"JOURNAL"   10/22/06

I keep meaning, every week, to sit down and get a journal done, either this
one or the Gunnison Valley, but these days it feels like I'm getting nothing
done.

Right now, for instance, I had intended to be at the county commissioners'
work session to show my support for the Animal Welfare League's request for
a county ordinance prohibiting cruelty to animals. I comfort myself with the
thought that today is a work session, so the possibility for action may lie
ahead.

Please, if you happen to see a county commissioner out and about (better
chances, maybe, during election frenzy), express your support for an
ordinance of this nature. Keep in mind too that it might not only be animals
we're protecting: people who harm animals may also harm other people.

If you'll recall Gunnison's last homicide, out at the KOA, that was a
domestic violence issue that also involved cruelty to animals. The man had
kept two large dogs in one too-small cage, and Hunter, the Brazilian
mastiff, sustained substantial internal damage, probably from vicious kicks.
He was restored to health after many months -- and great personal expense --
by Tomichi Pet Care Center.

And don't forget that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. If you
have a few dollars you don't know what to do with, Jubilee House would be
happy to take them off your hands.

The other item that should have been mentioned yesterday when I wasn't
writing this concerns an action item on tonight's city council agenda.

The city, which has been turning down funding requests from a variety of
local non-profits due to budget constraints, is prepared tonight to approve
a contract for $76,650 with BBC LLC to conduct a fiscal impact study on the
potential annexation east of town.

Now, the way this works is that the city gets to pick the firm, but the
developers are supposed to eventually pick up the tab.

But what's not clear is what mechanism is in place to insure that the city
gets reimbursed for this expense. If the city opts to allow the annexation,
repayment can be required as one of the conditions.

But if the city decides against the annexation, or the project dissipates --
not that that's ever happened before -- there doesn't appear to be any
contractual means of reclaiming this expense.

In fact, the city has only just gotten reimbursed for a fraction of the
staff time spent on the last potential annexation to the east. This was paid
off by the current developers, who (with the exception of Dick Bratton) were
not the applicants last time. The developers, since they are a different
company with different partners, made this goodwill gesture, but the city
could not have required this year's applicants to pay the bill for the
previous applicants.

Hopefully the city council will consider this before blithely consigning
$76,650 of public money to a weird pocket of the space-time continuum where
it may or may not ever reappear.

There are many other issues I should be reporting on, and perhaps I will get
back to them as early as tomorrow, although I might not. But perhaps
something is better than nothing, hm?

TL

DETAILS:
Does everyone know what today is? Farrells' is open for the first time in
three weeks!!!! I'm keeping this short (don't really believe that) so that I
can go get breakfast tacos!

Here are the quickie highlights:

1) City Council
    The contract approval for almost $77,000 was withdrawn from the agenda
last night. Ken Coleman said he and Steve needed to get a few things shored
up first, and hopefully included on that list is a means of insuring
repayment.

    Also withdrawn was a resolution disolving the West Gunnison Sanitation
District, because that district has proposed a change to the resolution that
the city attorney has not yet seen or reviewed.

    But three ordinances passed with little discussion, all of them on
second reading: Vikki's block is now officially B-1; the middle of Van Tuyl
Village is now officially R-3; and a building will be built at the city
shops, with the city mitigating neighbor concerns by installing a berm and
changing the water-filling station so that trucks won't back into it.

    The council heard a presentation from the ever-growing Gunnison Nordic
Club, and city staff is going to look into the possibility of providing fuel
through the city, which would cut out all the taxes the club currently pays
on its fuel. There may be additional money granted to the club, since nordic
skiing is starting to become a tourist draw here. Joellen Fonken said that
if the Gunnison and CB tracks are considered together, the valley offers the
90-100 miles (maybe it was kilometers) of track required to serve as a
visitor attraction, and the Tourism Association should be starting to market
that as a visitable feature.

