Hotchkiss Colorado
Area Chamber of Commerce


AREA INFORMATION:

The North Fork Valley on Colorado's Western Slope "Where the desert meets the mountains and New Age meets the New West" Recently dubbed "The Golden Triangle" by Forbes Magazine, The North Fork Valley on Colorado's Western Slope consists of three tightly knit, yet very distinctive little towns,
Hotchkiss, Crawford, and Paonia -- and a lot of wide open views. Some of the things that make this area unique are:

The People.
It has one of the most eclectic populations around. It is often compared to Aspen in the 1960's or Telluride in the early 70's without the overbearing ski area economy. Restaurants serving gourmet cuisine share the small town streets with classic diners. There are cowboys, artists, writers, miners, telecommuters, craftsmen, and professionals. Conservatives and liberals coexist as neighbors.

The Fruit. This amazing little valley produces some of the worlds best apples, along with peaches, cherries, wine grapes, apricots and pears. Organic farms and wine production make the valley extra special!

The Wildlife. Elk, mule deer, black bear, mountain lions. There is even an albino prairie dog who lives near Hotchkiss. The North Fork is also a bird lovers dream. One of the few remaining populations of sage grouse reside near Crawford. Cranes and water fowl are common.

The Public Lands.  We are surrounded by the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, & Gunnison National Forest which provides wilderness, ATV trails, hiking, fishing, camping, etc.
HOTCHKISS:

Hotchkiss has several art galleries including the wonderful, new Creamery Art Center - a community cooperative gallery and art education center that is ever expanding in its scope.  A friend once said, “It’s hard to swing a stick in this Valley without hitting an artist, two massage therapists and a yoga instructor”.   Certainly an exaggeration, but the kernel of truth therein gives it a bit of Valley-based humor.

The friendly, quiet, western style town of Hotchkiss hosts the North Fork Bluegrass & Roots Music Festival, the Sheep Camp Dog Trials, the Colorado Grand Classic Sports Car Rally and the Delta County Fair. Camping, motels, RV Parks and B&Bs are readily available. Numerous restaurants, shops, grocery and liquor store are all within easy walking distance of one another.
Hotchkiss 2004 Statistics & Information:
Elevation:
Population:
Average Home Price
(in-town)
Retail Sales
Crime Index
5,365 ft
1,024
$105,000
25.8 million
38%
Town of Hotchkiss Utility Information:
Hotchkiss:
Town hall phone
(970) 872-3663
 Water Tap (in town)   $5,50
Water Tap (out of town) - moratorium    $10,000
Sewer Tap (in town)  $4,100
Sewer Tap (out of town)   $5,100
Monthly Water (in town) $18 base rate plus per 1K gallon usage rate of: 0-6K ($2.50), 6-10K ($3.00), 10-20K ($3.25), over 20K ($3.50).
Monthly Sewer (in town)  $25.00
Monthly Sewer (out of town)  $31.25
Trash:   $11.00
Building Permits:  No Building Permits. 
Water from Town standpipe   $6.00/1K gallons
The Hotchkiss municipal water source consists of treated surface water.
(see below for other North Fork utilities and more information)
Hotchkiss School Information
School Name Enrollment
Hotchkiss K-8
465 Lorah Lane
Hotchkiss, CO  81419
(970) 872-3144 
Principal:  Carrie Coats		 350
Hotchkiss 9-12
438 Bulldog Street  Hotchkiss, CO  81419
(970) 872-3882
Principal:  Mike Beard		 250

CRAWFORD:

