Lake City - The Silver World Newspaper

OHVs, Liquor License, EMS Fee Increase at Lengthy County Meeting

During open discussion and a two-hour workshop, followed by half-hour meeting last Wednesday, April 2, Hinsdale Commissioners covered a myriad of topics including formally increasing safety-related OHV infractions to $300, requisite spark arrestors and reflects Town of Lake City’s lead in mandating hours of OHV operation on public roads in unincorporated areas of the county from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. effective May 5, 2025.Simmering dissension also marked the board’s workshop discussion on wording and timing for a county OHV ballot initiative, and prior to the three-member board’s unanimous approval concerns which were expressed during normally routine renewal of a Wade’s Addition liquor license.Topping the April 2 meeting agenda was formal approval appointing Lori Hanko as successor to recently resigned Hinsdale County Treasurer & Public Trustee Lori Lawrence. Hanko, who was Deputy Treasurer, was recommended in Lawrence’s March 17 resignation letter.During the workshop portion of Wednesday’s meeting, EMS Director Katherine Heidt advised Commissioners on an impending incremental three-year increase in Emergency Medical Service rates, the first since 2015, based on charges for comparable emergency services in neighboring areas.Under the incremental three-year plan starting this year and extending through 2027, the rate for BLS (Basic Life Support) transport increases from $900 to $1,400 in 2025 and then respectively $1,650 and $1,900 in 2026 and 2027. For ALS (Advanced Life Support), $1,200 since 2015, the new rate is $1,700 2025, $1,900 2026, and $2,200 2027.One-way ambulance ground mileage — for instance from Lake City to Gunnison Valley Hospital — increases from $24 currently per mile to $31 per mile 2025, $33/mile 2026, and $35/mile 2027.Modest one-time charges for specific supplies, as explained by Heidt, will see an increase from $45 current to $50 new rate for oxygen supplies; heart monitoring goes from $65 now to $75; ALS IV drug administration, $65 to $75; ALS and BLS routine disposables, $100 to new $150 rate.Heidt emphasized to Commissioners that the new EMS rates are the result of a calculated study last September by a team of EMS professional from throughout Colorado as part of a state-funded consultative visit. The upshot from that study, according to Heidt, was the suggestion for improved financial stability through a review and update of Hinsdale EMS rates.Heidt furnishes the chart reprinted above which illustrates comparable rates being charged by regional agencies (among them Gunnison and Crested Butte) and comparisons between industry standards and Lake City which, based on its remote location, is classified as a “frontier area.”As an incentive “intended to thank the community for its incredible support over the decades, Hinsdale EMS’ proposed rate increase also includes a $200 “Local Discount” for local patients with the 81235 billing address.Heidt said the new 2025-2027 rate structure will be widely publicized on the Hinsdale EMS website and with handouts to patients.Hinsdale Commissioners were receptive to the increased EMS fee structure, Commissioner Hurd noting that the new rates will result in reduced county subsidies to EMS, “the closer we get to a self-supporting program the better,” said Hurd.The county’s 2024 “contractual adjustment” to Hinsdale EMS in 2024, according to Finance Officer Lynn McNitt, amounted to $75,000.Commissioners are scheduled to formally approve the new EMS rate structure at a special meeting on Wednesday, April 23, and new rates will go into effect on May 1.Commissioners’ workshop discussion and subsequent meeting finalized an amended OHV ordinance mirroring Town of Lake City with hours of operation on unincorporated public roads in the county limited to 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., county following Federal standards with mandatory spark arresters, and an increase to $300 fine for safety-related citations.The amended county OHV ordinance, published in its entirety elsewhere in this week’s issue, is set for a second reading at the county’s 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 23, special meeting and, once passed, goes into effect prior to Memorial Day. While discussions between the three commissioners regarding the amended OHV ordinance were in general amicable, differing viewpoints were evident as the OHV topic turned to specific wording and timing for a planned ballot…… Continue Reading this Lengthy Article! Subscribe to the Lake City Silver World and receive the weekly issue in your inbox or mail!

