Rangely moves on plant funding

RANGELY I The Rangely Town Board took steps March 26 to move funding forward for the second phase of a three-year, $5.5 million water treatment plant overhaul.
The board approved a bond council engagement letter, which is mandatory for the town’s consideration for a $1.5 million Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority revolving fund loan given at 2 percent interest.
A bond council “levies opinions about our credit worthiness as a town before the state actually loans us the money,” Rangely Town Manager Peter Brixius said.
The council also approved an application to be submitted for a $1 million Energy and Mineral Impact Assistance Fund (EIAF) grant request to offset some of the cost of the town’s Phase II Water Treatment Plant renovations.
The loan application and grant request processes should be complete by late summer or early fall, Brixius said.
A public hearing and first reading of Ordinance 677, to continue a moratorium on the use or consumption of marijuana on commercial and industrial zoned property, was also held. A second public hearing and reading of the ordinance will happen during the April 23 meeting.
The meeting included a council endorsement of the letter from Rangely Mayor Frank Huitt in support of the energy industry, asking the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to reconsider the need for an additional environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Roan Plateau. Rather, the letter urged the BLM to accept an environmental assessment (EA) to “justify the current inadequacies in the current EIS.”
The Rangely Police Department was also granted a capital request of up to $10,000 for patrol rifles and armored vests. The department has received a bid for the items from Adamson Police Products and will be moving forward on the purchases.