The town of Crawford (9 miles southeast of Hotchkiss) is built into a hillside with a real mountain feel.
They manage to combine the flavor of the west with an eclectic edge. Crawford hosts Pioneer Days in early June and the
Render the Rock Art Festival in August. B&B's and excellent camping and fishing is available at Crawford Lake State Park
Crawford Chamber: www.crawfordcountry.org
Crawford 2004 Statistics & Information:
Elevation:
Population:
Average Home Price
(in-town)
Retail Sales
Crime Index
6,800 ft
397
$103,000
1.7 million
96%*
(Crawford does not have a Police Dept.)
Town of Crawford Utility Information:
Crawford:
Town Hall Phone
(970) 921-4725
 Water Tap (in town)                                                $2,500
Water Tap (out of town) – moratorium                                    $5,000
Sewer Tap (in town)                                                $2,500
Sewer Tap (out of town)                                                      $5,000
Monthly Water (in town)             $13.90
for 20K gal. summer/10K gal. winter
Overage:                                                            $1/1K
Monthly Sewer (in town)                                                $18.60
Monthly Sewer (out of town)                                           $26.90
Trash:  The Town does not contract for trash pick up.
Building Permits: $2.50 for first $1,000 in building supply cost plus
$1 for each additional $1,000 in building supply cost.
Water from Town standpipe:      $5.00/1K gallons
The Crawford municipal water source consists of treated subterranean mountain spring water piped from its source at the base of Lands End Mountain.
School Information:
School Name Enrollment
Crawford K-8  
51 Fir Avenue / P.O. Box 98 
Crawford, CO  81415
(970) 921-4935
Principal:  Bill Kehmeier		 150

PAONIA:

The nearby town of Paonia (9 miles northeast) enjoys its status as the new age community in the valley.
Paonia is home to the nationally famous environmental paper, The High Country News, and to KVNF public radio which reaches from Grand Junction to Lake City. Restaurants, bookstores, B&B's, a hotel and motel are available. Paonia hosts Cherry Days in July and the Harvest Festival in September. Music and other special events are a regular occurence in this active community.

This is definitely a haven for “cultural creatives” of every kind and the cultural infrastructure has accommodated.  Paonia is home to a fantastically diverse public radio station (KVNF 90.9FM); the Blue Sage Center for the Arts – the location of many and varied art exhibitions, live music performances, lectures, yoga classes, etc.;  There is even a small one-screen movie theatre that shows art and foreign films alongside Hollywood blockbusters.  Really, an endless variety of activities you wouldn’t expect in a small town. 

Paonia Chamber: www.paoniachamber.com
Paonia 2004 Statistics & Information:
Elevation:
Population:
Average Home Price
(in-town)
Retail Sales
Crime Index
5,645 ft
1,639
$129,000
19.7 million
38%
Town of Paonia Utility Information:
Paonia Town Hall phone
(970) 527-4101)
 Water Tap (in town)                                               $5,000
Water Tap (out of town)                                                $12,000
Sewer Tap (in town)                                                $3,750
Sewer Tap (out of town)                                                $7,500
Monthly Water (in town)  $12 base rate plus per 1K gallon usage rate of: 1-10K ($1), 10-30K ($1.30), 30-100K ($2.00), over 100K ($3.00).
Monthly Water (out of town)  $12 base rate plus per 1K gallon usage rate of 0-5K ($1.20), 5-10K ($1.70), 10-20K ($2.40), 20-30K ($2.70), 30K+ ($5.00)
Monthly Sewer (in town)                                                $26.00
Monthly Sewer:            (out of town)                                    $44.00
Trash:                                                                        $12.00
(up to 3 cans)
Building Permits:                                                Cost based on project cost
Water from Town standpipe                                    $5.00/1K gallons
The Paonia municipal water source consists of treated subterranean mountain spring water piped from its source at the base of Mt. Lamborn.           
School Information:
School Name Enrollment
Paonia K-6
4th & Box Elder Street
Paonia, CO  81428
(970) 527-3339 
Principal:  Greg Figenser		 250
Paonia 7 - 12
844 Grand Avenue  Paonia, CO  81428
(970) 527-4882
Principal:  Brent Curtice		 270
Other utilities and services in the area:

