A project open house for the preliminary design of improvements for 6700 Road and East Oak Grove Road was held on July 31. Design exibits and comment forms for the project are now available on-line.

A top priority of the City of Montrose is to improve transportation corridors throughout the city. As part of this effort, Calibre Engineering has been hired to do preliminary design work for the following road segments:

East Oak Grove Road from Townsend Avenue to Bear Lake Drive and from 6700 to 6800 Road.

6700 Road from Highway 50 to Oak Grove Road and 6700 from Oak Grove Road to Ogden Road.

The design will include plans for widening and improving the existing roads for a projected 80 feet of right of way, including 48 feet of paved width. Utility improvements to support and improve existing city infrastructure will also be included in the design work.

Phasing, timing and funding for construction of the improvements are yet to be determined.

[Additional info...]

The City of Montrose will host an open house to discuss upcoming capital improvement projects included in the city’s updated Capital Improvement Program Six-Year Plan. The open house will take place on Thursday, August 7th from 5 to 6:45 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. The event will replace City Council’s normal work session.

Members from the Montrose Improvement Team (MIT) and Traffic Issues Task Force will be on hand to provide information about capital improvement projects contained in the six-year plan. A formal presentation about the plan will be given during the regular City Council meeting that follows the open house.

Planned capital improvement projects include construction and renovation of city facilities, improvement and expansion of city parks, trails and sidewalks, road construction and other community enhancements.

The six-year plan is the culmination of the efforts of the MIT, a task force consisting of five citizens, representatives from both the City Council and Planning Commission, and key city staff. Earlier this year Montrose residents were asked to submit requests for capital improvement projects. A total of 57 requests were received.

The Montrose Visitors & Convention Bureau has partnered with North Star Destination Strategies to develop a “Brand” for marketing the region to potential visitors.

According to North Star CEO Don McEachern, at the heart of Montrose’s brand will be the region’s competitive differentiator -- in other words, what makes the area special so it can stand out in the marketplace. And one of the best places to find that figurative nugget of marketing gold is in the hearts and minds of the people who call Montrose home.

North Star has developed a customized on-line survey to determine how the area is defined by residents. All residents are invited and encouraged to participate in this important initiative by clicking on the "survey link" below. All information will remain confidential and will be reported in full. [Survey link...]

The City of Montrose just produced a new video about the upcoming Grand/Rio Grande Project. It is available online to view.

The video features an interview with city Projects Manager John Harris and discusses details about the history of the Grande/Rio Grande Avenue minor arterial project, and major aspects of the project in progress.

The Grand/Rio Grande Project is currently undergoing an environmental planning stage. City staff and design engineers from the Denver-based firm Jacobs Carter Burgess are evaluating design alternatives for specific intersections and alignments along the project route.

The public is invited to attend the next project Open House on September 30th at Montrose High School. The Open House will begin at 4:30 in the Cafeteria.
[See the video...]

The City of Montrose has just published the results of the annual financial audit for 2007.

The audit, conducted by Donald R. Moreland & Associates, Inc. was completed in June and submitted to the City Council during their July 17th meeting. It found that the City was in compliance with all reporting requirements under Government Auditing Standards.

According to the audit, City finances increased in 2007, largely based on increases in sales tax revenue. [Audit Report...]

Montrose, Colorado. Montrose County School District Re-1J and the City of Montrose are pleased to announce the fulfillment of the .5% sales tax dedication to the school district.

Beginning in 2000, and continuing through November 2002, a dedicated group of community members from Montrose and Olathe called, “It’s About Pride” developed and communicated a $23 million construction package to improve the district’s school buildings. The innovative funding package included a half-cent City of Montrose sales tax to raise $12 million and a traditional school district property tax bond to raise the remaining $11 million.

The Pride committee presented their plan to the Montrose City Council and asked for their support. The City Council held public meetings to solicit input from city residents on the temporary sales tax. After thoughtful consideration the City Council voted to place the question on the ballot in November of 2002 and let the voters decide. The Pride committee presented their recommendation to the school board, and an $11 million property tax bond question was placed on the same ballot.

The voters said “Yes!” approving each measure by a large majority. It was a great success for the community. Beginning in January 2003, each project has been completed – ahead of schedule and under budget. This was accomplished by prudent fiscal management, the design-build method of delivery, using qualified local sub-contractors on each project, aggressive grant writing by the school district, fees in lieu of land funds from the city and county, and a Qualified Zone Academy Bond (QZAB), and the interest from that bond.

The sales tax initiative was designed to sunset after generating $12 million, a process that was expected to last through 2009. However, as of July, the sales tax commitment has been met, and the tax rate will decrease from 3.5% to 3.0% beginning August 1, 2008. [Additional info...]