State of the valley: Local officials discuss priorities

Phil Castle,  The Business Times

The Grand Valley spreads out below a scenic overlook along Little Park Road south of Grand Junction. (Business Times photo by Phil Castle)

Government efforts under way in the Grand Valley will address everything from child care in Clifton and health care in Palisade to business development in Grand Junction and Fruita. But additional challenges remain, among them a shortage of affordable housing.

Officials from Mesa County, the cities of Grand Junction and Fruita and town of Palisade discussed a range of issues during a state of the valley luncheon hosted by the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce. 

The panel featured Mesa County Commissioner Cody Davis, Mesa County Administrator Pete Baier, Grand Junction Mayor Anna Stout, Grand Junction City Manager Greg Caton, Fruita Mayor Joel Kincaid, Fruita City Manager Mike Bennett, Palisade Mayor Greg Mikolai and Palisade Town Manager Janet Hawkinson.

Davis said Mesa County will allocate resources, including nearly $28 million in federal funding from the American Recovery Act, to Clifton. A campus there will include a community hall as well as an early childhood education center to help address what he called a child care desert with insufficient services to meet demand.

Community halls also are planned for De Beque, Whitewater and the Loma and Mack area. 

Baier said additional funds have been allocated for broadband internet in Collbran, water and sewer infrastructure in De Beque and a health clinic in Palisade.

Mikolai said the clinic will be located in a former high school. A total of $2.5 million from Mesa County and the federal government will help offset construction costs. Once completed, the clinic will bring back medical services to a town that’s been without a practice for 20 years, he said.

Caton said the City of Grand Junction is working to handle increasing development and the infrastructure that will require. “We see the growth coming.”

Among other things, the city has increased staffing and is opening new fire stations to respond more quickly to emergencies, he said.

Bennett said record sales tax collections in each of the past five years reflects business and population growth in Fruita, including downtown and the area south of downtown. “We’re seeing our small businesses grow at a fast rate.”

Bennett said he also expects the Fruita Commercial and Industrial Business Park to continue grow. “We’ve seen a lot more investment in that area.”

Even as local governments address some issues, challenges persist, officials said.

Stout and Bennett said a shortage of affordable housing remains one of those issues.

Stout said the Grand Junction City Council and city staff are considering a number of strategies to make housing more affordable and accessible. One effort could help achieve the goal of creating 45 to 75 affordable housing units a year.

Bennett said a gap between average wages and average housing prices has made it more difficult to find housing in Fruita. One possible solution to the problem might be a program offering down payment assistance.

In Palisade, Mikolai and Hawkinson said efforts are under way to consolidate fire districts into a single district for the east end of the Grand Valley and in turn improve emergency response services.

Mikolai said an impending consolidation of sewer services with the Clifton Sanitation District could afford an opportunity to reclaim sewer lagoons in Palisade and use that property for different uses.

Asked to envision what likely will be the most pressing issues in the coming year, Stout said housing will remain a priority. But so will responsible development and promoting a strong economy. “It’s going to be all of the above.”

Stout also praised the collaboration among governments in the Grand Valley to address issues. “These entities work well together.”