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Council hears proposal to take over maintenance of Severance segment of Great Western Trail; urges intergovernmental standards before transfer
Summary
At a liaison report Council Member Joseph Gallardi described conversations with the Great Western Trail Authority about Severance taking on maintenance for the trail segment inside town and recommended an intergovernmental agreement with consistent standards before transferring responsibility.
During liaison reports at the regular meeting on Jan. 14, Council Member Joseph Gallardi updated council on a recent Great Western Trail Authority meeting and an offer under discussion for municipalities to assume maintenance responsibilities for the trail segments inside their limits.
Gallardi said the authority proposed that if the town took over its portion of trail maintenance, part of the authority’s funding (about $15,000 annual contribution) might be retained for corridor management while municipalities cover routine maintenance. He warned that splitting maintenance responsibilities across multiple municipalities without shared standards could lead to uneven upkeep: “There’s a possibility that one of those entities might not take care of their part of the trail,” Gallardi said.
The council discussed options, including developing a set of common maintenance standards and a coordinated intergovernmental agreement (IGA) among Windsor, Eaton, Weld County and Severance before committing to assume maintenance. Town Manager Nick Wharton agreed to take the lead on outreach to the authority and the other local governments to convene a working group to define standards, management roles and funding arrangements.
Gallardi also noted the authority is considering additional trail monitors, signage and a donations/monument program (benches, donor recognition) and that the authority was electing new leadership.
Ending: Wharton will reach out to the Great Western Trail Authority, neighboring towns and Weld County to propose a working session to build shared standards and clarify funding and management roles before Severance accepts maintenance responsibility.
