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Serving Rio Blanco County, Colorado since 1885 Moon Day Inside ... July 20 ww ww ww ww ww ww ww Commissioners RR II OO BB LL AA NN CC OO amend building code PAGE 2A Enduro race draws 217 racers PAGE 3A Local Sports PAGES 1-2B Classifieds Herald Times PAGES 5-6B Vol. 134, No. 50 u July 18, 2019 u theheraldtimes.com u $100 Wet weather equals BLM HQ headed to Grand Junction cheaper water bills By AMY HADDEN MARSH Special to the By NIKI TURNER ing project. Herald Times [email protected] The Fourth of July was quiet, at least from a law enforcement RBC I U.S. Senator MEEKER I Thanks to a wet standpoint, according to Meeker Cory Gardner may have sto- spring and early summer, water Chief of Police Phil Stubblefield. len the spotlight Monday, tak- consumption is down significant- “The concerts and the dance were ing credit for the Bureau of ly. That means about $52,000 less quiet,” Stubblefield said. Land Management’s anticipated in revenue for the town this year In other business, the board: move from Washington, D.C., compared to last year. Total a n Approved a special events to Grand Junction, Colorado, little more than 28 million gal- liquor license for Lions Club for but Assistant Secretary of the lons were recorded by the new OHV rodeo July 20 from 3-12 U.S. Department of the Interior meters installed at the town’s well p.m. at fairgrounds. Joe Balash made it official field. “It’s low compared to what n Renewed its agreement Tuesday during a conference we’re used to,” said Public Works with Better City. According to call with reporters from across Superintendent Russell Overton. Town Manager Lisa Cook there’s the country. The two new wells drilled as a meeting next Monday to discuss “There are 27 positions part of the town’s water project possible rezoning and gauge input associated with the director, the are reportedly underperforming, from property owners on the east deputy director for operations with Well No. 7 expected to be side of Shults Drive in Sanderson and the assistant directors of “abandoned and capped” and the Hills. The rezoning would allow the Bureau that will relocate town working with the contractor for townhouses and smaller lot to Grand Junction for the new to figure out ways to “further sizes if approved. “We want to headquarters for BLM,” he said. develop” Well No. 8. Negotiations gauge how they [property own- Senator Gardner (R-CO) AMY HADDEN MARSH PHOTO are underway to resolve the issues ers] feel about it before moving has been lobbying hard for the Bureau of Land Management employees use a helicopter to facilitate a wild horse roundup with the project. forward,” Cook said. The meeting move, claiming to be the “chief on the Pryor Mountain Herd Management Area in Montana. The fact so much of the land architect” of the plan to move BLM oversees is in the western states is one of the arguments for the decision to move BLM Water, and what goes in it, is at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Town headquarters out of Washington, D.C., and to Grand Junction, Colorado. will be on the November ballot, Hall. agency headquarters west. when Meeker residents will be n Approved a $500 donation His website provides a time- One hundred sixty-six posi- management and staff positions tion as to how to spend money asked if they want to continue to the Meeker Mustang Makeover line, beginning in June 2016 tions are already spread out and disperse them elsewhere in that’s been appropriated unless fluoridation of the town’s drink- group. when Gardner raised the idea across the West. “Some of them the organization,” he said. it’s confined to a line item for a ing water. n Approved an AGNC at a Senate Energy and Natural are in law enforcement; some Stone added that PLF has specific purpose,” he explained. The town’s board of trust- (Associated Governments of Resources hearing, and includes are in the Wild Horse and Burro not seen a business case, justi- He added that he doesn’t ees heard requests for fee waiv- Northwest Colorado) compact in his Bureau of Land Management Program and other national pro- fying the relocation. He ques- know how much BLM plans ers from the Rio Blanco Fire support of “domestic energy and Headquarters Act, introduced in grams,” said Balash. tions the costs involved. “Why to spend on the move. “But, Protection District, represented electricity production, mining and May 2017. Sixty-one jobs will stay in would it make sense to do all they appear to be rushing it so by Luke Pelloni, and Meeker agriculture within the Town and Congressman Scott Tipton, the district. “Those are positions this?” he asked. “Is it efficien- that they have it in