April 13, 2025 No Comments

Commissioners Debate, Concur on Interim Financing Operations Center

Hinsdale County Commissioners hashed out details on interim funding for the county’s $4.3-million Operations Center project during an at-times heated two-and-a-half-hour workshop and meeting on Friday afternoon, April 4.During the process of Friday’s workshop — which was attended by county staff including County Administrator Sandy Hines and Finance Officer Lynn McNitt, together with remote Zoom attendance by representatives from two Denver-based financial firms —it was revealed that $2 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding toward the project, which had been on hold, is now confirmed and available to the county.McNitt said that FEMA funds awarded in 2025 remain under review but that a saving point for Hinsdale County is that the Congressional-Directed FEMA funds were awarded in 2024.The pace at which the FEMA funds will be doled out remains an unknown, although both County Administrator Hines and Finance Officer McNitt stated that paperwork has already been filled out for a preliminary advance payment which would include a $19,775 reimbursement to county billed by general contractor Building by Design for preliminary technology and related contractor costs.McNitt said it is uncertain whether payments to the county from the FEMA grant will be monthly or quarterly.With affirmation from County Attorney Michael O’Loughlin who stated “it’s your meeting,” Commissioners Kristie Borchers, Greg Levine, and Robert Hurd asked Finance Officer Lynn McNitt for an update on funds owed to the county by the State of Colorado as part of the All Hazards Team Program.The lack of reimbursement to date is proving a sticking point to several of the commissioners owing to the fact $500,000 in All Hazards TeamVol. 48, No. 2 Friday, April 11, 2025 Lake City, Hinsdale County, Colorado 81235 U.S.P.S. No. 436-63075¢reimbursement represents half of the $1-million which the county is pledging toward the Operations Center construction.Asked for an up-to-date accounting, McNitt told the county board that, all told, All Hazards Team reimbursements owed to the county by the State of Colorado now exceed $3.6-million.County Attorney O’Loughlin, by Zoom connection, reassured the commissioners, telling them he “remains optimistic” that a resolution with the State will be reached — potentially as early as next week when a representative from the Colorado Attorney General’s Office belatedly confers with him — and that the money will be repaid. Failing that, O’Loughlin stated “they can’t just not pay it back; if they don’t, we go to court.”Lack of the All Hazard Team reimbursement payment in hand remains a major sticking point, an exasperated Commissioner Hurd telling Borchers and Levine, “when is the frick’in State going to pay us our money?”Hurd likened non-payment to date of what is owed to the county as a major “fear” and is the primary reason for his hesitation in proceeding with Operation Center construction.On a similarly cautious note, Commissioner Levine said he has “no confidence in the state at present” in terms of repayment and, in worst case scenario, of not repayment assurances, ultimately “I will not back this project.” An even worse case scenario as alluded to by Levine, would be entering into a lease-purchase agreement for interim funding “and then something else happens, I can’t see tackling two giant issues at once… it’s very, very difficult.”[NOTE: since the April 4 meeting and at the county board’s Wednesday meeting this week, it is now announced that the reimbursed All-Hazard funds are now on schedule for payment, the first check — $862,572.59 — expected Monday next week.]As a brief recap of the project, the 6,409-square foot facility combining sheriff’s dept., emergency operations, and county administration will be funded through the $2-million Congressionally-Directed FEMA grant, $1-million from Colorado Department of Local Affairs which is guaranteed, and $1-million from Hinsdale County (comprised $300,000 from the county’s sale of the Wee Care property to the school district, $500,000 through the All Hazard Team reimbursement, and $226,000 interest earned on investments). In addition to an array of funding which has been lined up for actual construction of the Operations Center, other funds have been competitively awarded to the county for actual construction of the Operations Center, other funds have been competitively awarded to the county for electric wiring totaling $256,500 from the state’s energy office, and a JAG (Justice Assistance Grant) through Colorado Division of Criminal Justice which will furnish and technologically equip the sheriff’s dept. portion of the new structure.Costs to date on the project and already paid by the county, as enumerated by Commissioner Borchers, total $192,900 and include $28,000 for demolition of the old shop building on the site north of the courthouse where construction will take place, $9,800 in attorney’s fees, and $116,000 architectural work paid to the county’s architectural firm on the project, Reynolds Ash & Associates.Following a request for bid, Building by Design was selected as general contractor for the project in February at a negotiated price of $4,398,173.In her compilation of the project, board chair Kristie Borchers reminded fellow board members, staff and public at the meeting that the concept of an Operations Center is not exactly new: discussions on the need for a new facility have been bantered about for decades. Referring to crowded and substandard office and meeting conditions in the existing Coursey Annex, she said, “it’s an embarrassing facility… I want to be the board that solves this.”“Now is the time to do it,” said Borchers, “if we don’t pull the trigger and get it done, it will never get done.”Plans for what was then referred to as a Justice Center combining county and sheriff’s dept. offices with a new county courtroom date back as least as far as 2009 when a DOLA-funded small space assessment resulted in plans for a two-story $7-million building which included basement archival storage. That project, however, languished and proceeded no further. The current plan calling for a reduced-size, 6,409-s.f. single-story complex costing $4-million was revived starting in 2021.Borchers recalled a comment by Commissioner Levine last year when overages were anticipated on the four-mile chip and seal project on County Road 30 to Lake San Cristobal. Comparing the

