In your Monday Briefing, five items to get the week started:
1. Sol Sandoval of Pueblo has emerged as the favorite to face incumbent Lauren Boebert in the 3rd Congressional District general election in November, provided Boebert gets past state Sen. Don Coram of Montrose in the Republican primary.
Sandoval won 46 percent of the delegate vote at last week’s Democratic district assembly to qualify for the June primary ballot. State Rep. Don Valdez fell short of qualifying for the primary ballot after he received 28.6 percent of the delegate vote. Two other Democrats, Alex Walker and Adam Frisch, petitioned their way onto the primary ballot and will face Sandoval in the Democratic primary.
Boebert remains a favorite to win re-election when you talk to political strategists. That’s because Republicans
Sol Sandoval
hold a voter affiliation advantage overDemocrats in the district. Here’s the breakdown of active voters as of April 2022, according to Colorado Secretary of State data: 203,938 unaffiliated voters; 151,420 Republicans; 121,079 Democrats. There are a total of 485,166 active voters in the 3rd CD, which stretches from the Western Slope to south-central Colorado and includes the San Luis Valley. The primary races are June 28.
2.
Douglas County Commissioner Lora Thomas last week pressed her fellow commissioners Abe Laydon and George Teal for a timeline on when the Douglas County Commission will make a decision on the Renewable Water Resources water exportation proposal. Laydon said he’s still looking to visit the San Luis Valley and had a visit arranged with RWR principals only to have it postponed by RWR due to a death.
The commissioners have also been discussing the idea of a water enterprise fund. It’s a conversation that has a variety of implications if the commissioners move forward with it. Thomas, for her part, is against the idea and against RWR. She prefers the Platte Valley Water Partnership project. Teal and Laydon continue to consider RWR, and a water enterprise fund would be a way to move forward.
3.
As you’re traveling between Monte Vista and Alamosa be alert for Highway 160 and Colorado Highway 370 road construction. Road crews are resurfacing a 12-mile stretch of roadway between Alamosa and Monte Vista, MPs 215-226.
Crews will install new guardrail, signing, and high visibility striping once resurfacing activity is completed. Resurfacing will also take place on CO 370 along a 4-mile stretch, MPs 4-8, south of US 160. Additionally, crews will install new concrete curbing, flashing safety beacons at Lyell St, and ADA ramps in Alamosa and Monte Vista.
The project is expected to be completed by October 2022. Expect 15 minute delays, with alternating single lane closures on US 160 between MP 215 and MP 226 and on 4 miles of CO 370 between MP 4 and 8.
4.
Alamosa County Commissioners will take up the proposals of Denver Air Connection and Boutique Air at their meeting Wednesday. One of the two air service providers will replace SkyWest as the Essential Air Service Provider at San Luis Valley Regional Airport. The commissioners appear to be leaning toward Denver Air Connection after local business leaders were asked to provide letters of support for Denver Air Connection.
The decision will be made by the U.S. Department of Transportation, but the recommendation made by the county commissioners is a major consideration for DOT.
5.
ICYMI, Alamosa Schools will be studying a four-day school week. The school district has signed an MOU with the Alamosa Education Association, which represents teachers in the district, to form a committee that will study the issue throughout the 2022-23 year, with a possible change to a four-day school week for the 2023-24 academic year.
Across Colorado, 114 school districts constituting 64% of the 178 school districts in the state, plus one BOCES operated school and some charter schools utilize the four-day school week as the structure for organizing their school year. In simple terms, such districts schedule 7.5 hours per day for 144 days of school instead of the normal six hours for 180 days, according to the Colorado Department of Education.