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Citing a large concentration of medical marijuana businesses in Penrose and impacts upon neighbors next door the Fremont County Commissioner denied a request at their May 10th meeting to expand a medical marijuana cultivation business at the former Bikertown in Penrose.   Leif Wagner of Mile High Green Cross had sought a modification to his medical marijuana license to allow for expansion into an existing empty greenhouse in front of the former Bikertown building along Highway 115 as well as building another new greenhouse.

The resolution adopted by the Board of Commissioners in denying the expansion listed a number of findings including neighborhood impacts of marijuana odor to a pair of nearby restaurants and the fact that the Penrose area has an unusually high concentration of medical marijuana businesses.   Residents have repeatedly complained that more marijuana businesses along Highway 115 have a negative economic impact on their community.

The most controversial issue to emerge from the May 10th meeting was consideration by the commissioners to formally go on record in opposition to Amendment 69 on Colorado’s November ballot.  Amendment 69 would create a government run, single payer health care system paid for with $25 billion in new taxes.   Commission Chairman Ed Norden said he requested the agenda item intending to personally voice opposition to the proposed amendment.   Norden said he felt that signing a letter of opposition by the entire board would send an even louder message about how bad the amendment would be for Fremont County and Colorado.

Norden noted that the $25 billion collected under Amendment 69 would not be subject to Tabor limits and it would take Colorado from one of the lowest income tax rates in the nation to among the top ten states for income taxes.   Norden said the biggest unknown if the amendment were to pass is how many jobs could be lost because businesses would close their doors or avoid doing business in Colorado because of the 10 percent increase in payroll taxes.

Upon learning that the commissioners were considering a statement of opposition to Amendment 69, several supporters of the amendment appeared before the board asking them not take a public position or at least delay the matter for more study.   Pastor Bob Kippley said if the rate of cost increases for premiums, co-insurance and deductible continues on the same trajectory it has the last 20 years, many individuals and companies will find paying for health care impossible.   He said a systemic change is needed because of the suffering that the present health care system is causing the citizens of Fremont County.   Doug Smith said that beyond the issues within the amendment itself he believed the board should not take a position on behalf of the citizens of Fremont County and instead simply let the voters decide.

District 2 Commissioner Debbie Bell said she doesn’t want to see Colorado be a guinea pig for health care, the way it has for legalizing marijuana.   Bell said “Amendment 69 does not give us that freedom of choice, and I am completely against it."

Commissioner Tim Payne said it concerns him that voters won't have an opportunity to make decisions once a 21 member board is seated, and if the amendment is written into the Constitution, it takes away the ability of legislators to tweak it if there is an issue.

The commissioners voted unanimously to write a letter publicly stating opposition to Amendment 69.

In other business at the May 10th meeting the commissioners:

• Authorized the chairman to write a letter of support for the Upper Arkansas Area Council of Government’s 30 unit housing project that would be built along Justice Center Road.   The project would be targeted to assist homeless people;
• Approved a modification to the Cranberry Park Planned Unit Development plan along Steinmeier Avenue to permit front setback changes;
• Approved a professional services agreement with Reilly-Johnson Architects for design work on renovating the kitchen and laundry areas of the Fremont County Jail.   The design work fee will amount to $215,700;
• Approved a water service agreement with the City of Florence for purchase of a ¾ inch water tap at the Fremont County Airport.   The water tap will serve new office space for the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention which will be headquartering at the airport.

Fremont County Commissioner Ed Norden shows his appreciation to Fremont County Head Start Director Jo Beth Palmer on April 19th at Head Start Safety Town. Palmer said with Norden leaving office at the end of this year the staff wanted to note his support of Head Start over the years as a board member of the Upper Arkansas Area Council of Governments.

Fremont County Head Start staff members honored two individuals at this year’s annual Head Start Safety Town.   The Head Start center in Brookside hosted their 41st annual Safety Town USA which is designed to deliver important safety messages to young children in a fun and entertaining way.   Head Start administrators dedicated the 2016 Safety Town to Gregg Goodland, Fire Prevention Technician with the US Forest Service Office in Cañon City.   Goodland has come to be affectionately known by all the kids at Safety Town as “Ranger Gregg”.   Goodland shared a story of having contacted a family one day on a forest service road and the youngster riding in the truck instantly recognized him as Ranger Gregg from Safety Town.    Goodland said that contact reinforced for him the value and importance of the Safety Town messages to children.

Head Start staff also honored Fremont County Commission Chairman Ed Norden for his long term support of the Head Start program.   Head Start Director Jo Beth Palmer said that over his more than five years of service on the Board of Directors of the Upper Arkansas Area Council of Governments Norden has continually supported Head Start staff, administrators, and parents.   Norden said he’s attended lots of Safety Town events over the years but his service on the COG Board has allowed him to see firsthand the real value of the services Head Start provides to families in Fremont County throughout the entire school year.    Norden added that he has been particularly impressed with the dedication of the Head Start staff and parents.

