1
December 12, 2013 Elbert County, Colorado | Volume 118, Issue 46 A publication of
elbertcountynews.net
W E AT H E R
WO E S
Justin Pitts, who works for Aspen Falls Landscaping, struggled to repair the blade on his ATV during a Dec. 4 mini-blizzard that blanketed the county with about 5 inches of snow and dropped temperatures into the single digits. Pitts was clearing walkways outside the Safeway Shopping Center in Elizabeth. Photo by George Lurie
Officials preview budget for 2014 Dec. 4 study session spotlights county’s draft By George Lurie
glurie@ourcoloradonews.com
Safeway says no to car sales in lot Signs warn private sellers vehicles will be towed By George Lurie
glurie@ourcoloradonews.com Signs were posted on Dec. 3 at the entrance to Elizabeth’s Safeway warning it is illegal to park cars for sale in the shopping center’s parking lot. “This Shopping Center is not Zoned to Allow the Sale of Cars,” the signs read. “Cars for Sale Will Be Towed At the Owners Expense.” Tom House, Safeway’s store manager in Elizabeth, said he posted the signs because “we’ve had an ongoing problem with people parking in our lot trying to sell their cars.” “We try to be accommodating but we’re running a business here,” House added. “We’re not a used car lot. Our parking lot is for customers.” House said that at one time last summer “we had about 20 vehicles for sale parked in our lot.” Clearly, not everyone has read the new signs: On Dec. 4, a pickup truck with a “For Sale” sign was parked in the Safeway lot. “We’re not trying to give anybody a hard time,” said House. “And we haven’t towed POSTAL ADDRESS
A truck with a ‘For Sale’ sign was parked in the Safeway lot on Dec. 4. Photo by George Lurie anybody’s car. We just don’t want this to turn into a more serious problem. When you use the word ‘tow,’ you do tend to get people’s attention.” House called the problem “a zoning issue” and said it has been going on “for a long time. When we see a car with a sign and call the owner, they usually say, ‘Why can’t I do it? Everybody else does.’” House said at the previous company
where he worked, “I actually had somebody from the state come by and tell me cars for sale can’t be parked in our parking lot.” “We’re a long way from towing people,” House said. “Right now, when we see a car for sale in the lot, we take one of our signs and tape it over the For Sale sign and call the car’s owner.” If that doesn’t result in the car being moved off the Safeway parking lot, House said he refers the matter to the property manager. At present, none of the other businesses in the Safeway Shopping Center have posted similar warning signs. “Right now, it’s not a big deal,” House Printed on recycled newsprint. Please said. “Usually, when I’ve contacted most recycle this copy. people, they understand and say ‘I’ll get the car out of there later today or tomorrow. I tell them ‘no problem.’ “We’re just trying to be reasonable and keep this from becoming a bigger issue,” House said.
At a Dec. 4 study session held to review the proposed 2014 Elbert County budget, the Board of County Commissioners got a glimpse of the county’s financial future — and it wasn’t as bleak as some might have expected. At least on paper, the county’s 2014 draft budget is balanced and actually shows a slight surplus. “It took a hell of a lot of work to get it there and will take a lot more work to execute it,” said BOCC Chairman Robert Rowland. “But as commissioners, we are really excited. This is the best-looking budget we’ve had in seven or eight years.” “This budget process is one of the most critical decision-making opportunities we have,” Johanna Sanders told commissioners. Sanders has been taking the lead in the county’s finance department since the dismissal in October of former finance director Stan Wilmer. “It took a lot of dedication and everybody’s input to get to this point,” said Sanders. “We are really excited to be in the black” in 2014. About 20 people attended the workshop, including a dozen county officials and department heads. “This budget is a guide, not a formula,” Commissioner Kurt Schlegel reminded county employees. A follow-up public hearing, scheduled for Dec. 11 at the fairgrounds, was slated to allow county residents a chance to voice their thoughts — and concerns — about the 2014 budget, which will have to be finalized later this year, likely before the long-delayed 2012 audit has been finished. Rowland said “considerable progress” was being made to complete the overdue 2012 audit. In October, the state directed county treasurer Rick Pettitt to freeze more than $100,000 in property tax revenues until the 2012 audit is submitted to the state. “The audit and budget are related but are really more like second cousins,” Rowland said. “We’ve been through this (2014) budget with a fine-toothed comb now. Finalizing the budget and finishing the (2012) audit are not dependent on each other.” Ed Ehmann, the county’s director of public works, took the lead during the workshop in presenting to commissioners the budget highlights department by department.
Reserve standard met
“One of our biggest goals — and interests — is the $500,000 reserve we are required to have for our loan agreement with Wells Fargo,” Ehmann said. “With this (proposed) budget, we meet that reserve.” Ehmann was referring to the $7 million Budget continues on Page 11