Engagement!
President Rob Foster’s theme for the year.
President of the Day
Kim Moore served as our president while Rob Foster travels. She did a fine job, especially dealing with a somewhat challenging setup at Ramon’s.
Rotarian of the Day
Allen Roth
Spotted in The Pagosa Springs SUN
Tommy Nigro proudly basked in his newfound fame after making the newspaper and gave us a sneak peek into his prom plans.
State of the Town Update
Town Manager and Rotarian David Harris gave us a State of the Town update.
He shared the town’s 2050 Vision Statement: We are an engaged community with access to natural spaces, opportunities for sustainable growth, and respect for our heritage. The slide below shares the current council goals and objectives:
Road construction has begun. David told us that the state is investing $25 million in the project, while the Town is pumping in an additional $7.7 million. Because the landfill is under construction, the annual Spring Clean has been postponed. However, there will be a community cleanup of the cemetery from May 19 to June 2. The town also won a national award for excellence in financial reporting, promoting transparency. David noted that the police department hasn’t grown in 10 years because of a lack of funding. Several affordable housing developments are now in progress.
The rest of his presentation was dedicated to the desperate need to upgrade the town sewer system—a significant health and safety issue. The original system was installed in the ‘40s and some updates were made in the 60s. A third of the lines—92,000 linear feet of pipes—are failing, with some essentially crumbling.
Each day, the system currently pushes 325,000 gallons of effluent 7.5 miles up a 500-foot elevation. The need for a new wastewater treatment plant is urgent. The town is developing a long-term strategy to provide essential sanitation collection and treatment services.
While $4.5 million in bonds have been issued, upgrade costs will exceed $80 million. Current monthly rates are $71.25. If ratepayers have to incur the full cost of the upgrades, the monthly cost could be more than $220 a month.
The town receives 2.6% of property taxes, for $200,000. It is dependent on sales tax revenues, receiving 2% of all collected.
The town is now considering asking the community to approve a 1% sales tax collected on sales within the town limits. This would shift the cost of the wastewater treatment upgrade to all who use the system, including visitors.
“We aren’t the only community dealing with this,” David said, acknowledging the infrastructure issues the whole country is experiencing, including the county, school district, and PAWSD. Outside funding is limited. “We will have to pay for this ourselves.”
Mark Your Calendars
June 5 – Picnic and fishing
June 27 – Installation banquet honoring Janelle Syverson, our incoming president. It will be at the PLPOA clubhouse, and the cost is $20.
October 18 – Barn Dance. Kirsten Bennett needs your help. Please reach out to her.
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards
One eligible student has applied. We have an opportunity for one more.
Raffle
The pot is $426!
Join Us for Our Annual Installation Banquet
Please join us as we celebrate the installation of Jenelle Syverson as the 2025–2026 President of the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs, along with the incoming Board of Directors.
📅 Friday, June 27
📍 PLPOA Clubhouse – 230 Port Avenue
🍹 Happy Hour begins at 5:30 p.m.
🍽️ Dinner served at 6:00 p.m.
💲 $20 per person
Catering will be provided by Todd and Kellie Stevens.
Come ready to enjoy a sweet evening of fellowship and celebration!
Please note: There will be no regular club meeting on Thursday, June 26.