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Town of Silt staff reported on the results of the Silt Board of Trustees commissioned survey regarding citizen attitudes towards recycling Monday night. With the three-year contract with Mountain Waste and Recycling set to expire on July 31, 2021, the Board wanted to explore the issues surrounding recycling and to consider surveying our customers to understand better how they viewed recycling.
Staff, with the assistance of Colorado Mountain College Professor Kevin Hillmer-Pegram, developed and conducted the survey of Silt recycling customers from February 19 to March 15, 2021. The survey was available on-line, at the Silt Public Library and via hard copy for those who preferred that method.
The Town offered a $10 utility bill credit for those who participated and a drawing for a free month of Town of Silt utilities as incentives for folks to participate.
The survey garnered 164 responses, a response rate of about 15%. It was below what Town officials hoped for since it was a bit lower than necessary to be a fully “representative” survey, the results were so overwhelming, most felt comfortable that it expressed the will of most customers.
Town Staff acknowledged the possibility that the results may skew one way or the other due to this variable, but the numerical responses taken with the open comments suggest certain trends. First, many customers would be unhappy if the current recycling service was cancelled or changed, many customers wish to know more about how their recycled materials are handled after pick-up and some customers wanted to know how to get additional or larger sized recycling containers.
These results led the Board to direct staff to keep the recycling component in the next trash contract, to be negotiated this summer, work on developing an information source to keep customers informed on where recycled materials go and how they are used and renewed public information efforts on basic trash and recycling information.
Specific results of the survey:
- Although more than 91% of respondents reported that having “curbside recycling collection services available” was “very important” or “somewhat important”, we cannot say with certainty that this result could be extrapolated over the entire population due to the less than idea response rate.
- 95% of respondents participate at some level in the Town’s program.
- Nearly 80% or respondents put their recycling container out weekly.
- 90% of respondents prefer to continue the current recycling program at the current cost.
- Results of the survey seem to render the issue of establishing an alternative recycling program moot.
- 98% of respondents participated in the $5 utility discount and drawing for a free month of Town of Silt utility (Trash, recycling, water and wastewater) service. David and Hilary Boyd won the drawing.
- The open comments and questions section drew questions regarding the final destination and use of the recycled materials, suggestions relating to recycling for special substances/items (electronics, oil, paint, etc.), criticism for rising refuse prices and overwhelming general support for the concept of recycling.
Irrigation Ordinance Revision Passed by Board of Trustees
The Town of Silt Board of Trustees on Monday night passed the second reading of an ordinance to revise the Town’s Code to better educate and enforce irrigation ordinances.
In the 1990’s the Town installed an irrigation system to supply the Town with non-potable water for irrigation purposes. The decreased supply and resulting shortages of irrigation water last summer caused the Town to develop an action plan to address some deficiencies in the service. Besides pursuing measures to increase supply such as upgrading pumps and pipes to handle more water, decreasing demand is also in the plan.
One method of managing demand is to amend the Silt Municipal Code section addressing irrigation, including promoting conservation of irrigation water; setting fees for irrigation service; identifying restrictions on the use of irrigation water; and revising penalty assessments for waste of irrigation water. These changes are but one tenet of the Irrigation System Action Plan and make the ordinance easier to enforce by clarifying certain sections, specifically:
- Requires no more than 3500 square feet of irrigable space be allowed on new construction projects
- Defines hours of an “irrigation day” from midnight to midnight
- Includes Town parcels in the limits
- Limits hours of irrigation to times other than 10 AM to 5 PM
- Eliminates the ability of homeowners with less than 499 square feet of irrigable area to petition the Town to use potable water for irrigation
- Eliminates the ability of homeowners to petition the Town to use water on a typical non-watering day
- Adds to the definition of “wasteful practices” the “Using irrigation water for any other purpose other than the watering of landscaping and/or gardens.”
