Frequently Asked Questions for the Public Works Department:
- Does the City have a recycling program? If so, what can I recycle?
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See our recycling page posted on the City website under Public Works http://www.cityofcortez.com/340/Recycling.
- Why do the recyclables accepted change from time to time?
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The City’s recycling changes reflect the overall recycling market; our changes are made with an attempt to control otherwise runaway cost.
- Where can I take my recycling?
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Where can I take my recycling? 110 West Progress Circle, Cortez. Map to Service Center
- Can I put my old TV, computer, etc. out for the trash crew?
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No. Contact the Montezuma County Landfill at 970.565.9858 for information on e-waste.
- Does the city of Cortez compost?
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No. Residents are encouraged to do their own backyard composting
- What can I do to help keep cost low?
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Everyone can help a little by reading about new changes, making sure to properly recycle and separate material.
- How do I get a city recycling container:
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Contact the Recycling Division at the City Service Center at 970-565-7320 to request a recycling bin. One will be delivered to your home.
- How can I further separate my recyclables, & what should I do if I have limited space to store them?
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Start small - audit your household and start recycling the one material you produce most. Then when you are comfortable, begin with another material. You can use cans, boxes, or bags inside of the bins to hold your materials, separately. The City of Cortez allows residents to have two of our collection bins. You may also set out an additional container for recycling, but it needs to remain separated, and preferably labeled as “Recycling” so our refuse collectors don’t throw them away.
- When is my refuse picked up?
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The refuse department picks up refuse daily. To find out what day your refuse will be picked up, contact the utility billing division at City Hall, or call 970-564-4012.
- Why the sudden adjustment in our recycling mix?
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In August of 2017, China announced to the World Trade Organization that they intended to stop Taking post-consumer materials (recyclables) from the United States and several other countries, due to increased contamination and damage to their own environment from taking contaminated recycling mixes from other countries. China audited their recycling factories in July and found that most of their factories could not meet their new environmental standards, so they decided to halt imports.
- Since the City of Cortez has a source-separated recycling program, doesn’t it pay off with us taking extra steps to separate our items?
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Yes it does. Because our residents separate their items, it is much easier for us to move material to market. In fact, we use Domestic markets whenever possible. Our collection efforts have been clean and did not in any way contribute to the China situation.
- If we already use domestic markets whenever possible, then why do we need to separate our recycling even further than we already are?
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The estimation on the amount of recycling that the United States moved to China ranged anywhere from 60-90%. Imagine all the other groups in our nation’s recycling industry trying to find new homes for their recyclables. This potential market glut means that the cleaner and more separated our commodity stream is, the more preferred our recycling commodities will be in the near future. Thus, the easier to move them to that market.
- Why is it so hard for us to get our recycling to market?
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Same as in real estate – Location. Our location is outside of optimal trucking zones so companies that wish to move material out of this area face what is known as dead-head trucking rates. That means most entities need to pay round-trip shipping if they want to move materials to market.
- Can I push the snow from my sidewalk and/or driveway out into the street?
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No, the City has an ordinance against pushing snow from private property into the street. Downtown business owners are to clean their sidewalks by noon of the second day after a storm. The property owner is responsible for removing the snow from the sidewalks, whether the lot has a business on it, or is vacant.
- How do I get my sidewalk replaced?
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The City of Cortez has an annual Sidewalk Cost-Share program to assist property owners who want to construct or repair all sidewalks in the public right-of-way abutting or adjacent to his or her property. Please contact the City Service Center at 970.565.7320 for an application. The applications are due by May 31st to be included in that year's project. Anyone not participating in the program, and wants to construct or repair any sidewalk, driveway, or curb-cut on the public right-of-way, must obtain a Right-of-Way construction permit.
- How can I determine if my home or the home I am considering purchasing is in a Special Flood Hazard Area?
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The City of Cortez can’t make an official determination if your property is in a Special Flood Hazard Area. There are methods of determination, such as an Elevation Certificate and Letter of Map Amendment, which can be used to demonstrate that a property is in or out of the Special Flood Hazard Area. Flood Insurance Rate Maps are available for viewing on the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) website at the following link: https://msc.fema.gov/portal. The City has a GIS map that shows the approximate location of the flood plain in relation to all properties.
- Who’s responsible for fixing the streets?
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The City Public Works Department maintains all accepted streets. Each year the City performs an annual street improvement project with funds generated from City sales tax, which includes periodic maintenance, reconstruction, resurfacing, and drainage improvements.
