercely Loyal, Amy Motazedi for Tribute, and Jeanene Parker for Canyon Overlook. Congratulations to the winners of the People’s Choice Ribbon Awards: 1st place Crested Beauty by Lauren Dwyer and 2nd place Awakenings by Jan Kraus.
We are excited to welcome Jim Lauderdale as our featured performer this year. He has won two Grammys, released 36 full-length albums, and has taken home the Americana Music Association’s coveted Wagonmaster Award, along with being a great performer. The line-up also features our festival host, the always entertaining Dry Branch Fire Squad. Other acts scheduled to appear are Ralph Stanley II & the Clinch Mountain Boys, Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands, Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike, Jim Gaudet and the Railroad Boys, The Wilder Flower, Mike Mitchell Band, My Brother’s Keeper, Fog Holler, The Red Mountain Boys, Orchard Creek, Abbie Gardner, and Heidi Clare and Ron Thomason.
First Place to Pattie Wall for her pastel entitled “Coyote Moon” and Second Place to Jill Westbrook for her watercolor entitled “Shadowfax”.
