The Palisade town trustees and the Palisade Chamber of Commerce board members at a joint meeting on Jan. 20 agreed to support the chamber’s proposal to hold a candidate forum ahead of the April 3 municipal election.
Four trustee seats on the seven member board are open in the Palisade election.
There was lively discussion of topics at the three and a half hour annual joint chamber and trustee meeting. It was held Saturday morning, Jan. 20, at the town civic center chambers.
Topics included updates on the Cameo Shooting and Education Complex (http://cpw.state.co.us/thingstodo/Pages/cameo-shooting-complex.aspx), the solar project at Cameo, status of the Palisade Plunge mountain biking trail, the Colorado Riverfront trail, and future residential growth.
Also discussed as an economic driver was the need to develop parking downtown. Mayor Roger Granat commented, “A parking study may be where we start,” adding, “Parking is part of economic development.”
The need for some kind of shuttle service in Palisade included the idea of golf carts as vehicles.
Broadband high-speed Internet access was discussed as an economic driver.
Guest speaker Harry Talbott, of Talbott Farms, offered observations on how to make Palisade business friendly. Talbott argued that bureaucratic rules at various levels of government hamper development. He also suggested that a semi-indoor fruit market would take advantage of potentially millions of dollars in local produce.
In other discussion, Town Administrator Rich Sales reported on a recent meeting where the Colorado Department of Transportation cited a regulation that would require new development in Palisade to pay for highway improvements. Trustee Thea Chase asked Sales to obtain written clarification. Mayor Granat said to keep moving forward on the issue.
The discussion on the development of future housing focused on a balance between housing development and preservation of the area’s agricultural land use. A chamber board member proposed extending town water and sewer services to the Horse Mountain area for development of housing where there is now no agricultural activity.
Town Administrator Sales noted that the town supports preservation of agricultural land through donations to the newly named Colorado West Land Trust.
Ten members of the Palisade Chamber of Commerce attended the Jan. 20 joint meeting with the Palisade Town Board at the Civic Center.
Guest speaker Harry Talbott, of Talbott Farms, argued that bureacratic rules at various levels hamper development.
Mayor Roger Granat and Juliann Adams, Palisade Chamber of Commerce director, worked to set up an easle for the meeting.
