MEEKER | The Meeker Town Board of Trustees discussed infrastructure, municipal code revisions and upcoming state mandates during its regular December meeting last week.
Public Works Director Jack Kilduff reported that the town pumped 8,942,976 gallons of water in November and provided updates on water system maintenance, staffing and equipment.
“Three, five and six are still needing attention,” Kilduff said, referring to town wells. He said the town plans to clean variable frequency drives in-house rather than outsourcing the work after reviewing costs.
Kilduff also reported progress on staff certifications.
“Bo did pass his paper test, so now he’s working on the next steps to get his CDL,” he said.
Kilduff said the chlorine analyzer that failed earlier in October “has been fixed, repaired and upgrade[d],” though staff are still working through minor issues. Routine water testing for 2025 is complete, but the state has requested repeat samples in 2026 after flagging several results.
Kilduff also asked trustees for direction on modifying a one-ton flatbed pickup used by public works, citing visibility and safety concerns.
“It’s very hard to see out of, kind of a safety dilemma,” Kilduff said of the current configuration. He presented a quote of $12,167.50 to install a dump flatbed, noting it would be more versatile as the town resumes responsibility for parks.
Trustees also discussed upcoming municipal code updates, including zoning changes, subdivision requirements, animal control regulations and compliance with a state mandate requiring adoption of a Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) code by 2026.
Mayor Pro Tem Chris Lockwood said the WUI regulations remain unclear as the state continues to develop guidance.
“I’m not making fun of this. It’s just right now it doesn’t have clear definition, and until it does, it’s going to evolve,” Lockwood said. “That evolution is going to rule changes and code changes and all that stuff.”
Mayor Travis Day emphasized the importance of early coordination with the county and the state so the town can provide input on mapping and enforcement issues before rules are finalized.
Near the end of the meeting, Day said County Administrator Vicky Edwards is working to schedule a parliamentary procedure training in January or February, with an estimated cost of about $1,000.
“We want to keep it fairly small, because what the idea is to have some actual mock board meetings and all kinds of training,” Day said.
The training may include the towns of Meeker and Rangely and select special districts.
Town Manager Mandi Etheridge discussed adjustments to the January meeting schedule.
“I would like to hold our next official public board meeting on Jan. 13,” Etheridge said. “That is the second Tuesday of the month, not the first Tuesday of the month. The first Tuesday is Jan. 6, and there are at least three staff members who are not available that day.”
Etheridge also said she received an invitation from the county for a joint meeting with the town board, county commissioners and the library board.
“I received an invitation from the county to attend a joint meeting with our board, the county commissioners, and the library board on Tuesday, Jan. 13 at 6 p.m.,” Etheridge said.
Trustees agreed to hold the joint meeting at 6 p.m. at the courthouse, followed by the town’s regular January meeting at 7:30 p.m.
Before adjournment, Trustee Charles Day thanked Chief Eddie Thompson for a recent communication change during a fire response.
“On the fire channel, it is so much easier to communicate back and forth, and that was greatly appreciated,” Day said. “It just flows so smooth being able to talk directly with you guys from the fire department.”
Trustee Jessica Browning shared positive feedback from residents following the town’s first snowfall of the season, particularly regarding snowplowing efforts on Ninth Street.
“Three separate community members approached me asking who the driver was, because they wanted to say how great it was,” Browning said. “That was fantastic.”
The meeting concluded with informal remarks as staff continue preparing draft code updates and future workshops for public review early next year.