April 13, 2025 No Comments

‘Tremendous Strides in Professionalism ’Credited as Hagendorf Leaves Fire Post

Directors of Lake City Fire Protection District acknowledge they are at a crossroads and admittedly have big shoes to fill in the wake of the resignation of the district’s multi-tasking General Manager, Bill Hagendorf, who has filled the dual roles as both Fire District Chief and Fire Marshal on an as-needed basis for the past 13 years.Above and beyond that, the retiring Hagendorf, who now lives near Monte Vista in the San Luis Valley, effectively filled a variety of other fire district-related roles, including mechanic, maintaining the first district’s fleet of fire fighting equipment and — perhaps paramount — grant writer, whose efforts augmented the fire district’s meager financial coffers with literally hundreds of thousands of dollars (see separate box, page 3).“He was our Unicorn,” says fire district Board Chairman R.E. Hall, “he literally brought the fire department to a very professional level and showed us how a fire department should operate.”Hall’s praise is mirrored by the fire district’s four-decade-tenured secretary, Michelle Warren Pierce, who, speaking to WORLD on Monday this week, sums up the situation with Hagendorf’s departure, “it’s a sad day and we’re struggling now to keep things operational.” A former fire chief in Texas, Hagendorf’s dedication to Lake City Area Fire Protection District manifested itself shortly after he and his wife, Bernadette, moved to Lake City. He first attended a fire district meeting on January 25, 2012 and events rapidly transpired thereafter: he was named Lake City Fire Marshal in March, 2012, following the retirement of the former marshal, Ed Nettleton. The late Pat Holley resigned as Lake City Fire Chief on October 12, 2012, and Hagendorf applied and was named as his replacement. Hagendorf’s work as Fire Marshal entailed inspections of newbuilds, restaurants, lodging and residents — the largest of which was a myriad of safety inspections he conducted for the expansion of Lake City Community School with gymnasium; as Fire Chief, he continually worked to upgrade equipment and gear, and instituting weekly training sessions for firefighters. The result of his work as both Fire Marshal and Fire Chief, as described by Hall, “was greater safety for both community and firefighters.”Thirteen years later, Hagendorf submitted his letter of resignation as District Manager, Fire Chief and Fire Marshal at last Wednesday evening’s fire district board meeting. His resignation becomes effective April 30 and the dilemma of finding an individual to fill the multi-faceted position will be discussed at a special fire district meeting called for that purpose starting 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 16, at the Henson Street fire station.At their meeting with SILVER WORLD earlier this week, R.E. Hall referenced his comparison of Hagendorf as the fire district’s lucky “Unicorn” with multiple talents ranging from grant writing, training, keeping abreast of ever-changing fire code regulations, and his work servicing and repairing both fire station and its fleet of emergency equipment.Hall posed the question, “can we possibly find someone capable of all the duties he performed?”Pierce thought for a moment and sighed, acknowledging “probably not.”As