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Garfield County's Energy Advisory Board, created in 2004 as the regional oil and gas industry was growing by leaps and bounds, may soon be dissolved at the request of that same industry.
The county's oil and gas liaison, Judy Jordan, was told at the end of the Feb. 16 county commissioners meeting to instruct the members of the EAB to sit down and talk about “whether the EAB has run its course,” in the words of commissioner Trési Houpt.
Houpt said the 30 or so members, who represent area municipalities, the industry, community organizations and rural parts of the county, need to determine “how helpful or effective the EAB is, and whether it should be continued or not.”
The EAB was created to provide a forum for local citizens, government officials and representatives of the oil and gas industry to sit down periodically and discuss problems, ideas and complaints by residents and other matters in a neutral setting.
The EAB recently expanded its membership, creating more seats for community representatives, based on a feeling among some citizen members that board was tilted toward the industry point of view by sheer numbers.
The Board of County Commissioners' direction to the EAB on Tuesday was in response to a letter from “the industry” that reportedly complained about the confrontational tone of the EAB meetings.
When asked by a reporter to release the letter, county attorney Don DeFord asked for a written request to his office and said he would respond to it within a day or two.
Commissioner John Martin said of the EAB on Tuesday, “It follows the rest of society. We're too polarized to communicate with each other, other than yelling.”
Donna Gray, a spokesperson for Williams RMT Productions, one of the biggest players in the county's natural gas industry, said the letter was written because “we're just concerned about the tenor of the EAB meetings. It's not a civil discourse any more. It wasn't a specific incident, just sort of the general way that complaints are being brought to the table.”
And while the industry's position seems to be that it is getting a raw deal at the EAB meetings, at least one board member suggested that such treatment should not be a surprise.
“Some people are rough on the industry, but that's because they've had a lot of impacts, and there's a lot of frustration,” explained Leslie Robinson, who represents the Grand Valley Citizens Alliance on the EAB.
“To eliminate the link between the community and the industry, I think that's a mistake,” Robinson concluded.
Other members of the board could not be reached for comment.
Although the county is hoping to hear from the board by the March 1 commissioners meeting, the EAB's next official meeting is not until March 4.
jcolson@postindependent.com
The county's oil and gas liaison, Judy Jordan, was told at the end of the Feb. 16 county commissioners meeting to instruct the members of the EAB to sit down and talk about “whether the EAB has run its course,” in the words of commissioner Trési Houpt.
Houpt said the 30 or so members, who represent area municipalities, the industry, community organizations and rural parts of the county, need to determine “how helpful or effective the EAB is, and whether it should be continued or not.”
The EAB was created to provide a forum for local citizens, government officials and representatives of the oil and gas industry to sit down periodically and discuss problems, ideas and complaints by residents and other matters in a neutral setting.
The EAB recently expanded its membership, creating more seats for community representatives, based on a feeling among some citizen members that board was tilted toward the industry point of view by sheer numbers.
The Board of County Commissioners' direction to the EAB on Tuesday was in response to a letter from “the industry” that reportedly complained about the confrontational tone of the EAB meetings.
When asked by a reporter to release the letter, county attorney Don DeFord asked for a written request to his office and said he would respond to it within a day or two.
Commissioner John Martin said of the EAB on Tuesday, “It follows the rest of society. We're too polarized to communicate with each other, other than yelling.”
Donna Gray, a spokesperson for Williams RMT Productions, one of the biggest players in the county's natural gas industry, said the letter was written because “we're just concerned about the tenor of the EAB meetings. It's not a civil discourse any more. It wasn't a specific incident, just sort of the general way that complaints are being brought to the table.”
And while the industry's position seems to be that it is getting a raw deal at the EAB meetings, at least one board member suggested that such treatment should not be a surprise.
“Some people are rough on the industry, but that's because they've had a lot of impacts, and there's a lot of frustration,” explained Leslie Robinson, who represents the Grand Valley Citizens Alliance on the EAB.
“To eliminate the link between the community and the industry, I think that's a mistake,” Robinson concluded.
Other members of the board could not be reached for comment.
Although the county is hoping to hear from the board by the March 1 commissioners meeting, the EAB's next official meeting is not until March 4.
jcolson@postindependent.com
