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No more nuts in county building

Donna Gray

Don’t look for fruit and nut vendors or cosmetic consultants in the county building anymore.The Garfield County Commissioners made it official Tuesday, adopting a policy to prohibit vendors in county administration buildings. In January, County Assessor Shannon Hurst brought the problem to the commissioners, saying vendors were interfering with business in her office, selling everything from roses to fruit and nuts on the counter and salesmen and women traveling from desk to desk offering their wares.”It’s become a huge disturbance,” she said at the time.Tuesday, the commissioners adopted a policy that immediately affects the Courthouse Plaza building, which houses county administration, as well as the department of social services and building and planning. The policy also applies to the public health office in the Mountain View building next to Valley View Hospital, and the health office at the Taughenbaugh and county services buildings in Rifle. It will also prohibit sales at the road and bridge shops, the county landfill and the fairgrounds.Since the policy applies only to county administration, elected officials such as Hurst, County Treasurer Georgia Chamberlain and Clerk and Recorder Mildred Alsdorf are free to adopt the policy as they wish, said Commissioner John Martin. Both Hurst and Alsdorf have expressed interest in such a policy.There will be “No Soliciting” signs on the entrances to the building and the policy may be posted in all departments as well, the commissioners decreed.Sales will also be prohibited in the parking lots of those buildings.Commissioner Larry McCown said selling “out of the back of a pickup” is the same as selling indoors, and he gave an emphatic no to the question by human resources director Judy Orman whether that should be allowed.Letters will also be sent to known vendors informing them of the new policy.However, employees raising money for nonprofits, such as those selling Girl Scout cookies, can post information on department bulletin boards. Those sales can’t go on during work hours, but are allowed during lunch hours, and before and after work.In other business Tuesday the commissioners approved:– A new speed limit for County Road 215 through Parachute: a maximum of 45 miles per hour, and 35 mph entering and exiting the town.– A 10.2-mile natural gas pipeline from the San Arroyo Plant in Utah to the South Canyon Compressor Station in the county. The pipeline is in the far western portion of the county southwest of Douglas Pass.Contact Donna Gray: 945-8515, ext. 510dgray@postindependent.com


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