Republican voters will have one less decision to make in the primary election following the withdrawal of Bob Moomaw from the race for District 3 county commissioner.

The Archuleta County January through June financial report has been completed and shows that, while some funds are in better shape than last year, others are further in the red.

At last, Archuleta County’s Stevens Field has an improved north ramp where visiting pilots can safely park airplanes.

Multiple proposals to streamline business at the Archuleta County building and planning departments were brought before the Board of County Commissioners Tuesday afternoon, with mixed results.

Increasing numbers of signs are dotting yards, pamphlets are being handed out, and promises are scattered across political ads in the media, meaning only one thing — election season is again upon us.

The Archuleta County Planning Commission will hold a special meeting at 8 p.m. Thursday, July 29, in the Board of County Commissioners’ meeting room at the Archuleta County Courthouse.

Viewed as a “baby step” toward improving relations, the Archuleta County Board of County Commissioners approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Archuleta County and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe Tuesday afternoon.

County Assessor incumbent Keren Prior faces a challenge from Natalie Woodruff in the Aug. 10 Republican primary for county assessor. The winner of the primary will face Democratic candidate Fred Uehling in the Nov. 2 general election.

On Aug. 10, registered Republicans in Archuleta County will be asked to select a candidate for county coroner for the Nov. 2 general election. Since no Democratic candidate has filed to run for this office, the winner of the primary will be the presumed winner of the office.

To face incumbent Democrat Cary Kennedy for state treasurer in the November general election, Republicans J.J. Ament and Walker Stapleton first have to pass the hurdle of the Aug. 10 primary before the winner can stand as the GOP candidate.

The Archuleta County Planning Commission will hold a joint work session with the Town of Pagosa Springs Planning Commission at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 27, in the Town Hall Council Chambers, 551 Hot Springs Blvd.

Archuleta County is, for the first time, taking legal steps to enforce its nuisance ordinance in two cases where the owners of properties failed to correct conditions leading to the violations — following previous warnings.

The vicissitudes of an uncertain economy were evident in Tuesday’s Colorado Department of Revenue report for local sales tax revenue receipts in May, which showed sales tax revenues down 5.64 percent from the same month last year.

Following another long and somewhat contentious Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District (PAWSD) meeting Tuesday night, area residents will likely see dramatic changes in the so-called Community Water Supply Planning Group (CWSPG) by month’s end.

The Archuleta County Planning Commission will hold its regular meeting Thursday, July 22, at 6 p.m. in the Board of County Commissioners’ meeting room at the county courthouse. Public comment is welcome and encouraged.

Appealing to the board of the Pagosa Springs Sanitation General Improvement District (PSSGID) during a meeting last week, two area residents asked for sewer fee waivers on properties they claimed were not using sewer services.

After multiple presentations to the Archuleta County Planning Commission, La Plata Electric Association staff and consultants went before the Board of County Commissioners Tuesday looking to obtain a conditional use permit and move forward with a proposed upgrade to the Ponderosa electrical substation, but will again have to wait following the continuation of the item to the Aug. 3 BoCC meeting.

Last Thursday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that in May 2010, unemployment in Archuleta County dropped to 8.6 percent, down from 9.9 percent in April, 1.1 percent better than the U.S. rate of 9.7 percent for May (and .9 percent better than the official (U3) national unemployment figure of 9.5 percent reported for June by the U.S. Labor Department on Friday). On the whole, this suggests that, not only is the job situation improving in Archuleta County, but that situation is better than it is in other parts of the country.

The so-called Community Water Supply Planning Group (CWSPG) met for the second time last week (Wednesday), and again failed to accomplish much beyond caustic quibbling and near-constant quotes of mistrust. By meeting’s end, in fact, the group barely managed approval of what constitutes an affirmative vote.