Meeker

Cemetery district adopts budget, announces capital projects for 2018

MEEKER | “I did everything I could to make it happen,” said Highland Cemetery manager Mike Jones about the absence of Christmas lights around the flagpole this season. “It wasn’t for lack of effort.”
Last summer the flagpole at the cemetery snapped in half, presumably due to a microburst. The replacement pole is “hurricane strength,” but the flagpole supplier suggested using a smaller flag to keep the weight off the pole and avoid a repeat of the 2016 problem. Adding Christmas lights to the pole is an additional weight.
In the past four 150 foot strings of rope lights were raised around the flagpole using the pole’s cable system.
“Those rope lights are heavy,” Jones said. After spending five hours attempting to raise the lights and attach them to the new, larger pole, Jones said he didn’t want to take the chance on breaking another flagpole.
“If we snap that cable, it’s a big job (to fix.) I’ll figure out something for next year. The Christmas lights are something I really like, too,” he said.
Total projected revenue for 2017 was $592,268. Projected expenditures totaled $358,188.81, leaving $234,079.56 in reserves carrying over to 2018. The beginning fund balance for 2018 is $1.8 million. The board approved the 2018 budget at the meeting.
“I think the employees did a good job seeing the direction the board wanted to go with cutting expenses,” said board chair Joe Conrado.
“I think they’ve done a good job,” echoed board member Melinda Parker. “We’ve had some unexpected expenses and we were able to absorb those. I like the way that we’re trying to give the taxpayers a break. The cemetery still looks nice and we’re trying to do some new things.”
One of the unplanned expenses in 2017 involved replacing a water pump for irrigation.
“We’re now saving $200 a month on pumping costs, and the new pump works better,” Conrado said.
The board approved a “tax holiday” in the collection of the mill levy for the district, providing a temporary property tax credit that reduces district revenue by $100,000. The mill levy reduction for 2018 from 0.867 to 0.696 will provide a savings of $14 for the average $250,000 home, $71 for a $350,000 business commercial real property and $212 in savings for oil and gas production properties.
Cemetery district plans for 2018 include improvements to the cremains garden and the walk-in gate.
“We want to improve it,” said Jones of the cremains garden. “It’s a maintenance trap.” The 2018 budget includes plans to replace the graveled walkways with concrete and extend the grass to the roadways.
“It will be easier to shovel and provide better handicap access, as well as less maintenance,” Jones said. Improvements also include automating the fountain. The estimated cost of the improvements is slightly more than $35,000, to be completed by Memorial Day.
Additional capital improvements include adding concrete sidewalks to the walk-in gate at the cemetery entrance, and potentially adding an automatic opener to the drive-through gate on a timer. Currently, Jones has to drive up to the cemetery twice daily, seven days a week, to unlock and lock the gate.
The board plans to hold a workshop in January to review the terms of its employee handbook, portions of which Conrado and Parker stated they are “uncomfortable” with.

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  • Jake Blazon at bat for the Meeker Cowboys. The MHS team brought home two wins against Olathe and lost two against the North Fork Miners. The location for this weekend’s games has not been announced due to weather and field conditions. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
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  • It's that time again! Another edition of great local news stories is 
🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week.
Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! 
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Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch.  See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
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Jake Blazon at bat for the Meeker Cowboys. The MHS team brought home two wins against Olathe and lost two against the North Fork Miners. The location for this weekend’s games has not been announced due to weather and field conditions. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
Jake Blazon at bat for the Meeker Cowboys. The MHS team brought home two wins against Olathe and lost two against the North Fork Miners. The location for this weekend’s games has not been announced due to weather and field conditions. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
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The 2024 Meeker High School boys basketball team held their awards banquet last week. Jace Mobley was named Player of the Western Slope League and all-conference, Ryan Sullivan all-conference, Jonathon Fitzgibbons all-conference, Ethan Quinn honorable mention all-conference, Jacob Simonsen honorable mention all conference. Mobley will play in All State games. Coach Klark Kindler was named Western Slope Coach of the Year. Left to right: Bryan Rosas, Simonsen, Quinn, Fitzgibbons, Mobley and Sullivan.
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It's that time again! Another edition of great local news stories is 
🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week.
Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! 
We appreciate all your continued support!
It's that time again! Another edition of great local news stories is 🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week. Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! We appreciate all your continued support!
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Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch.  See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
Mormon crickets have hatched near Rangely. They were all sighted on BLM land north of Hwy. 64 near the junction of CR 96 and CR 1, down a dirt road near the Moffat County line. The picture shown was taken yesterday by Mary Meinen from Rangely. She says the crickets are about the size of a ladybug (less than 1/2”). Some of them are actually yellow in color but most of them are darker. They are milling around and getting ready to start moving soon. Note: Photo is not to scale. Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch. See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
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