If you’ve ventured down the east side of Main Street, you’re aware that the median project has begun. When school starts this fall, students will be able to halt traffic going in one direction to allow them to safely reach a center median; then halt traffic from the opposite direction, allowing them to reach the other side of the highway.

Navigating four lanes of fast-moving traffic is tricky but will be much safer with the completion of this project.

With this phase finished, the contractor will move west, a block at a time, beginning with Harrison Street, to install medians, resurface the alleys with concrete, and install ADA-compliant corner ramps. Construction is slated to be completed by the end of September.

This project has been fraught with controversy in recent months, with a lot of criticism focusing on what is perceived as the city’s lack of transparency. As a council member who has made numerous decisions relating to the project over several years, I asked staff to please go back and provide documentation on efforts the city made to inform citizenry. The highlights follow, with additional details available on the city website at cityofcortez.com.

There are three factors that weighed heavily to get us where we are now. From 2011-2015, Cortez participated in the Heart & Soul project. We engaged the community to determine what makes our town special, and in the process, we also learned what wasn’t working, including the aesthetics of our downtown area.

In September 2014, CDOT contacted Cortez, identifying the need to evaluate U.S. Highway 160 to determine the feasibility of a variety of safety measures. As a result, an Access Control Plan was jointly funded by CDOT and Cortez.

The city hosted two community meetings at the Recreation Center (June 24 and Aug. 26 of 2015) to elicit community input. Notices of these meetings were posted at every city building, and mailers were sent to every property owner in the corridor. Also, large storyboards were placed in four bank lobbies in town. A display was also placed in the library after the formal meetings to allow for additional citizen input.

On Nov. 24, 2015, a formal presentation was made to council, which included recommendations for slowing traffic by installing medians to make the downtown corridor safer – with the added bonus of enhancing its appearance.

Over the following months, The Journal did at least 12 articles on this subject starting in June 2015, and KSJD featured 10 articles or interviews on this topic, beginning in April 2016. The city hosted four meetings at the Sunflower Theater in July 2017 to address concerns. A fifth meeting was canceled due to lack of participation.

I attended all of the meetings; it was my impression that with one exception, those who came and expressed a concern left feeling that their concern had been addressed to their satisfaction.

Council voted to issue a Request for Proposal for the project in the fall of 2017, with the work to begin after Labor Day and to be completed by January 2018. We had no takers, so we planned to reissue the RFP after the first of the year with the goal of having the project completed by Memorial Day. In January, CDOT came to us proposing they contribute up to $294,000 for the ADA ramps. This funding required a CDOT review and approval process, delaying the start date again. Staff felt the savings justified the delay, saving these dollars for other Public Works projects. There was no subterfuge; no decisions made in some smoky back room.

Staff provided abundant opportunities for citizen input and information for this project, and while we continually look for ways to be responsive and transparent, I’d also make the plea that citizen interest and engagement are critical as well.

There’s never a good time for this kind of construction; staff and council are very aware of the inconvenience this project will cause. But even with the current setback, I am confident that when completed, the result will be positive, and those medians which have been such a source of contention will make our downtown safer while enhancing the curb appeal of our central business district.

Karen Sheek is the mayor of Cortez, a position elected by city council members. Reach her at ksheek@cityofcortez.com or during her office hours from 12:30-1:30 p.m. the second and fourth Tuesday of the month.