RANGELY I On Tuesday, Aug. 24, the Rangely Town Board of Trustees met to discuss exciting business that is moving forward in and for Rangely and the county.
With no public input, the meeting moved into supervisor reports with Town Manager Lisa Piering updating from her check-in with the Rio Blanco County Commissioners. She shared that federal funding and grants for investment in solar power with Cogency are moving forward. She advised the trustees to consider this before investing in other fashions of solar power as Cogency offers economic development and hope for residency and programs through CNCC.
Piering also offered brief updates from other meetings.
The Chamber of Commerce meeting had a nice turnout and McKenzie Webber detailed upcoming events and initiatives. It is suggested that she will update the town board monthly. The application for the REDI grant is approved and the total matching is approximately $5,000 for the town.
At the RDA/RDC meeting, each group discussed initiatives including the trail master plans, fiber, and airport improvements.
Utilities Supervisor Don Reed stated that usage for August was lower than previous Augusts in the last four years. Reed told the board the town’s water supply had lowered to about 50 CFS. This typically would have set the wheels in motion for water restrictions but, with the recent weather and rain, supply was restored to approximately 140 CFS which is more sustainable. He shared the need for a preset pond to support the community’s water demands. Due to the drought, the town could be caught in a difficult position. This will be further discussed between the departments and the board. Reed also shared that the White River and Douglas Creek Conservancy were planning to host a bus tour for federal and state legislators at the water treatment plant and a tour of the Wolf Creek Reservoir site on Monday, Aug. 30. He plans to urge them to move forward on this project as it is becoming critical to Rangely’s needs. Reed also said that the La Mesa water line project broke ground on Tuesday, Aug. 24.
The Town of Rangely received a Moon Lake Electric CoBank award through the Sharing Success Program to make improvements at White River Village. Ducey’s Electric contributed the labor for installation of lighting in the hallways.
By KATIE KING | Special to The Herald Times
