November '24:

Town Trustees approved 2025 Town of Rico budget,

VCUP open house described 4-year remediation plan

Rico Trustees Meeting
November 20, 2024

Topics

• 2025 Budget
• Trustees and mayor sworn-in
• Subdivisions and PUD temporary moratorium extension
• RGS RR right-of-way "consulting party" status
• Staff reports
• Project updates

above photo
Rico Town Shop construction site
Ore Cart - November 26, 2024

Budget

Second reading of Ordinance 2024-05 an Ordinance of the Town of Rico, Colorado adopting the year 2025 Town budget; appropriating sums of money; and setting and certifying Town mill levies.

This item was transacted as "old business" before swearing-in newly-elected Trustees and Mayor. A Rico citizen who had submitted a budget objection commented about electric utility and propane sales taxes, and suggested energy service contracting available through State of Colorado to finance replacement of drafty Courthouse windows.

Trustees voted unanimously to approve budget.

Trustees and mayor sworn-in

Gerrish Willis, Scott Poston, Cristal Hibbard, Patrick Fallon, Benn Vernadakis, and Chris Condon were sworn in. The Board thanked outgoing mayor Nicole Pieterse for leadership and guidance.

Trustees appointed Cristal Hibbard as new Mayor Pro Tem.

Subdivisions and PUD temporary applications moratorium extension considered

First reading of Ordinance 2024-06 an ordinance of the Town of Rico, Colorado extending the temporary moratorium on the acceptance of new land use applications for major or minor subdivisions, and residential or commercial planned unit developments.

Discussion of moratorium purpose and need to preserve existing water rights capacity for future undeveloped parcels within Town before authorizing unplotted (subdivisions) new parcels and water taps. Town Manager reported on status of the proposed Silver Creek water source restoration. Discussion of the condition of the existing Silver Creek pipe, water rights and pipe sizes.

Motion to extend the moratorium for 6 months approved unanimously.

Rio Grande Southern Railroad right-of-way "consulting party" and memorandum of agreement

Consideration of participating as a consulting party and concurring in the memorandum of agreement for the proposed construction of 1.7 miles of new trail along the Rio Grande Southern Railroad right-of-way south of the Town of Rico.

This proposal gives Town of Rico "consulting status" on the Rico Trails Alliance proposed pedestrian bridge construction crossing the Dolores River, and historic features such as coke ovens and existing railroad bridge abutments.

Trustees voted unanimously to approve these items.

Town staff reports

Clerk
Clerk's office old floor covering removed, new finish on existing hardwood applied.

Manager

• Distributed a Colorado Municipal League (CML) packet. Trustees may attend next CML conference in Breckenridge.
• If Trustees wish to have any Town documents printed, Clerk will provide these.
• Discussion of a recent leak in a water consumer's buried line, and how Town's water metering technology monitors and identifies high consumption which may indicate a leak. Water system
  data acquisition registers a total of daily gallons consumed, and is checked by Town staff every morning. If higher than normal, consumer meter readings are collected manually using Town's handheld wireless drive-by device. This technique identifies excessive individual location consumption.
• Leaks in Town's water mains are more difficultto locate. The procedure includes opening and closing valves. Sound of water flowing beyond a closed valve indicates a leak.

Town projects updates 

• Water system. Considering an asset management plan and geographic information system (GIS).
• Stormwater management design underway.
• Sewer system environmental assessment underway.
• Skate park project construction on hold due to winter. Construction is planned for summer 2025 by a company which specializes in skate parks.
• Town Shop. "Building looks great."
• Town website ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance. Will use software to review website for compliance, and prioritize changes for high-traffic documents only.

Soils VCUP Plan Open House

November 21, 2024

VCUP remediation will be a 4-year process

Rico residents gathered at Enterprise Bar and Grill for VCUP implementation plan presentation by Atrlantic Richfield, November 21.

Ore Cart photo
November 21. 2024

About 40 - 45 Rico residents turned-out for the November 21, 2024 evening (Voluntary Clean Up) VCUP presentation hosted by Atlantic Richfield at the Enterprise Bar and Grill. Pizza and beverages were provided. A Q&A session followed the presentation.

Representing Atlantic Richfield (AR) and its contractors:

Mike MacAnulty - AR liability manager
Jamie O'Keefe - AR government external affairs
Jesse Schwarzrock - project manager, Pioneer Technical Services (contractor)
KevinPfeiffer - project manager, TriHydro (contractor)

Below is a summary of the presentation and Q&A:

VCUP funding agreement with Town of Rico starts January 1, 2025.

A sample Access Agreement for soil sampling and remediation work will be mailed to Rico property owners after the start of the new year (2025). Commercial property sampling is available.

Sampling results turnaround is about a month.

Sampling of individual lots begins in 2025. Some remediation will be accomplished in summer summer.

Road remediation begins in 2026.

Sampling found 21 road segments which exceed the VCUP lead action level.

Storm water management program road work purpose is to protect road remediation.

Town of Rico will manage and direct roadwork.

Atlantic Richfield will manage parcels (lots) sampling and remediation.

Columbia tailings site remediation is about 85% complete. Completion planned for Spring 2025.The gazebo is gone.

SUBSCRIBE to Rico Ore Cart
new report announcements
🡻