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Montezuma County to post draft rubbish ordinance for 30 days of public comment
Summary
County staff presented a draft "rubbish" ordinance and commissioners agreed to post the draft online for 30 days and accept written comments before scheduling a public hearing; staff emphasized enforcement and funding limits.
County staff presented a draft rubbish ordinance Wednesday and the Montezuma County Board of County Commissioners directed staff to post the draft publicly for 30 days to gather written input before setting a formal public hearing.
"We took an inclusive approach to what would be defined as rubbish," said Steven (staff), who and a colleague said they borrowed language from Mesa County in preparing the draft. The ordinance lists categories such as junk vehicles and mobile homes; the draft also contemplates limits and definitions to guide enforcement.
Commissioners debated numeric thresholds for junk vehicles during the workshop. The chair and several members suggested a low threshold; one commissioner suggested three, while the chair said he favored two in some cases. Steven said the draft currently uses a tentative limit of three vehicles and recommended public comment to help refine numeric and enforcement details.
Planning and Zoning staff cautioned that enforcement would be resource-intensive. "If you don't have the funding for it, then why start it?" the Planning and Zoning representative (speaker 11) told the board, warning the board could be creating a new enforcement burden that would require staff, attorney time and potentially several hundred thousand dollars to operate.
To widen participation, Steven proposed posting the draft on the county website and accepting written comments so residents who cannot attend a hearing can weigh in. Commissioners agreed to a 30-day public-comment period and asked staff to return with consolidated comments and a recommendation on when to set the formal public hearing.
What comes next: The county will post the draft ordinance online, accept written comments for 30 days, and staff will return to the board with public feedback and an updated draft and schedule for a public hearing. Planning and Zoning and county staff will refine definitions, numeric thresholds and enforcement options based on the feedback.
Sources: Presentation and discussion by Steven and Planning & Zoning representative during the July 9, 2026 Montezuma County workshop.
