While expressing wariness at the idea of dealing with the federal government, especially the Federal Emergency management Agency (FEMA), the Orchard City Town Trustees nevertheless gave the town administrator permission to try and get some money from the agency.

On a 6-0 vote, the trustees agreed Dec. 9 to officially adopt the county’s multi-hazard mitigation plan in hopes that somewhere down the road the town’s participation will open up an avenue to federal money.

“The town would have the option of possibly getting some type of funding in the future,” explained Town Administrator David Varley. “There is no downside, and small chance for an upside.”

Several of the board members including Trustee Cherrie Gilliam expressed reservations about getting involved with the federal agency that handled the Hurricane Katrina aftermath in New Orleans, because taking the federal money can cause “more headaches” than it’s worth, she said.

But the board nevertheless agreed unanimously with Marsha Thomas’s motion and Len Johnson’s second to adopt the multi-hazard plan, said to be 292 pages in length.

In other routine business matters at their Dec. 9 regular meeting, the Orchard City Town Trustees dealt with the following matters:

• The Board heard Varley report that work crews from the Delta Correctional Facility had been helping with cleanup along town roads.

• Varley also reported the town would have its application completed for a $2 million loan from the state. The town wants the one-percent, 30-year loan to help fund its West Side water transmission line replacement project. The loan application had to be submitted by Dec. 15. The total project cost is currently estimated at $4.4 million.

• In an update on the Ward Creek diversion project, the board saw slides of the work completed up until the heavy snowfall that hit the area on Dec. 8.

• Varley reported that the town had been notified of the possibility of some additional truck traffic moving through town via Highway 65 and Fairview Road if a federal project for disposing up to 20,000 cubic yards of spent shale rock at a Doughspoon Road location is approved. The traffic spike would last only short time, county officials have said.

• Trustees approved the replat/boundary adjustment of Leon Subdivision located roughly between Highway 65 and Kettle Road.

• Mayor Suppes expressed his willingness to serve as Surface Creek representative on the newly-formed Delta/Montrose Energy Steering Committee. His appointment will require the consent of the Cedaredge Town Board also.

• Trustees met in a 25-minute-long closed door executive session to discuss a “personnel matter.”

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