~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline
At their Nov. 1 meeting, the Greene County board of supervisors discussed setting up a committee to move forward on plans for building a new county jail.
“The (current) jail is not sufficient for our needs, according to the state,” said board chair John Muir. “By Thanksgiving, we need a committee.”
County attorney Thomas Laehn discussed whether an advisory committee recognized by the board of supervisors would be better compared to a committee set up by county sheriff Jack Williams.
Laehn said an advisory committee recognized by the board could be “ad hoc (for a specific purpose) by resolution” and would be subject to the Open Meetings law.
Muir and the board seemed to agree to “formally appoint a committee” though no action was taken.
Muir said, “The first goal is to choose an architect.”
In other business, Laehn spoke about assembling a steering committee to establish a county adult community service program.
“We will eventually need to come to the board for funding,” Laehn said. “We would like a board member on the committee.”
Laehn said a steering committee would establish and give policy direction for the new program.
The adult community service program has been discussed several times over the past year with the board. Laehn said Diane Hinderaker, Boone County Probation, and retired judge Jed Magee are interested in the project.
Muir asked what the cost of a program would be. Laehn answered that he had information about a cost estimate but preferred to wait to confirm it.
The board discussed the advantage of the community service idea to both the person who was assigned service and to the community.
Laehn also gave an update on the naming of a creek in the northwest corner of the county. An applicant in that area had applied to the federal Board of Geographic Names to have an unnamed tributary of Cedar Creek be named Wolf Hollow Creek.
At the Oct. 25 board meeting, Laehn said he had been contacted by the federal government wanting to know whether the board of supervisors was in support of the naming.
Laehn told the board calls should be made to the people surrounding the creek and then the board could make a recommendation either for or against the naming.
“(The BGN) doesn’t need the board’s approval (to do the naming,)” Laehn said. “They just need a statement of approval or disapproval.”
Laehn said he has requested a month (from BGN) to research the naming.
County zoning coordinator Chuck Wenthold reported he and Laehn met with representatives of National Grid Renewables, an energy company proposing a solar energy project near Grand Junction.
At a previous board meeting, the company had described the project as needing 800 acres for solar panels.
“They have been in contact with the landowners affected,” he said. “The distance of the solar panels from residences are (quoted as) 300 to 400 feet.”
Wenthold said concerns by the board of supervisors for distance were discussed with the energy representatives along with possible needs for special exception permits.
“There will be future meetings with the representatives,” Wenthold said.
The board unanimously approved two additional 15-minute live carillon concerts on Sunday, Dec. 5, at 5:15 and 5:45 pm. These will be before and after the holiday tree lighting at Thomas Jefferson Gardens.
The board unanimously approved the transfer of $75,000 from TIF (Tax Increment Financing) to the Debt Service fund for payment of interest and other charges due Dec. 1, 2021 on general obligation urban renewal capital loan notes.
