Rangely Town Council increases funding for rec district

RANGELY | The Rangely Town Council met last Tuesday where they heard updates from town departments and discussed recreation district funding increases.
The council unanimously approved a $1,500 contribution from the Community Development Fund to go towards the Western Rio Blanco Recreation District’s ChristmasFest. They also voted to increase the funding for Septemberfest and the Fourth of July events from $1,000 per event to $5,000 per event, totaling $10,000 annually. Recreation District Executive Director Tim Webber discussed their plans for 2018 which include $27,000 for two fireworks shows, one at each event.
Town Manager Peter Brixius updated the council on the vacant building inspector position. Brixius is currently in discussions with Rio Blanco County to see if a partnership might be attainable. According to Brixius, the county is considering hiring an additional inspector and placing them in the western end of the county, which could make the partnership feasible. Brixius said, “It makes a lot of sense from an economic standpoint.”
Brixius also discussed the town’s raw water tank which is located near the CNCC campus. According to Brixius, the tank is mostly buried and very corroded, causing 70 spots on the tank to require recent repairs. The town plans to continue to address areas of concern and evaluate other options including further repairs or development of a new tank.
Jeff LeBleu on the Public Works Department informed the council that the town hall renovation is approximately three weeks from completion. The department is also looking into providing some fencing around the chamber of commerce building. Additionally, they are installing new doors at the animal shelter to comply with state regulations which require steel doors.
Don Reed of the utilities department updated the council on the Water Treatment Plant rehabilitation, which he said is nearing completion. The building still needs new flooring and cabinets as well as a security system installed and landscaping work to be completed. The Waste Water Plant is finishing sludge removal and will likely have new liners installed in the coming year.