By Jim Mimiaga

The Mancos Times

Montezuma County has been busy seeking alternative energy opportunities, streamlining the planning process and cutting development fees.

The county wants to set up guidelines to attract solar-farm companies. After touring a solar farm in Alamosa, commissioner Larry Don Suckla was impressed.

"It's worth looking into. We have 300 days of sunshine here, transmission lines and open space," he said. "We should lay some groundwork and approach solar companies to look at Montezuma County."

A Colorado mandate requiring electric utilities to produce a certain amount of power from renewable energy is helping the market for solar farms.

County rethinks permit process

The county is considering changing the way it handles high-impact permit applications.

Currently requests are presented to the county commission, then forwarded to the planning commission for review. They go back to the commission for public hearings, approval or denial.

To streamline the process, the county is rewording the land use plan so routine items go straight to the planning board.

Anything large or controversial would be presented to the commission, said planning director LeeAnn Milligan.

Tthe planning commission was reduced from 7 to 5 members this year.

County plans to buy compactor for landfill

The county is planning to buy a compactor machine for the landfill. The driving unit costs between $460,000 and $480,000, and will be financed over several years.

The county is switching a state permit at the landfill from a baling system to a compaction system and wants to use the baler for recycling.

Development fees are lowered

The commissioners reduced road-impact fees for new development by half. The road-impact fee for a new residential housing unit was reduced from $2,750 to $1,375. For new residential accessory units, the road-impact fee dropped from $1,940 per unit to $970. The road-impact fees for new non-residential retail and restaurants were dropped.

"The county felt it was important to adjust the fees to promote positive growth," said Milligan. "The previous fee rate was a deterrent and discouraged small businesses."