Monday, 02 January 2012 07:48

The Pitkin County Commissioners hold weekly work sessions on Tuesdays and bi-monthly public hearings on Wednesdays in the Plaza One building (next to the Courthouse) in Aspen.  Both meetings are televised live and repeated on locater CG12 TV.  They are also streamed live and available on the County website. Agendas are posted in the Aspen/Glenwood newspapers and on-line at www.aspenpitkin.com.   In this column, your District 5 Commissioner, George Newman offers his take on current matters.   You can reach him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .   
 

 

2011 YEAR IN REVIEW

2011 was a challenging and productive year for the BOCC.  It began with a new Commissioner (Rob Ittner) a new Sheriff (Joe DiSalvo) and a new County Manager (Jon Peacock).   

Some exciting accomplishments this year included:
The recently completed 1000’ runway extension at the Pitkin County Airport which allows airlines to utilize more seats and improve passenger safety.  In addition, we are in the midst of developing a new master plan for both the airport and terminal.  (Public meetings will continue into next year for further input.)  This year we also prioritized a future transportation access plan for Highway 82 and the AABC, including ongoing work for a grade-separated pedestrian crossing.  The airport master plan will look at how to integrate its traffic flows into this busy intersection.

Based on considerable citizen and Community Development input, we finalized new land use code amendments for agricultural structures and new standards for solar installations.  We are now interviewing interested citizens to serve on the new Agriculture Advisory Committee.  Also based on community meetings, County staff’s and attorney’s input, the BOCC took a pass on the permitting and licensing of marijuana dispensaries and grow sites in Pitkin County.  

In November, we sought and were successful in gaining voters’ approval for the continuation of the Healthy Community Fund enabling us to continue to support human service organizations in the Valley who do so much to meet the needs of our citizens struggling in these tough economic conditions.  Thank you to all who voted!

This year, our Open Space and Trails department was awarded a CDOT Scenic Byway grant to begin work on Elk Park as part of the related Redstone Master Plan.  We also completed the restoration of the Redstone Coke Ovens; a remarkable project in and of itself.

I traveled to Washington DC twice in 2011 on behalf of Pitkin County.  Last spring, as a RFTA board member as well as a Commissioner, I joined a small contingency to lobby our Senators and the Department of Transportation for funding of the BRT program.  The success of that effort secured a $24 million grant that had been on hold due to the Congressional budgeting process (or lack thereof).  I returned in the fall to meet our Congressional delegates and top administrators in the Departments of Agriculture and Interior to lobby for the protection of the Thompson Divide area.  Two weeks later, Senators Bennett and Udall wrote to Secretary Salazar supporting our request to delay the unitization of oil and gas leases in the Lake Ridge area until issues such as the gap leases can be addressed and to encourage further talks between the industry and the Thompson Divide Coalition.

This past year we also provided comments to the USFS on the environmental assessment of the White Banks Mine (alabaster) plan for operations and we will continue to monitor it. We argued against year-round mining, 24 hour mining, and onsite housing.  Concerns include the impacts to wildlife and neighbors, and safety issues with truck traffic on/off Highway 133.

We weighed in on the proposed USAF low altitude flight training, requesting a full EIS to determine the environmental impacts these flights would have over the County and wilderness areas.  Most recently, we sent a letter to the COGCC (Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission) regarding their rule on fracking fluid disclosure, stating that anything less than full disclosure is unacceptable for health and safety reasons.

Water issues also took center stage for the BOCC.  These involved filing an opposition in Water Court to the West Divide Project up the Crystal, pursuing a recreational in-stream flow application on the Roaring Fork River in Basalt with the Colorado Water Conservation Board, and requisitioning an independent study on the proposed Castle Creek hydro-electric project in Aspen, to name a few.  All of these public land and water issues remain unresolved and will stay in the forefront as we look to our 2012 agenda.

I hope this column has kept you well informed of County business this past year.  Your comments are always welcomed.  Wishing you a healthy and prosperous New Year!

 

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