MEEKER | The Town of Meeker’s Board of Trustees held their bi-monthly meeting last week. Trustees Scott Nielsen, Tiffany Jehorek, Kathy Sizemore, and Charles Day were in attendance, while Trustee Jessica Browning and Mayor Pro-Tem Christopher Lockwood were excused. Mayor Travis Day arrived late because of conflicting meeting.
Before the meeting began, Matt Solomon, with the Northwest Colorado Energy Initiative, joined the board for his third discussion about the potential for nuclear energy in Rio Blanco County. Solomon explained that he would be asking the board questions that he needed answers to, beginning with whether they had any interest in partnering with the federal government to host facilities, such as a spent fuel facility or processing plant. He also asked if multiple projects would be more attractive to the town.
The board agreed that multiple projects would be more appealing. Trustee Sizemore inquired whether these projects could be done in phases, and Trustee Nielsen noted that the board should avoid getting too specific at this stage. Solomon clarified that there is no specific project in mind.
“This is strictly a high-level think tank — what direction could or would we, as Meeker, want to go? When it comes to big projects, the city of Meeker must have the property or capacity for them,” Solomon said.
Solomon explained that Meeker would play a critical role in any project, serving as the housing, restaurant and infrastructure hub. He moved on to inquire about other federal missions the board might be interested in hosting. Trustee Day asked Solomon about the types of options under consideration. Trustee Nielsen noted that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) had discussed moving its headquarters to Grand Junction, Colorado, and Solomon mentioned it might be a possibility again.
Nielsen added, “Anything like that, any type of new jobs or industry where I think we’re going to be behind, I don’t see them putting a 2,000-office headquarters in Meeker.”
Solomon then asked if the town had identified its capacity and population in its strategic planning. The board agreed it had been some time since a master plan had been conducted, with the last one in 2020. Trustee Charles Day noted that there is plenty of room for growth, but Nielsen raised concerns about what would happen if the population doubled.
“We have probably double inside maybe 7,000 population. Anything over that, we run out of room in a heartbeat,” Nielsen said.
The current population of Meeker is about 2,500. Solomon asked the board what partnerships they thought would be needed to build a shared vision. Nielsen suggested involving the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) due to the need to improve Highway 13 and potentially connect it with Interstate 70 and 80.
“You’d have to get CDOT involved because Rio Blanco County can’t absorb the highway traffic,” Nielsen said.
Both Solomon and the board agreed that ongoing outreach through smaller meetings, school programs, social media, and direct community involvement would be essential. They also discussed ensuring the continuity of information across generations, possibly through school STEM programs, scholarships, and structured committees.
Following Solomon’s presentation, Mayor Travis Day arrived to call the meeting to order. Mayor Day had been attending a meeting at the firehouse, so the room waited for him to begin the session, as Mayor Pro-Tem Lockwood was absent.
The board approved the minutes from the previous meeting before discussing the financials. A significant payment of $376,155 for the Circle Park Riverfront project was highlighted. The funds came from various grants. After this discussion, the board moved to approve the financials and opened the public portion of the meeting.
During the public comment period, Matt Solomon provided updates on nuclear energy legislation, including House Bill 1040 and Senate Bill 120, which are federal grants for economic development and regional energy initiatives.
Community member Regas Halandras updated the board on the Meeker Area Mountain Biking Association (MAMBA), a local nonprofit organization. He shared that Mamba had recently received its 501(c)(3) status, allowing it to leverage funds for trails and other projects.
Halandras also provided an update on work done at Ute Park for the sheepdog trials, explaining that they had completed work on the main power pole and installed gates around it to protect it from cows. Additionally, two new bleachers were purchased for $16,000. Halandras mentioned that MAMBA was working on fundraising and planned to apply for a CPW non-motorized grant again after previously losing out on it. He also discussed challenges securing dirt for the Ute Park pump track project, with potential solutions involving repurposing overburden from a water line project.
The board then held a public hearing on Ordinance 03-2025, which proposed amending the budget to account for $865,000 in additional funds from the Community Development Block Grant. These funds would support the nursing on-call program and other projects. The ordinance was unanimously approved.
In new business, Mandi Etheridge presented information on two recent bids. The first was for the Garfield Water Line Replacement Project, for which six bids were received. CRC, Inc. submitted the lowest bid at $1,261,446.92. The project is expected to be completed within 90 days. The second bid was for the annual crack filling project, for which eight bids were received. TNT Striping provided the lowest bid at $29,250. Both bids were awarded accordingly. Etheridge also provided an update on Circle Park construction, reporting that about 90% of the outer wall has been completed, and a flood risk sign will be installed near the bridge.
Other discussions included concerns about a water turbidity curtain in the river, which was confirmed to be temporary, and the use and accessibility of Robert Street, which will undergo further evaluation. A potential workshop was suggested to discuss a water line issue in more detail.
The meeting was adjourned, with the next regular meeting scheduled for April 8, 2025.