Open space tax heads for ballot

Durango City Council members have agreed to put a ballot question to voters this April that would raise sales tax to fund open space projects, among other things. Currently, the council is working to draft effective ballot language.

An additional half cent at the cash register could add up to big dollars for Durango open space, parks and trails, and other capital expenses. On Tuesday, council members agreed unanimously on an April ballot issue that will ask voters to increase local sales tax by .5 percent. The jump could raise as much $2.6 million in 2005, and with projected increases in sales and inflation, $104 million by 2025.

Last weekend, the council worked to get the public pulse on the issue with a survey of local residents. The survey revealed that a majority of residents support a sales tax increase with half covering parks, open space and trails, and half going to capital improvements.

"Basically, we had conducted a real quick survey over the weekend of 250 city residents and the results were interesting," said council member Virginia Castro. "Seventy-one percent of the respondents said they would support a resolution that included parks and open space and trails elements along with other capital improvements."

The next step in the process will be formulating effective ballot language for which the city has enlisted the aid of the Trust for Public Lands.

"The ballot language is going to be key," Castro said. "It needs to weigh the open space component adequately enough that people will feel like that need will be addressed."

Once the language is finalized the council will likely adopt a formal resolution at one of its regular meetings.

EPA inspects local treatment plant

The Environmental Protection Agency has numerous possible concerns about the Durango Wastewater Treatment Plant. Following an inspection last fall, the agency is currently considering what to do about complaints of inadequate wastewater treatment, issues with paper work, lack of capital improvements and other issues. The City of Durango is considering the experience a positive one and is in the process of making improvements.

Last fall's inspection was triggered in part by the urging of the Friends of the Animas Valley and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe. Both had expressed concerns that the plant was in violation of clean water standards, noting high fecal coliform readings in June on water that was being returned to the Animas River.

"We sent a letter to the EPA on Sept. 1, and they visited the plant several weeks later," said Renee Parsons, FOAV president. "Initially, our question was, 'Is this facility providing the infrastructure for current growth?' As we got more involved with it, we realized there's a significant public health risk here."

The city has responded to the EPA and agrees with some of the agency's findings.

"We were glad to have the inspection, which we took to be more of an audit," said Jack Rogers, public works director. "If the auditor comes in and says you have no problems, it's not very constructive. We now know what they suggested, and we've worked to address most of the issues."

While Rogers acknowledges discrepancies in some areas of the plant's operations, he denounces charges that the city has not been treating wastewater adequately. He argued that the city typically treats the water to standards that are much higher than the plant's permit requirements.

"We don't think that anyone should be objecting to how well we're treating the wastewater," Rogers said. "They might object to how we do the paper work, but we don't think there's any problem with the way we're treating our wastewater."

The EPA will carefully consider its findings in coming weeks before arriving at any judgment.

Jailbreak ends in local motel room

A La Plata County Detention Center inmate had a brief taste of freedom last weekend. Jared Christopher Folsom, age 28, broke out of his cell late on Saturday evening but was found by a SWAT team several hours later.

During an inmate headcount at 10 p.m. on Sat., Jan. 8, deputies with La Plata County Detention Center discovered that a prisoner was missing from his cell.Further investigation revealed that a narrow window and frame had been removed from the cell and then set back in place.

Folsom was being held on a $50,000 bond foran incident in early December near Elmore's Corner where he committed an armed robbery at a home and fired at least one shot during the incident. Two handgunsstolen at the time were never recovered and there was concern that Folsom would reclaim those weapons.

La Plata Sheriff's Office Deputies tracked Folsom through deep snow for about an hour, and his tracks led them first to the Bodo Game Reserve, then to County Road 211 and eventuallyto the Super 8 Motel on the southern edge of Durango.His trackswere seen entering the motel but not leaving.A perimeter was established and the La Plata County Sheriff's Office SWAT team and Durango Police Department SWAT team were called to the scene. SWAT members began searching eachroom on all three floors of the motel, and at 1:07 a.m. officers contacted a man who was asleep in one of the rooms.When informed of the jail escapee, the man welcomed them to search his room.Officers then found Folsom hiding behind a shower curtain. The motel guest was taken aback.

Folsom was arrestedand transported back to La Plata Detention Center and now faces felony escape and trespass charges as well as his armed robbery and burglary charges.

The escape took place in an older, less secure part of the jail where prisoners were being temporarily housed due to remodeling that was taking place in the higher security section of the facility.

Uranium mining returns to region

Uranium mining is returning to the Four Corners area. The Cotter Corporation, a subsidiary of General Atomics, reopened three uranium mines north of Dove Creek in Paradox Valley in September. The company has plans to reopen three additional mines, two in Paradox and one near the Uravan townsite, which was abandoned because of high radiation levels.

The reopenings are because of a spike in the value of uranium, according to Stuart Sanderson, director of the Colorado Mining Association. The increase is tied in part to consumer demand for alternative power sources as natural gas prices have risen. Another factor is a diminishing uranium reserve worldwide. As a result, the per-pound price of uranium has doubled in the last year, from $10 to $20.

"It is nice to see a resurgence in mining," Sanderson told the Telluride Watch. "In fact there are several mining commodities that are coming back."

The reopened mines have brought some jobs to the area, according to the Cotter Corporation, and many of the workers are coming from Cortez and Dove Creek. Currently, the mines are producing 30 tons of ore per day.

Buzz Bus popular on New Year's Eve

The Buzz Bus proved popular on New Year's Eve. Two buses were used to serve 164 transit customers, which marked a 60 percent increase in riders over last New Year's Eve. Transit Supervisor Charles Gruver, who assisted with driving when the service became extremely busy after midnight said, "We were very pleased to see the increased demand this year. Apparently a lot of people understand that the Late Night Bus offers a safe alternative to driving on a night like New Year's Eve." Gruver added that most of the riders originated from lodging properties on North Main Avenue.

The City-sponsored Late Night Bus program has operated in Durango since January of 2004, and continues to be popular among guests and locals. One-way rides cost $3 per one-way trip. The service is available every Friday and Saturday night after 11 p.m. and serves downtown Durango, Crestview, North Main Avenue, Florida Road, Fort Lewis College, and Highway 160 West within the city limits. The last bus leaves the College and Main Avenue stop at 2 a.m.

People who want to access the Late Night Bus or other transit services in Durango should call 259-5438.

- compiled by Will Sands