[0:09] All right, we'll call the meeting of the San Miguel County Open Space Commission on October 28, to order at 4-0-5.

[0:20] And we have four members present.

[0:23] We have Jason Merritt, Separate Mapals,

[0:26] Joanna, Mr. Canal, and Susie St.

[0:29] Onch, and Janet Cask, and the doggy.

[0:34] And it really should be a voting member.

[0:38] Rudy puts in more of our probably as many hours as Janet does.

[0:44] Yeah, no choice.

[0:46] Yes, Susie, since we are one member away from a quorum,

[0:49] We can't, a part of the meeting minutes from 9.23, but at the same time, if people have

[0:56] comments, edits, revisions, I had a few edits myself, you know, we can certainly discuss them

[1:03] and go over edits if people have changes.

[1:07] Anyone have any mention or comment about the nets?

[1:11] I was able to open them earlier, so I didn't look at them.

[1:16] I think I was there was an issue with my software to open it,

[1:24] so yeah, I mean, my only

[1:25] changes were a very minor, just where Greg has approval of the 722 and 826 meeting minutes.

[1:32] I just put in there.

[1:33] I like to put in like who made the motion, who seconded, you know, just for our records,

[1:41] you know, and then obviously they were both approved, but I just like didn't add in that detail.

[1:45] And then a bulk of the minutes were pertaining to the San Juan skyway scenic byway update that Angela provided so I guess I would look to her for comments on that.

[1:58] And a couple of other things are just minor things, commas, periods, you know more grammatical edits as opposed to actual content.

[2:07] Okay, and Angela did say she would read it. Maybe, yeah, maybe email or an ask.

[2:14] Sure.

[2:16] But to evaluate that part of it for us.

[2:19] Jason, did you have any comment about the minutes?

[2:23] Okay, and Joanna.

[2:25] I thought they were fine.

[2:28] Ready to go?

[2:29] I like that they were free.

[2:31] If you did go into quite a bit of detail about that.

[2:33] Yeah.

[2:33] I think.

[2:37] Okay, we'll move on. Valley floor parking lot and bike path. Is there some new news there?

[2:43] Oh, you would request that that be added to the agenda, so I didn't know what you wanted to mention about that.

[2:49] Okay. All right. I didn't know if that's what that was that. So.

[2:54] I was we had talked about this before, and I can't remember one context, but just trying to get from the San Miguel County parking out there by the gas station.

[3:06] And then over to the valley floor. Now it's a huge bomber that you can't park by the valley floor on the highway there anymore.

[3:13] And Seedot took that away, but we talked about a connector, and I was in some conversation a couple of weeks ago, I think on a hike about asking

[3:28] loss and residents to put in a connector trail. And a light bulb went on and I said,

[3:35] well, county's talked about doing that. And I'm aware that loss and homeowners have a

[3:42] good hunk of money to do that. And if we were going to do it anyway, I mean coming from

[3:50] our county lot, there needs to be a safe way for, you know, get on your bike when you park

[3:56] there. I mean, I've done that, even my card to be fixed, and then get on my bike, and it'd be nice to have a connector path from right across from there or, well, there's a great that I'm going to connect to that.

[4:11] Oh, you mean, in Los and somewhere that you don't have to get on the highway. Well, yeah, like where the the intercept parking is, yeah, to either cross there or come over the hill probably not.

[4:25] Cross there and have an off-the-road path to get to that underpass.

[4:31] I see a thing.

[4:32] Yeah, it's a short piece.

[4:34] Yeah, it's very short.

[4:36] Yeah.

[4:36] We'll cycle.

[4:37] Where are we at on that?

[4:39] Well, what I was going to say is let me check in with Rich Hamilton.

[4:44] Hang on, I'm writing and thinking and talking at the same time.

[4:48] Because Rich not only is obviously our park supervisor and very much involved with county trail planning,

[4:54] but he's also a resident of Lawson Hill and I know they have heads.

[5:00] Some recent meetings out there discussing trails and etc. So let me, he's on vacation, but he does return tomorrow.

[5:09] So let me just check in with him and see if he has any updates on either side of the fence, be it through the Lawson Hill HOA or

[5:17] you know, just any conversations that haven't taken place.

[5:22] Because, yeah, because we've had a whole thing going on recently, which still needs to be clarified.

[5:28] But, you know, there was some litigation out there, as far as the trails, the Gallup and Goose,

[5:33] and that whole area, and even, you know, the Keystone Gorge Loop Trail, as far as how it relates to ESA animals,

[5:42] and the way to have a service dog in that area.

[5:47] you know we've had challenges in the past because there is a conservation easement out there

[5:52] with the nature conservancy and I have placed a number of calls to our nature conservancy

[5:58] rep and also our U.S. Forest Service rep just wanted to get their take on some of these potential

[6:05] plans that might be moving forward as far as access with dogs and how we deal with that

[6:11] because again the conservation easement with the nature conservancy has always

[6:20] It's focused on wildlife, and that whole purpose is to not have dogs in that area, and I know in the past when we've mentioned incidents and situations finding residents on the trail with dogs.

[6:33] They haven't been very happy about it, which is why each summer I task our summer wreck

[6:39] Ranger crew with US Forest Service in educating our trail users out in that area about the

[6:46] deduzen don'ts of that trail.

[6:48] And again, that whole area as it pertains to the conservation easement.

[6:52] So I will stick in with Rich and report back as far as this potential trail connector that you're

[6:57] talking about, Susie.

[6:58] So, weren't we talking about it from our end a couple of years ago?

[7:03] We had talked about it, but I honestly don't recall where that lead or where, you know,

[7:10] how that was left off.

[7:12] Okay, and there's nothing we can do about the valley for a parking.

[7:16] That's just...

[7:16] Yeah, that's C-Dod, and they took that away.

[7:21] And they can't cut in there because of the conservation easement, so.

[7:24] Yeah.

[7:24] We, yeah, we've got a few challenges in that area.

[7:28] Okay.

[7:29] It should be a pretty quick agenda here.

[7:31] Galloping goose update, future fans for the Galloping goose and the Gigi park.

[7:36] Yes.

[7:37] So I wanted to just bring you guys into the conversation.

