Letter to the editor: Commissioner Shriver shares message with community

Rio Grande County Citizens:

First, I would like to congratulate Mr. Noffsker and his team on the campaign and winning the primary election for Rio Grande County Commissioner.  I also send my sincere thanks to the people who supported me in this election and campaign, as well.

Second, I want to share some thoughts as I head into my final months as your commissioner. Over the past seven and half years, I have worked hard to benefit the citizens of Rio Grande County. I am proud of the many accomplishments, projects and tasks I’ve been able to contribute time and energy to on behalf of the county. These include the hydrology study that helped us address possible impacts to our aquifer and aquifer and water quality in the event of oil and gas development in the future, the new county pavilion at Ski Hi Park, completion of the signage and visitor facilities at Summitville helping to inform the community and tourist about the history and issues associated with the gold mine at Summitville which the county owns, having a role in obtaining permanent radar for the San Luis Valley, creating the OHV ordinance to address usage of county roads, and the numerous analysis completed so that informed and educated decisions could be made, and a founder of San Luis Valley Great Outdoors to name just a few. Much of this was achieved with no or very little county dollars, depending on the project. 

I am also very proud of the grants I have written on behalf of the county to secure funding from outside sources to complete projects and to leverage county resources. These include things like the Master Plan which included all three municipalities, the Veterans Waste Water Treatment plant, and the analysis of the railroad corridor between South Fork and Creede for potential to contribute to economic development which Mineral County is now leading the charge. I am also very fulfilled in the grassroots efforts over this past year to facilitate support for changes at the federal level for the Electronic Logging Device rules and changes in the laws involving Industrial hemp. I feel my ability to collaborate with federal, state, and other local governments has been successful.

On another note, I  want the citizens to know that  I will always stick to my principles and values even when there is very misleading information or untruths presented by others. 

Finally, I would like to thank all the dedicated staff who make the county operate in a professional manner. I will enjoy the next six months of working with them and engage community members to the fullest to achieve all we can for the county. Truly the staff is the best asset the county has. I wish Rio Grande County all the best and hope that we can continues to move forward with the challenges that lie ahead. I still have an open door policy and can continue to be reached at 719-850-5808 if any citizen has any comments or issues. I also thank the citizens for allowing me to serve these past two terms.

Appreciatively,

Karla Shriver