News

The Dolores Town board unanimously agreed to hire Ken Charles as interim manager.

Charles was a longtime regional manager for the Colorado Department of Local Affairs and is well-known for his government experience. He has been involved in hundreds of projects with local communities, is a Durango resident, and has expertise in grant funding.

“He is held in high regard, and is my top recommendation,” said Dolores Town Board member Jen Stark.

“I agree, he has been a tremendous help over the years for our community and is very knowledgeable,” said trustee Val Truelsen.

The board said Charles will serve as interim manager for six months, and will guide the board in the hiring process of a permanent manager. He will also oversee pressing town projects, including securing a contractor for the new playground at Joe Rowell Park.

As a DOLA regional manager Charles worked with La Plata, Montezuma, Archuleta, Dolores, and San Juan counties on civic projects and problem-solving. He retired in 2017 and has his own consulting firm.

In 2017 the Region 9 Economic Development District board of directors honored Charles’ work with the Ed Morlan Economic Development Leader of the Year Award.

The hiring and interview process for a permanent Dolores manager will be open to the public, town officials said.

In other news:

The board recently agreed to spend up to $300,000 from its reserves on a new “full build” playground, but still needs to go through the contractor hiring process. Trustees hope cover some of the project costs through grant funding. The town was recently awarded an $80,000 grant from KaBoom! to install playground equipment on a portion of the project site with the help of community volunteers.The Dolores Chamber is offering a dumpster for hunters for a $5 fee. It is located in front of the Visitor’s Center at 201 Railroad Ave. There is a phone number posted if access is needed after hours. The Forest Service and Dolores Chamber of Commerce are sharing the cost of the dumpster rental.The Town Board wants to conduct market value research on an offer by the Dolores School District to buy a town lot at 111 N. 14th St. for use as a parking lot. The school district is offering $40,000 for the property. The Montezuma County Assessor’s office has a listed actual value of $38,000 for the 0.230 acre lot.[email protected]