[7:43] So the Galloping goose park, which is what we call it, which is the pocket park right here

[7:48] between the Miramonti building and the historic courthouse, I've been meeting with the tell

[7:55] your I volunteer fire district over the train, because the train in Galpengus number

[8:01] four, it didn't come back at all this year and it's been down in Ridgeway and if any of you

[8:07] go down to Ridgeway on a weekend, typically you can get a ride on it on a Saturday. So the tell

[8:15] volunteer fire district they are going to retain ownership of that train but they're

[8:20] going to keep it in Ridgeway because and I understand they're argument and honestly I

[8:25] totally agree with it. I mean they've made a huge investment in the train itself. Engine

[8:32] repairs, structural repairs and the train has been running and they'd like to keep it that way.

[8:39] And you know we both agree I haven't discussed this yet with historical commission because

[8:42] this literally just came about last Thursday,

[8:47] but, you know, they figure that people can

[8:49] more appreciate its historical significance by actually getting a ride on it and truly

[8:53] enjoying it as opposed to it just being parked in between the two buildings here on Main Street.

[9:00] So we have a couple of options, you know, one thing that the fire district had recommended

[9:05] or offered, they said, well, you know, we can just leave the tracks in place and maybe

[9:11] can find another train. But, you know, to find a train that has local historic significance,

[9:18] I think is probably not possible. Sure, I can probably call, you know, Durango Silverton

[9:24] and get a caboose or something. But, least train, yeah. The train is not going to have any

[9:29] relevance technically to Arb Town. And, it's expensive. I think the Fire District

[9:37] paid, uh, I don't know if it's seven or $10,000 each time they move that train. So, um, the

[9:44] one thing, and again, it's literally just came about less Thursday, so Greg and I were

[9:49] having some preliminary conversations, and again, I do want to engage Parks and Open Space

[9:54] staff along with the historical commission, but he's just maybe we just have the tracks removed.

[10:00] And then just make it the wonderful park that it already is, but I had issued in our fee a couple of years ago, just to revamp the entire park.

[10:10] You know, get more landscaping in there, leave the picnic tables there full time, maybe add some benches, some additional plantings.

[10:18] You know, yes, another project that Greg and I are working on is the ADA accessible handicap lift for the courthouse, which is going to be on that side of the building,

[10:29] the west side, but we are not going forward with a ramp or actually going forward with a lift.

[10:35] So it's less intrusive to the actual site and will be more focused on just where the current

[10:40] stair is the stairway.

[10:45] So, you know, I unfortunately had to remove one of the trees already out there and we are

[10:49] working on the state with this as far as meeting the ADA compliance accessibility guidelines.

[10:56] But at the same time, you know, we want to, we're going to redo the walkway and just, you know, make it more of a welcoming park because even just putting the picnic tables out there, people eat lunch out there every day.

[11:10] So I think if we added more to it, it would just be utilized more because you know, the train takes up a lot of space.

[11:17] The only caveat is that the county is working with the town for a potential development of the

[11:26] fluent building as far as a residential commercial, you know, again, the affordable housing mix.

[11:33] So one of the historic sheds that are currently parked behind the food bank or a parked

[11:38] position behind the food bank would most likely have to be relocated to the Galapungus Park.

[11:44] But again, you know, if we look at an overall conceptual plan for that site, I think we can, you know, figure out a nice location for one of the sheds and, you know, and still make that mark site.

[12:00] More, amenable to everybody for more public usage. So that's the background. I don't know if you guys have comments or thoughts one way or the other.

[12:10] I need thoughts about the galvan goose, either the train or the park.

[12:18] I saw it up and running. It looked, it was super cute, the summer, you know.

[12:24] I mean, it seems like it is sad to see it not be here, but I can see that making a lot of sense.

[12:30] It's also parked and covered, right? Like it looks like it's pretty protected and all that exactly.

[12:35] Yeah, because the one thing before the volunteer fire district decided to keep it in Ridgeway

[12:42] full-time, one thing they had requested of me was potentially to build sort of like a structure

[12:48] over it while it was in the park here, which would really take away from the entire park site

[12:54] because then that would just be a structure and we written know how big the train actually is

[13:00] because a lot of the snow that comes off of the roof of the Miramani building would bury the

[13:05] and it would literally be as high as the train itself.

[13:09] So that was one of the major reasons why it was moved to Ridgeway,

[13:13] which is the milder winter, less snow,

[13:16] and the fact that it is covered and protected.

[13:21] Well, from Roger, good to see you.

[13:25] I mean, we don't see you.

[13:26] Didn't you have to suffer?

[13:28] Were you going to go on?

[13:29] Well, it's just going to say, if you guys haven't seen it,

[13:32] they have other trains.

[13:32] that I didn't see any of the other trains up and running, but it's pretty cute, and did you say it's free?

[13:40] I didn't, yeah, and they have, you know, on Saturdays, I think it might just be the galping ghost number before that's running.

[13:47] But they do a rail fest in the fall, and it's either in September, October, and when they do the rail fest, which is an entire weekend like extravaganza, all the trains are running.

[14:00] So I've written on every train that is parked underneath that shelter in that protect protected structure.

[14:08] I took my sundown there one day and I was like, we're not going until we ride them all.

[14:13] And we did.

[14:14] So checking it off your bucket.

[14:16] Exactly.

[14:17] That's my simple bucket list.

[14:19] I do have a thought on this.

[14:21] I see all the reasons for taking it out of there.

[14:23] And I think that makes sense to kind of revamp that park.

[14:27] But historically, I mean, the significance of these were that they used a truck body, or it was like a converted.

[14:37] A converted truck body, not a train body, in order to fit the narrow gauge.

[14:43] And I think, you know, a lot of that was for being coming up here and coming through LAM and making that grade and all that.

[14:50] I think that historic commission should really weigh in on this and maybe.

[14:54] Oh, hey, well, take an active role about making sure that Richway has.

[15:00] As the history of the significance of that and also the significance of coming through LA and then making that.

[15:08] Because it is significant to hear, you're not Ridgeway so much, although I'm sure it rode through Ridgeway.

