2017 Year in Review – SEPTEMBER

Granada Trustees Approve Increased Landfill Fees

Several revenue projections were discussed before the Granada Trustees arrived at a fee increase for use of the landfill during their monthly meeting, September 13th.   One trustee was absent from the meeting but it was a unanimous vote to raise the monthly fee to $15 from the previous $4 paid by an estimated 240 households in the community.  Based on those figures, the Town of Granada was receiving $11,520 a year to run the landfill at the $4 rate.  The new fee, at $15, will increase revenues to $43,200.  The increase will help defray expenses associated with the future course of action the Trustees will take with the landfill, whether it remains open or is permanently closed.  The Trustees expressed hope the action would also gain some time with the state before an October 1st deadline at which time the community could be financially sanctioned for landfill operation violations.

Looking for Solutions to Landfill Issues

A host of representatives turned out Tuesday, September 26th, for an open session on the impact state mandated regulations are having on small town landfill operations in southeast Colorado. The Prowers County Commissioners hosted the meeting which was attended by numerous representatives from throughout southeast Colorado.

Almost every small community with a landfill feels as if its backs are being pushed against a wall by the regulations mandated by the state through the Colorado Department of Health and Environment. They claim the costs with running a landfill under these regulations are financially punitive and they claim they have received little cooperation or understanding from the state to include conflicting rules and policies from some of the officials with whom they’ve had dealings.  The Prowers County Commissioners invited them to meet with the governor’s representative, John Swartout, to seek some unified direction acceptable to all parties.
A suggestion was made to seek a moratorium on the forced closing of the small landfills and any current fines from the state and hold a regional meeting between southeast Colorado representatives and someone from the CDPHE who has the authority to take action and not just pass the buck to another desk. This would provide time for the state to study the problems created by closing landfills and look at the options available by developing a regional landfill.

John Taylor, Executive Director of Colorado Counties Incorporated, suggested that a sense of partnership between the communities and the CDPHE needs to be developed and his organization would host such a meeting. “I think some kind of open dialogue would be beneficial and a way to show the state the impact their regulations are having on our rural communities,” he suggested.

Granada Closing Town Landfill

The Granada Trustees voted unanimously to allow the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to close the town’s landfill. The vote was taken during a special Trustees meeting held on Wednesday evening, September 27th.

The action closes a lengthy chapter of struggles on the part of the Trustees to find a balance between town finances and the regulations of the CDPHE pertaining to the operation of the landfill which has been out of compliance on several issues. Granada Mayor, Glenn Otto, stated, “We are looking at a $52,000 fine which has an October 1st deadline,” during the meeting which covered several final options for the community’s landfill operation.

PEP Contributes $$$ to Second Year with Buxton Group

Syracuse Dairy is considering expanding into Prowers County. Eric Depperschmidt, Prowers Economic Properity (PEP) Executive Director, told board members he has discussed the potential with the company.  Depperschmidt provided an update on various local business development positions and potential during the board’s bi-monthly meeting on Tuesday, September 5th at the Rodeway Cow Palace Inn.

He gave updates on some past projects including a retail business that is upgrading a downtown Lamar business and has been in talks with another, newer retail business venture which is also slated for the downtown area, sometime in November, but specific details were not available. Work continues on the expansion of the Pelsue building south of Lamar on Highway 287; Sage Brush Meadows is now seeking private funders for a feasibility study needed for their project, an 80 bed nursing home facility on the west side of Highway 287 and north of Spreading Antlers Golf Course.  The group’s initial proposal for funding did not meet the criteria set by DoLA for a grant for the study.

The PEP board voted to approve $10,000 in funding for a second year for Buxton Group, part of a $50,000 annual payment to secure the marketing services of the Texas based company. The balance is made up from contributions from the City of Lamar and Prowers County.  The board also voted to ratify the upcoming Room Tax Vote which will appear on the local November ballot.