Hello,
Please see below for Durango-area sustainability updates, events, and ways to take action. Feel free to pass this newsletter along to others who might be interested and please encourage folks to sign up here to receive these monthly updates on sustainability activities in our area.
Green Drinks will start up again in February from 5-7PM at 11th Street Station on the last Thursdays of the month.
COMMUNITY NEWS
City of Durango
Updates
Christmas trees can be dropped off for recycling at Santa Rita Park through Jan. 31. The city reminds residents there is no curbside pick-up of Christmas trees. Residents may drop off their natural trees, free of ornaments and tinsel, at the drop-off site near the large playground area. The trees will be recycled into mulch. For more information, contact the Parks and Recreation Department at (970) 375-7321.
The City of Durango has created a webpage to inform businesses and customers about the details of Colorado’s Plastic Pollution Reduction Act that went into effect Jan. 1, 2023. Colorado’s Plastic Pollution Reduction Act (House Bill 21-1162) requires certain retail stores to charge a $0.10 fee on all single-use carryout bags, both paper and plastic. Read more here.
The City of Durango invites residents to drop a pin on an interactive online map and make a request, using the city’s new public reporting system SeeClickFix. This service will replace the city’s previous reporting system, Ask Durango, providing greater functionality and a centralized issue management system to manage issues from creation to resolution that engages residents throughout the process. See here for what request categories include.
Prospective candidates looking to run for the office of Durango City Council in the upcoming April 4 election need to schedule an appointment with the City Clerk to pick up a candidate packet at City Hall. There are two city council seats up for election in April. Mayor Barbara Noseworthy and Councilor Kim Baxter are not running for re-election. To learn more about the role City Council plays in our local government please visit the Council 101 page on the city’s website. To learn more about the election process click here.
For a full timeline leading up to the April 4 election, including important deadlines for candidates, please click here.
Jan. 17 Durango City Council Study Session: Council reviewed a contracted study that surveyed 300 voting-age residents about potentially reallocating the city’s lodgers’ tax toward the development of workforce and low-income housing. During the discussion on lodgers’ tax allocations council made a commitment to having a more robust conversation about how to better fund housing initiatives in the future. Read more here.
Council authorized a new lease agreement with Agile Space Industries at the airport that would expand the spacecraft propulsion company’s lease of premises from 76,394 square feet to 451,308 square feet.
In an effort to achieve strategic plan goals to enhance multigenerational community workforce housing, as well as attainable and affordable housing overall, council granted preliminary approval to the North Main Apartments.
A combined fire and police station at the current River City Hall site in Durango has been determined to not be feasible as a joint project, but the fire district is still investigating the site for a new fire station while the city is considering the former 9R administration property as a new location for a potential City Hall complex. Read more here.
Lifelong Learning Lecture at FLC - Community Sustainability: Framing, Planning, and Action (free and runs from 7–8:30 p.m. in Room 130 Noble Hall). January 26 - City of Durango Sustainability Manager, Marty Pool, will give an overview of the fundamental principles which guide sustainability work and then discuss how these principles are specifically applied to local sustainability planning and action. He will also review the City of Durango Sustainability Plan, recently updated in the summer of 2022.
According to a survey of 465 city and county residents, city and county residents support creating a taxing district that would fund the Durango Public Library. Read more about that and other items discussed on Monday, January 23 here.
First Come-First Serve to the first 10 eligible ADU units to allow time to review, process and establish “best practices and lessons learned” for reporting purposes.
Rebate is a flat dollar amount of $8,000 for newly constructed or legalized units. More information here.
City Council Meetings
Durango City Council meets every other Tuesday from 5:30-8:30PM. Upcoming City Council meetings will be on Tuesday, February 7 at 5:30 p.m. Study Sessions are the same days starting at 2:15 p.m. Find the agenda and meeting link at DurangoGov.org/meetings. Durango City Council regular meetings and study sessions can now be viewed live on the city's YouTube channel.
Public Commentcan be shared at a meeting with a scheduled Public Participation agenda item. If the meeting does not have Public Participation scheduled, comments can be submitted via email to: PublicComment@DurangoGov.org. Comments must be submitted no later than noon on the Monday preceding the meeting.
Kevin Hall has joined La Plata County as the Community Development Department's Interim Director. Kevin had a career with the City of Durango and has come out of retirement on a temporary basis.
Update to Chapter 90, Oil and Gas Regulations - La Plata County Staff has been working on a rewrite of the Oil and Gas Regulations (Chapter 90) in the Land Use Code. The next step is that a second draft of the regulations are going to the Planning Commission in February. The public is encouraged to continue engaging in this process as the County aims to have the new code in place this spring. Please provide comments via the comment portal (here). A webpage has been created to provide the public with updates on the Chapter 90 rewrite (click here). Click here for information on upcoming meetings.