[15:15] Yeah. So just so that the historical mission is and the museum

[15:22] has some input into making sure that that history is told

[15:28] is all I care about and I guess doesn't have to be here but

[15:34] I'm glad it's getting more use there and people are writing it but I'm sure they have some

[15:38] interpretive signs but just the import of that. How that galloping goose train is so different than

[15:45] the other train? I guess I think they were doing that elsewhere in the world too, but.

[15:50] Yeah, they're still what they call it, being the flock because out of the geese. I think there

[15:56] are seven, six or seven that remain. There's one up in Dolores. I know one is privately owned in

[16:01] California. And in the past, so when Ridgeway does their rail fest event each year, you know,

[16:08] they try to gather the geese, the flock, so to speak. There's always one missing. And again,

[16:13] and I think it's the one out in California, but for the most part, you know, and I think

[16:17] one was destroyed somewhere along the line, but, you know, they true do try to get them

[16:23] all together and just, you know, enjoy that historic.

[16:28] Yeah.

[16:29] Oh, it is.

[16:30] Sure.

[16:30] Did you kind of hear what we're talking about here?

[16:34] The Gallopingcus.

[16:35] I don't know when you logged on, but, okay, in the other comments about the Gallopingcus.

[16:43] So I think that's a good idea to go ahead on the revamping of the park, but who has to officially

[16:51] decide that? You're just gathering input at this point? Well, I mean, the train isn't coming back

[16:57] period. So we have no say on that, but it's sort of when we look at alternatives, you know,

[17:02] be it a replacement train, or you know, just having the tracks removed, and then just going forward

[17:08] with it as a park, you know, and then just making the most of that space and, you know,

[17:14] and just, again, leaving the picnic tables there full time because bless you, those are the

[17:21] picnic tables are from our county fairgrounds up in Norwood. So, so each year, you know, they

[17:30] go back to the fairgrounds because, you know, each year we never knew for sure as a train

[17:35] coming back or isn't it? But now that we know for sure it isn't, you know, I will leave the

[17:39] picnic tables out there and not return them to the fairgrounds. But again, it'd be nice to

[17:45] just utilize that space to its full potential. And it's the tiger-eyed fire department that

[17:50] owns it? Yes, they always have the volunteer fire department. So, okay, what were you saying about

[17:56] the food pantry out back? That has to relocate? I got a little, kind of. So, behind the food pantry,

[18:02] we have two historic sheds that belong to the county and one of them the second chance

[18:11] to use this for storage and then CSU or 4H program divides that up and then in the other

[18:19] one the county we use it for storage and also the farmers market so both sheds we

[18:26] to be up that space but the county is looking to develop potentially develop the

[18:31] fruit and lot with the town and you know yes and the food bank most likely would have to

[18:38] be relocated or you know it's probably going to be mixed use commercial residential to

[18:42] see how that breaks out but we would you know build out the lot so one of those sheds would

[18:49] have to be moved and one of them would go into the park itself.

[18:54] Okay. Well, there's a handy housing spot.

[18:57] I know. Yeah. Someone could live with it.

[19:01] Yeah.

[19:02] You know, I don't mean the shed. I mean a lot.

[19:04] Oh, yeah. And that would be the purpose.

[19:06] You know, it's all part of the affordable housing.

[19:08] You know, sort of like another collaborative project between the county and the town.

[19:12] But I think it factors into the town's current master plan.

[19:17] And there are a number of options that are being discussed with associated costs.

[19:22] So, um, I don't know which option they're going to settle on, but depending on which one it is, um, you know, that should might have to move. And if it does, it'll end up in the park.

[19:34] Okay, without getting a sidetracked too much, I just wanted to say, Bravo. And thank you, the.

[19:41] The milk creek park looks great.

[19:42] Mm-hmm. I'm going to see it too. I walked out on it. It's just felt great.

[19:48] And we'll see that separate.

[19:50] The milk creek park.

[19:53] It's, I mean, I thought it was perfect.

[19:56] That picnic jables and whatever.

[19:59] Yeah, no, thank you.

[20:00] Yeah, rich and our crew, they built the bridge and Greg and Tom. Yeah, they built the bridge. They put the picnic tables out there. We have a port of potty, and we have a trash receptacle. And again, you know, my whole thought was just to provide some community benefit in the interim, while the county commissioner is still think about what may or may not be utilized on that site. And then, you know, maybe in 2025, I've budgeted first to go forward with the full

[20:29] blown plans, but I need to revisit that topic with county commissioners. But for now, we're just

[20:36] utilizing it as best we can with the approvals that I received. So, yeah, I think it's a nice space

[20:43] and we had it excavated and there was a re-bedged planting, which was successful. We took advantage

[20:49] of all the the delusia, the rain, and August, and timing worked well.

[20:54] Did we have Suzanne, but a photo and?

[20:59] Oh, Suzanne's already done the full-blown media blitz.

[21:02] It was all over social media a couple of weeks ago.

[21:06] And you know, I'm on a county website.

[21:08] Okay, great.

[21:11] Okay.

[21:11] Lepard Creek signage.

[21:15] Yeah.

[21:15] I didn't know where Lepard Creek is.

[21:19] Okay.

[21:20] And on that note.

[21:21] So, now if you're going down 145 and you make the right heading towards Ridgeway,

[21:28] the Inson property property, excuse me, is that large pull out on the left and on your right

[21:35] is leopard creek and that is BLM land and there's a little trail down there BLM trail.

[21:43] So years ago, Linda Luther, my predecessor, she had had these large placards, these panels,

[21:51] prepared. I emailed around the details to all of you and you know and at that time I was

[21:58] working with BLM staff and then they had some internal staffing changes and as I mentioned in my

[22:04] email you know it's sort of fell off the radar but BLM has a new regional rep this gentleman Dan Ben

[22:11] Horan who Greg and I met with recently and anyway we were meeting with him about another topic

[22:18] which I'll go into a little later.

[22:20] But he, I mentioned these panels,

[22:24] damn and said, you know what?

[22:25] These have been sitting in my office forever.

[22:28] We need to do something with them.

[22:30] So he offered up a kiosk, which is very nice

[22:33] because kiosk can be thousands of dollars.

