Ouray County Newsletter

July 2022

Connecting Ouray County Government with Ouray County

Ouray County Short-Term Rental Regulations

Question: Does Ouray County regulate short-term rentals?

Answer: Yes!

Ouray County first passed regulations regarding ‘Short-Term Rentals’ in 2016. The regulations were enacted through an ordinance approved by the Board of County Commissioners. (Ordinance No. 2016-002). Per the Ordinance. These regulations were updated in 2018 and can now be found in Ordinance 2018-002.

Per Ouray County’s short-term rental regulations, operation of a short-term rental requires a permit from the Land Use Department. Permits are good for 1-year and are renewable. Permit fees are: $500 – new permit, $250 – renewal. Short-Term Rental Permits are capped at a maximum of #100 permits issued. Today, all #100 allowed permits have been issued and a ‘waiting list’ is maintained by the Land Use Department.

Some (but not all) of the provisions addressed in the Ordinance include: Notification of any HOA, requirement for a State tax license or business license, local owner representative within 50-miles of the property, availability of parking, and a limit of 1 Short-Term Rental Permit per lot or parcel, and prior issuance of a ‘Certificate of Occupancy’ or ‘C.O.’.

In 2022 Ouray County contracted with a company called ‘Deckard Technologies’ who provide customers access to their ‘Rentalscape’ system. Rentalscape is what is known as a ‘DAAS’ or ‘data-as-a-service’ platform. The Rentalscape system provides end-users various services related to short-term rentals including: Registration, Renewal Management, Permit Compliance Verification, Address Identification, Booking Activity Monitoring, Map Views, and Proactive Monitoring.

Key beneficial functions of the Rentalscape system for Ouray County are the on-line registration /renewal and the activity monitoring. The registration and renewal functionality is still in the testing phase and is expected to ‘go live’ in September or October of this year and will be used to process 2023 renewals. Activity monitoring occurs 24x7, 365-days per year, and includes over 60 on-line booking platforms such as AirBnB and VRBO.

Property owners identified by the Rentalscape system as operating a short-term rental without the necessary permitting from the County will receive a notice letter in the mail informing them of county regulations and potential violation of the Short-Term Rental Ordinance. Property owners who receive these notices are asked to immediately cease any future bookings and may contact the Ouray County Land Use Department with questions or to request to be on the waiting list.

If you have questions regarding short-term rentals, have received a notice letter in the mail, or would like to be placed on the wait list for the next available Short-Term Rental Permit, please call the Ouray County Land Use Department at (970) 626-9775 ext:1.

On the Road with Road & Bridge

County Road 1 has been receiving some much needed improvements and repairs!

Crews have been busy building up, grading, compacting and stabilizing, in preparation for a new two (2) mile section of chip-seal.

Over a three-day period, 122 truckloads (2,800 tons) of gravel was installed on a one-mile section of CR-1.

Watch this video to learn more about it.

Simms Mesa Fire Appreciation

At their regular meeting on June 28, the Board of County Commissioners proclaimed June 28, 2022 “A Day of Admiration, Respect and Deepest Gratitude” to all individuals and responding agencies who assisted in the Simms Fire response.

Read the full proclamation

County Proclaims Support of Ouray County Pride Celebration

At their regular meeting yesterday, June 28, the Board of County Commissioners proclaimed their support of the Ouray County Pride Celebration Day which will be held on Saturday, July 9 in Ridgway's Hartwell Park. Sean Taplin with Ouray County Pride and Voyager Youth Program read the proclamation aloud.

(L-R: Commissioner Jake Niece, Sean Taplin (any pronouns) and Bee Boykin (they/them, she/her).

Read Full Proclamation

County Works with City and Town on Regional Transportation Service

At their July 6 special meeting, Commissioners met with representatives from the City of Ouray and Town of Ridgway to discuss support for a Regional Transportation Service. The City of Ouray is submitting a Multimodal Transportation and Mitigation Options Fund (MMOF) Grant and has requested that the expenses be split equally between the City, Town and County.

You can read the full resolution that supports this endeavor and learn more about the project HERE.

