Brief by Central Staff
Water – April 2005 – Colorado Central Magazine
Four years ago, the Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District got its first elected director, Jeff Olinger of Buena Vista. It came after the Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District had elected several directors; the first was Steve Glazer of Crested Butte.
Although water conservancy districts collect property taxes and can exercise eminent domain (i.e., condemnation of private property for public use), their board members are seldom elected because state law makes it difficult to hold an election. Every time a seat comes up, petitions must be circulated to get signatures of at least 10% of the property owners in a division of the conservancy district.
When there isn’t an election, which is almost always, the board members are appointed by a district judge under a 1937 law which makes conservancy districts part of the operations of judicial district courts. The UAWCD falls under the court in Cañon City, even though Cañon isn’t in the district, which comprises all of Chaffee and Custer counties, along with western Frémont County.
After all of the work in 2001, the activists who sought and got the election for the UAWCD reached a compromise with the conservancy district’s board. Instead of applying directly to the judge when a seat comes open, candidates would go through a selection committee consisting of one commissioner from each county. The committee makes its recommendations to the judge, who makes the appointment – the judge is not bound by the recommendations, though.
This provides a little more public accountability, since elected officials are involved in the process.
Three four-year UAWCD terms expire on June 1. One is an at-large seat held by Thomas Young. Another is Division 1, with the same boundaries as the Cotopaxi school district, held by Tom French. The third, the Buena Vista school district, is held by Olinger.
Applications will be accepted from April 4 until May 2. The interviews are scheduled for May 9. Recommendations will be forwarded to the judge, who then has 30 days to make his appointments.
If you’re interested in serving, you can get more particulars from the UAWCD at 339 E. Hwy 50, P.O. Box 1090, Salida CO 81201, phone 719-539-5425.