April 21, 2016 VOLUME 121 | ISSUE 12 | 75¢
ElbertCountyNews.net A publication of
E L B E R T C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
Planning for Elbert County’s future Nine-member commission will play large role in how changes unfurl By Rick Gustafson Special to Colorado Community Media Editor’s note: This is the first of a twopart discussion with Dan Rosales, Elbert County Planning Commission chairman. As the chairman of the planning commission, Dan Rosales is entrusted with leading his board to make recommendations regarding individual developments in Elbert County.
With the county’s continued progress toward a $75,000 Colorado Department of Local Affairs grant to fund an updated master plan, Rosales and the planning commissioners will Rosales find themselves playing a significant role in decisions that could have lasting implications for the county. “This is something we’ve been wanting for a long time. A lot of the zoning regulations are obsolete, don’t apply,” he said. “They were done many years ago, so we need to update the zoning. In order to do
that, we need to have the master plan.” Rosales, who was appointed to his first four-year term by District III Commissioner Larry Ross in January 2014, took over as chairman in April. The commission serves in an advisory capacity to the Board of County Commissioners, which has the final say in matters pertaining to development. “As far as the way I look at this master plan, it has to be a visionary strategic view of the future. We need to keep that in mind, and it has to be a direction that the people want. This is the people’s county. It’s not the elected officials’ or the planning commission’s. This is for the people.” Rosales said there is a lot of work
ahead for both the planning commission and the BOCC, and discussions will likely center on water, growth, economic development and transportation. “There’s a lot more, but those are the major ones,” he said. Rosales sees the county in two parts: a delicate balance between the northwestern section with a mindset toward development, and the eastern part, where the focus is on maintaining rural traditions. “We can satisfy both,” he said. “I think the key to that is going to be economic development, because that’s going to give us a larger tax base. That will allow us to Future continues on Page 9
County, state reach deal to develop master plan Grant, match will provide $150,000 for team, process By Rick Gustafson Special to Colorado Community Media
Pam Witucki, of the Elbert County Coalition for Outreach, accepts her award for Outstanding Rural Victim Advocacy from District Attorney George Brauchler. Photo by Shanna Fortier
Survivors, advocates honored Awards ceremony was first for the 18th Judicial District By Shanna Fortier sfortier@coloradocommunitymedia.com Courage was the theme at the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office’s first Distinguished Crime Victim Service Awards, held at Two Penguins Tap and Grill in Centennial. “These are phenomenal people, “ said District Attorney George Br-
auchler. “There’s no way we could do what we do without them.” Many awards given at the April 14 ceremony were centered around the 2012 Aurora theater shooting. James Holmes was sentenced last year to life in prison for murdering 12 people. Among those recognized for their efforts during the tragedy and the trial: Embassy Suites Denver Tech, Aurora Police Department victim advocate Rusty Cain, the Aurora Police Department first responders, the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office
court services deputies and court facility dog volunteers Alyce Blevins and Kateri Nelson. “We were in hell,” said Maria Carbonell, a theater-shooting survivor. “I remember having a conversation with a victim advocate from (the Aurora Police Department) and she had a way about her. Just the way she would talk to me — she wasn’t afraid, she was strong. And for me, I really needed that at that time.” Awards continues on Page 9
The Elbert County Board of County Commissioners signed a contract with the State of Colorado on April 13 for a $75,000 Department of Local Affairs grant to develop a master plan to replace the previous one completed in 1994. Along with a 100 percent match from the county, the DOLA grant will allocate around $150,000 for the county to assemble a professional team to guide the process, collect data, and hold public forums. “We focus on rural Colorado,” said Clay Brown, DOLA regional manager for the Central Region counties. “I’m like a consultant to local governments. I cover eight counties … My clients are cities, counties and special districts. My job is to come out and see what you guys need and give you some guidance.” In addition to the hired consultants and Brown’s general knowledge, the county will also have access to other experts at DOLA to help guide them through executing the grant. “The grant is to develop the master plan,” Brown said. “There are statutory requirements in there, and then our RFP (request for proposal) … pretty much outlines what everyone needs to be doing.” Brown said he has worked with small towns that have a $150,000 budget for developing their master plans, and for a county the size of Elbert it is not a lot of money. Plan continues on Page 9
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