[22:38] And then looking at these panels,

[22:40] there's some things that are not completely accurate.

[22:46] I mean, the history remains a history.

[22:47] that doesn't change but you know like the logos have changed and some other minor details

[22:53] and yes I'm also going to share this with the historical commission but you know they

[22:58] thought that maybe this tied in with the whole San Juan Skyway scenic byway topics so again

[23:05] I emailed it to everybody I guess you know I'm looking for Angela at a comment as well but

[23:11] are just panels that, you know, we can either do nothing or update these with the proper logo

[23:18] and get them posted. Again, I'm going to chat with the historical commission, but I don't know if

[23:24] anybody had any comments from the way the other. And when you think of it, yeah, I mean two,

[23:32] yeah, all right, well, three of the panels, well, yeah, I guess all the panels have the logos on them,

[23:36] So yeah, regardless, they'd have to be updated.

[23:38] What did you do recently?

[23:41] This morning?

[23:42] Oh, okay.

[23:43] Yeah.

[23:44] No, I had asked Greg to send it out last Thursday, Friday, but so I just wanted everybody

[23:52] to get a copy of that.

[23:53] But again, you know, you don't have to comment at this moment, you know, you can take time

[23:58] to read it.

[23:58] I mean, the panels are pretty wordy.

[24:01] Yeah.

[24:01] That's my comment.

[24:02] I think that there's just too much.

[24:05] I don't know, people would read the whole thing.

[24:09] Those attention span of these days are very low.

[24:14] So I would just like have it less words,

[24:18] but still same topics and all.

[24:20] Right.

[24:22] It's very, very wordy and busy.

[24:26] I don't know if people actually read that.

[24:28] The whole thing.

[24:29] And you're talking one key thing at the beginning of the trail with three panels on it,

[24:34] so you can get a whole sort of lay in the land.

[24:36] Yeah, would be on the left side,

[24:38] so at the pullout itself.

[24:41] And then, and these would be, yeah,

[24:43] and these would be four large panels.

[24:46] There would be over at the Emson parking on it?

[24:49] Yeah, well, that's where it was initially planned,

[24:51] but again, if, you know, in working with the BLM,

[24:54] if they say, you know what,

[24:55] this is gonna actually be better down

[24:57] on the trail itself.

[24:58] Totally fine, I mean,

[25:00] I am open to whatever they're open to, but I just wanted to share the panel details with you so that if you did have comments.

[25:09] Here's the gal. I mean, good sound there. I think it kind of makes sense to be over at the

[25:15] I'm simple out because so many cars, you know, might pull over and read it. Where's hardly anybody

[25:21] hikes that leopard creature. I love it. It does kind of just fade out though. Is that a BLM to

[25:26] BLM to BLM to BLM? Yes, it's BLM. I wonder BLM could? Well, I people don't even know it exists because it's

[25:34] to down. I thought you were talking about a sign to announce that there's a little

[25:39] tram here, right? That's what I thought that would make sense. So people know that

[25:42] this is a place that you can go right for. Yeah, it's just what isn't like a mile. I think it's

[25:47] yeah, it's very short. Two or three cars, maybe. I think that would

[25:52] can be a line put a little. Oh, I can certainly recommend it.

[25:57] because it sort of just dead ends in the bushes.

[26:01] Hmm.

[26:01] So these panels are what you already have though, correct?

[26:05] These are already made.

[26:07] They're just sitting there waiting for a home.

[26:09] It's kind of what I mean.

[26:10] Yes, yeah, they're in my office and they're great.

[26:14] Didn't I read that?

[26:15] Oh yeah, but they were, again, they were made years ago.

[26:19] This was something, you know, my predecessor had made

[26:21] and then just passed them on to me.

[26:24] Um, so, but again, you know, this was something that, you know, we tried getting installed at the time, but then our, like I said, our local BLM reps changed and then, you know, their priorities changed and then, you know, these panels have just been sitting there so now that we have a new proactive regional gentleman with the BLM, you know, he's more open to getting things done and so it's just sort of like getting caught up and then also just, you know, he was seeing them for the first time and just getting his thoughts on.

[26:54] them as well. So he's supportive but you know just wanted like the minor details as far as logos

[27:00] and things like that updated but I thought before we make a full blown effort to reprint these

[27:05] things and again you know I might be able to just be able to do stickers too with the updated logos

[27:11] because you know we do that a lot with our trail signage you know we just put a county sticker on it

[27:18] if it's a pre-existing trail sign as opposed to just reprinting the whole sign just for the

[27:22] about dating a logo. I think this goes great with a whole skyway by the way

[27:27] think it's going to be over there at him's. Yeah they're the pretty neat. I mean

[27:32] they have a really informative and it is a lot of information but I think people do

[27:38] stop and read that stuff. People are just out here. I mean it's practically got the skyway on

[27:44] Anyway, it's a Laura's, it's got the whole skyway over there.

[27:50] Yeah, I'd say go for it.

[27:53] Any other comments?

[27:54] Everyone?

[27:55] To move it forward?

[27:57] Yeah, let the BLM put a little energy into it.

[28:00] That's great.

[28:01] Yeah, well, especially since they're offering up a kiosk,

[28:03] which like I said, they alone, you know, the steel and the glass.

[28:07] I mean, that they can be thousands of dollars.

[28:11] So, you know, the fact that they're willing to do sort of like this collaborative project

[28:14] I'd love to take them up on that.

[28:19] Hey, any other comments? I don't own a cut anybody off.

[28:23] Yeah, can I ask? When you say the Epson pull out, you mean the larger

[28:27] or can area across the highway from the trail. Yes. Yes.

[28:32] And is that county or BLM's property? It's BLM land. It is. There was an illegal

[28:41] Did you have a note there?

[28:43] How's that there?

[28:44] Well, the history.

[28:45] It had to be pulled out.

[28:47] Yeah, that and the history of that site.

[28:49] There was at least one or two gas stations there.

[28:53] There was an auto body shop because I actually,

[28:57] with the EPA grant that I got that I'm working with the EPA with.

[29:03] I actually had the EPA and the BLM meet at that site just to discuss some options.

[29:10] But, you know, the EPA grant itself is federal money, and I can't use it on federally owned land.

