Fairgrounds
MesamCounty is working with the City of Grand Junction and the private developer of the Civic Arena to study the feasibility of bringing new and modern facilities to the traditional users of the Fairgrounds.
The Civic Arena, as proposed by Mr. Reed Mitchell, is a stand alone project. MesaCounty and the City of Grand Junction are studying to see if we can leverage the development of the Civic Arena to build additional facilities, on the same Jarvis property campus as the Civic Arena. These additional facilities would house 4H meetings and events, equestrian activities, other animal events and ultimately house the Mesa County Fair. In concept, these facilities would be built so that they could be used in a complimentary fashion with the Civic Arena. This is not a done deal. We are studying our options to see if it is feasible to improve the fairground facilities and move to the Jarvis campus.
Fees associated with new facilities will be analyzed as part of the feasibility study. Current user fees, fees at other comparable facilities, public input and the costs associated with providing for the operations of new facilities will be considered when establishing rates for the new facilities. Fees for the fairgrounds portion of the facility will be at the sole discretion of the CountyCommissioners. The owner/operator of the Civic Arena will only be responsible for setting fees for the privately operated Civic Arena
Public Lands Enhancement Program
On March 17th CountyCommissioners met with representatives from the BLM, National Forest, ColoradoNational Monument, the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway and the Grand Junction Visitor’s and Convention Bureau, to discuss a possible grant program for enhancement of public lands in MesaCounty. In an effort to help ensure a diverse economy Mesa County Commissioners are discussing the possibility of using a portion of their PILT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) revenue to invest in our public lands and increase tourism throughout MesaCounty.
PILT is revenue that the Federal government pays to local governments to help make up for the lack of local taxes from the public lands. In MesaCounty and over 70% of our lands are public lands, and we receive about $1.5 million annually in PILT dollars. Possible uses for the public lands enhancement grant could include building or maintaining trails and trail heads, better utilization of inmate work crews, funding a volunteer coordinator to serve all public land management offices or a publica education campaign to increase tourism. This project is just in the beginning stages. For more information contact Craig Meis at craig.meis@mesacounty.us
Colorado Bureau of Investigations (CBI)
This week CBI will officially get the keys to their new state of the art facility. The official dedication will be held April 18th, and Governor Ritter has been invited to attend the event. Tours to the public should be available in April or May. This will be a great opportunity for our local law enforcement entities in addition to bringing new jobs to MesaCounty.
State Meth Task Force
At the State Meth Task Force meeting in Denver this week, it was announced that a new funding option is available for people needing meth treatment and their families. The Access to Recovery Grant was received by the State to serve over 6,000 people over the course of three years through a new voucher program. This not only provides in patient or out patient treatment for meth addicts but also provides other support services such as transportation, child care and other services that may be needed by the family members. This grant should be available to MesaCounty residents by May. For more information contact Angie Wickersham at angela.wickersham@mesacounty.us or 683-2678
Benevolent Community Partnership
The BCP will host a luncheon and mini information fair for health care workers on Thursday, June 5th at 11:30 am at the Community Services Building- 510 29 ½ Rd- in Room 1060. This event will provide health care workers, who often need to refer patients to community resources, information about just those resources. Lunch is provided but seating is limited, so those interested should RSVP to Linda Frasier at Linda.frasier@mesacounty.us or call 244-1885