Deputies Continue Crackdown on Speeding in

Ouray County

During the month of June, Ouray County Sheriff's Office Deputies initiated 86 traffic stops on Ouray County roads, the majority taking place on Hwy 550, County Roads 1, 22 and 24. Over the past many months, deputies have increased their patrols in the Log Hill area after numerous complaints of speeding.

In April of this year, the Sheriff's Office also began participating in the Click It or Ticket campaign that is hosted by the Colorado Department of Transportation. For a ticket to be issued, a deputy must first pull a driver over for a Primary Violation, such as speeding. Then, if the driver and/or passengers are not buckled up, the driver can receive an additional citation. Fines for not buckling up in Colorado start at $65, and parents or caregivers caught with an improperly restrained child can receive a minimum fine of $82 (CDOT.gov). In April (4/4-4/20), deputies issued 12 seatbelt violations to drivers, most of them for speeding - even one for going 20-24 MPH over in a posted 35 MPH speed limit zone. In May (5/16-6/5) they issued 21 seatbelt violations, 17 of these were for speeding.

"These enforcement periods help save lives, and if you and your passengers aren’t taking your safety seriously, a ticket is our way of saying that we do,” said Col. Matthew Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “A citation serves as an important reminder that wearing your seat belt may one day save your life. We want everyone to stop the cycle of driving without this standard protection - buckle up every trip for the people you love.” (CDOT.gov)

Flood Risk Mapping, Assessment and Planning

Study Update

On June 29, Ouray County department heads and elected officials joined the City of Ouray and Town of Ridgway in a work session with the Colorado Water Conservation Board - Department of Natural Resources Consultation Coordination Officer for an update on the Risk Mapping, Assessment and Planning Study. Three additional community open-house meetings were held that evening and community residents were able to find out more about their properties and if changes to the flood mapping effect them. You can view the entire work session HERE.

Vegetation Management Weed of the Month

-Yellow Toadflax-

How to Identify:

· Perennial

· Reproduces by seed and creeping roots

· Plants are 1-2 feet tall

· Flowers June thru September

· Yellow flowers, 1 inch long, with a bearded orange throat and spur. Clusters of 15-20 at ends of stems

· An escaped ornamental, similar to snapdragons, with multiple stems at base

· Fibrous roots, creeping 3 feet deep and 10 feet laterally

· Found in rangeland, pastures, meadows, forests and right of ways.

· Pale green leaves pointed at both ends

Ouray County Vegetation Management urges all county residents to manage any Yellow Toadflax infestations, with elimination in mind. Weed control is a community effort! Please do your part.

In the environment Meadow Knapweed causes these effects.

· Displaces desirable vegetation quickly, as it forms dense spreading roots

· Seeds are viable in the soil for 8 years and 1 plant produces up to 30,000 seeds annually

· Impalatable to livestock

· Aggressive weed in rangelands

· Reduces rangeland value

· Reduces available forage for wildlife and livestock

Please help eradicate this species, and report sightings to the Ouray County Vegetation Manger.

See the Ouray County Vegetation Management website for an identification tool, to help you identify all weeds of concern in the county.

To reach our Vegetation Management Office, please call

970-626-9775

Ouray County Rescinds Stage 1 Fire Restrictions

On Tuesday, July 5, County Commissioners ratified Sheriff Perry's decision to rescind Stage 1 Fire Restrictions for Ouray County.

Fire restrictions are often put into place and rescinded throughout the season, and it’s important for community members and visitors to always double check if restrictions are in place, and when in doubt, don’t burn.

Please continue do your part to help prevent a wildfire:

• Keep current on local and regional fire restrictions at www.westslopefireinfo.com

• Obey all fire bans

• Dispose of cigarettes properly

• Never leave a fire unattended

• Be sure your campfire is Dead Out! (cold to the touch)

• Avoid driving on tall grass

• Keep trailer chains from dragging on the ground, this can create sparks

Save the Date!

National Night Out is August 2

The Ouray County Sheriff's Office will be holding its annual National Night Out event at the Log Hill Mesa Fire Station #1 at 3245 County Road 22 from 5:30pm-7:30pm. They will be serving up FREE hamburgers and hotdogs and look forward to visiting with you!