[29:19] So, I mean, one thing I met as little mentions since we're on this topic, so I don't know if you guys are aware,

[30:00] We had been contacted by some constituents who expressed concern about potential contamination because

[30:05] there's a lot of shotgun shells up there. Somebody dumped furniture. I mean, I've been up there

[30:12] with my staff, you know, there was like a mannequin and some other things that are being used

[30:17] as target practice. And so my staff, we were going to clean it up and I met with the BLM

[30:26] site again with the EPA reps and I mentioned that we were going to clean it up and I had a

[30:31] day set aside October 8th and on October 7th the BLM contacted me and requested we not do that

[30:39] because they said you know based on potential contamination even though they assured us that the water

[30:45] was fine and that shotgun shells and whatever else existed on the site we're not contaminating the water

[30:50] the soil itself and the site itself were considered contaminated so they are now a hiring a private

[30:56] from to handle that cleanup. So they have requested that the county not do anything on the site,

[31:04] but so they're going to handle that. And one, another positive that has come out of this

[31:12] is that the Sheriff's Office has been involved in the conversation because, you know, they feel that

[31:17] people need a place to shoot and they also need a place to shoot for their deputies as far as training.

[31:24] I mean, they're not using this site for training, but we're now working with the BLM to find

[31:29] a more appropriate site within the county that the Sheriff's Department can use for their

[31:34] deputies for training and that it can be open to the public for target shooting as well.

[31:43] So these are things that are in the mix right now.

[31:45] The site will be cleaned up.

[31:47] The BLM has a shortest of that.

[31:48] They are handling it.

[31:50] They do not want the county to handle that.

[31:52] And, you know, we will find a more appropriate site for shooting and the BLM said that one

[31:58] thing they are looking at is blocking off that entrance at the bottom, either of the gate

[32:04] or boulders.

[32:05] I mean, we would like boulders because that's a more natural item, or element, just to prevent

[32:11] people from being able to drive all the way up, dump furniture and, uh, quite some mannequins

[32:17] up there.

[32:18] So it's for like so it will be more of a like a legitimate shooting range. No, um, so we would we locate

[32:30] We would find another site for shooting range because when you think of BLM land

[32:35] I mean, it's public land. It is open for any use

[32:38] So if you guys want to go up there and have a picnic you are welcome to have a picnic, but obviously

[32:43] Knowing people are shooting you're not gonna have a picnic. Yes, so

[32:48] and on that. Yeah, hearing it. It's weird. Oh, it is. I think if it's like a kind of robe shooting,

[32:58] not really monitored, you don't even know who's up there. Well, that's what if they are should be

[33:03] should have done if they were allowed to have a gun. And all these things, that's what I think when I hear it

[33:07] going off, I'm like, I hope that person doesn't like go off and come down here to the trail right now.

[33:12] So if it is taken to the next step and, you know, now is, you know, a more official thing.

[33:22] It seems like there should be some more regulation as to.

[33:25] Well, yeah, because we're looking.

[33:27] Well, again, it's BLM land.

[33:29] So yes, people can go up there and shoot.

[33:31] But what we want to, for the BLM to establish is a more appropriate site.

[33:37] not near homes and also a better managed site, you know, and monitored site and we have the

[33:48] sheriff's office involved so we're going to work collaboratively together to identify a parcel that's more appropriate that'll suit everybody's needs.

[33:57] physical student, is anyone allowed to go shoot, and you wear a BLM land, wherever they want,

[34:02] whenever they feel it? Well, again, BLM land is public land, and it's open for use. So,

[34:10] you know, I don't know how their website works. If, you know, you go on a certain parcel and see

[34:15] what's approved for that site, but, you know, my understanding is, if you want to use it, you can use it.

[34:23] I think the sheriffs and marshals have used it, target, I don't know, some, they might have, but we're looking for a more appropriate site that would be officially deemed like they are training location.

[34:36] I think that's great.

[34:37] Move it away from there.

[34:38] The official one in Ridgeway across from Barbus, also.

[34:42] I believe so.

[34:42] Yeah.

[34:43] I believe so.

[34:44] I was told there, yeah, there's something in nuclei believe, Montrose and then in Ridgeway.

[34:51] Yeah, it's been important to put it away from anybody's house or anybody's well, just so people don't have to hear that when they're hiking and

[35:00] These are Greg's notes.

[35:05] Looks like the material is here.

[35:08] Yes. As Greg says, platform at Brideville Falls Experiences Delay, because there was an issue with

[35:14] procuring the steel i-beams. Needed to secure the platform to the drilled holes in the rock,

[35:19] R&B oilfield, which is the contractor that was awarded the contract. They received their

[35:25] material and they estimate the work will resume this week and will continue until the 31st.

[35:31] Which was the deadline that we stipulated in their contract. So good news and then do we plan to have any kind of a official opening?

[35:42] We certainly can

[35:43] I don't know. I might look to time not more for the spring because, you know, we've got snow coming this week and

[35:50] You know, and it's a we officially closed the trail December 1st

[35:54] So I don't want to get people hyped up and excited about something where yes, I call use it now because we're closing it down

[36:08] Yeah, we should go to a sidewalk, but I think, yeah, to do it when it's not a tourist

[36:17] time.

[36:18] Right.

[36:18] Early in the spring, but then now soon can we get up there?

[36:21] Okay.

[36:21] That's good news.

[36:22] Anybody have anything else on that?

[36:25] Checking it up here.

[36:26] I'd rather let a sea trail clean up.

[36:28] Yeah, so this, so the Ida Lega, Ida Lega C Trail, which is at the east end of the county here.

[36:36] As most of you know, we had the day lose your brain and mud slides and that trail has been out of commission for a while.

[36:45] So we did issue an RFP and we just awarded the contract and we have a contract or earthwork excavation and there are scheduled to start in this project next week.

[36:57] They estimate it'll only take them a week.

[37:00] So we're excited about that.

[37:03] This was something where, you know,

[37:05] the county doesn't really have any emergency funds

[37:08] set in place for something like this.

[37:10] I mean, the county has emergency funding set in place for wildfires,

[37:13] but not necessarily mud slides.

