The Dolores Town Board has approved an ordinance to plan for an emergency situation.
Paul Hollar, emergency planner for Montezuma County, helped draft the ordinance. He said having the plan in place before a disaster is critical in order to get reimbursed for damages and costs from state and federal assistance programs.
“With a proper plan, you can get 87 percent of your costs back after a disaster,” Hollar said.
Dolores faces various risks for disasters.
Its position on the edge of a vast forest parched by drought puts it at risk from wildfires. Dolores is in a 100-year flood plain, with the last major flood in 1911. And an accident at the abandoned mines near the headwaters of the Dolores River around Rico could contaminate the river with wastewater containing heavy metals.
“We need to monitor those mines, and have mine officials give us regular updates,” said Mayor Val Truelsen.
Small towns need to have an emergency plan in place, Hollar said, because their budgets cannot handle the costs of a disaster.
The plan, passed Tuesday, adjusts town policy in the face of an emergency. For example, it suspends bid requirements and board budget approvals so money can be spent quickly on essential services. It suspends advance notice of town meetings and change-of-location rules for meetings to avoid complications during a crisis.
Without a plan, “certain policies can handcuff you in a disaster,” said Trevor Denney, southwest emergency manager for the Colorado Department of Public Safety.
Other aspects of the plan include the power to set up roadblocks, initiate curfews and authorize the delay of usual town services.
A breakdown in water supply like Mancos experienced last year, is the most common community disaster nationwide, officials said.
“That was a real learning experience for Mancos,” Hollar said. “The biggest challenge was informing the citizens about the current situation. Frequent community meetings were effective.”
Other town news
The town needs a board member to fill the spot vacated by Shelli Martin, who resigned because she moved to Cortez. The board will interview Dolores residents James Baird and Werner Kress at its Oct. 26 workshop at 6:30 p.m. and will vote on its selection on Nov. 2. Whoever is appointed must be elected at the town election in April.
The board agreed on a contractor and price to demolish the clubhouse in Joe Rowell Park. D&L Constructors agreed to tear it down and haul it away for $9,750. Hookups will remain for future concessionaires at the ballpark location.
The sheriff’s office plans a Halloween party for kids on Oct. 31 at the substation next door to town hall. Deputy Anderson reported that a new Dolores police vehicle will be arriving soon, a threat at the high school ended up being a bad practical joke, a man who allegedly brandished a weapon at a residence across from the school was evicted, and a trial for a man charged with alleged threats at the Depot earlier this summer will take place in December.
A new waterproof message board for events was installed at the water tower. To add information for events, contact town hall.
jmimiaga@the-journal.com