- Do I need to get my utilities located to dig on my own property?
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Yes, it is a law that you have to get locates before you can dig anything - anytime, anywhere. Call UNCC for a line locate at 1-800-922-1987 (or 811).
- Do I need a permit for any construction activity (digging, patching, boring)?
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If your work, i.e. any construction or excavation activity, is inside the City right-of-way, you will need to apply for a Right-of-Way (ROW) permit.
- How do I apply for a ROW Permit?
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Apply through the engineering division at the City Service Center, 110 West Progress Circle, Cortez. You will need to bring in a description of the location, overview, and time frame of proposed work. Utility Line locates must be obtained after a ROW permit is issued and before any construction begins. Call UNCC for a line locate at 1-800-922-1987 (or 811).
- How much does a ROW cost?
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The ROW Permit is $30 per permit, plus any other costs that are deemed necessary, i.e. asphalt or concrete patch-back cost.
- Can I add another driveway entrance to my property?
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To ensure your site meets the requirements for a driveway entrance, you will need to speak with the engineering division at the City Service Center, 110 West Progress Circle, Cortez.
- Why won’t the City fill the pothole in my driveway when filling potholes in the street?
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The City of Cortez can only fill potholes on public rights-of-way: streets, alleys, curbs.
- Can we put up a “Children at Play” sign on our street?
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No, this gives the impression that it is safe for children to play in the street.
- What is the Master Street Plan?
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The Master Street Plan is a tool for the City of Cortez and Montezuma County that proposes future street alignments. Please see the Master Street Plan Page for more information.
- How is the Master Street Plan used?
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The Master Street Plan is used to identify locations where there is a need for street connectivity. When development is proposed, the plan provides guidance to the developer and local governments to ensure that the street connections can be accommodated.
- Why do we need a Master Street Plan
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The Master Street Plan helps local governements and land developers identify where a future street should go. Otherwise, streets may not connect to each other in a logical way.
- Who uses the Master Street Plan?
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Local governments (i.e. the City of Cortez and Montezuma County), the State Highway Department, land developers, and individual property owners all use the the master street plan for guidance on where streets should go, and on where a street may need to be upgraded.
- What area does the Master Street Plan cover?
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The street plan can cover an area of up to three miles outside of City limits. The proposed street plan only covers an area of one mile outside of the City’s limit. If significant growth begins to happen, the plan can be amended to plan for additional traffic needs appropriate for the demand.
- How is the Master Street Plan related to other City of Cortez plans or policies?
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The Master Street Plan is a subsection of the City of Cortez Comprehensive Plan, which looks at policies to guide growth and land use for the city in general. The Master Street Plan provides specific guidance regarding street connectivity and policies for ensuring that there is a logical system of streets for the City and certain areas of the unincorporated area.
The Master Street Plan is advisory, in that it provides general guidance. The Street Plan is implemented through the land use code, in the form of regulations that require development to consider the proposed streets and accommodate the street connections that are proposed in the Master Street Plan.
- Where does our water come from?
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Our water comes from the Dolores River Watershed, via McPhee Reservoir.
- What is the price of our water?
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The fees can be found on the “Water Rates” page.
- How do I report a water problem?
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Please call the City Service Center at 970.565.7320.
- Does Cortez have watering restrictions?
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Yes. Every year from May 15 – September 15, lawn watering is not allowed during the hours of 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM. For new lawns, a permit can be obtained (for a fee) to water during those hours. Call 970.565.7320 for more information. Check out the “Water Conservation” page.
- Does the City of Cortez have a water dock?
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Yes, at the City Service Center in the Industrial Park. Check out the “Water Dock” page for a link to the map.
- Why is my water cloudy?
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When water leaves the tap, it isn't under pressure any longer and the air comes out. However, a yellow or rusty color is probably due to sediment from the water system. Try running your water for a few minutes; this usually takes care of the problem.
- Why is my sink or tub stained brown?
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This is probably caused by suspended materials in the water system; however, sometimes it is caused by rusty pipes from within the home itself.
- When there is a water leak, why does the City have to shut down such a large area of town or neighborhood to do a repair?
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Depending on the area of town where the leak is, the main line may be quite old and a water valve won’t shut down as well as it should, so several valves may have to be shut down. The City is trying to rectify the problem by installing new water lines and valves. All of this takes time and money. Each year, Public Works budgets for a major waterline replacement project and a street improvement project.