[37:16] So I had to meet with the county commissioners

[37:18] and get their official go ahead that we could proceed forward with this project.

[37:22] And we sort of kind of were sitting back a bit because,

[37:25] And we were just wanted to make sure we weren't going to have any more mud slides this season.

[37:31] So before we invested dollars in a clean up, we wanted to make sure that, you know,

[37:37] that the rain had stopped and we could move forward.

[37:42] I'm wondering about where the tailings, these additional tailings have gone.

[37:46] Where are the tailings up there?

[37:48] From the valley floor.

[37:50] The tailings from the valley, that's a town thing.

[37:53] I don't know what they're doing there.

[37:55] Oh, they remember they spent two or that's that summer moving a couple of after truck load up to be at that area and then this summer when they put in the bridge they found more tailings so there was a thing in the paper that they were oh yeah that they were going to be hauling through town wondering where that is related to where we get the flows and stuff um yeah I mean they might they might have worked at a deal with it a rato for dumping I mean the the mud and debris that's

[38:24] that's being removed from the onerado legacy trail is actually going to the pull out on 145

[38:30] between mile markers, I believe 56 and 57, so C.D. has given us approval for the dirt and

[38:39] rock debris to be distributed on their pull out area. So we're not going east, we're going west.

[38:48] Well, I just wondered where that, because that does flow, that this is because of a month's life.

[38:54] Yep.

[38:54] Yeah.

[38:55] Yeah.

[38:55] That came down from a rare gulch.

[38:57] And this is second one.

[38:59] Yeah.

[38:59] We had two concurrent mud slides there.

[39:02] And this is, yeah.

[39:03] Part of the, I don't even know.

[39:06] Yeah.

[39:06] This has, this is our second time within two years.

[39:11] And, you know, first they referred to it as like a 500 year flood and a 100 year flood.

[39:15] but obviously it's happening every other year.

[39:18] So, too often for or liking, but, you know,

[39:21] we're dealing with it as best we can.

[39:24] Okay, any other comments about this?

[39:28] Any other things for the agenda?

[39:31] Yeah, so I just have a couple of other quick updates.

[39:33] So one thing I just want to mention

[39:34] when it comes to Mill Creek Park is,

[39:37] I'm still working with the town with Zoe Donald.

[39:42] The town, I mean, this is a conversation.

[39:44] I started with Scott Robbson two years ago, so finally town council is going to hear our request for an official

[39:55] Tap fee waiver for us to tap into the towns water line

[40:00] Which is more in line with their needs for the Lawson Hill community and some other housing areas.

[40:09] So we're going to be able to take advantage of that and then just pay for our portion of our electricity needs for the military park site.

[40:20] But some preparing a letter right now for the county commissioners to officially submit to the town council to make that request official for the tap fee way.

[40:29] ever. That's not. And yes, some of the

[40:35] ministers get to use it for housing. They

[40:39] they will have a tap. That's right, they'll

[40:42] have a water fountain. So that will be

[40:47] probably approved and move forward. Yes, and the

[40:50] towns timeline is a next spring. So

[40:54] fairly soon, spring 2025 is when they would

[40:57] do that project and that installation. The

[41:00] I mean, way to manifest that.

[41:02] So that's to water pollinators?

[41:05] Yes.

[41:06] And yeah, and yeah, and we'll have our pollinators,

[41:11] well, the porta potty's out there,

[41:12] and then we'll have our bottle refilling station.

[41:19] So that's what that is for.

[41:21] And then I just wanted to mention on another note,

[41:23] when it comes to the down valley connector trail.

[41:27] Feasibility study, the one thing I'd mention to everyone

[41:29] is that, you know, we were pursuing the engineering and design for segments one and five.

[41:34] So I submitted a concept paper for a GoCode grant last week.

[41:39] So how that works is, I mean, I've been working with our local GoCode rep and you submit

[41:44] a concept paper, bury them with details, and then hope to be invited to the actual grant

[41:50] application process.

[41:52] So concepts are due last week.

[41:54] Applications will be invited November 14th. Applications are due December 16th with

[42:01] grants awarded March of 2025. So our local GoCo rep just preliminary conversation and comments.

[42:10] He said everything looked great but you know I won't know for a while on that or at least

[42:16] well a couple of weeks I will keep you guys in the loop but fingers crossed that we can get something

[42:21] going with that. Wow, that's big news. So that was sections one and five. Yes, engineering and design engineering and design. Right. And then two other quick things. I just wanted to mention with our pez program. So I met with county commissioners and we're going to be renewing the contracts for Chris Hayes and other terra firm. And also the Shavano conservation district to continue with our pez program in our soil health studies.

[42:53] And I'm going to scan these in, but the Shavano Conservation District has two events coming up

[42:59] one in November, one in January, both in Montrose, a farm in Ranch Innovation Expo,

[43:08] and then a soil health food and farm forum. So I will scan these in and email them to you,

[43:15] and I'm also going to share them with the Fairboard and the ad community up in Norwood.

[43:23] And then I just thought of something else, no, I'm drawing a blank.

[43:35] Okay. Any questions on that?

[43:40] When is that set to renew?

[43:43] Chris is contra.

[43:45] Oh, the both be renewable as of January 1st and go through till December 31st.

[43:51] So typically what we do is I give them both annual contract renewals and then we meet with county commissioners each year provide an update.

[43:58] I allocate funding for the following year, and then we renew.

[44:03] Oh, and one thing I want to mention, too, is Greg and I were up at the OA Gregor parcel on Friday with Star Jamison, our director of Natural Resources, and the Western Wildfire Council, West Region, Wildfire Council.

[44:22] just to talk about forest health and then the O.A. Gregor Parcel itself and just we have some standing dead trees from Beetlekill.

[45:00] Funding set aside for that. But, you know, we're talking about wildfire mitigation versus forest

[45:07] health versus our gunnison sagegrass population, because we do have our z-dictructures up there.

[45:12] We do have our gunnison sagegrass population, which has been steadily growing and improving.