City attorney Rod Landwehr reported that he will be in court today, seeking
a civil injunction (I think that's what he called it) against a Gunnison
citizen who has written threatening letters to city staff . This will be a
restraining order, and this citizen will not be allowed to communicate via
phone or e-mail with anyone at the city other than Ken Coleman or Rod
Landwehr. This person can still send letters, but can't be closer than 30
yards (which is across the street) from the Municipal Building, unless s/he
has made arrangements to be escorted by a police officer. Rod stressed that
this will allow the citizen to object to ordinances, the same as any
citizen, by attending council meetings, but a police escort will be
required.

2) County Planning Commission
    The commission is currently short-handed two members, although two
citizens have already applied and are awaiting word on appointment to one of
the openings, which was vacated a few months ago by Jeff Wilkinson.
Commission chair Dave Houghton abruptly resigned, citing business and
personal time commitments, and the county commissioners are trying to decide
whether to advertise the position immediately, or wait until Dave's term is
up in March.

    The GVCA would like to see it advertised immediately, because coming
applications that require the "1041" level of review (meaning big projects
that require state-level input) could include: the CBMR Snodgrass expansion;
an oil pipeline on the Somerset side of the mountains; a titanium mine near
Powderhorn; and the newly-renamed Lucky Jack moly mine owned by U.S. Energy
(formerly called Mt. Emmons). The GVCA is also encouraging Gunnison-area
citizens to consider appplying, especially women, since there are no women
on the current commission.


3) Jail
    A small committee of folks from our county made a presentation to a DOLA
(Department of Local Affairs) board that makes recommendations to the state
regarding grant funding. The DOLA board passes along its recommendations by
member, each one voting to fully fund, partially fund, or not fund. The jail
folks watched several split recommendations before hearing that their
proposal, for a $500,000 grant to help fund jail construction, was
recommended unanimously for full funding.

    The county did withdraw its grant request for reconstruction of the
grandstand at the county fairgrounds.


4) RE-1J
    The first note actually comes from city council, since Councilor Bill
Nesbitt reported on his participation at the GHS Site Accountability
Committee meeting. The focus was on security, he said, and for now, the
doors into the high school are locked. Teachers are manning the doors that
provide students access, such as to and from the ag building, and Bill said
there's no "end game in sight," or any indication as to how long this will
be in effect.

    The elementary school held a "Code Red" drill yesterday, so that
students could practice procedures in the event of some sort of attack. At
least one young man stayed home with a "stomachache," which was really a
reaction to the scheduled drill. He reported nightmares of strangers coming
into his school.

On the charter school front, the district did receive an application, late
in the day on the last day of the week-long extension that was granted to
the group making the request. The board was scheduled Monday to review only
the timeline for considering the application. The board has 60 days from
receipt of the application to act on it.

The board was also going to discuss the qualifications and advertising for
transportation director, custodial supervisor and transportation secretary.

Richard was also going to look into the possibility of establishing a
community garden in the weed patch on the Lake Administrative Building
property, as suggested by the Ryter family.

5) Immigrant Integration
    Two GVCA representatives attended a recent meeting of the community
advisory group for the Multiculture Grant (I'm sure that's not the official
name). This is the grant being administered by Mary Burt, with assistance
from Ellen Pederson and many other community members. Vikki reported that
while other communities are having trouble getting started, and one has
already had its grant funding revoked, Gunnison is gaining renown as an
exceptionally well-functioning grantee.

    One of the next projects in the pipeline is establishment of a
low-income health clinic. Roanne Rouse has generously offered the use of her
Main Street Clinic, and many area doctors have agreed to participate. This
clinic will be available to all community members who meet the income
criteria.

6) Ballot Issues
    We never get very far on these, because it's always last in the
discussion. So we're putting it higher on the agenda this week. We may even
be able to offer GVCA recommendations on the ballot issues, although we
won't endorse any candidates.

But above all, we encourage everyone reading this to encourage everyone they
know to get out and vote. I just read somewhere that women, particularly,
tend to vote only in presidential years. Are you really content to let men
make your decisions for you? Get out and vote! And get your mothers, sisters
and girlfriends to vote with you. This was a hard-won privilege; don't be
squandering it. Vote! Vote! Vote! (Men, too.)

Okay, so that wasn't short at all. I have missed my tacos for so long --
away with me!

TL