described by both board chair Hall and board secretary Pierce, Hagendorf’s tenture with Lake City Area Fire Protection District has been nothing short of “miraculous,” says Pierce, “literally bringing the volunteer department up from nothing to, now, a professional, well-staffed and equipped basis which is recognized throughout the state.”Principal discussion topic at the special meeting April 16 is a hoped-for answer to the question, “how can we maintain the current level of fire district operations until we can fill Bill’s position?,” says Hall.Also on the mid-April meeting agenda is the potential of a voter-approved sales tax increase benefiting Lake City Area Fire Protection District.Months prior to Hagendorf’s departure, fire department directors and staff had begun to address possible financial remedies for the cash-strapped fire district, including the potential of a ballot question in this November’s Coordinated Election asking county residents to approve an as-yet-to-be-determined sales tax increase.A sales tax boost — rather than a more complicated and difficult to achieve property mill tax increase —is preferred owing to the fact consumers as a whole, including the influx of summer visitors, shoulder the burden and, according to Hall, “reap the benefits.”Currently in Hinsdale County, a 7.9 percent sales tax is imposed consisting of 2.9 percent which goes to the State of Colorado, 4.0 percent which is split by Town of Lake City and Hinsdale County, and 1.0 percent sales tax to Lake Fork Health Service District.If approved, the resulting cash influx could result in a salary attractive to an individual applying for the multi-tasking General Manager, as well as allowing the fire district to continue with the detailed equipment replacement schedule developed by Hagendorf. The added income, says Hall, “will keep us running in the black.”Among the retiring fire chief’s talents was seeking out and writing successful state and federal funding applications which, among a long list, allowed upgrades to equipment, routine weekly training, and — vital in terms of firefighter recruitment — a moderate $25-per-firefighter stipend which is paid for each call and training session.Partially as a result of that incentive, Lake City Fire Dept. now enjoys a full complement of 12 firefighters after “struggling for years,” says Pierce, with a minimal staff of just six to seven firefighters.The present full roster consists of Patrick Tubbs as Deputy Chief, Evan Milski and Mike Ralph sharing duties as Captains, and firefighters Mike Tuttle, Willy Merfeld, Greg Levine, Crystal Earley, Nathan Wuest, Justin Thompson, Jared Sledge, Ben Walker, Lannea Walker, and Joel Collins.Significantly, funding for the firefighters’ stipends comes as the result of a four-year Federal Emergency Management Agency no-match SAFER (Staffing, Adequate Fire Emergency Response) grant drafted by Hagendorf and implemented starting in 2022.Over four years starting 2022 and ending 2026, the FEMA SAFER grant provides a bulk sum of $84,323 allowing for the $25 per firefighter stipend.Successful fire district grant funding applications during Hagendorf’s tenure combined both federal funding through FEMA, as well as state funds through Colorado Division Fire Prevention and Control, the latter used primarily for fire fighting equipment and