[45:19] So that's just something that again, we were just up there on Friday and we're going to wait

[45:25] here back as for as recommendations and suggestions that they have for the parcel because

[45:31] you know our thought too is opening it up for a usage and camping and overnight stays you

[45:39] know yes we can designate areas where we feel it's safest for people to camp. But you know we

[45:46] are aware of the situation with some of these trees that you know could potentially blow down

[45:51] and you know we want to be proactive as opposed to reactive. So I will keep everybody

[45:58] apprised of developments with that. And we do fund Jason, Dr. Jason Seabold each year

[46:05] from our community support funding through the Parks and Open Space Department for his

[46:09] forest health studies. But his focus has primarily been on the east end with Bear Creek.

[46:16] But, you know, I've always been trying to lobby for more focus on the West End, but I realized that the East End is where we are heavily populated and God forbid we have a wildfire.

[46:29] This is where the concern is going to lie.

[46:32] But, you know, we will see where that leads.

[46:35] Don't you say earlier that there is money budget for wildfire?

[46:40] Well, there are emergency funds at the county commissioner set aside each year.

[46:47] I do not know the amount, but for emergency needs that are tied in with wildfire.

[46:55] I think this would fit that, especially if we get Jason Sybil, the say so as long as with the wildfire council.

[47:01] Yeah, say that, but now there's a helicopter and they're doing a lot of removal of sanding dead in mountain village. Apparently I've heard mountain village has a kind of more modern advance.

[47:18] You know, open space, not open space, but land use codes about the fire and the sanding dead.

[47:27] that we, I've heard, should be adopting here in Telerides, similar land use codes to that.

[47:35] And have we talked about that?

[47:38] That's something that the planning department would handle, so I'd have to consult with them.

[47:43] Yeah, I mean, because I know what we're looking at land use codes for mining.

[47:47] It should be actually reviewed to concerns for a wildfire here and mitigation.

[47:52] I mean, that's expensive work they're doing as helicopters single.

[47:55] Oh, that's very expensive. Once they, they feel like it's worth it because, you know, it would, it's going to stop any massive spread of a fire that might break out.

[48:06] So that's a full time.

[48:08] They have a full time forestry person was the county does not.

[48:13] And they're very connected with the whole disabled poor study and they've been really proactive and stand a lot of money on their trees up there.

[48:23] and that's for what they did here.

[48:25] But that's a good idea, I think,

[48:27] we could just revisit it just to have a plan.

[48:30] Yeah, a future while, while fire,

[48:33] I mean, yeah, if there's budget for that.

[48:37] Because it seems like a few of them noticed on this side

[48:40] of this hill, there's just more and more dead standing dead

[48:44] to some part of the side of the bear creek.

[48:48] And it's getting a little concerning.

[48:50] Well, and a big concern, too, is that, you know, from the valley floor up that hillside to those homes that exist at the top, you know, they've given estimates that God forbid there was a wildfire on the valley floor, I think they've given a time frame of 5 or 10 minutes with which that fire would move up that hillside and take out those houses. So, yeah, it's being proactive as opposed to reactive while we can, you know.

[49:17] anybody can go on the county website and find our or self-study mom and Jason Sibald has

[49:24] there's a map, something there's a great interactive map and where you can, you know, hold the

[49:31] bar along and see the forest in this area from the past into the future and Jason's just blown away

[49:39] that we haven't had any problems yet because it's right over the hill there with with the, you know,

[49:48] And then Hillary has said, from studying with Jason, in the future, we won't have maybe

[49:56] dead fur here would be the only evergreen lab.

[49:59] But...

[50:00] We're preparing ourselves that it's going to be gone. I mean, maybe not in our lectures. Well,

[50:05] that's why we do a fair amount of impacts. Our PPEC deployment each, you know, spring, you

[50:11] know, and yeah, we've been focusing primarily on the Douglas Furs, but yeah, there are other

[50:15] species out there that are all targeted and vulnerable, especially with the drought. But the reason

[50:19] the Doug for our part is because they're the ones that are most likely to survive. Exactly.

[50:25] I don't know if they're hardy or or or or drought resistant. I don't know that they're that's why we're trying to save the Doug for it. So it's a whole big story. I think it's a great story.

[50:39] Yeah, what this county's trying to do in the town and the forest service and it's been a long long while, but that I think it's worth going on because it's

[50:48] There's a lot of really cool science and maths and study on forced health on the county website with that.

[50:58] Exactly. Yeah, and I believe we updated that too.

[51:04] So yeah, check that out because it's under natural resources.

[51:08] It's not under parks and open space, but you'll see the forest health studies.

[51:12] and like Susie said, Jason Seabulls comments.

[51:17] So I have a question about this, is it one B or two B,

[51:21] that's the open space housing?

[51:23] Oh, this space commission's budget to go to housing?

[51:27] On the election right now.

[51:29] Oh, I honestly don't know the ballot measure number.

[51:32] I want to, or something like that.

[51:34] Anyway, that's the one I'm talking about.

[51:36] Is that I've gotten a good handful of people calling and asking?

[51:42] What do I think about this and I said, well, we have extra money in the budget and it's been determined that there's so much that we can afford to, you know, give up the amount that they've determined.

[51:54] So I'm advising people to vote, yes, but I, I wonder, I mean, I kind of wish we would have had we could have.

[52:02] Let's something in the paper from the open because it's coming from our budget that we could have.

[52:07] Well, it was there something to educate people about this and the budget works and how we can, we've has surplus money and all that.

[52:18] Well, it's interesting because, you know, we all got our blue ballot measure booklet, you know, with all the state and the federal and, you know, everything in there, but, you know, the local county ballot measures were not included.

[52:29] And again, I don't know if they ever are, but there was a good article on the planet last week which kind of gave a lot of detail as far as the measure itself.

[52:42] What the counties outreach has been I honestly don't know if they've posted things on the website.

[52:47] I know that, you know, Commissioner Brown and Brown has talked about these topics in her meetings with like the Democratic women's caucus and some of the other meetings,

[52:59] you know, where the candidates up for election are discussing these items and initiatives,

[53:07] you know, but in looking at the parks fund balance, you know, we do, as I mentioned at the

[53:14] previous meeting, you know, we have had a healthy fund balance in the previous years.

