A new year typically means new resolutions to make, and that’s exactly what local special district officials have done.

In the Round Mountain Water and Sanitation District, manager Tracey Garcia and operator Wayne Jones have announced a number of district goals for 2010.

Garcia said maintaining the district’s infrastructure is top on the list.

As a result, said Garcia, “As we come across problems with old water and sewer lines, we will repair them.”

Also at the top of the to-do list is to implement the water pressure increase plan for the town of Silver Cliff.

Earlier this year, a booster station was installed to increase Silver Cliff’s water pressure.

As early as tomorrow, Friday, Jan. 22, that booster station may be up and running.

According to Garcia, initially 51 pounds of pressure will be implemented so as not to compromise any pipes.

Thereafter, said Garcia, the pressure will be increased slowly over the next several weeks.

There are also no plans to increase water and sewer rates or tap fees for 2010, said Garcia. She expects the base rate for sewer and water to stay the same at $40 per month, and $2.60 per thousand gallons of water used and $2.40 per thousand gallons of sewer.

Jones has implemented a valve and hydrant maintenance schedule for 2010. This year, a valve at the sewer treatment plant will be repaired or replaced, as deemed necessary.

Also in the works is to open all fire hydrants in the two towns, flush them and repair as needed.

Researching grant and loan options to upgrade the current wastewater treatment plant is also in the works. The current plant is over 35 years old, said Garcia.

In mid-2009, a study of the facility was completed and while it is functioning as required, improvements will likely need to be made in the future due to its age.

The RMW district is investigating the viability of building a new plant at an estimated cost of $2 to $3 million versus making upgrades to the current one.

Also, said Garcia, since the district does not want to pass the cost onto its customers, it is looking at funding opportunities through grants and loans or a combination of the two.

Lastly, for the first time, RMW has hired an independent firm to perform board evaluations. Those evaluations will be conducted on Feb. 10.

Terry Nimnicht, the executive director for the West Custer County Hospital District and accompanying medical center, said three goals have been established for 2010.

First on the list, said Nimnicht, is for the medical center to become a medical home.

“We are part of a pilot program out of Philadelphia,” said Nimnicht. “Colorado was one of five states selected, and we were the only rural facility in the state chosen.”

Under the pilot program, the primary care physicians and nursing team work closely to track patient care through the clinic and beyond to specialists and hospitals.

Data is also being collected to determine the number of local patients with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, asthma and back pain in an effort to provide self-management classes, said Nimnicht.

To date, due to that data collecting, a self-management diabetes class was started here.

The hospital district also continues to strive to provide quality medical care to all in the community, said Nimnicht.

“We continue to look at our population of patients,” said Nimnicht, “so we have the right mix of providers.”

“We also want to make sure we provide the best medical practices through the use of Colorado Clinical Guidelines started some 25 years ago in the state. We compare how we are practicing against those standards,” commented Nimnicht.

Third of the list of this year’s goals for the hospital district is financial security.

Nimnicht noted that in 2009 revenues and expenses were less than anticipated. “We have to do some belt tightening,” said Nimnicht, “to get the expenses in line with the revenues.”

Nimnicht also said he is watching to see what happens with the proposed national health care bill. According to Nimnicht, if that bill were to pass, the clinic could see a reduction in its reimbursement though Medicare and Medicaid. With some 45 percent of clinic patients on Medicare or Medicaid, said Nimnicht that could be significant.

Roger Camper, chairman of the board of the West Custer County Fire Protection District said the primary goal of the fire district this year is to outfit a truck purchased in 2008. Estimated cost is $40,000. “We’ve got to get that truck ready to rock and roll, said Camper.

Another goal, said Camper, is to get all our volunteer firefighters qualified in firefighter certification number two, as well as in HAZMAT (hazardous materials) operations.

Lastly, said Camper, the fire district is working to get the ISO rating for property owners down so that individual property owners insurance can be reduced.

Camper said the training the firefighters receive this year will likely help lower the ISO rating, as will outfitting the truck.

West Custer County Library District director Marty Frick said the district’s long range planning committee, comprised of local citizens, helps to give her and her staff its marching orders.

Of course, said Frick, the goals set forth by the local committee are incorporated into the rules and regulations determined by the state.

In 2010, said Frick, the library district will continue to provide programs for young children. At that top, said Frick, is the children’s reading program on Thursday mornings.

The district will also continue to reach out to those who are not currently using the library, said Frick.

To do that, said Frick, she works with the local Chamber of Commerce to offer, at the library, seminars and trainings to merchants.

Also, said Frick, the staff goes out in the community and encourages residents and visitors to come into the library.

Reaching out to teens through technology is another goal of the local library, said Frick.

To that end, the library staff is looking at adding social technology options to its arsenal of computers.

Also in the works is adding age-appropriate video games to its collection of videos available for check out.

Funding for the children and teen programs, equipment, and videos are provided through the Friends of the Library organization, said Frick.

The library also continues to strive to preserve local history, said Frick.

All history projects, said Frick, are funded through earmarked donations.

One of the new history projects in the works, said Frick, is to digitize all issues of  local newspapers, including the Wet Mountain Tribune, going back to 1886.

“Currently, those issues can be found on microfilm in the library,” said Frick, “but once digitized, they would be available on the web.”

Frick concluded by saying she thinks she has the best job in the county and the best staff.

– Nora Drenner