WENS is designed to instantly reach cell phones, landline numbers, email addresses, pagers and desktop alerts when an urgent County alert needs to

be communicated.

Recipients can choose to receive notification of Avalanche Notifications, Road Maintenance updates, and general notices.

In the event of an emergency, a text message, voice call, or email will be sent to the contact information you registered with the system.

You must register to take advantage of this important notification service.

Learn more HERE

Code Red is a high-speed mass notification system designed to notify residents in the event of an emergency.

This service allows us to deliver emergency or time-sensitive

messages to you via SMS/text, email, landline, cell phone, TTY, or a mobile

application push. Code Red alerts will display as originating from 866-419-5000 or 855-969-4636 on your caller ID.

If you missed any of the message details, you can also dial the number back to hear the complete message.

We might use Code Red in situations such as wildfires, evacuation notices, floods, boil water notices, criminal activity, and missing persons/children.

Learn more HERE

Sign-up today!

Vaccines are the safest, most effective way to slow the spread of COVID-19 and its variants, and to help avoid the worst outcomes (severe illness, hospitalization, and death) among those who do become infected.

State health officials stress that all Coloradans ages 6 months and older should get vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible. Fully vaccinated individuals who qualify for boosters or additional vaccine doses should get those as soon as possible. If you are symptomatic or have been exposed, please stay home and get tested right away.

Ouray County Public Health offers free COVID vaccines. Please log-on to our website at ouraycountyco.gov to schedule your vaccine. COVID testing is also available Mon-Thurs 9am-11am and 1pm-3pm at the public health office in Ouray at 302 2nd Street.

Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order 4 (four) free at-⁠home COVID-⁠19 tests. The tests are completely free. Orders will usually ship in 7-12 days. - View COVIDtests.gov to order yours.

To report your At-Home COVID-19 test results - complete this form.

Watch Tanner's July Public Health Update video.

You can view Tanner's weekly update on our website.

Ouray County is Hiring!

We offer competitive salaries, full health benefits, retirement, paid time off and a 4 day work-week. Check out our current job postings and let your friends and family know!

Highway 550 Construction Continues

Beginning in April, and expected to be completed by November 2022, Hwy 550 between Ouray and Colona will receive some substantial improvements. The $15 Million project is located approximately between MP 94-116. The scope of work includes a Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) leveling course and overlay with a 2-mile section to include shoulder widening between MP 98 and 100, south of Cedar Hill Cemetery. Our Road & Bridge department will be coordinating with CDOT for minor improvements along the route such as draining issues.

The new road surface will add approximately 10 years of life to the highway, provide a smoother road surface and will eliminate ruts and road damage. This will allow for an improved smoother and safer drive for motorists. The new guardrail will be 31” high instead of 27” high to help veering vehicles remain on the road more effectively, making the highway safer for the traveling public.

If you have questions or concerns or if you would like to be added to CDOTs public outreach contact list to receive construction updates:

• Project Phone Line -(970) 456-1481

• Project Email - resurfacingproject@gmail.com

• Project Webpage - https://www.codot.gov/projects/us550-ouray-to-colona-resurfacing

What can you expect?

PROJECT SCHEDULE: Hours of operation are Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The project, starting in April, has an anticipated completion date of November 2022.

TRAVEL IMPACTS: Motorists should plan for one-lane alternating traffic, 20 minute delays and reduced speed limit throughout the work-zone.

Watch the March 22 presentation from CDOT (begins at 1:58:15)

Board of County Commissioner and Planning Commission

meeting agendas, packets and Zoom credentials are available on our website. Schedules change often so it is best to double check our website for current updates/changes.

Good news! Recorded BOCC meetings and work sessions are now available to watch on our website - view 2022 meetings HERE.

Holidays Observed by All County Departments

Monday, January 17 - Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.

Monday, February 21 - Washington's Day

Monday, May 30 - Memorial Day

Monday, June 20 - Juneteenth National Independence Day (observed)

Monday, July 4 - Independence Day (observed)

Monday, September 5 - Labor Day

Monday, October 10 - Indigenous Peoples' Day

Thursday, November 10 - Veteran's Day (observed)

Thursday, November 24 - Thanksgiving

Monday, December 26 - Christmas (observed)