RBC I Commissioners, the sheriff’s office, road and bridge department, and the economic development office have been fielding calls from tourists and hunters regarding OHV permissible roads.
According to RBC Sheriff Anthony Mazzola, “By the letter of the law, prior to the trail system, you couldn’t operate an OHV on any county road. We as law enforcement will deal with those (roads) on a case-by-case basis.”
The commissioners agreed to address the issue at their next meeting, with Commissioner Jon Hill suggesting the board “rewrite the resolution to say all county roads are open (to OHVs) except…”
County roads 5, 7, and 1 are likely to be subject to OHV restrictions because of high traffic volume, making them unsafe for OHV traffic.
Commissioner Jeff Eskelson encouraged residents to be aware of Ouray County’s attempts to push through another state-level legislation that would require users of OHVs to have driver’s licenses. The implication of that legislation could be economically harmful to Rio Blanco County’s OHV trail system.
Rangely business owner Beth Wiley appeared before the board with her proposal for a monthly magazine that would “celebrate and tell the story of the Rangely community.” Wiley is seeking financial support from the county and other government entities for the project. The board agreed to consider her request—$1,000 a month for top-tier support or $500 a month for second-tier support—in their budget planning for 2017.
Commissioner Shawn Bolton shared information about his recent trip to Coos Bay, Ore., visiting the proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal and storage facility there, the Jordan Cove LNG project.
If everything is approved, LNG from Rio BLanco County could be sent internationally through Jordan Cove, requiring “five to 10 drilling rigs running year-round” to supply the demand.
Bolton said he was encouraged by the reception he received in Oregon. “It was neat to go into a community a be welcomed like we were,” he said.
A Tokyo conglomerate has signed on as a customer, covering more than 50 percent of the customer base for Federal Energy Regulatory Commission requirements. The agreement would create a partnership between Colorado and Oregon. The project has an estimated 42-month plan for completion once it’s started.
“Environmentalists argue that it’s (LNG) bad, but LNG reduces the carbon footprint,” Bolton said. “We will support coal as long as we can, but LNG is up and coming.”
In other business the commissioners approved the liquor license renewal for Elk Creek Ranch, and discussed emergency repairs of the bridge at County Road 77 between Meeker and Rangely.
