At the Cortez City Council meeting of April 25, council members Tim Miller, Orly Lucero and Shawna McGlaughlin again blocked the City of Cortez from submitting comments to Montezuma County about a proposed multi-use industrial park.
The industrial park is in the county, bounded by the city’s northern city limits. The city’s Geer Natural Area is immediately adjacent to the county land where the industrial site would be located.
I and other citizens at the meeting advocated that the City of Cortez tell the county about potential effects of a high-impact industrial facility on the city’s Geer Natural Area and its popular trail system. The city’s memorial to George Geer, a Cortez resident who died in service to our country, also sits next to the industrial facility.
It is clearly in the interest of Cortez’s citizens for the city to work with Montezuma County to protect our use of Geer Park and the memory of our fallen soldier.
Why are councilors Miller, Lucero, and McGlaughlin preventing the city from representing us on this matter? Comments by the city to the county could help create reasonable mitigation steps to protect Geer Natural Area. The measures might also allow appropriate development of the industrial park.
Right now, though, some of our city councilors may be in the way of a fair outcome for both the citizens who love Geer Park and the industrial facility developers.
Chris Eastin
Cortez