San Miguel County agrees to cap $5,000 pledge to Lone Cone Ditch for reservoir outlet repairs, contingent on final fundraising

The San Miguel County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously March 19 to pledge up to $5,000 to help the Lone Cone Ditch Company bridge the final funding gap for outlet repairs at the Lone Cone Reservoir.

Why it matters: County leaders said preserving local irrigation infrastructure supports ranching and local agriculture on Wright's Mesa and contributes to economic and environmental sustainability. Commissioners emphasized the repair helps maintain water delivery to agricultural users and dovetails with county investments in water rights and conservation efforts.

What the board approved: Commissioners agreed to contribute $5,000 contingent on two conditions: (1) the county's payment will be made through the county's economic development nonprofit partner (WEDSI) and distributed by WEDC (or an equivalent administrator), and (2) the county's contribution will be the last contribution into the fundraising pot — meaning the county will release funds only after Lone Cone demonstrates the rest of the match has been secured. The board asked Lone Cone representatives to return when the project reached that final stage.

Discussion and context: Lone Cone representatives told the board the full repair cost is roughly $465,000 and that committed funds total about $390,000; the ditch company needs approximately $75,000 in matching funds. Charlene Starks, representing the ditch company, said users would self‑fund much of the match through assessing water shares and fees; she also said borrowing is possible. Commissioners said they prefer to be the "last dollar" to ensure viability before writing a check.

Town and staff role: County staff suggested a small pledge could be structured so it becomes the final push and recommended routing the payment through WEDSI for administrative consistency. Commissioners directed WEDC to check in as fundraising progresses.

Outcome: Motion to approve the conditional $5,000 pledge passed unanimously.

Speakers

- Chair (Board of County Commissioners) — presiding officer; led the vote. - Commissioner Lance Waring — moved approval. - Commissioner Patricia Gleason — seconded/participated in discussion. - Charlene Starks — president (filling in for Tom Meehan) of Lone Cone Ditch and Reservoir Company; spoke about the repair need and funding plan. - Mike Bordonia — county manager/staff presenter; described background, funding and recommended administrative routing. - McKayla Thornton — WEDSI representative (staff; cited as available to administer funds if county chooses).

Actions

- kind: motion motion: "Approve request for $5,000 from the Lone Cone Ditch Company toward Lone Cone Reservoir outlet repairs, with the conditions that the money be requested and distributed through WEDSI/WEDC and that the county's contribution be the final contribution once other funds are raised." mover: "Commissioner Lance Waring" second: "Commissioner Patricia Gleason" vote_record: [{"member":"Chair (Board of County Commissioners)","vote":"yes"},{"member":"Commissioner Patricia Gleason","vote":"yes"},{"member":"Commissioner Lance Waring","vote":"yes"}] tally: {"yes":3,"no":0} outcome: "approved" notes: "County funds will not be released until Lone Cone demonstrates remaining fundraising is complete; funds will be routed through WEDSI/WEDC."

Authorities

- {"type":"other","name":"Lone Cone Ditch Company funding request letter (in meeting packet)","referenced_by":["lone-cone-ditch-funding-2025-03-19"]}

Proper_names

- {"name":"Lone Cone Ditch Company","type":"organization"} - {"name":"WEDSI","type":"organization"} - {"name":"WEDC","type":"organization"}

Searchable_tags:["water","irrigation","Lone Cone","WEDSI","agriculture"]

salience:{"overall":0.46,"overall_justification":"Small county contribution but directly supports local agriculture and water reliability for Wright's Mesa users.","impact_scope":"local","impact_scope_justification":"Directly affects Lone Cone ditch users and local ranching households.","attention_level":"medium","timeliness_urgency":0.40},

provenance:{"transcript_segments":[{"block_id":"b1616","local_start":0,"local_end":540,"evidence_excerpt":"We have a request for $5,000 for the Lone Cone Ditch Company ... they have $390,000 of commitments towards the total repair cost of $465,000 ... they are requesting an additional $5,000 ... the board voted to approve with caveats that the money be requested by WEDC and distributed through WEDSI and be the last contribution into the pot.","tc_start":"01:61:16","tc_end":"01:62:36","reason_code":"topicintro"}]},