It took three readings and several amendments before the Fremont County Board of Commissioners settled on the language in a county ordinance that will seek to control indoor and outdoor home cultivation of marijuana.    When the ordinance was tabled a second time at the March 22nd meeting the commissioners were concerned that a limit of 99 plants was still too excessive.    District 2 Commissioner Debbie Bell had referred to a 36 plant limit imposed in Pueblo County as a guide.   In the end the ordinance adopted in Fremont County places a limit of 36 marijuana plants cultivated outdoors for persons owning ten acres of property or less.    If someone is the owner of 10 acres or more they will be able to grow up to 99 plants.

Commissioner Bell said the board did its best to compromise in recognizing the desires of medical marijuana caregivers as well as neighbors who have to put up with marijuana cultivation.   Bell said the ordinance is not written in stone and if problems present themselves the commissioners can go back and amend it again.   The ordinance went into effect last Sunday, April 17th.   It also requires that medical marijuana caregivers be registered with the county through the Planning and Zoning Department.

It was the licensing of ambulances for agencies in western Fremont County that stirred controversy at the April 12th commissioners’ meeting.    The Deer Mountain Fire District proposed to the Board of Commissioners that they be licensed for Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance service and be designated as the agency to serve not only the Deer Mountain Fire District but also the Highway 50 corridor from Parkdale to the Chaffee County line.   Arkansas River Ambulance (ARA), previously known as Arkansas Valley Ambulance, has been embroiled in internal controversy amongst board members for the past two years and has been challenged in recent months to maintain service.   A Fremont County District Court ruling was believed to be the final death knell for ARA but board members who are now in charge told the commissioners that they have every intent of reviving the agency and sought a license for ALS services.

County Medical Director Dr. Paul Numsen acknowledged that he believed the animosity between ARA and Deer Mountain has gotten in the way of patient care.   He said he felt like he was constantly putting out fires the last 2 ½ years.   It was Numsen’s recommendation not to relicense Ark River Ambulance.   However, when he was asked if he would continue to serve as medical director for Ark River if the commissioners chose to relicense the agency, Numsen said he would agree to do so.

With the Deer Mountain Fire District arguing to be the sole licensee in order to respond to the Highway 50 corridor, Commission Chairman Ed Norden said it sounded like Deer Mountain was giving the Board of Commissioners an ultimatum that their plan wouldn’t work unless the Board anointed them as the only agency to cover the Highway 50 corridor.   Norden said, “I think this board is very uncomfortable with that ultimatum”.   District 2 Commissioner Debbie Bell said she was uncomfortable being put into the middle of the fight between ambulance companies saying, “I really have no interest in being a pawn in what I consider a hostile takeover”.

The Board of Commissioners ultimately issued ambulance licenses to both Deer Mountain and Ark River urging them to sort out their differences and prioritize patient care as the primary goal.

In other business at the April 12th commissioners meeting the Board:

• Presented the 2015 Fremont County Accountability Report as prepared by Commissioner Bell.   The detailed power point report can be reviewed by clicking on the link on Fremont County’s home web page;
• Reappointed Michael Pullen to another three year term on the Fremont County Planning Commission;
• Reappointed Tony Adamic to represent Fremont County for another two years on the Fremont G.I.S. Authority Board;
• Approved a Special Events Liquor Permit for the Cañon City Rodeo Association for the May 6th and 7th Royal Gorge Rodeo;
• Took no action on a temporary use permit for Singleton Lee who wanted to stage Super Bud Bowl III promoting marijuana businesses on the weekend of April 22nd and 23rd.   Lee withdrew his application telling the commissioners that the Desert Reef Hot Springs off of State Highway 120 east of Florence had withdrawn its offer to lease its property for the event.

The Fremont County Board of Commissioners is cooperating with the Upper Arkansas Area Council of Governments (UAACOG), and the Florence Grassroots and Clean-Up in sponsoring an electronics recycling event this Saturday, April 9th, at Florence City Hall, 600 W. 3rd Street.  During this event, you will be able to recycle your televisions, computers, printers, and other small electronics at a reduced cost.  The electronic recycling reduced prices include: Computer monitors--$10, CPU’s--$5, and desktop printers--$5.  Small electronics, such as stereos, can also be recycled for $5.  Keyboards, cords, cell phones, ink cartridges, mice and other small peripherals will be taken at no charge when you recycle other components.

Televisions can also be recycled at this event at a reduced cost.   The current standard cost of recycling a television is over $2 a diagonal inch, but at this event, the cost will be $1 per diagonal inch, thanks to assistance from Fremont County.  The Board of Commissioners budgeted $7,500 from the county’s Waste Disposal Fund in 2016 to aid in electronics recycling events across Fremont County.   The commissioners recognized that the county and private property owners are already dealing with the cost of illegal dumping of electronics on county road rights of way and private rural properties.

Colorado implemented a landfill ban on electronics in July of 2013.   Waste electronics and computers from residential and non-residential sources cannot be disposed of in solid waste landfills in Colorado. Harmful chemicals can leach out of this waste and contaminate soil and groundwater. Electronics will be recycled by Southern Colorado Recyclers, a Colorado-registered electronics recycler, as required by CDPHE. All electronics will be recycled responsibly and all hard drives will be destroyed.   Hours for the electronics recycling event this Saturday at Florence City Hall are from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

For more information, please contact Beth with UAACOG’s Regional Recycling Program, Upper Arkansas Recycling at 275-1675.