Tribune TRILAKES 1/16/13
Tri-Lakes
January 16, 2013
Free
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourtrilakesnews.com
Tri-Lakes Region, Monument, Gleneagle, Black Forest and Northern El Paso County
Talk focuses on reusing, recycling water Monument discusses sustainable water for the future at board of trustees meeting By Lisa Collacott
lcollacott@ourcoloradonews.com Future water for the town of Monument was a topic of discussion during the first board of trustee meeting of the year. Town Manager Cathy Green told trustees at the Jan. 7 meeting that for the last seven years the town has been searching for ways to get renewable water because the aquifers don’t have enough water to sustain the water supply for the future. Green said the town’s plan for water is not more than four shares of water from Twin Lakes. She said in the past that they looked at buying Fountain Mutual Shares but were advised by their water attorney not to and last year they were approached about the Two Rivers Company in southern Colorado in which water would be brought from the Arkansas River to Monument by exchanging water from farm land that was being fallowed. But that idea was nixed. Green said other local water entities are purchasing farms in order to have sustainable water but the town of Monument hasn’t done anything. She said the problem the town of Monument has that other water districts do not have is that they have
Water is a precious commodity in the Tri-Lakes area, and its scarcity has Monument officials considering the cost, and benefits of recycling. Photo by Rob Carrigan an entire town to run and they do not have enough money to try several, expensive plans for obtaining future water. “We really have enough water to do one thing and we really need to try to make that
one thing right,” Green said. In conversations with Betty Konarski, Monument representative to the Pikes Peak Water Authority and Arkansas River Basin Roundtable Chair Gary Barber, Green said
Trustees asked to consider hosting the annual Fourth of July fireworks display this year lcollacott@ourcoloradonews. com If the fireworks aren’t cancelled this year due to drought conditions Monument Lake might be the place to watch them. The Palmer Lake Fireworks Committee has approached the Monument Board of Trustees about considering hosting the fireworks display this year. Bill Brown, fireworks committee member, went before the board at the Jan. 7 meeting and asked if the fireworks show could be moved to Monument. Brown said the reason for the possible move is that it would be a better event if held in Monument because the parade and the street fair already take place in Monument. “I think it would be good for the town as well,” Brown said. Traditionally the fireworks have taken place in Palmer Lake but were cancelled last year because of the high fire danger and the lack of water in the lake. The Palmer Lake town council has said they could host the fireworks provided that there is
water in the lake and as long as this summer isn’t another high fire season. However there has been very little snowfall to ease the drought conditions and it looks like the lake will go another summer without any water. The fireworks have taken place in Monument in the past. Brown told the trustees that parking and viewing for the fireworks would be on Ernie Biggs property off of Mitchell Avenue with the fireworks set off over Monument Lake. Monument Police Chief Jake Shirk voiced some concerns about Monument hosting the fireworks. He said if it’s held at the lake there’s only two ways in and out and that would be on Mitchell Avenue going northbound into Palmer Lake on a secondary road and the other one is through Second Street. He said the secondary road isn’t capable of handling thousands of vehicles and exiting on Second Street there is the issue of the train. “There would have to be somebody stationed at the train tracks because I could just imagine hundreds of cars backed up trying to go across
‘I think there’s potential but obviously there are some significant concerns that need to be addressed.’ Mayor Travis Easton
Water continues on Page 9
Marijuana use limited
Monument a potential location for fireworks By Lisa Collacott
they came to the conclusion that the best thing for Monument would be to reuse and recycle water which is something the town
Board of trustees pass two ordinances prohibiting retail sales and public consumption of recreational marijuana By Lisa Collacott
lcollacott@ourcoloradonews.com
The Palmer Lake Fireworks Committee has asked the Monument board of Trustees to consider hosting the annual fireworks display in Monument this year. There are a number of safety concerns that were brought up at the Jan. 7 meeting. File photo Second (Street), they’re on the train tracks and now a train comes and there’s nowhere for these folks to get off these train tracks,” Shirk said, adding that it won’t be a police officer stationed at the train track because they will be too busy. Shirk was also concerned about the number of vehicles Biggs property would hold since there is an average of 25,000 people that come out to the fireworks show. “I think there’s potential but
obviously there are some significant concerns that need to be addressed,” Mayor Travis Easton said. Mayor Pro-Tem Jeff Kaiser suggested that the committee sit down and talk with Shirk about the safety concerns and Trustee Raphael Dominguez would like the committee to discuss with the company that handles the fireworks as to whether or not that location is a safe place to shoot the fireworks off.
If anyone should try to sell marijuana for retail purposes or openly consume it in Monument, think again. The Monument board of trustees has passed two ordinances prohibiting both actions. Colorado voters passed Amendment 64 in November legalizing the possession, sale and use of marijuana for recreational purposes. The amendment also allows local municipalities to prohibit the cultivation, manufacturing, testing and sale of marijuana through an ordinance. According to the first ordinances, which was passed unanimously by the Monument board of trustees at the Jan. 7 meeting, the operation of marijuana cultivation, testing and manufacturing facilities and retail stores within the town limits are prohibited. The ordinance also states it is illegal to grow recreational marijuana unless it is in a closed, locked place. The second ordinance, also passed unanimously, prohibits the possession of marijuana for persons under the age of 21 and prohibits those 21 and older to possess, transfer, transport or purchase marijuana, marijuana products or marijuana accessories for any reason other than personal use. It also prohibits the consumption of marijuana openly or publicly or in a Marijuana continues on Page 9
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