That’s an appeal I remember hearing from Don Volger, back when he served as Mayor of Pagosa Springs, and the Town government was proposing some controversial political moves.
Can everybody just get along?
Actually, we can’t. Or at least, some of us can’t.
I’m thinking about this problem — which I don’t actually view as a problem — because I attended a couple of government meetings on Tuesday, where the issue of “getting along” (or not) was evident.
The Tuesday morning meeting constituted an 8:30am work session of the Archuleta Board of County Commissioners — Warren Brown, Veronica Medina and John Ranson — who heard reports from various staff members and consultants.
One of the reports came from the County’s new Planning Director, Eva Kruse, who moved here recently and who may not be entirely familiar with the way things are done (or not) in Archuleta County. Ms. Kruse delivered an update on the Archuleta County ‘Community Plan’ update currently underway. This update has been instigated by a 2024 Colorado law that requires state funding agencies to prioritize grant awards based on whether the local government has met certain criteria.
From the Colorado Legislature web page for SB24-174:
…the act requires the awarding entity to prioritize awarding grants to a local government that:
- Has completed and filed a housing needs assessment;
- Has adopted a housing action plan that has been accepted by the department;
- Has reported progress to the department regarding the adoption of any strategies or changes to local laws identified in the housing action plan; and
- Is the subject of a master plan that includes a water supply element and a strategic growth element.
Ms. Kruse specifically referred to the “water supply element” in her report to the BOCC.
You can download the existing Community Plan here. This Plan was originally developed “through extensive public input in 2001″… following a decade of unbridled, unregulated growth that doubled the county population and caused many old-timers to question where in hell the community was headed.
Growth, as we have seen, is a double edged sword. Although the Archuleta County population has quadrupled since 1970, the amount of water available as drinking water has not increased, so as you would notice. The largest drinking water supplier — Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District (PAWSD) — still draws its raw water from the same two sources: the San Juan River and Fourmile Creek. But most of the water diverted from those two sources goes to growing grass for cows. Like, 90% of the water diverted. To grow grass.
The County would like to continue receiving government grants for state agencies, so it has filed a housing needs assessment (as required) and has hired consultants to write a housing action plan. Another consulting group is working with Ms. Kruse and her staff to add “a water supply element” to the County’s master plan.
During her report to the commissioners, Ms. Kruse accused PAWSD of failing to cooperate with the County’s effort to write the water supply chapter of the Community Plan, by refusing to provide data to the County and its consultants.
“And I talked with James Dickhoff [Town Development Director] and he has struggled with this before. We might have to do a joint letter from the Town and County that says, ‘Are you willing to work with us? We really need this information in order to plan for our future.”
Commissioner Brown asked if that information is already available.
Ms. Kruse: “It’s not. It’s not. We have very little information, and I sent an email saying, ‘Look, we’re willing to sign a [non-disclosure agreement]. I’m not looking to put this information out to the public. We just need it so, as a County, we can plan better.
“And I’m not sure if we’re going to be able to play ball…”
Commissioner John Ranson: “And we need to encourage them to work together. I get tired of this secretive stuff. We should be working together.”
I currently serve as volunteer on the PAWSD board of directors, and this editorial reflects my own opinions and not necessarily the opinions of the PAWSD board and staff. But knowing the current PAWSD organization as well as I do, I found this conversation about non-cooperation rather disturbing, because I have found the PAWSD staff to be consistently cooperative, and conscientious.
Following the meeting, I emailed Ms. Kruse to get a clarification of the roadblocks she is experiencing at PAWSD. Ms. Kruse responded promptly.
We understand there has been historic reluctance to share data with the County/Town. We will be requesting facility data to better prepare the County Water Supply Element…
She listed some of the water system data the County needs for its Community Plan update. She then noted that she has not actually asked PAWSD for any data.
As I type this email to you now, we have not explicitly asked PAWSD for this data yet. The request is forthcoming and we would certainly appreciate any support or guidance you can provide as we move through this process. Thank you for the email!
Apparently, Ms. Kruse had been informed by other people — Mr. Dickhoff, for example — that PAWSD consistently refuses to provide necessary data to other government agencies?
But she had not, herself, experienced any refusals?
I emailed Ms. Kruse:
Hi Eva
Thanks for the additional information.
I admit I find it unsettling that you accused PAWSD of being uncooperative, in a public meeting, when you haven’t explicitly asked for any information.
Speaking as a citizen and as an individual PAWSD Board member, I have watched the PAWSD staff consistently bend over backwards to treat people generously and fairly. But it’s my understanding that some agencies in Pagosa have requested data about individual PAWSD customers that PAWSD is not allowed to share under Colorado law, according to the PAWSD attorney. This does not indicate a reluctance to cooperate, but rather a commitment to following the law.
Some of the information you may be seeking is available on the PAWSD website. You might start with these links:
https://www.pawsd.org/water-service/water-quality/
https://www.pawsd.org/water-service/water-conservation/
https://www.pawsd.org/waterfacts/
Again, speaking as an individual board member and also as a journalist who has been researching and writing about water issues in Archuleta County for the past 20 years, I would be happy to offer support and guidance to the County as you move forward with your Community Plan update.
Read Part Two… tomorrow…