Natural Gas:  is provided by Source Gas – a division of Source Gas can be contacted at their customer service number at 1-800-563-0012 or you can call the Delta office at 874-4432.  As of February 2007, the commodity charge for residential natural gas was.37331¢/Cubic Yard. 
Add on the various taxes, franchise fees and distribution charges and you come out with a bottom line of about .83¢/CY.
Electricity:  The electricity needs of the North Fork Valley are met by the Delta-Montrose Electric Association (DMEA). 
This electric cooperative was founded locally in 1938. DMEA has a strong record of progressive policies and is known for promotingcutting-edge systems such as Geothermal heating systems. DMEA purchases its electricity through Tri-State Generation and Transmission (249-4501). 
The cost of residential electricity through DMEA, as of February 2007: 
Base rate $14/month, plus .09285¢ per kWh for monthly usage under 1000 kWh, and .07732¢ per kWh for monthly usage over 1,000 kWh. 
“Time of Use” plans are available and carry different rates and terms.  Contact DMEA in Montrose at 240-1283, or the service facility in Read at 874-2383.
Local Telephone:  The local telephone company is TDS Telecom.  TDS has an office in downtown Paonia. 
The base rate for a one-party residential access line is $14.09/month.  After all taxes,  FCC charges and other mandatory fees,
a basic monthly line charge for residential service averages about $24-25/month. To contact TDS Telecom, call 527-4801.
Cell Service:  Spotty.  As anyone who travels throughout the Valley will learn, cell service varies greatly based on terrain and service provider.  Sprint recently bought a regional provider that had the most extensive network, and may have the best overall coverage – but not ubiquitous by any means. You may want to consult with your Cell Service provider to check their coverage.  A note of caution:  In mountainous terrain, such maps are sometimes less than accurate.
Internet:  High Speed Internet is not yet widespread.  Homegrown Paonia.com offers a popular wireless broadband service as well as web hosting and more (527-6756).  DSL is available in some valley locations through TDS Telecom, the local phone company (527-4801).

Cable TV:  The North Fork Valley is not known for its fine television reception. With any luck, you might be able to pull in the PBS relay from Colorado Springs (channel 55 or 111), and CBS from Grand Junction (channel 13).   Hotchkiss, Paonia and Crawford all offer cable television service. 
Hotchkiss and Crawford are both served by Rocky Mountain Cable (1-800-222-1332), while Paonia is served by
AT&T Cable of Delta (874-4629).  Many different options are available for satellite television.

Radio Reception:  Many stations (including the excellent KVNF 90.9FM public radio station based in Paonia), with varied formats, can be picked up in the Valley.  Quality of reception depends largely on your location and physical geography of the area.

Propane:  In rural areas, propane is a viable alternative to natural gas.
Several companies located in Delta will deliver in the North Fork area including:  Ferrellgas (874-3866),
Hometown Propane (874-1517), All Star Gas (874-5301), and Amerigas (874-3523).  The cost of propane service varies with your location.  The further the delivery truck travels, the costlier the service.

Trash & Recycling:  Paonia & Hotchkiss offers trash service. Crawford does not contract for trash service. There are two Delta County-based trash haulers.  Roberts Enterprises of Paonia can be reached at 527-3602.  The cost of their basic residential service is $13.50/month. Double J Disposal of Austin also serves the North Fork Valley. Double J’s basic monthly residential service fee is $14/month, or for their “green bag” program, $2.25/bag.  Double J can be reached at 835-8886.  If you choose to haul your own trash, the Delta County Landfill, near Eckert, can be reached at 835-7999.  For those concerned about the environment, a traveling recycle trailer visits each town on a monthly schedule; however, the nearest comprehensive recycling center is the Montrose Recycle Center (249-2407).

Rural Water Services:
For those not eligible for municipal water and sewer services, the options vary by location.  Waste disposal requires a County permit for a private septic system.  For permit information call The Delta County Planning Department at 874-2110.
Domestic water service may or may not be available depending on location.  Below is a list of rural domestic water companies:

Crawford Mesa Domestic Water                        PO Box 261, Crawford, CO  81415
Fruitland Mesa Domestic Water                        1501 Black Canyon Road, Crawford
Lazear Domestic Water                                    872-3036
Leroux Creek Water Users                                  30869 L 25 Road, Hotchkiss, CO  81419
Redlands Mesa Water Users                        26083 Moss Rock Rd., Hotchkiss 81419
Rogers Mesa Domestic Water                        872-3415
Somerset Domestic Water                                   929-5636

 If no domestic water service is available, water may be hauled by purchasing water at any of the town’s standpipes (see pricing above).  Water hauling can also be contracted by calling: Bob’s Water Hauling Service at 921-3131 or North Fork Water Service at 527-3060.  It is important to note that each of the valley towns has complete authority to control the sale of water from their municipal systems.  The authority extends not only to the cost of the commodity, but to its actual availability.  While no local municipality has historically cut off this service, the potential exists.