Meeker trustees discuss nuclear energy, community updates
March 13, 2025
The Herald Times | Serving Meeker, Rangely, Dinosaur & Northwest Colorado
Meeker trustees discuss nuclear energy, community updates | 3/13/25, 9:49 PM by Jared Henderson on March 12, 2025
MEEKER | The Town of Meeker’s Board of Trustees held their bi-monthly
meeting last week. Trustees Scott Nielsen, Tiffany Jehorek, Kathy Sizemore,
and Charles Day were in attendance, while Trustee Jessica Browning and
Mayor Pro-Tem Christopher Lockwood were excused. Mayor Travis Day
arrived late because of conflicting meeting.
Before the meeting began, Matt Solomon, with the Northwest Colorado
Energy Initiative, joined the board for his third discussion about the potential
for nuclear energy in Rio Blanco County. Solomon explained that he would be
asking the board questions that he needed answers to, beginning with
whether they had any interest in partnering with the federal government to
host facilities, such as a spent fuel facility or processing plant. He also asked
if multiple projects would be more attractive to the town.
The board agreed that multiple projects would be more appealing. Trustee
Sizemore inquired whether these projects could be done in phases, and
Trustee Nielsen noted that the board should avoid getting too specific at this
stage. Solomon clarified that there is no specific project in mind.
“This is strictly a high-level think tank — what direction could or would we, as
Meeker, want to go? When it comes to big projects, the city of Meeker must
have the property or capacity for them,” Solomon said.
Solomon explained that Meeker would play a critical role in any project,
serving as the housing, restaurant and infrastructure hub. He moved on to
inquire about other federal missions the board might be interested in
Meeker trustees discuss nuclear energy, community updates | The Herald Times | Serving Meeker, Rangely, Dinosaur & Northwest Colorado 3/13/25, 9:49 PM
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hosting. Trustee Day asked Solomon about the types of options under
consideration. Trustee Nielsen noted that the Bureau of Land Management
(BLM) had discussed moving its headquarters to Grand Junction, Colorado,
and Solomon mentioned it might be a possibility again.
Nielsen added, “Anything like that, any type of new jobs or industry where I
think we’re going to be behind, I don’t see them putting a 2,000-office
headquarters in Meeker.”
Solomon then asked if the town had identified its capacity and population in
its strategic planning. The board agreed it had been some time since a
master plan had been conducted, with the last one in 2020. Trustee Charles
Day noted that there is plenty of room for growth, but Nielsen raised
concerns about what would happen if the population doubled.
“We have probably double inside maybe 7,000 population. Anything over
that, we run out of room in a heartbeat,” Nielsen said.
The current population of Meeker is about 2,500. Solomon asked the board
what partnerships they thought would be needed to build a shared vision.
Nielsen suggested involving the Colorado Department of Transportation
(CDOT) due to the need to improve Highway 13 and potentially connect it
with Interstate 70 and 80.
“You’d have to get CDOT involved because Rio Blanco County can’t absorb
the highway traffic,” Nielsen said.
Both Solomon and the board agreed that ongoing outreach through smaller
meetings, school programs, social media, and direct community involvement
would be essential. They also discussed ensuring the continuity of
information across generations, possibly through school STEM programs,
scholarships, and structured committees.
Meeker trustees discuss nuclear energy, community updates | The Herald Times | Serving Meeker, Rangely, Dinosaur & Northwest Colorado 3/13/25, 9:49 PM
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Following Solomon’s presentation, Mayor Travis Day arrived to call the
meeting to order. Mayor Day had been attending a meeting at the firehouse,
so the room waited for him to begin the session, as Mayor Pro-Tem
Lockwood was absent.
The board approved the minutes from the previous meeting before
discussing the financials. A significant payment of $376,155 for the Circle
Park Riverfront project was highlighted. The funds came from various grants.
After this discussion, the board moved to approve the financials and opened
the public portion of the meeting.
During the public comment period, Matt Solomon provided updates on
nuclear energy legislation, including House Bill 1040 and Senate Bill 120,
which are federal grants for economic development and regional energy
initiatives.
Community member Regas Halandras updated the board on the Meeker
Area Mountain Biking Association (MAMBA), a local nonprofit organization.
He shared that Mamba had recently received its 501(c)(3) status, allowing it
to leverage funds for trails and other projects.
Halandras also provided an update on work done at Ute Park for the
sheepdog trials, explaining that they had completed work on the main power
pole and installed gates around it to protect it from cows. Additionally, two
new bleachers were purchased for $16,000. Halandras mentioned that
MAMBA was working on fundraising and planned to apply for a CPW nonmotorized
grant again after previously losing out on it. He also discussed
challenges securing dirt for the Ute Park pump track project, with potential
solutions involving repurposing overburden from a water line project.
The board then held a public hearing on Ordinance 03-2025, which
proposed amending the budget to account for $865,000 in additional funds
Meeker trustees discuss nuclear energy, community updates | The Herald Times | Serving Meeker, Rangely, Dinosaur & Northwest Colorado 3/13/25, 9:49 PM
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from the Community Development Block Grant. These funds would support
the nursing on-call program and other projects. The ordinance was
unanimously approved.
In new business, Mandi Etheridge presented information on two recent bids.
The first was for the Garfield Water Line Replacement Project, for which six
bids were received. CRC, Inc. submitted the lowest bid at $1,261,446.92. The
project is expected to be completed within 90 days. The second bid was for
the annual crack filling project, for which eight bids were received. TNT
Striping provided the lowest bid at $29,250. Both bids were awarded
accordingly. Etheridge also provided an update on Circle Park construction,
reporting that about 90% of the outer wall has been completed, and a flood
risk sign will be installed near the bridge.
Other discussions included concerns about a water turbidity curtain in the
river, which was confirmed to be temporary, and the use and accessibility of
Robert Street, which will undergo further evaluation. A potential workshop
was suggested to discuss a water line issue in more detail.
The meeting was adjourned, with the next regular meeting scheduled for
April 8, 2025.
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