Trustees talk over school access road in private

MEEKER — After approving hotel and restaurant liquor licenses for Gary’s Smokehouse and the Meeker Hotel and Cafe, the town’s board of trustees and staff members entered into a closed-to-the-public executive session to discuss a portion of Ute Road.
According to the agenda, the executive session was held to discuss ownership and construction of the proposed elementary school access road and its intersection with Sulphur Creek Road. Town Attorney Jerry Viscardi had stated in a previous meeting that the session was needed for the board to receive legal advice on matters that may be subject to future negotiations.
Following the meeting, Meeker Mayor Mandi Etheridge stated, “For the record, let it be stated … board members received some legal advice and discussed strategies for negotiations regarding ownership and construction issues about part of Ute Road … pursuant to those discussions it has been decided that the town board is willing to work toward ownership of a street, the construction of an access road from the town-owned road, Sulphur Creek Road, to the new elementary school. The board believes that there should be an intergovernmental agreement with terms acceptable to the town regarding the construction of said access road and also to discuss other issues such as ownership transference, fiduciary agent, funding and having the street be constructed to town standards. The town is excited that town staff can begin negotiations and discussions with other entities about the possible construction of the new access road, whether it be the current Ute Road or any other idea beyond that.”