Ron LeBlanc, City Manager City of Durango Intergovernmental and Regional Cooperation.

Ron LeBlanc, City ManagerCity of Durango

Intergovernmental and Regional Cooperation

Overview of Intergovernmental Cooperation

▪ Native American Tribal Governments

▪ La Plata County

▪ Durango Fire Protection District

Tribal Sovereignty: Seven Ute Bands

.

.Denver

Salt Lake City

.Santa Fe

Hunting Ground

Uintah

Weeminuche

Capote

Uncompahgre

Mouache

Yampa & Grand River

Tribal Sovereignty: Southern Ute Indian Tribe and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe

▪ Brunot Agreement

▪ Hunting, fishing and gathering

Tribal Sovereignty: Brunot Agreement-Off Reservation Hunting, Fishing and Gathering

▪ Brunot Agreement of 1873– Reserved the right to “hunt upon said lands so long as the game

lasts and the Indians are at peace with the white people”

▪ The Tribal rights extend to the harvest of all species currently existing in the Brunot Area, subject to:– Non-discriminatory State regulation when necessary to ensure

perpetuation or preservation of the species, and

– Federal termination or abrogation

Tribal Sovereignty: Brunot Agreement-Memoranda with the State of Colorado

▪ Southern Ute Tribe– Consent Decree (1972)

– Memorandum with State of Colorado (2009)

▪ Ute Mountain Ute Tribe– Consent Decree (1976)

– Memorandum with the State of Colorado (2012)

▪ Address wildlife management and law enforcement– Recognize share interests, best management practices

– Ongoing communications, information and data sharing

Tribal Sovereignty: Brunot Agreement Area Land Status


▪ Land Area:▪ Approx. 65 miles x 93 miles, 3.7 million acres▪ Includes 4 Nat’l Forests and over ½ million acres of wilderness▪ Encompasses all or parts of 9 counties and 10 major towns/cities

▪ Major Streams and Reservoirs:▪ McPhee ReservoirDolores River Lemon Reservoir Animas River▪ Vallecito Reservoir Pine River Rio Grande Reservoir Piedra

River▪ Continental Reservoir Rio Grande River▪ Groundhog Reservoir Lake Fork Gunnison River▪ Lake Nighthorse San Miguel River

Tribal Sovereignty: Colorado’s Two Indian Reservations


▪ Southern Ute Indian Tribe (SUIT)

▪ Checkerboard reservation

▪ Tribal Government structure

▪ Growth Fund


▪ Ute Mountain Ute Tribe (UMUT)

▪ Lake Nighthorse– Indian Water Rights Settlement

– Bureau of Reclamation Project


▪ Recreation at Lake Nighthorse– Who?

– How?

– Where?

– When?


▪ Multiple stakeholders– Navajo, SUIT, UMUT

– Bureau of Reclamation

– State of Colorado▪ Water and Power Finance Authority

▪ Department of Parks and Wildlife

– La Plata County

– Animas La Plata Operations and Maintenance Assoc. (ALPOM&R)

– Animas Water Conservancy District

– City of Durango


▪ Who?– Only the City of Durango has stepped up

▪ How?– City needs to annex

– Law enforcement must be City Police

▪ Where?– Portion of property vs. entire property

▪ When?– Rule 106, Cultural Resources Study

– Design, bid and construct infrastructure


▪ Building relationships with Southern Ute Indian Tribe (SUIT) – Routine dinners

– Invitations to City Events: Swearing in new City Council, Fourth of July Parade, ribbon cuttings

– Recognize National Native American Month

– Attend SUIT Events: Swearing in new Chairman and Tribal Council, ribbon cuttings for new facilities, Bear Dance

▪ Staff– Relationship between City Manager and Tribal Executive

– Look for joint projects


▪ Building relationships with Ute Mountain Ute Tribe (UMUT) – Accepted invitations to meet with Tribal Council

– Recognize National Native American Month

– CM and Tribal Chair sit on advisory board for Lake Nighthorse

▪ Staff– Relationship between City Manager and Tribal Executive

– Look for joint projects

La Plata County Government

▪ Southwest Colorado Council of Governments (SWCCOG)– Formed December 2009

– 14 local governments

– Montezuma County is not a member

▪ BOCC/City Council Took the Lead– County Manager/City Manager

▪ Region 9 Economic Development


▪ BOCC/City Council– Quarterly breakfast meetings

– Bi-monthly meetings (City, County, 9R School District, Fort Lewis College, and SW Colorado Community College)

– Joint BOCC/CC Special Meetings

▪ County Manager/City Manager– Monthly meetings

– Open communications, trust and transparency


▪ Formal– IGA’s and MOU’s

– Joint Planning IGA

– Joint ownership of Airport

– Durango Recreation Center built on County land

– Co-own an open space parcel

– Use of City recycle drop off center

– Hazardous Materials Collection Day program


▪ Informal– Equipment use▪ Line striping machine

– Fiber infrastructure▪ Jointly owned and operated

– Shared purchasing of materials▪ Mag Chloride

▪ Gravel

– Common sense ▪ Snow plowing

▪ Water dock


▪ Keys to success– Goal driven

– Minimize politics

– Staffs get along

– Communication, no surprises

Durango Fire Protection District

▪ City of Durango operated a City Fire Department from the 1890’s through 2002

▪ Animas Fire Protection District, Hermosa Creek Fire Protection District and City of Durango combined to form the Durango Fire and Rescue Authority (DFRA)


▪ DFRA as a Fire Authority had no taxing powers

▪ Voters approved the creation of the Durango Fire Protection District (DFPD) in 2004– DFPD twice failed to win voter approval for taxing authority


▪ Sometimes the solution is out of the box– DFRA and the City worked out a plan

– City de-annexed from the DFPD

– County Voters approved taxing authority for DFPD

– Voters in Animas Fire Protection District and Hermosa Creek Fire Protection District approved dissolution of the Fire Districts

– Voters in the City approved a long term contract with DFPD


▪ City now contracts with DFPD for Fire and Emergency Medical Services

▪ Performance contract began in January 2014

Thanks for your time and attention!

Intergovernmental and Regional Cooperation

Ron LeBlanc, City Manager City of Durango Intergovernmental and Regional Cooperation.

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