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

Documents

ute bands

tribal sovereignty

tribal rights

indian reservations

abrogation slide

regional cooperation

protection district

data sharing slide