April 4, 2025 No Comments

Klondike Snowslide Blocks Henson Creek, Briefly Strands Capitol City Residents

An annual rite of high country spring, the once or occasionally twice-per-season running of the Klondike Snowslide, occurred late last week.This year’s slide once again blocked a narrow section of Henson Creek midway between Nellie Creek and the Capitol City Townsite, depositing heavily compacted snow an estimated 25’ deep cross both County Road 20 and the blockaded creekbed.The blocked road, including impounded Henson Creek water 3” to 4” deep above the slide, temporarily inconvenienced one Capitol City resident, Ron Hefty, who rode his side-by-side OHV down to the upper side of the slide on a reconnaissance mission. The OHV promptly became bogged and then frozen overnight in the water and snow slush, and was later retrieved.In addition to to Hefty, also briefly snowbound as a result of the snowslide was Capitol City homeowner Bill Matlack.As a safety precaution with snowslide danger in mind, Hinsdale County Road and Bridge seasonally closes County Road 20 to Capitol City and beyond with a locked gate at Nellie Creek. Recreationists and up valley landowners are, however, allowed to park at the gate and at their own risk traverse the unplowed portion of CR20 beyond the gate on foot or via snowmobile. After learning of the Klondike Slide last Wednesday, and trapped Capitol City residents above the slide, Hinsdale Road & Bridge Supervisor Don Menzies says he walked to the slide to assess the situation. After allowing the snow to settle and ascertaining no further slide activity was imminent, Menzies instructed Senior Foreman Gavin McNitt and road dept. workers Tom Hamel and Travis de Christino to begin clearing the slide on Monday this week utilizing the county road crew’s backhoe, front end loader, and Komatzu bulldozer.Menzies said he expects the snowslide to be cleared after a full day’s work on Monday, although upper Henson Creek road access will remain closed at the Nellie Creek gate.The Klondike Snowslide has been known in the past to have occasionally run twice in a season and several traditional snowslide routes — the Big and Little Casino Slides — have yet to run this year. Despite occasional suggestions for year-round plowing of CR20 to Capitol City, Road Supervisor Menzies is adamant that the county “will never keep the road open” in winter and early spring beyond Nellie Creek owing to extreme snowslide danger.County Administrator Sandy Hines emphasizes that despite increasing Capitol City development, the county has historically not plowed upper portions of CR 20 beyond its intersection with Nellie Creek owing to snowslide health and safety concerns. She adds that in the future, Commissioners may revisit and clarify exemptions which have allowed snowmobilers to utilize unplowed portions of the road at their own risk. Informal discussions between the county and Capitol City landowners took place in September and October last year in relation to County Road 20 traffic, first requests for highway surface improvement and later a request for increased signage in terms of speed limits.Commissioners were also requested to work with Hinsdale Road & Bridge to ensure that private vehicles parked at the Nellie Creek Road closure were not plowed in.In separate road & bridge news, and now interrupted by work clearing the Klondike Snowslide, Hinsdale Road & Bridge Supervisor Don Menzies reports that on Henson Creek, and above the locked gate at Nellie Creek, road worker Zairick Waddington had used the county’s D7 bulldozer clearing snow as far as Whitmore Falls near the base of Engineer Pass.Until Wednesday last week on the Upper Lake Fork, Tom Hamel was at work on the Komatzu bulldozer opening County Road 30 on the approach to Cinnamon Pass as far as Grizzly Gulch at the start of Burrows Park.Last Wednesday’s Henson Creek snowslide, together with intermittent early spring snowfall last week, may delay further high country road openings until mid-April.

