Across the county, junk, trash and visual blight on private properties are growing concerns. What may start as a few discarded items or an old vehicle parked out back can quickly become an eyesore, changing the look and feel of an entire neighborhood.<\/p>\n
What Is visual blight?<\/strong><\/p>\n Visual blight includes piles of discarded materials, scrap metal, broken equipment, old tires, trash and debris that make properties appear neglected or abandoned. While trash on one property may seem like a small issue, the impact extends far beyond its fence line. Blight can discourage investment, lower surrounding property values, attract pests, increase fire risk and send a message that community standards don\u2019t matter.<\/p>\n \u201cKeeping Montezuma County clean is everyone\u2019s responsibility,\u201d Commissioner Kent Lindsay said at a recent Board of County Commissioners meeting. \u201cWhen residents take care of their properties, it benefits the entire community \u2013 both in appearance and in safety.\u201d Commissioner Candelaria added, \u201cResidents often tell us that we need to preserve the rural character of the county. But is this the kind of rural character that we want to protect? Piles of tires and trash?\u201d<\/p>\n The goal of the county\u2019s efforts is not to punish residents, but to encourage personal responsibility and voluntary action. In most cases, staff members will work directly with property owners to find reasonable solutions and share information about affordable disposal and recycling options. The county also promotes partnerships that make it easier for residents to dispose of unwanted materials responsibly. For example, last October, the county landfill partnered with the League of Women Voters to host an e-waste recycling event, making it easier for residents to responsibly dispose of old electronics.<\/p>\n However, the responsibility ultimately lies with property owners. Maintaining your land, cleaning up debris and properly disposing of waste are not just matters of pride \u2013 they are obligations to your neighbors and to the community as a whole.<\/p>\n Here are a few simple ways to make a difference:<\/strong><\/p>\n Dispose of waste properly. The Montezuma County Landfill \u2013 located at 26100 Road F and open Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. \u2013 offers options for large items and household waste. Call 565-9858.<\/p>\n Reuse and recycle. Give usable items a second life or ensure they\u2019re properly recycled. The landfill\u2019s Resale Store \u2013 at the same location and hours of operation \u2013 accepts items that still have value.<\/p>\n Report illegal dumping. If you see dump sites, abandoned vehicles or discarded furniture on county roads, contact Montezuma County Planning and Zoning: 565-2801 or the Montezuma County Sheriff\u2019s Office: 565-8452.<\/p>\n Get involved. Join a neighborhood cleanup event \u2013 or organize one of your own.<\/p>\n Even small steps \u2013 like hauling away an old appliance, removing scrap from your yard (Belt Salvage accepts scrap metal) or picking up litter along your fence line \u2013 help preserve the county\u2019s rural character and community pride.<\/p>\n Keeping Montezuma County clean and welcoming is not just a government responsibility; it\u2019s a community commitment. When we each take ownership of our spaces, we protect property values, improve safety and ensure the county remains a place we are all proud to call home.<\/p>\n The Montezuma County Board of Commissioners is Chairman Jim Candelaria (District 1), Vice Chairman Kent Lindsay (District 2) and Commissioner of Deeds Gerald Koppenhafer (District 3).<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Montezuma County is known for its stunning landscapes, rural charm and strong sense of community pride. From the open vistas to the quiet country roads, the county\u2019s natural beauty is one of its greatest assets \u2013 and one worth protecting. But preserving that beauty depends on all of us. Jim Candelariacca Across the county, junk, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13884,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[125],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-15648","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-newsletter-opinion"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15648","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15648"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15648\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19768,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15648\/revisions\/19768"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13884"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15648"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15648"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15648"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=15648"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}