Montezuma County plans comprehensive-plan review and outreach as residents raise blight concerns

Montezuma County commissioners on Feb. 9 responded to concerns raised at a recent Pleasant View town hall and initiated a planning process to address recurring blight complaints across the county.

Unidentified Speaker 1 said many land-use complaints stem from blight and described examples where persistent trash or debris creates environmental and neighborhood impacts. Commissioners and staff reviewed the comprehensive plan chapter that previously addressed 'junk, trash and visual blight,' noting a past working group's reluctance to adopt a countywide ordinance and the difficulty of drawing lines between private property rights and public nuisance standards.

Options discussed included stepped approaches that prioritize voluntary participation: commissioners recalled a past program that waived landfill tipping fees for residents who obtained vouchers to facilitate cleanup, and some suggested deploying dumpsters or targeted clean-up events in affected communities. Legal staff cautioned about 'policing' language and emphasized careful drafting to avoid overreach and to protect legitimate salvage or recycling businesses.

Commissioners agreed to begin public meetings and to craft comprehensive-plan amendments that would inform any future ordinance or land-use code changes. They said the goal is to help residents clean up properties through assistance before pursuing enforcement tools where voluntary measures fail.

Next step: staff will return with draft language for the comprehensive-plan update and outline public outreach and potential assistance programs before the board considers ordinance drafting.