Contents

1. Water System leak
2. Wildfire risk explained
3. Rico Trails Alliance RGS trail pedestrian bridge
4. Motion to approve first reading of Ordinance 2025-01 for church property purchase
5. Encroachment easement
6. Staff reports
7. Appendix

by Allyn Svoboda
Publisher

1) Water System leak

The well pump at the Rico water system pumphouse north of Rico is running about 6 hours per day, reported town manager Chauncey McCarthy at the February 19, 2025 Rico Board of Trustees regular monthly meeting. Normal for this time of year is 3 hours per day, he added, and advised that Town is reviewing repair timing and procedures with a consultant. September or October may best for excavation, he proposed, when the water table is lower.

Rico municipal water system pumphouse 2.2 miles north of Rico adjacent to Colorado Highway 145.

Ore Cart photo
February 28, 2025

The most recent monthly town-wide water meter reading occurred in the last week of February 2024. Town manager McCarthy's comparison of customers' total water consumption versus gallons pumped from Town's well revealed that 47% of the volume drawn from the well since the previous water billing cycle was not delivered to customers. In other words, for every 100 gallons of water pumped from the well, 47 gallons leaked underground. He also explained to Ore Cart that the suspected water main leak location is a previous repair site in the Piedmont area.

Water mains flow direction entering Rico
Ore Cart illustration using
Town of Rico zoning map

2) Wildfire risk explained

Wildfire Adapted Partnership (WAP) is a nonprofit organization serving five counties in southwest Colorado. Celeste Moore, WAP Montezuma and Dolores County Coordinator, presented maps depicting Dolores County and Rico wildfire risks, and potential for buildings to burn in Rico.

Potential for damages to buildings in most Rico areas are very high, according to Colorado
State Forest Service Wildfire Risk Viewer map included with the presentation..

Rico CO wildfire risk to buildings

source:
Colorado State Forest Service
Wildfire Risk Viewer

• • •

BUILDINGS WILDFIRE RISK CAUSES

Indirect exposure
Homes may be ignited by indirect sources such as embers and home-to-home ignition.

Direct exposure
Homes may be ignited by adjacent flammable vegetation, as well as indirect sources.

• • •

HOME IGNITION ZONES

About two of three homes burned in wildfires are ignited by airborne embers blowing in, stated WAP representative Moore. Methods to reduce risk, known as "home hardening," include creating a defense around structures in three zones:

0-5 feet
Reduce or eliminate ember ignition and direct flame contact with the home.

5-30 feet
Combustible fuels such as wood piles and brush should be reduced to minimize a fire’s intensity and its ability to spread while significantly reducing the likelihood a structure ignites because of radiant heat.

30-100 feet
Efforts in this zone are focused on ways to keep fire on the ground and to get fire that may be active in tree crowns (crown fire) to move to the ground (surface fire), where it will be less intense.

source:
The Home ignition Zone -
A guide to preparing your home
for wildfire and creating
defensible space
- Colorado State Forest Service

Rico may develop an Action Plan to reduce wildfire risk. This is the first step to obtaining Firewise USA recognition. The designation opens opportunities for State of Colorado grant funding for wildfire risk assessment. Action Plan process starts with organizing a group of volunteers to:

• identify wildfire risks,
• develop the 3-year Action Plan,
• complete the Action Plan.

In a follow-up phone conversation, Ore Cart asked about cutting trees where lots are small and narrow without causing damage to homes. "Technical trees," replied WAP representative Moore, are more costly.

WAP offers assistance with a creating a neighborhood wildfire ambassador program, education and outreach, and wood chipper rental rebates.

For more information about Home Ignition Zones, visit:

Colorado State Forest Service HIZ Guide.
HIZ Guide in Spanish.

To get in depth information about your property sign up for free Home Risk Site Visit here.
Learn about WAP cost-share program which assists homeowners increating defensible space.

more info:

• Firewise USA
• Colorado State Forest Service
• Colorado Forest Atlas

3) Rico Trails Alliance RGS pedestrian bridge

Drawing of Dolores River pedestrian bridge proposed by Rico Trails Alliance (RTA) contained in the Rico Board of Trustees February 19, 2025 meeting packet. RTA advised that the drawing is not to scale and may be revised.

- - -

At the Board of Trustee’s meeting last December, Rico Trails Alliance (RTA) presented the design for the pedestrian bridge that will be built across the Dolores River in the Town’s perpetual trail easement through the Lazy Rooster Ranch south of Town. As previously noted, once completed, the bridge will provide recreational access to the west side of the Dolores River on the Rio Grande Southern (RGS) River Trail that will start from a trailhead near the new Town shop and follow segments of the railroad grade to the Montelores bridge 4.5 miles south of Rico. RTA has provided additional information regarding high water flows and bridge clearance, which is included in the Board’s packet.

- excerpt from Trustees Meeting Packet

RTA representatives also described the bridge proposal at a Dolores County Planning Commission public hearing Monday, February 24, 2025 at Rico Town Hall. Permitting efforts with the United States Forest Service and Colorado State Historic Preservation Office were reviewed.

Dolores County Planning Commission public hearing at Rico Town Hall
February 24, 2025 - 6:00 PM

Ore Cart photo

County planning commissioners voted to recommend RGS trail bridge construction approval for future consideration by Dolores County Commsissioners.

