Board approves one‑year hunting license for Lowell property amid nearby trail safety concerns

The Greeley City Water and Sewer Board approved a one‑year hunting license for the city‑owned Lowell property and delegated authority to the water and sewer director to renew the agreement in future years provided material substance remains unchanged, staff said at the Sept. 17 board meeting.

Morgan, a water and sewer staff member, told the board the city acquired the property in 2021 along with shares in the Greeley Irrigation Company. The Lowell parcel includes multiple tracts totaling 135 acres; the hunting license covers approximately 55 acres and runs Oct. 1 through March 31. The license allows lessees to install and remove one blind for waterfowl hunting with measures intended to avoid disturbance of ongoing grazing operations. There is a $150 fee and lessees must sign waivers and an indemnification; staff recommended approval and delegation for renewal.

Several board members raised public‑safety concerns because the Larson Trail runs along the property’s east perimeter and there is nearby housing and a manufactured‑home park. “I was out there last year when somebody was shooting a shotgun and I felt like I was about to be picked off,” board member Otis said, and he announced he would vote no. Other board members said they were unaware of complaints and noted the lessee group has hunted there for more than a decade and coordinates with the sheriff’s office each season.

Board members asked about liability insurance and waivers. Dan, the board attorney, said the agreement requires each individual hunter to execute a release and waiver of liability; he said he would confirm whether the city has received evidence of liability insurance for the lessees. “The agreement does contain an indemnification, comprehensive indemnification, release, and waiver of liability,” Dan said; he added he would verify the insurance requirement and report back to the board.

During the vote, the chair asked members in favor to raise their right hands; the roll call was described in the meeting as a “5‑5‑2” outcome (as recorded in the meeting), and the motion was then treated as adopted. Board members asked staff to notify the lessees that the site may not be available in future years because the parcel is under analysis for a potential future public infrastructure and maintenance campus and some western parcels are pending annexation. Staff said they will hold neighborhood meetings for adjacent residents and provide contact information for complaints.

What happens next: the license will be executed for Oct. 1–March 31; each hunter must sign the required waiver before hunting. Staff will verify insurance requirements and monitor compliance, notify lessees that renewal is not guaranteed, and schedule neighborhood outreach regarding future site planning.