HomeMy WebLinkAbout20000460.tiff From: jmfolsom <jmfolsom@ecentral.com>
To: <charding@co.weld.co.us>
Date: 2/10/00 12:56pm
Subject: New clerk and recorder's office in Tri-Town area: FYI
7050 Loma Linda Ct.
Longmont CO 80504
303 833 2992
February 9, 2000
To the Editor:
LOCAL VEHICLE REGISTRATION IS ONE STEP CLOSER!
Last September, the Farmer & Miner published a letter that called for
locating a county clerk and recorder*s office in the Tri-Town area so
that local residents would not have to travel to Fort Lupton or Greeley
and wait in line to register vehicles they had purchased or avail
themselves of other services at the clerk*s offices. Shortly afterwards,
whether by coincidence or in reaction to complaints, some of the county
commissioners declared that they thought the idea had merit.
Now a local citizen has generously offered to donate 5 acres as a site
for a clerk and recorder*s office not far from where Firestone
government*s Safeway dream store is supposed to be located. In fact,
county commissioners and their finance director have shown sufficient
interest to come down and visit the site to inspect its possibilities.
One can only admire the generosity and public interest of the donor of
the land, but there still remains the problem of financing a building to
house the clerk*s office. The Tabor amendment would require the vagaries
of citizen support of a bond issue to finance construction. Bonded
indebtedness was the method used to finance Firestone*s town hall, so
soon after town government*s bragging that they had made the town debt
free! The county has also employed its devious creation, the Weld Co.
Finance Corp., to circumvent the Tabor requirements in financing some of
its facilities. Essentially, that quasi *private sector* corporation,
two of whose directors are the county*s attorney and finance director,
can issue bonds and then lease the facility back to the county for its
use. Another avenue would be to enter that labyrinth of obtaining grant
money from a state agency that might, in time, provide some of the
financing. Lastly, it has been suggested that the county could use the
funds from selling its mined out gravel pit along St. Vrain Creek to
finance a building. Unfortunately, this land is presently slated for
development in conjunction with Barbour Ponds as part of the projected
area trail system. Curiously, it is another site being considered for
the clerk*s office even though it is far from any center of population.
But, as mentioned in the previous letter, there is a building in
Firestone that now stands forlornly empty waiting for some occupants,
namely, the old town hall. The unbridled growth advocates in Firestone
government, reveling in anticipated revenues, have budgeted $50,000 to
fix up the building even though *we do not yet have a determination of
how that building will be used*. This is just another example of the
2000-0460
Firestone government road grader syndrome of spending taxpayers* money
on things for which the town has little or no need. Incidentally, Erie
government has received a grant of$82,717 from the state for
restoration of its old town hall which will save Erie*s taxpayers that
much money. Given the perceived wealth that Firestone government is
having to deal with, it might even consider donating the old town hall
for use by the county clerk and recorder which would be a convenience to
town residents.
There are some negatives to the old town hall location, such as its
being in a residential area with limited parking. With some will and
imagination these negatives could be minimized. One county officials
concern was that there might be the perception of a conflict of interest
in that the surrounding land owned by the donor would be developed
privately. This is without merit as the surrounding land is part of
Frederick and the county would have no say in how it was to be used.
Let your county and town governments know what you think of this
proposal so that you can save you and your neighbors trips to Fort
Lupton or Greeley.
John S. Folsom
Hello