place before School District, represented by Colorado Counties all of the cor- also a Republican and repre- primarily related to budget, con- cy? Is it effectiveness? What are it can be vetoed or blocked Superintendent Chris Selle. The responding benefits to the econ- sentative of Colorado’s Third gressional affairs and relations, the problems they are trying to in the upcoming appropriations board agreed to waive the build- omy, our nation’s security, our District, introduced the com- regulatory affairs, and FOIA solve?” bill for [fiscal year] 2020 which ing permit fee for renovations to state’s financial well-being, and panion bill in the House. (Freedom of Information Act) Jayson O’Neill, Deputy begins Oct. 1.” the old fire house, and the water the health of our community.” The According to congress.gov, compliance,” he added. Director of WVP, a public George Stone said about $5 tap fees for the high school build- full resolution is available here: the Act didn’t gain much trac- But most are headed West. lands advocacy group based in million is available for the relo- tiny.cc/agnc tion. But, apparently, it didn’t Twenty-seven jobs, including Montana, said that moving key cation, based on 2019 appropri- have to. Both former Interior the director and assistant direc- BLM positions out West will ations. Secretary Ryan Zinke and cur- tors, will work out of the Grand not change the fact that public CAUTIOUSLY rent chief David Bernhardt had Junction headquarters. Seventy- lands policy decisions are made Rangely trustees been keen on the idea of moving OPTIMISTIC four positions were deemed no in Washington, D.C. the agency someplace out West. Erin Ricchio, community longer necessary at the nation- “There are over a dozen organizer for Grand Junction- Bernhardt first announced the al level. “Those positions have other agencies that have some planned move in April 2018 based Conservation Colorado, been allocated to individual influence on how we manage said she’s glad the town will hear from public without naming a location. state offices to carry out their our public lands and those are reap the economic benefits of Balash said that before mission at state, district, and based in Washington, D.C.,” he Bernhardt was confirmed as the move and that new BLM By ROXIE FROMANG Commissioner Jeff Rector in field office levels,” he said. said. “When we talk about deci- employees will get to expe- Special to the Herald Times Oregon. If approved, the facility DOI director, the agency had The remaining 222 jobs will sions that impact those public looked at costs and benefits rience western public lands would have the capacity to export be assigned to state offices asso- lands and folks out West, we’re first-hand. But, she’s wary of RANGELY I Colorado up to 7.8 million metric tons of associated with staying in the ciated with the job. Oregon tim- losing an important component district or leaving. the Trump Administration. “It Northwestern Community liquefied natural gas per year and ber sale positions, for example, in allowing that collaboration won’t actually do much to pro- College (CNCC) President Ron would have a positive impact on “What we found was, will go to Oregon. and that input to happen.” because of the incredibly high tect our treasured public lands Granger told the Rangely Board the natural resource industry in Rio CRITICS OF THE MOVE TIMING AND MONEY as long as we have this current of Trustees they are hoping for Blanco County and other western cost of real estate and lease costs as well as the locality pay Public lands and public O’Neill is also concerned presidential administration in 150 attendees this Saturday at the Colorado counties. employee advocacy groups, about money already spent on place,” she said. seaplane Splash-In. CNCC will Jennifer O’Hearon, case man- differential that employees in the D.C. Metro area receive, such as the Western Values the relocation. WVP claims that The BLM plans to have the be dedicating the seaplane donat- ager for long term care options Project (WVP), the Public Lands $14 million was spent in fiscal relocation complete within the ed to the school’s aviation pro- and caregiver support services that moving the headquarters to another location was going Foundation (PLF), and Public year 2018 on the reorganiza- next 15 months but the agency gram. Everyone is invited to attend for the Colorado Department of Employees for Environmental tion proposal but does not know still does not have a permanent the event, which is held at Kenney Health Care Policy and Financing, to result in a significant savings almost regardless of where we Responsibility (PEER), cite fis- exactly how that money was director.