Steamboat Pilot & Today

Oak Creek — Thursday night Oak Creek joined Hayden in the implementation of mandatory watering restrictions. Until this week, watering restrictions have been voluntary.

The decision came after the Town Board received a letter from Public Works Director Chuck Wisecup suggesting residents were not taking the restrictions seriously.

"You can still go out in the hottest daytime hours and see people watering," he wrote. "We still have two of the hottest months left in the summer and there is a danger that we will not have enough water."

Wisecup was unable to attend the meeting, but Oak Creek Water Commissioner Andy Shaffner gave a presentation. She announced the town usually had three water sources: Oak Creek, Trout Creek and Sheriffs Reservoir. Because of calls on the creeks, the town was completely reliant on the reservoir.

"Sheriffs is dropping about an inch a day," she said. "At this rate you have about 200 to 250 days of water left. I'd be careful."

In his letter, Wisecup wrote, "In twenty years, we have never had to rely on Sheriffs Reservoir."

The board agreed with Wisecup the best action was to create strict restrictions with strict penalties. Residents are allowed to water between the hours of 5 and 9 a.m. and 5 and 9 p.m. Odd-numbered addresses can water on odd-numbered days, and those with even-numbered addresses can water on even-numbered days. The ball field, parks and cemetery can water two times a week on alternating days.

Anyone watering at other hours and on other days could face fines up to $300 and up to 90 days in jail.

The Oak Creek police will also be cracking down on teen-agers who violate curfew. Several people complained at the Town Board meeting youths were in the middle of the street in the early morning hours, waking neighbors and being otherwise disrespectful.

The curfew is set for 10 p.m. for anyone younger than the age of 16. Teens between the ages of 16 and 18 are not allowed to be driving after midnight.

"We can also cite parents along with the juveniles," Officer Kelby Kenney said.

In other business, County Commissioner Nancy Stahoviak, also an Oak Creek resident, stepped forward to tell the board to be "more careful" with its hiring and firing procedures. She questioned the legality and appropriateness of Sgt. Dave Miller's termination.

Stahoviak later requested a $100 donation from the board for an economic development survey. The questionnaire, she said, would be distributed to 500 randomly selected people to determine where people shopped for goods and services.

"People buy certain things from the Internet and out of the county," she said. "We want to identify these leaks in the economy."

The survey is to cost $4,000. The city of Steamboat Springs had donated $500 and the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association donated $1,000. The town of Oak Creek has a donation budget of $500. Town Clerk Nancy Crawford said the town has donated $100 thus far to the Historical Society.

The board voted to deny the request.

The board also discussed purchasing four lots from Ron Crawford to be used for parking and snow storage. The board agreed to begin the sale of town property to finance the purchase.

The town of Oak Creek will have unused lots appraised and sell them through a local real estate agent.

Mayor Cargo Rodeman read a declaration, naming today National Korean Veteran Armistice Day. Residents are asked to fly the American flag at half-staff today. A display dedicated to Korean War veterans will be open to the public in Town Hall on Saturday.