- Cortez City Council unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement Tuesday with the Colorado Department of Transportation that formalizes the city’s access control plan for Highway 160.
The Cortez City Council unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement Tuesday with the Colorado Department of Transportation that formalizes the city’s access control plan for Highway 160. Public works director Phil Johnson said the IGA, which he called a living document, will help the city pursue funding and grants for downtown beautification and improvement efforts. Johnson said one high-priority improvement that can be completed this year is installing a pedestrian crossing at Edith Street near Autozone and McDonald’s on the highway. The crossing would include push button controls, a solar-powered flashing light, and an elevated median. City Manager Shane Hale said the pedestrian refuge would give people just two lanes to cross before reaching a safe zone, rather than their “trying to play Frogger across the highway”, in reference to a video game. Under the agreement, the city will buy materials and CDOT will install and maintain them, which Hale called a “pretty good cost-share”. Police Chief Roy Lane said the pedestrian refuge is needed, as students from Montezuma-Cortez High School frequently cross the highway there.
Also on Tuesday, the council swore in two new and two newly re-elected members, and voted unanimously to keep Karen Sheek as mayor for a second term and Ty Keel as mayor pro tem.
