Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rico board denies Columbia Tailings soil-storage request and urges ARCO to seek special-use permit
Summary
The Rico Town Board on March 19 voted 5-1 to deny a Columbia Tailings soil-storage request and recommended ARCO pursue a special-use permit after trustees split on an earlier motion to delay approval pending a public hearing.
The Rico Town Board on March 19 denied a request to bring Columbia Tailings material into town, voting 5-1 to recommend that ARCO pursue a special‑use permit rather than approve the storage as proposed.
Mayor Patrick Fallon summarized the proposal and said it “should be a Special use permit,” and an AR representative, Mr. Mcanumc, indicated a letter would be submitted to amend the agreement. Trustee Benn Vernadakis said the board could not properly decide the matter without a public hearing. An earlier motion to require the applicant to follow the special‑use‑permit procedure failed on a 3‑3 tie (yes: Poston, Vernadakis, Fallon; no: Willis, Hibbard, Dillsworth). The subsequent motion to deny the request passed 5‑1 (yes: Poston, Vernadakis, Fallon, Willis, Hibbard; no: Dillsworth).
Public commenters — including Travis Tayrien, Dylan Robertson and Jim Baron — spoke during the discussion. The decision recommends ARCO pursue the town’s formal special‑use process rather than permitting the stockpile under the existing agreement. The board did not adopt alternative mitigation conditions in lieu of a public hearing.
Next steps noted in the meeting minutes: AR or ARCO may submit an application for a special‑use permit and the town will treat that application under the normal public‑hearing and notice process before reconsidering soil storage on the site.