- Adds to the authority of the “Town Administrator the authority to ration and limit the usage of irrigation water for such periods of time as he/she deems necessary.”
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Community Development Department Administrative Assistant
The TOWN OF SILT is accepting applications for a full-time position of Community Development Department Administrative Assistant. The ideal applicant will have knowledge of general office practices. Pay range for this position is $15.87 - $18.00/hr DOQ and includes a very competitive benefits package. Must have a valid Colorado driver’s license. Applications can be downloaded at: www.townofsilt.org or picked up at Town Hall, located at 231 N. 7th Street, Silt. Please submit application and resume to: Town of Silt, PO Box 70, Silt, CO 81652, email atucker@townofsilt.org or fax to (970) 876-2937. Deadlines for applications will be 5:00 May 3, 2021. Please contact Amie Tucker for more information at 876-2353 ext. 104.
Utility Billing Clerk / Accounting Assistant
The TOWN OF SILT is accepting applications for a full-time position of Utility Billing Clerk / Accounting Assistant. The ideal applicant will have knowledge of general office practices and governmental accounting a plus. Pay range for this position is $18.00 - $19.00/hr DOQ and includes a very competitive benefits package. Must have a valid Colorado driver’s license. Applications can be downloaded at: www.townofsilt.org or picked up at Town Hall, located at 231 N. 7th Street, Silt. Please submit application and resume to: Town of Silt, PO Box 70, Silt, CO 81652, email atucker@townofsilt.org or fax to (970) 876-2937. Deadlines for applications will be 5:00 May 3, 2021. Please contact Amie Tucker for more information at 876-2353 ext. 104.
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 Wildfire; Water Implications
West slope government officials are preparing for the impacts of the continuing drought conditions in our region.
Fire officials are warning of another significant fire season and are imploring citizens, guests and travelers to be cautious with fire and strictly observe fire restrictions.
Both irrigation and drinking water operations could also be affected by low water flows. Town of Silt officials are asking irrigation and water customers to be extra careful in using only what they need!
 Home Avenue to Get Makeover
The Silt Board of Trustees Monday night approved a $162,000 plan to rebuild Home Avenue from 1st to 9th Streets. The work had been planned as an overlay, but experts concluded that the street wasn’t in good enough shape for a fresh coat of asphalt and that it needed a complete rebuild. It is hoped that the project will start in July and finish in about four weeks.
7th Street Re-opens to Traffic with Temp Repair
Seventh Street re-opened to traffic this week with a temporary repair. The street had been closed after a leak was discovered in the Cactus Valley Ditch under the street. The culvert under the road was found deficient and it was decided to replace it. Unfortunately, culverts are in short supply and the one the Town wanted to use won’t be available until fall. Town crews put in a temporary repair job and intend to replace it after irrigation season in the fall.
**This spot is for your questions regarding projects that are going on in our town. Please contact Town Hall 970-876-2353 and ask us what you are curious about and we will get your questions answered here. Thanks!
Colorado State Law requires drivers to stop at least 20 feet before reaching a school bus that is stopped with its red lights flashing whether it is on your side of the road, the opposite side of the road, or at an intersection you are approaching. Drivers must remain stopped until the flashing red lights are no longer operating. Drivers must watch carefully for children near the school bus and children crossing the roadway before proceeding. Drivers are not required to stop if the bus is stopped in the direction traveling toward you on a roadway that is separated by a median or other physical barrier.
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The Town of Silt will provide dumpsters at the Town Shop located at 612 North 7th Street. April 26th-May 1st, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Town Shop gate will not be unlocked during the weekend of spring clean-up.
We will be accepting:
Landscaping waste only!
Tree branches cut in 4-foot lengths
Lawn clippings
Leaves, etc.
PLASTIC BAGS MUST BE EMPTIED AND TAKEN WITH YOU
Please NO :
Trash
Boulders
Dirt
Tree stumps, etc.
If you have questions, please contact Town Hall at 876-2353.
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