Staff Writer
Thanks to a request from the Southwest Organization for Sustainability, the Archuleta County Board of County Commissioners opted Tuesday to waive the fees at the county’s recycling facility next week in honor of Earth Day.
The fees will be waived at the facility, located at the Transfer Station on Trujillo Road (County Road 500), April 21-26.
Earth Day is April 22.
In presenting the request at Tuesday’s regular meeting, Archuleta County Administrator Bentley Henderson noted the revenue lost from the fee waiver would be negligible to the county.
According to agenda documentation, the revenue loss to the county would be about $250.
All three commissioners voiced their beliefs that the fee waiver would provide more positive than negative.
Michael Whiting noted that an increased interest in recycling would cover the revenue lost through the fee waiver.
Steve Wadley added that the waiver would provide incentive to help clean up the county.
Clifford Lucero noted that the move would help raise awareness for recycling.
In other business at Tuesday’s meeting, the board:
• Awarded the contract for the county’s 2014 aggregate supply to Strohecker Asphalt and Paving.
The company was the sole bidder for the gravel contract, according to Ken Feyen.
Despite having only one bidder for the contract, Feyen said the amounts received are less than the prices received last year.
However, Feyen also noted that the company’s gravel pit is located at Keyah Grande, presenting a challenge to transport the material through two construction zones on U.S. 160 (both with lane restrictions) to other parts of the county.
But, should the budget allow, the lower bid prices could potentially mean applying more aggregate to roads (according to the county’s five-year road plan) than originally planned.
The commissioners approved the contract for an amount not to exceed $252,250.
• Awarded a contract to Refine Asbestos for the abatement and interior demolition of the county’s future administration building, located at 398 Lewis Street.
The county purchased the building, which formerly housed the Archuleta County Education Center, in December, with the knowledge that asbestos and lead abatement would be required.
Because of that, $40,000 was put into escrow by the seller for the purpose of abatement.
This bid cycle was the second iteration for abatement and interior demolition at the building, Henderson explained at the meeting, with the county hiring a consultant for the current iteration in order to better refine the scope of work necessary regarding the asbestos.
The county received three bids, Henderson said, with Refine Asbestos bidding a base amount of $63,000 and a top amount of $71,650 should additional, specific work be required once demolition begins (such as removing additional walls).
• Appointed Henderson as the county’s budget officer after approving a resolution creating the position.
In introducing the topic, Archuleta County Attorney Todd Starr noted that, while the county has appointed budget officers in the past, staff was not able to locate a resolution authorizing the position.
Because of that, the commissioners approved the position with an accompanying pay range of $2,500 to $7,000.
In response to a question from Wadley, Starr noted it was up to the commissioners to appoint someone outside of that pay range or within, later adding it was not good practice to pay outside of the approved pay range.
Whiting suggested that the position start at the bottom of the range, with Wadley including a $3,000 figure in his motion, which was unanimously approved.
randi@pagosasun.com