The following morning, February 25, Rico Trails Alliance reviewed the RGS bridge project for the San Miguel Power Association monthly board of directors meeting at Nucla. SMPA selected RTA as one of three Sharing Success Economic Development Grants recipients. The RTA grant award is $10,000 for "Infrastructure development, and Outreach Support Mountain Bike Trail System." The RTA presentation included a "3-year strategic plan snapshot" (2025-2027).

4) Motion to approve first reading of Ordinance 2025-01 for church property purchase

Trustees approved the first reading of the Ordinance: 5 in favor, zero opposed.

Key points

• Church may be used as a community center.
• Associated home may be used to provide housing for individuals that work for, or in, the Town.
• Upon receipt of the proceeds of the RHS Sale the Town will have the funds necessary to close the sale provided for in the Contract;
• Board of Trustees has determined that it is in the best interest of the Town to purchase the Property.

Consideration of the second reading of Ordinance 2025-01 is scheduled for a Rico Board of Trustees meeting March 3, 2024, Monday, at 7:00 PM.

Complete text of the Ordinance is in the Appendix at the end of this report.

5) Encroachment easement

Trustees approved an amended re-stated easement for a Soda Street property by a vote of 4 in favor and 1 opposed.

6) Staff reports

Town Clerk

. . . is taking online training courses to learn about features in Town of Rico's accounting software which have not been used in the past.

Town Manager

Water system leak - (see above section 1)

Town Shop - Conducted a post construction "final walk-through." Site work landscaping will commence in the spring.

Park Pavilion - Construction plans have changed. Previous contractor hired by consultant is no longer with the project. Community assistance to offer pavilion construction workforce housing in May and June will be requested.

7) Appendix

AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN OF RICO, COLORADO APPROVING THE PURCHASE OF THE COMMUNITY CHURCH PROPERTY LOCATED AT 110 AND 116 EAST MANTZ AVENUE

WHEREAS, the Town of Rico, Colorado (the “Town”) is a Colorado home rule municipality organized pursuant to Article XX of the Colorado Constitution and with the authority of the Rico Home Rule Charter (the “Charter”); and

WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) has the power pursuant to C.R.S. §§ 31-15-101(d) to purchase, by ordinance, real property; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to the Charter Article XIV § 14.1, the Board is authorized to purchase real property by ordinance; and

WHEREAS, the Rico Historic Society (“RHS”) owns that property located at 208 East Mantz, Rico, Colorado 81332, which is under contract to be sold for $369,000 at a closing scheduled for March 20, 2025 (the “RHS Sale”); and

WHEREAS, RHS desires to donate $350,000 of the proceeds of the RHS Sale to the Town; and

WHEREAS, United Presbyterian Church owns that real property described as Lots 17R- 20R, Block 15, Town of Rico, according to the official plat of said Town, recorded in the office of the Clerk and Recorder, Dolores County, State of Colorado, also known as 110 and 116 East Mantz Avenue, Rico, Colorado 81332 (the “Property”) together with a commercial building previously used as a community church (the “Church”), and a separate single family residence (the “Home”); and

WHEREAS, the Church may be used as a community center, and the Home may be used to provide housing for individuals that work for, or in, the Town; and WHEREAS, the Board has determined that it is in the best interest of the Town to purchase the Property; and

WHEREAS, the Town has negotiated a Contract to Buy and Sell Real Estate for the Property (the “Contract”) with the Seller, United Presbyterian Church, a non-profit organization, dated February 9, 2025. Such Contract is attached hereto as Exhibit 1, and incorporated hereinby reference; and

WHEREAS, the Contract is contingent on the Board’s approval of the Contract; and

WHEREAS, upon receipt of the proceeds of the RHS Sale the Town will have the funds necessary to close the sale provided for in the Contract; and

WHEREAS, the Contract provides that closing is contingent upon the closing of the RHS Sale and the Town’s receipt of the net sale proceeds thereof; and

WHEREAS, the Board has reviewed the Contract and desires to approve it; and

WHEREAS, the Board has determined that the adoption of this ordinance is necessary and proper to provide for the safety, health, prosperity and order of the Town.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE TOWN OF RICO THAT:

Section 1. The recitals above are hereby adopted as findings and incorporated herein.

Section 2. The Board hereby approves the sale of the Property pursuant to the terms of the Contract attached as Exhibit 1.

Section 3. Ordinances authorizing the acquisition or disposal of real estate interests shall take effect thirty days after final approval and shall be subject to citizen referendum according to the procedures in the Charter, Article XII.

Section 4. All ordinances heretofore passed and adopted by the Board are hereby repealed to the extent that said ordinances, or parts thereof, are in conflict with this Ordinance.

Section 5. If any section, subsection, clause, phrase or provision of this Ordinance, or the application thereof to any person or circumstance, shall to any extent, be held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void or unconstitutional, the remaining sections, subsections thereof to any person or circumstance, shall remain in full force and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated.

INTRODUCED, READ AND APPROVED ON FIRST READING AT A REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE TOWN OF RICO, COLORADO HELD ON FEBRUARY 19, 2025.

PASSED, APPROVED ON SECOND READING, ADOPTED AND ORDERED PUBLISHED IN FULL AT A REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE TOWN OF RICO, COLORADO HELD ON ______________, 2025.

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