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Cortez city council

  • A sharply divided Cortez City Council on Tuesday rejected a proposed ordinance that would have allowed people to bring firearms to council meetings.
  • A half-dozen residents of Cortez sharply criticized new water rates in the city during Tuesday’s meeting of the city council.
  • With city staff facing a continuing deluge of open-records requests, the Cortez City Council voted 6 to 1 at its meeting July 25 to raise the hourly fee that is charged for fulfilling such requests.
  • The U.S. EPA has announced that it reached a settlement with the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority that means the NTUA has agreed to improve wastewater treatment facilities in three communities in northern Arizona. The Department of Justice filed a complaint on behalf of the EPA that says the facilities violated Clean Water Act permits meant to protect human health and the environment by discharging wastewater not treated to proper levels into washes across the tribal nation. It also says the NTUA failed to maintain their facilities’ sewage systems and prevent sewage spills. The roughly $100 million settlement will mean some short-term and long-term upgrades to facilities in Chinle, Kayenta and Tuba City that serve about 20,000 people, mostly Navajo citizens. And four seats on the Cortez City Council are open in the upcoming election on April 2. Nomination packets are available at City Hall, and are due this Monday, January 22.
  • The city of Cortez is holding several listening sessions starting on Tuesday as part of the next steps in updating the land use code for the city, which was first adopted 27 years ago. Rachael Marchbanks, the city’s community and economic development director, says that the listening sessions are organized by Logan Simpson, the consultant company for the city. The eventual changes to the land use code will factor in the need for affordable housing in Cortez, she says. And a bill that would make changes to Colorado’s election system was approved by the state Senate last week.
  • The Cortez City Council has unanimously approved a plan to rewrite the city’s land use code. In order to improve affordable housing options available for those looking to move or build homes in Cortez, the city applied for a grant from the Colorado State Department of Local Affairs to fund a land use code project. And state lawmakers want oil and gas companies to conserve more water. A new bill would require companies to report their water use for increased transparency.
  • The Cortez City Council will vote on an ordinance Tuesday night that will determine if a property located on the southwest corner of North Chestnut Street and West Empire Street will be rezoned from residential single family, to residential multi-family. And state lawmakers want to give local authorities the power to outlaw gunfire in densely populated areas.
  • The Colorado senate has started debating a bill aiming to prevent fentanyl overdoses. The City of Cortez has a new city council and mayor. And, looking at water conditions as summer approaches, the picture across the Southwest doesn’t look good.
  • Colorado lawmakers are advancing a bill to give tax credits to small businesses that advertise in local newspapers and radio stations. And candidates for Cortez City Council answered questions in a public forum on Thursday evening.
  • Democrats at the Colorado statehouse are blocking new Republican efforts to ban abortions. The City of Cortez and Montezuma County have announced their choice for Cortez Municipal Airport’s new airline. And one of the candidates for Cortez City Council has dropped out of the race.