Speeding in Monticello

The concerns of Monticello residents with high vehicle speeds and dangerous cross walks were discussed at the October 13 meeting of the Monticello City Council.

Doug Allen complained about the high speeds and specifically mentioned the intersection and crosswalk near the Post Office.

The area has been the location of two recent car crashes and the source of complaints by a number of businesses in the area.

San Juan County Sheriff Jason Torgerson said his deputies will watch the area and added, “People don’t seem to know about the cross walk until they are on top of it.”

Options to address the issue that were discussed include increased signage at the crosswalk, including overhead signs.

The meeting featured an update by Torgerson three months after the Sheriff’s office assumed management of law enforcement activities in the city.

Overall, Torgerson said the transition is “working well.”

He reports that Sheriff deputies issued 226 citations in the three-month period, in addition to handling 370 calls and other issues.

Torgerson discussed a number of successful police actions, one of which discovered a stash of fentanyl pills and set up sting operations that resulted in the seizure of four pounds of methamphetamine in one action and 12 pounds from another.

He added that responsibility for animal control in the city has still not been assigned to a specific entity.

Chief Jon Nielson gave a fire department report. In 2020, the department has responded to 39 calls, including five house fires, five grass fires, and 14 highway accidents.

Nielson said the department has 19 volunteers on the roster.

Mayor Tim Young mentioned how quickly the volunteers respond to a call.

In other matters, the Council adopted amendments for water source protection policies, and approved a Memorandum of Understanding for a purchase agreement for water rights in the Spring Creek drainage. The water rights will be reserved for the city, while the number of shares and the price for the shares will be determined in the future.