RANGELY I Rangely was recently awarded an Energy Conservation Grant from the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) in the amount of $402,000 for the improvement in R-factor and repair of leaks at Town Hall.
The new roof system will take the roof insulation value from an R-19 to R-31. The project was awarded to Pinnt Construction of Grand Junction. The remainder of this grant will go toward energy efficient aeration equipment at the waste water treatment plant, a new highly efficient water intake structure for the water treatment plant and the installation of high efficiency boilers at Town Hall in 2010.
The town will also be working to complete projects on another Energy Impact Grant in the amount of $495,000 awarded last summer for improvements to the wastewater aeration, backwash pond dredging and water plant engineering study to determine causes for building movement and settling on the east side of the water treatment plant.
Both of these DOLA awards will be completed around mid-year 2010.
• The town has been working diligently in the areas of drug enforcement with the addition of our new K-9 officer. Work continues in a serious way on trying to prevent the trafficking of illegal substances on the streets of Rangely. This is, in fact, is a stubborn infestation in our community that has some significant roots. My hope is that law enforcement will be able to report further successes in the coming weeks and months.
• The town will also be posting the pictures, names, addresses and prosecution details of Registered Sex Offenders on its Web site in the near future. This is being done as an informational item for our citizens in the protection of our children.
• The council and town staff are currently in the process of budgeting for 2010. As with 2009, many of the proposed capital projects will be dependent on appropriate funding for things like streets resurfacing, waterline improvements, etc. Many of next year’s funding sources have been minimized or eliminated due to the state of Colorado’s budget shortfall. It will require that much of the service work and maintenance work be accomplished in-house, as is feasible.
• Family Dollar is working on its location with plans to be open before Christmas. We should start to see steel for the building arriving this week. As I mentioned in the last update and due to extensive streets and drainage improvements, the new Kum ‘n’ Go will be delayed until the spring of 2010 when they will start construction.
• Obviously, things have slowed considerably in our community, however the Shop ‘n’ Dine Rangely program was very successful during September with a little more than $89,000 in receipts received and almost $6,000 in vouchers being awarded. The town will continue to work with the Chamber of Commerce to promote our local businesses.
Peter Brixius is the Rangely town manager.