March 28, 2025 No Comments

Town Passes OHV Ordinance for Hours of Operation, Spark Arrestors, Fines

Town of Lake City Board of Trustees and Mayor Dave Roberts met with Sheriff Denim Starnes and Deputy Jim Hunsicker during the March 19 regular workshop and meeting to discuss Town OHV regulations and the OHV year-end report. The annual report is generated through input collected from Hinsdale County Finance Director Lynn McNitt, Mayor Roberts, Sheriff Starnes, Captain James Saunders with Colorado State Patrol, Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) Traffic and Safety Program Manager Zane Znamenacek and CDOT Regional Operator RE Hall.The report, which is required by CDOT’s Special Use Permit, is submitted at the end of each season to communicate concerns or issues that occurred.The report states: Following the end of the 2024 summer season, concerns were communicated to the County and Town that the new start date had adversely affected local business. The County Commissioners and Town Trustees discussed changing the start date for 2025, which would require a new request for an updated Special Use Permit from CDOT. Eventually it was determined to wait until the end of the current 2024-2025 permit. Both the Town and County boards will meet to discuss the possibility of requesting a new permit to continue the OHV Highway program in 2026 and beyond.Other than a few exceptions, each contributing participant named above had relatively the same sentiments to relate, summed up by Saunders as, “Everything else was usual. Nothing to report. That’s good news.”Sheriff Starnes stated that along with Colorado Parks and Wildlife Officer Lucas Martin, reporting approximately 150 total contacts were made with OHV drivers on Highway 149. Of those 150 contacts, approximately seven percent resulted in citations.At the March 19 meeting, Mayor Roberts reiterated that in the end of year report, he had “nothing new to add following the 2024 season.” His biggest complaint, within the report, he said, was that the program timeline was shortened and that “a lot of businesses didn’t like that. A lot of people in town would like to see the program go back to the original start date (Memorial Day).”Trustee Bruce said, “So we haven’t had any incidents. Again.” Bruce referenced the data that Lucas Martin contributed to the report, saying, “so when he says 150 total contacts, with seven percent being issued citations – I would be curious to know what the contacts were for. Moving violations, equipment issue – or whatever – I think that could help us.”Mayor Roberts said, “as we all know, we have been working with the town in regards to the OHV program, to make it as palatable as we can for the town citizenry. The Commissioners discussed it this morning, we’ve discussed it a couple of times, we were working on that ordinance to see what we can do, and the three major factors that came up: the amount of the fines; the county wants to raise the helmet fine to $300 for 18 and under. Then, mufflers and spark arrestors – so, noise, and hours of operation.”Bruce said, “they (Hinsdale County) were going to follow us on the hours of operation and we were going to follow them on the fines.”Roberts, speaking to Starnes, said, “I requested that the Sheriff be here because he’s part of this and as we do what we do, I’m interested in your feedback.” Starnes replied, “happy to give it. What are the proposed hours of operation?”Roberts replied, “we’ve been discussing 6 a.m. until 9 p.m.”“What if someone comes off the loop at midnight, or if they have a flat tire?” asked Starnes.Trustee Bruce said, “well, you have discretion, and that would be an exception.”Town Manager Lex Mulhall stated that the other timeframe being considered was 6 a.m. until 11 p.m., and Starnes replied that he felt those times would be more reasonable.Trustee Bruce said she had spoken with some homeowners who lived along the highway, who were not necessarily in favor of OHVs, proposing a 6 a.m. start time until a 10 p.m. end time, and she reported that this idea was favorable, as it gives the noise an eight-hour break. Mayor Roberts agreed, saying, “[we know] not everyone is going to comply. What we’re doing is asking the citizens what they prefer, then we can publish that for all the visitors and guests, saying this is what the town wants. But also, let me back up a step – the newspaper kind of put me out of context – in one of our meetings, I made a comment and I was talking about the stereos [not mufflers, as reported] and how I heard them coming down Crooke’s Hill, and as I read our existing ordinance, that’s in there already. I don’t see you guys [Sheriff’s Office] chasing down every loud stereo.”Starnes interjected to say, “I’ve chased down a few.”Further, Starnes said he would like to share an example from last summer,..(continued) Missing the Whole Story? Click the button below to subscribe! You can receive the weekly publication of The Lake City Silver World to your inbox or front door!

