The Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District (PAWSD) Board of Directors continued to move forward with a potential sale of the Running Iron Ranch at its Oct. 30 meeting.
This action follows a series of meetings and executive sessions concerning the sale by both PAWSD and the San Juan Water Conservancy District (SJWCD) Board of Directors, the joint owners of the property where a proposed reservoir would be located.
At an Oct. 24 meeting, the PAWSD board voted to file a lawsuit for declaratory judgment on if PAWSD can sell the ranch under the joint agreement between PAWSD, the SJWCD and the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) governing its use, despite the opposition of the SJWCD to the sale.
Following an executive session at the Oct. 30 meeting, PAWSD board member Glenn Walsh explained that the board received legal counsel in the executive session concerning a “very attractive” offer to purchase the Running Iron Ranch.
Walsh commented that this offer “has some very unique community benefits and is a multiparty offer.”
He then moved to direct staff and the PAWSD board’s Running Iron Ranch subcommittee, composed of Walsh and board member Bill Hudson, to continue negotiations with the purchaser.
He then “very strongly” suggested that the purchaser directly submit their offer to the San Juan Water Conservancy District (SJWCD), the joint owner of the property.
“This contract is not exclusively to us and involves a lot of very elaborate and very interesting negotiations, I would imagine, with San Juan,” Walsh said.
Hudson commented that he was “delighted with the idea” that the purchaser might be able to work closely with the SJWCD on what he described as a “very attractive offer.”
The board unanimously approved the motion.
SJWCD expresses
opposition
In a Nov. 1 statement, the SJWCD expresses opposition to the sale of the ranch and states that it will “work to halt sale plans.”
The statement adds that PAWSD refuses to share the details of its plans with the SJWCD despite specific requests and to consult with the SJWCD as required by the three-way agreement between PAWSD, the SJWCD and the CWCB.
It calls upon PAWSD to work with the SJWCD to “secure our water future” and for the public to demand from PAWSD an “open and informed discussion” of water needs and supply.
“It is simply wrong for PAWSD to sell public land vital to water storage without making every effort to retain the property as it agreed to do,” the statement reads, referencing the three-way agreement.
The statement continues to outline the history of the ranch, the proposed reservoir and the recent conflicts between the boards, including the SJWCD’s opposition to the sale and PAWSD filing a lawsuit against the SJWCD.
It comments that litigation is a poor use of public funds and that this money would be better spent on cooperative water use planning efforts between PAWSD, the SJWCD and the community.
The statement notes the SJWCD’s recent efforts to educate the community about the reservoir through outreach and how these have included PAWSD, although PAWSD has not included SJWCD in the sale negotiations.
It concludes by encouraging the public to reach out to members of both boards about the proposed sale.
josh@pagosasun.com
