Rangely council cleans up junk, trash municipal codes

RANGELY — Town council members recently cleaned up sections of the municipal code aimed at cleaning up junk and trash.
“It primarily deals with offenses related to refuse, junk vehicles and some parking violations, and enforcement of those issues,” said Peter Brixius, town manager. “(The revised ordinance provides) better definitions of what constitutes litter, junk, refuse and unlicensed vehicles parked improperly.
“(The definitions) have always been there, but it’s not been as clear as it should have been,” Brixius said. “There was no change in fines, but one part does deal with an administrative order, which expedites the legal processing, as far as processing fines.”
The change will speed up the processing of fines.
“Today, that process can take anywhere from three to six months,” Brixius said. “It can drag on through several time periods and court dates and appearances. This would really refine the process, and allow it to become more like a speeding traffic ticket.”
A public hearing on the code change was held March 24.
“Nobody showed up to contest any of the language (in the municipal code), or support it, either one,” Brixius said.
In other business, the council:
• Approved the repair of about 1,000 feet of sewer line on Darius Avenue, in the east part of town, at a cost of about $50,000, using a glass-reinforced pipe insertion.
“The pipe is corroded and coming apart in places,” Brixius said. “We have frequent problems with tree roots penetrating the pipe. It was time to repair (the pipe in) that part of town.”
The work is expected to begin in May.
• Approved $7,000 in repairs to the restrooms at Camper Park, a small RV park on the east end of town. The town owns the park, which is maintained by the Western Rio Blanco Metropolitan Recreation and Park District.
“It’s a short-term park that is strictly for vacationeers,” Brixius said. “We have a lease agreement (with WRBM).”
• Received an update on Northwest Pipeline, a subsidiary of Williams Gas Pipeline, which has applied for a special use permit for construction of a new natural gas pipeline. The project will consist of more than 26 miles of 24-inch pipeline to connect the White River hub, at the Enterprise Gas Processing Plant near Meeker, to Northwest’s main pipeline, south of Rangely, along Highway 139. Work is slated to begin in May.
“I’ve heard that they expect operations to continue for six months,” Brixius said. “We’re looking for 250 to 300 workers coming into town for however long it takes to complete the project, so that’s good news. We’ve already booked up some of the RV parks. We’re starting to hear some good vibes, especially during these economic times.”