March 28, 2025 No Comments

Town Manager Reports Lake City Directly Affected by Frozen FEMA Program

Town Manager Lex Mulhall attended a Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) funding freeze meeting last month, where questions were answered about all federal funding freezes mandated by Trump’s executive orders. On this call were over six hundred attendees from town and county governments, schools, special districts and non-profit organizations, all of whom were being affected by the freezing of federal funds.Mulhall asked about the state revolving loan fund that will be used to fund the construction of Lake City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), set to begin this spring. He was told that funds that have already been rewarded are in possession of the state, but that no new funding is available and it is unknown when additional funding might become available.Further, Mulhall was informed that 35 lawsuits have been filed against Trump’s executive orders, and two judges have ruled frozen funds are to be released immediately until the matter is settled in court. Despite this, most federal funds are still frozen and intended recipients of those funds are unable to submit reimbursement requests. In his Town Manager report submitted at the March 5 Board of Trustees meeting, Mulhall informed Trustees, “The Trump administration is ignoring the court rulings” at this time. Mulhall went on to say in his report, “we have been directly affected, having received notice on February 25 that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program has been frozen and is currently undergoing review, and that they will not be able to help us until the program is up and running again.”According to Mulhall, supporting documents that DOLA was assisting the Town with for the FEMA BRIC WWTP generator sub-application have been received, along with some of the documents for a FEMA BRIC Ball Flats Slope Flood and Debris Flow scoping project.The state deadline for the FEMA BRIC applications has been pushed back from March 1 to March 12, and Mulhall and staff will be submitting both sub- applications in case the program does wind up being funded.For the $900,000 supplemental loan for the WWTP from Colorado Water Resource and Power Development Authority, Mulhall was asked by Audit Firm Butler Snow to calculate how much the new sewer rates would have brought in if they had been in place in 2024. The firm requested this information because they need to verify that the Town will be capable of repaying the additional debt service for the loan.In January/February of 2024, the Town generated $61,242 in water revenue and $65,129 in sewer revenue. In January/February of this year, $64,091 was generated in water revenue and $92,478 was generated in sewer revenue. That places water revenue 4.6% higher in 2025 compared to 2024, the percentage amount which the water rate has been raised. The sewer revenue generated is 42% higher than in 2024. Using that percentage, Mulhall calculated the estimated 2025 revenue by multiplying the total revenue from 2024 by the percentage change from January and February of 2025.If total 2024 water revenue of $402,405 is multiplied by 4.6%, then 2025 estimated water revenue would equal $420,405. If total 2024 sewer revenue of $407,052 is multiplied by 42%, then 2025 estimated sewer revenue would equal $578,013. Therefore, total estimated 2025 water and sewer revenue with the new rates will equal $998,418.Mulhall added that this calculation does not include the expected additional revenue that will come from changing the excess usage calculation rates, which is expected to generate an additional $10,000 – $20,000.“This is looking good in terms of what we need to pay the additional debt service and to fund the water and sewer capital improvements fund sufficiently,” Mulhall said. “We budgeted $410,000 for water and $575,000 for sewer to ensure we could cover it.”Mulhall’s calculations have been sent to Butler Snow, and according to Mulhall, they should now have everything needed to generate and execute the loan documents.“Hopefully,” said Mulhall, “these funds have not been affected by the federal funding freeze.”

March 14, 2025 No Comments

Dear Grant and Silver World crew—

I continue to enjoy reading of Lake City from (very) far afield, here in Virginia. I noticed a reference to OHV decibel levels in the February 28 Silver World. While I have no dog in the OHV issue, my wife Liz and I were surprised at how many of them passed us as we trudged on foot up to Carson and back the last time we were in the area, in 2023. The article this week stated that OHVs made after 1 January 1998 must “register at 96dB(A).” Just for some context, using an app on my iPhone, down at my nearest NASCAR track in Richmond, when the green flag drops and forty race cars roar by at full throttle, it comes in at 109 decibels (see below). Very Respectfully,Steve StigallMcLean, Virginia

March 7, 2025 No Comments

Deputy Sarah Poet Resigns Sheriff’s Post Effective March 5

Sheriff’s Deputy Sarah Poet, one of the prime investigators on the January 24 vehicular hit and run case, resigned her post effective March 5, 2025. Poet began the academy application process in the fall of 2022, beginning classes in January, 2023. Once her training was completed, she was sworn in to the Hinsdale County Sheriff’s Office June 11, 2023, hired on by former Sheriff Chris Kambish. WORLD spoke with Poet this week, inquiring into her future plans, and she said she plans to remain in Lake City and return to work at The Country Store.“I really miss the people I got to see everyday at the store,” she said. When asked what she liked most about working in law enforcement, she said, “it was an amazing opportunity and I learned a lot. The law enforcement community is the most supportive community of people I’ve ever experienced. No matter what position or rank someone is – Sargeant, Captain, Lieutenant, Sheriff – it doesn’t matter, everyone is so supportive and always has each other’s best interest and success in mind. That was amazing.” With the vacancy Poet’s departure will create, Sheriff Denim Starnes is on the lookout for suitable sheriff’s deputies and has recently been interviewing new recruits.

