CHAFFEE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEETING

April 21, 2009 1:00 pm   American Legion Hall, 338 N. Railroad Ave. Buena Vista   MAP

PURPOSE

Continuation of the March 18, 2009 public hearing regarding the request from Nestle Waters North America, Inc. - Special Land Use Permit (SLUP) and 1041 Permit. The request is the development of spring water harvesting in the Ruby Mountain area near Nathrop, associated five-mile transmission pipeline, and loading facility in Johnson Village. Additional information can be obtained on the Chaffee County website - www.chaffeecounty.org 

                                                                                       AGENDA
a. 1:00 p.m. – Introductory remarks.
b. 1:10 p.m. – Staff update on submittals subsequent to the March 18 meeting and Planning Commission comments.
c. 1:45 p.m. – Testimony from County consultants (new developments).
d. 2:30 p.m. – Applicant testimony regarding submittals subsequent to the March 18 meeting.
e. 3:30 p.m. – Break.
f.  3:45 p.m. – Public comment regarding submittals subsequent to the March 18 meeting, followed by applicant’s response,   
                      final Board questions and deliberation.

How to Prepare for the Meeting:                                                     How to Contact the Commissioners:
1. Carpool if possible                                                                            fholman@chaffeecounty.org
2. The Hall holds a limited number of people,                                          tglenn@chaffeecounty.org
    so if possible be there early to get a good seat.                                  dgiese@chaffeecounty.org
3. If you want to speak (greatly encouraged) be sure to find the
    signup sheet that should be on a table near the front.                          Contact these Commissioners by email to let them 
                                                                                                           know your thoughts and concerns with the Nestle 
                                                                                                           proposal. For points you might consider
                                                                                                           check below

Some of the unresolved issues pertaining to the 1041 permit are:

1) Legal Liability
    -What if the springs are damaged?
    -Cost of future monitoring and/or legal action for enforcement
2) Heavy Truck Traffic on Hwy 285
    -Winding steep mountain highway, icy 6 months of the year
    -25 trucks a day, each way, will impact everyone that uses Highway 285.
    -Higher emergency response expenses -Higher road repair and maintenance costs
3) Water augmentation
    -Replacement water is augmented from Aurora for ten years. What then?
    -Will Nestle “Buy and Dry” land in the valley?
4) Wetlands
    -Cone of depression affects wetlands around the spring.
    -Recharge to aquifer relies on precipitation, irrigation, and runoff from Mosquito Mountains east of Arkansas River          
    -Effects of future droughts
    -Nestle claims drought resistant spring. How can they support that?
5) Economics -No jobs -No revenues -Minimal taxes
6) The issue of diverting native water
    -Where could this go?
    -Where will it end?
    - Do we want to support the privatization of a vital natural resource by for-profit companies?
7) What’s the rush?
    -Commissioners should not be pressured by Nestle to grant the permit without the full review process.
8) Recreational Tourism - how will it be affected? Chaffee County gets 250,000 rafters on the river each summer, that
     is roughly 37 million dollars. 3% decrease due to traffic? = 1.25 million $$$$ LOST.   ????Skiers each winter = more
     $$$$ LOST   (Semi-Tanker Trucks will run 365 days/year)

Ideas To Consider:
 
Sustainability requires local foods, alternative energies, affordable housing, good schools, protecting ranching, and maintaining native waters. Nestle claims this is a sustainable project. What is sustainable about a project that uses on an annual basis: 150,000 kw/hours of coal-fired electricity to pump the water, then 613,200 gallons of diesel fuel to haul it to Denver-plus more energy for bottling/distribution, then puts 1.2 million non-recycled plastic bottles into landfills, road ditches, and waterways per day--or 438 million per year?

 Tips for writing/testifying:

The goal of your testimony should be to directly address the 1041 Application, as well as provide your opinions and concerns as residents of the County. Tell the commissioners why you are there, what your concerns are, and why you have those opinions.

ANY 1041 application should be guided by the following principles:

(a) To promote the health, safety, and general welfare of the citizens of Chaffee County;

(b) To encourage and strength the established industries of agriculture, mining, tourism, recreation and education;

(c) To plan for adequate transportation, water, wastewater treatment, electricity, telephone,schools
parks and other similar facilities, and to provide for the phased development of such services and facilities;

(d) To protect the beauty of the landscape and the rural character of the County, to enhance recreational opportunities for residents and visitors, to preserve important archeological and historic sites and significant wildlife habitat, to protect air and water quality, and to conserve soil, water and forestry resources;