MEEKER I Meeker’s Board of Trustees met Tuesday, Jan. 18 with Tiffany Jehorek filling the interim vacancy left by Scott Creecy. Jehorek’s appointment was officially approved during the meeting and she was sworn in by Town Clerk Lisa Cook.
The board held a public hearing to consider an application filed by Smoking River Brewing Co. LLC for a brewpub liquor license.
“By converting to a brewpub we’ll be able to offer food more frequently,” said proprietor Kevin Borchard. “So far it’s looking like pizza and wings.”
Approval of the license is contingent on receipt of fingerprint data from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, which is anticipated within a few days, according to Cook.
The board also held a public hearing to consider a minor subdivision ordinance for Eastern Rio Blanco County Health Services District for the Meeker Terrace subdivision, lot 2. The subdivision will take five acres from the hospital’s 51-acre footprint to create lot 2B. The lot will be used initially for fire district storage and may be considered for use as a training area for the fire district in the future. The ordinance was approved.
Trustees reviewed a draft job description for a community development director position budgeted for 2022. Trustees Gutierrez and Lockwood said they had hoped to see more emphasis on economic development. Cook explained that having the position focus more on planning would free up time for other staff to pursue economic development opportunities.
“With the expansion of the Chamber of Commerce as far as economic development, the hope would be for this position to work with the Chamber,” Etheridge said, which could help come up with solutions to economic development challenges like the housing shortage.
Etheridge said she would make suggested changes to the job description and bring it back to the board.
Trustees also discussed options for the upcoming funding request from the state’s Office of Just Transition. $2.769 million is available for the region, which includes nine entities. Divided equally, that comes out to roughly $300,000 per entity, but it has not been confirmed that each entity will get that amount, and Hayden reportedly plans to request significantly more. Of the nine entities in the NW Colorado Development Council, six of the nine votes have to approve requests. Possibilities for the town include funneling money back into the business community, either through the business grant program or through expansion of the Chamber and business development, or supporting and adding educational and training programs.
Cook said the town’s departments all came in “well under budget” for 2021. “We ended up really good for the year,” she added.
By NIKI TURNER – editor@editorht1885.com