[53:24] So, you know,

[53:26] housing. You know, it's not something that's going to threaten the operations of the parks in

[53:33] open space department or any of the divisions that we have or any of our project initiatives

[53:38] because as I mentioned at our last meeting, you know, we went forward with a regular budget.

[53:45] I mean, I did not remove anything based on this ballot initiative effort. I still highlighted

[53:54] all of our current active future proposed projects funding that would be allocated for it.

[54:01] Potential grants some pursuing matching requirements. So as I said at our last meeting,

[54:09] I am moving forward. Business is usual, so to speak, and not changing anything as far as

[54:17] what our plans are on the horizon. Be it for projects, be it for staffing. So

[54:23] You know, it's, I mean, we'll see, you know, again, it's in the voter's hands, we'll see what happens.

[54:29] But, you know, I don't feel that having some of that funding set aside for housing effort is going to jeopardize the Parks and Open Space Department or any of our projects moving forward.

[54:43] Yeah, that wasn't really thinking that.

[54:47] Did anybody else get asked about this?

[54:58] Okay, well, they're like I said anything

[55:00] Daily planet had a pretty good article last week that really delved into details as far as how the funding breaks out and percentages for this, percentages for that, and it was an all inclusive article, not just focused on this, but it did provide some helpful details for those who might not understand.

[55:18] Yeah. That's good.

[55:21] Okay, so I was thinking about inviting some people that were the original involve people in the high-country zone for an upcoming meeting to be able to explain it all to us and get the history of it.

[55:36] Is that sound like something people might be interested in?

[55:39] And because I know that tell your eye to open space is also interested and possibly that. So if I do get April Montgomery would be the one because she's I was just going to say he was the one.

[55:51] Yeah, who would you invite? Yeah, maybe Gary hip-hox and April Montgomery. And maybe Lance. I don't know. I think Lance was around to that.

[56:00] It was actually one of the first things the open space commission did.

[56:08] So I'll pursue that a little bit and then I would also just ask our commission to look at our work plan, which is our checklist.

[56:18] Look at over and see kind of what things we have accomplished in what things we want to put on the next couple of agendas and we will be needing to update that work plan.

[56:30] Yes, that sounds good, I'm bringing you.

[56:35] Right, are you okay?

[56:41] Yeah, and I'll also, I mentioned this at the last meeting.

[56:44] I'll also check in with K Simonson because I know everybody wanted to receive an update on as far as the land use codes and certain things being proposed.

[56:55] She said she'd be ready in the fall.

[56:57] So she didn't have anything for tonight, but I'll check in with her because our next meeting is November 18th

[57:05] So I'll see if she's gonna have anything to present to us at that time.

[57:11] And I think John, I think your idea of the land use code for fire that is I mean we're looking in the future because I'm thinking of a couple things right now.

[57:20] One is that if our budget is shortened, if we don't have money to go to something like that, I mean, we don't know what we're going to encounter in the future.

[57:32] Well, if fire is one of them, I think I'm just I'm not selling any alarms. I'm just saying between the land use code looking at that and comparing what mountain villages doing.

[57:43] and then I'll also look back and do it and that would be a larger initiative so that

[57:49] wouldn't come from our budget.

[57:53] Okay Roger are you okay we heard a little bang

[57:56] there.

[58:00] Are you okay? I'm here in noises are you guys hearing that? I don't hear

[58:06] anything now.

[58:09] Roger. Well he is on mute. Yeah he's on mute.

[58:19] Okay well if there's no

[58:23] for the. Roger, you're okay. I see you're in muted now.

[58:26] Nope. He was for a second. You okay, Roger?

[58:31] Yeah,

[58:34] I'll call him. Yeah, because of it. Okay. So yeah, as mentioned, our next meeting is Monday, November

[58:44] 18th at 4 o'clock. That is the week before Thanksgiving. So thanks for your time tonight. Good to see

[58:56] everybody and yeah if anybody has any comments about anything we discussed or didn't

[59:01] discuss of course well let me know because I realize it's a lot to digest with

[59:06] information and details so don't have to take to reach out before we adjourn with

[59:12] Roger we do have a form a corn now we have a form now we actually do we

[59:20] Roger, we're going to vote on the minutes of 923 and so you're unmuted from Roger, we're going to sorry I could not get my audio.

[59:31] Okay, well, you could communicate that way.

[59:34] Did you get a chance to see the minutes of 923? We have a few edits and revisions on that.

[59:43] So, if you have a motion to approve those minutes with those stated

[59:49] attendance, is now that that's not the right route, that it's,

[59:56] I can move to approve the minutes from

[1:00:00] In the minutes, say aye. Aye. And Roger, if you could text us your vote on that,

[1:00:10] we saw your text come up on the screen.

[1:00:14] Yeah, in the chat box. Oh, in the chat box.

[1:00:22] What do we do here now?

[1:00:28] Oh, Roger, you could just put a thumbs up on that little thing or you could raise your hand and we can consider the thumbs up.

[1:00:38] Oh, hang on, hang on.

[1:00:42] I could not get my audience.

[1:00:43] So Roger, we were able to see your chat right in the back, sir.

[1:00:47] Yeah.

[1:00:52] Okay, well, why don't we put a tentative yes?

[1:00:57] And otherwise, I can't even read that with my glasses, did I, do you approve of the nine to

[1:01:03] my three minutes?

[1:01:04] Okay, perfect.

[1:01:05] Put that in.

[1:01:06] Oh, I just typed that.

[1:01:07] Oh, it's a Roger.

[1:01:09] Okay.

[1:01:10] Good.

[1:01:10] Yeah, Roger.

[1:01:11] I just, I responded to you in the chat box.

[1:01:15] So if you want to respond back with a year or nay, let us know.

[1:01:22] Oh, this modern world.

[1:01:27] other as you can follow up with an email tube. Okay, all right, well without further ado, we'll figure this out later.

[1:01:36] I will, it's 504. Less than an hour meeting. We are efficient. A well-oiled machine. Thanks all for coming. We'll see you in November.

[1:01:52] Yeah, thanks everyone have a good night.

[1:01:55] Bye guys.

[1:01:56] All right.

[1:01:57] Take care.

[1:01:58] Bye.

OSC Recording 10/28/24

Agenda

Transcript