March 7, 2025 No Comments

New Trustee Wuest Sworn in, OHV Noise Considered at BOT February 19 Meeting

During the February 19 Town of Lake City Board of Trustees meeting, newly appointed Trustee Nathan Wuest was officially sworn in by Mayor Dave Roberts. After taking his oath, Roberts congratulated Wuest, who thanked him in return. .Trustee Jodi Linsey spoke first in the workshop portion of the evening, saying that she had received an email from David Cherry dated January 31, addressed to the Mayor and Trustees. While Linsey did not read the letter, she deemed it “thoughtful and well-written,” and asked that it be included in the next meeting’s correspondence received.Town Manager Lex Mulhall stated that many emails had been received since the joint Town and County meeting and asked if all of those emails should be included, noting that nearly everyone has an opinion on OHVs and the volume of correspondence can become overwhelming.It was agreed upon, across the Board of Trustees, that in the interest of transparency any letter or email addressed to the Mayor and Board of Trustees should indeed be included in correspondence received to be available for public review.Turning the conversation to the matter of OHVs, Mayor Roberts said that he “wanted to keep the conversation going” ahead of the summer season, “because summer will be here before you know it, so the sooner we can have things in place and have information out there for people, the better.”Mayor Roberts directed Trustees to look over the Stay the Trail Off Highway Guidelines pamphlet, saying, “I think [the pamphlet] covers the question of excessive noise, and while it all comes down to enforcement, that’s a reason to have the Sheriff involved in that conversation. What irritates me is when they’re coming down Crooke’s Hill – I remember being a teenager and whoever had the loudest stereo ‘won’ – some [of the OHVs] are so loud you can hear them from town. They don’t need to be that loud.”The pamphlet states that vehicles manufactured after January 1, 1998 register at 96dB(A) [A-weighted decibel] and vehicles manufactured before that date register at 99dB(A).Trustee Diane Bruce pointed out that there is no way to measure this when an OHV is travelling on the road, especially when there are other vehicles around, and that the verbiage in the potential ordinance the Trustees are considering is “unreasonable or excessive engine noise or blower noise. The only way [to determine] it would be to have them rev their engine, stationary. Also – we don’t want vehicles up on the Loop – or driving around town for that matter – without their spark arrestors.” Bruce also cited the hours of operation proposed in the ordinance as 7:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m., with restricted operation of OHVs outside of those hours.”Mayor Roberts said, “I think we’re doing what we can, and I’d just like to get it done, so we can get the word out before the masses arrive.”Bruce added “it’s important to stay proactive and doing things in the direction of improving the situation, so let’s continue to do that.”

February 28, 2025 No Comments

Snowshoe racers at Saturday morning’s starting gate and the line of both 5K and 1K racers and walkers disappearing across Lake San Cristobal…

Top right and left: snowshoe racers at Saturday morning’s starting gate and the line of both 5K and 1K racers and walkers disappearing across Lake San Cristobal; center right, first place 5K snowshoer Doug Eby on the final leg of the race and, left to right, first and second place 1K winners Tracey Henson, from Colorado Springs, and Tickfaw, Louisiana, snowshoer Trey Tycer and, in second place, Jim and Staci Brown from South Fork; Lake Citians Rick and Allison Wetzel raised arms in victory after completing the 1K. Above, left to right, Monte Vista racer Landon Crowder — with multi-generation Howard family Powderhorn ancestry — was directed across the finish line by Greg Olson; victorious Lake Citians in Saturday’s snowshoe race were Becky Daniels and Melanie Merrell, and Campo Caceres, all barely out of breath as they completed the snowy trek. Below, clockwise from right: top place 5K women, Amy Crowder (38 minutes, 23 seconds), Faith Crowder (40.20), and Geri Howard (42.47) and top flight men, Darren Hardy (40.51), first place Dan Eby (31.03), and Landon Crowder (38.07); notable outfits were snugly attired Tony Rackham from Pagosa Springs, Jess Howard with first place 5K canine, the 2-year-old Argentinian dog Otto, and first place cannibal-inspired costume to Linda Drain, from South Fork, who works in Doc Howard’s vet clinic at Creede; door prize winners Monica Irons, Marcia Carl, and Jackilyn Gleason; Hannibal Lecter-inspired Blue Mesa cannibals Monica Irons, Reiley Jones, and Kim Jones; 4th and 5th generation Powderhorn ancestors, snowshoe athletes Amy Crowder, Landon Crowder, and Faith Crowder.

February 28, 2025 No Comments

Tag: Lake City