Read more about this process in a recent Durango Herald article - "La Plata County commissioners indicated approval for a draft of the setbacks section of the proposed chapter 90 of the land-use code, which regulates the gas and oil industry."
Public Health Survey - Every five years, San Juan Basin Public Health takes a close look at the health and wellness needs of Archuleta and La Plata County residents through a community health assessment. The information gathered through this assessment will inform a public health improvement plan that aims to address the priorities. This survey is very important because starting in 2024, La Plata County will have a new Public Health Department since Archuleta and La Plata Counties have jointly decided to dissolve San Juan Basin Public Health by the end of 2023. Environmental, physical and emotional health matters to everyone and so lend your voice by filling out this survey which is available in both Spanish and English: complete this survey.
La Plata County Commission Meetings
Here is the schedule for upcoming County Commission Meetings. All meetings are held at 10 a.m. in the County Administration Building, 1101 E. 2nd Ave. Meetings are accessible via Zoom using the links or phone numbers below. Join the meeting at https://zoom.us/j/819094582
Omicron-specific COVID-19 booster shots are in La Plata and Archuleta counties! Upcoming CDPHE mobile vaccine clinics: mobilevax.us/southwest and additional clinic locations and providers are available at sjbpublichealth.org/covid-19-vaccine/. For questions about vaccine types, safety and eligibility: 1-877-268-2926.
La Plata Electric Association
Updates
Find out about current LPEA happenings and news here and read the Watt's Up monthly Newsletters here.
Since LPEA's last update in November 2022, there have been some developments in LPEA’s bid to secure more flexibility in our future power supply. In April of last year, LPEA and their power provider Tri-State (together with two other electric cooperatives) filed a settlement with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), which would allow LPEA to secure 50% of our power from Tri-State and 50% from other sources. This agreement represents an innovative solution to an outdated power-supply model. But one entity did not agree, so FERC considered it a “contested settlement.” Since LPEA filed the settlement, they have been awaiting FERC’s response and expecting approval. But in late December of 2022, FERC leadership changed. When this happened, they declined to rule and sent the case back to the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) to conduct further hearings. While LPEA is disappointed with the further delay, they acknowledge that this is a fairly common practice when FERC reviews contested settlement agreements. You can read their joint op-ed piece with Tri-State after this decision was announced here.
All three prongs of LPEA’s Power Supply Strategy as initiated in 2019 are still in play. For the latest updates and the complete history of this process, visit https://www.lpea.coop/powersupplyRead more here about the latest updates on each of these options:
OPTION: A partial exit from Tri-State -This is the option reflected in the settlement statement outlined above. Given FERC’s recent decision to send the settlement back to the ALJ, the timeline for a ruling for the current settlement decision will likely extend to early 2024. LPEA, Tri-State, and other co-ops recently filed a joint request for the rehearing of this settlement.
OPTION: Amendments to our current contract to allow more flexibility to better meet the needs of LPEA membership. - The return of the settlement to the ALJ provides LPEA and Tri-State (and other interested members) a new opportunity to refine our settlement into a version that is not contested, which could potentially fast-track the process. LPEA is currently working on this opportunity, which if done right, could help meet LPEA’s and other Tri-State members’ future power supply objectives while continuing to deliver reliable and affordable energy.
OPTION: A full exit from Tri-State - LPEA continues to monitor and evaluate the option of a full exit from Tri-State. A ruling from FERC is expected on this issue this summer, but it could still be challenged in the courts, causing additional delays. LPEA plans to evaluate the feasibility of this option once FERC rules and the process is complete.
Meetings
The next regular LPEA Board of Directors meeting is Wednesday, February 15 at 9:00 a.m. Input from Coop members is always welcome. Comments or questions to the board can be made shortly after 9 a.m.
Durango 9R Board of Education meetings are generally held on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month starting at 5:30. The 2nd Tuesday of the month is usually a work session while the 4th Tuesday is the official public meeting where actions are taken and there is always an opportunity for public input. If you wish to participate, you much fill out this form 24 hours in advance.
Construction on the new Miller Middle School was projected to cost $45 million when voters passed the bond issue in 2020. A total of $90 million was part of the bond, which included the career/resource center. Miller Middle School will be built to foster the district's goal of preparing students for life after school. See more here.
Visit Durango has released a Resident Sentiment Survey for tourism. The primary goal of the survey is to monitor resident opinions on tourism in La Plata County over time. Take the survey today!
The Sustainability Alliance of Southwest Colorado (SASCO) networks with local organizations, businesses, governments, and individuals to create a more just society which prioritizes environmental stewardship, social equity, and a thriving local economy.
