The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
North end of valley would gain additional seat
The Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District (UGRWCD) is looking to reorganize. According to board member and District 5 Crested Butte representative Steve Glazer, the board has the authority to reorganize once every 10 years based on census data.
“The census suggests that Division 5 should get an additional seat based on population,” Glazer said.
On May 23, the board directed UGRWCD staff to submit a reorganization petition to water court judge J. Steven Patrick. The plan includes moving the southern boundary of District 5, which includes Crested Butte and part of Crested Butte South, to Cement Creek Road, and adds one more representative to that district. The restructuring would temporarily increase the number of representatives on the current board from 11 to 12.
“We don’t really want to grow the size of the board but have decided to do that on a temporary basis because we don’t want to eject from the board anyone currently serving,” Glazer said. “But the next time there’s a vacancy in one of the District 8 seats, that district will shrink [from four] to three representatives.”
UGRWCD general counsel John McClow is drafting the petition, to be submitted to the judge this spring. If judge Patrick agrees with the reorganization, a public hearing will be held before he accepts applications for appointment.
