The Town of Nucla held one of its two regular monthly meetings May 13. Then, in the public comment Rudi Barbee went before the board with a complaint against town staff. He said it’s the third complaint he’s made.
He’s unhappy that he was not only issued a citation but also that the clean-up started two hours late. He said the Town of Naturita’s clean-up was run more smoothly.
Barbee said he helped load debris for the first hour and a half of clean-up. Later, he said he transported some materials to citizens, because he thought they might want it for creating art. When he returned materials, he said he was questioned for bringing in too much waste. Barbee told the board he was bringing trailer loads from various residences to help others clean up their properties. He told the board he felt targeted, and the whole thing was not good for his blood pressure.
Overall, he said the clean-up was run poorly, and people were rude to him.
In that meeting, trustees appointed Jason Richardson to replace Joseph Hittinger’s vacancy. Richardson is employed by Williams Construction, has a young family and expressed eagerness to serve the board.
As local communities have been working on policies for workforce housing, in light of the Four Seasons project and more, trustees ratified a vote related to a May 4 meeting. The original vote was not unanimous, as trustee Aimee Tooker has a less restrictive approach to workforce housing. She told the Forum she’s looking ahead to the mining industry. Other trustees appear to have a more restrictive, protective approach to workforce housing, considering the workforce coming in from Mountain Village.
Trustees reviewed and discussed the notice of public hearing for the proposed West End Health Service District, a preliminary step to creating a local mini-hospital. There’s a meeting in Nucla June 10 at 6 p.m. at Nucla Community Center. Mayor Paula Brown said it’s important for the town to stand behind the work and said the town should consider writing a letter of support too. Both Brown and Tooker will also attend the June 3 meeting in Montrose on the proposed district, after they attend a Colorado Municipal League meeting that day.
In other news, trustees discussed with John Reed of the Nucla VFW a 50-amp outlet at the Nucla Community Center to better support the VA mobile medical unit coming. Trustees agreed the east wall is the best place. The work will cost around $1,500, and electrician Chris Tooker will handle it. Reed also suggested replacing the outside lights too.
The Drought Water Resolution is still not done, but close. Trustees have been working to align Nucla’s version with Naturita’s, though Nucla has a raw water system. And, Mustang Water Authority had a meeting the Monday after the May 13 meeting. With the reservoir being full, water in the ditch and some rain happening, the resolution is not urgent and will be done as soon as possible. Trustee Tim Pierce has done considerable work on the document.
A Land Use and Development Code Workshop is scheduled June 24 at 4:30 p.m. in Nucla, before the town’s regular monthly meeting. Solutions for derelict properties are still being discussed.
On the agenda was an item submitted by Tooker, to consider testing of the town’s new cell tower, an issue that has sparked community debate. Tooker said testing could show parents radiation levels are appropriate and prove that the town and school have done due diligence. Pierce asked what sort of testing would take place and at what cost.
After the meeting, Tooker told the Forum she’d researched a company in Boulder, but also wondered if EcoAction Partners, who often does various testing for free, might do the work. She said if it can help retain students in the district by easing parents’ fears, it will be worth it. She said a school official told her that if five children withdraw from West End Public Schools it could cost the district as much as $100,000.
