Thanks to higher than expected revenue and lower than estimated expenses, Town Clerk Lisa Cook told the Meeker Board of Trustees, “It appears we’ll be using very little, if any, of our reserves this year,” during staff updates at the Nov. 16 regular meeting.
The board reviewed the final draft of the 2022 budget, which is scheduled for a vote during a special meeting on Monday, Dec. 13. The town’s general fund budget for the coming year is set at $4.155 million. Of that, $1.9 million is budgeted for systems development, including $250K for Circle Park Phase 2, $418K for sidewalks on Fifth Street to Circle Park and on School Street, $100K for upgrades to the town shop on Third Street, $65K for maintenance and carpeting on the third floor of Town Hall, $61K for a new police patrol vehicle, and $566K transferred to the water fund from American Rescue Plan funding that will be used for a water project. Based on current estimates, $1.74 million in reserves will be required to balance the budget as submitted.
The water fund 2022 budget is set at $1.49 million, with $855K for capital improvements (water line replacement on Garfield St.) offset by the $566K from the American Rescue Plan. Another $184K is earmarked for replacement of the Seventh Street overflow, and $30K for software replacement for the bulk water loadout. It will take $300,000 in reserves to balance the 2022 water fund budget as written.
The property tax mill levy is expected to generate $228,907 in revenue for the town.
The board also discussed — at length — whether to amend a lease agreement with David Smith to allow cattle grazing at Ute Park for up to 30 days in November/December.
Trustees Melissa Kindall and Wendy Gutierrez objected to the amendment.
““The public perception is that when there are livestock out there it is not city property that they can utilize,” Kindall said.
Gutierrez, who has long opposed the lease agreement, echoed Kindall’s statement, saying she wants to see public park property available for the people in the town year round. “Every day there’s a cow out there it’s sending a message to the people that live in the town that it’s not public ground.”
Trustee Travis Day said Meeker has more public parks per capita than other towns in Colorado, adding, “Until we have money to carry out plans out there I think it’s good. People who come to me say they love seeing the cows out there.” Public perception about accessibility, he said, can be changed.
Trustees Scott Creecy and Chris Lockwood said they would have preferred to see the town put money toward Ute Park plans than toward the plans for continued upgrades to Circle Park.
In the end, the board approved the amendment, with Kindall and Gutierrez opposed.
The board also approved a $5,000 donation toward the Meeker Skijor event, scheduled for Feb. 19-20, 2022. This will be the third year for the event, and organizer Diana Jones said it is continuing to grow, with both participant and spectator numbers increasing. The town donated $5,000 last year, which went toward the winner’s purse.
Jones thanked the town for its help with preparation and support for the event.
Town Administrator Mandi Etheridge presented a letter to the board from the state’s division of engineers. Last year marked the 10-year evaluation of water rights, and the town’s junior water rights were placed on the “abandonment” list, because the town has never needed or used the additional water.
“Our senior water rights are producing all of the water,” Etheridge said.
The abandonment list will be finalized at the end of 2021 and will go to water court in 2022. The town filed a protest against the abandonment status, but the state denied the protest, and the town’s legal counsel recommended not continuing the fight in court.
Asked about future water use, Public Works Director Russell Overton said the town’s wells, with the senior water rights, “can do 8 million gallons a day, we average 2 million a day in the summer.” Even with dramatic population growth, it’s not expected the junior rights — obtained in the late 1970s or early 1980s, would be needed.
By NIKI TURNER – editor@editorht1885.com
