It's Time for Back to School!

Two new housing developments have received funding to alleviate early planning costs. The city of Durango wants to remind pet owners to clean up after their pets with a new Back to Schoop campaign. If you own an electric vehicle take a survey to determine how Durango can better serve electric vehicle needs. And do your part to reduce food waste through the Good Food Collective's Fall Gleaning Program. You are watching the Local News Roundup brought to you by Serious Texas Bar-B-Q and Sky Ute Casino. I'm Wendy Graham Settle. Two housing projects have received grants to lower the costs of development activities, such as environmental studies, site preparation, market studies, surveys, and other fees before construction begins. The grant from the La Plata Economic Development Alliances Housing Catalyst Fund Committee and Working Group awarded $69,620 to the Durango Crossings Project and $22,000 to the Rivergate Three Project. Developers at the Durango Crossing Project at 1500 Florida Road have agreed that 50% of new rental units will be for local workforce tenants. They've also agreed that a minimum of 50% of the for sale units will also be reserved for the local workforce. The Rivergate Three Project is part of the original Rivergate area and will create residential units and a small commercial space. For both projects, the number of units is yet to be determined. The funding will assist with pre-development costs which are necessary to determine the viability of a project but are often underfunded. The Housing Catalyst Fund will open applications for a second round this month with recipients announced in November. The city of Durango is looking for input from electric vehicle drivers on their experience with electric vehicles in town. The survey aims to gain insights into habits and needs related to driving and charging electric vehicles. The city asks that only electric vehicle owners fill out the survey to gain the most accurate results. The Good Food Collective is looking for help in making sure less food goes to waste by providing a place for gleaners and tree owners to connect online. Gleaning is the practice of harvesting otherwise unused fruits and veggies from local backyards and farms to get them to people who need and want them. Doing so helps reduce food waste, saves bears and feeds the community. Tree owners can list their trees on the Good Food Collective website where harvesters can check out the list of available trees and fruits available for harvest. The Fruit Tree Registry is also used by the Good Food Collective to organize community gleaning events. Did you know that Colorado is the poopiest dog food state? According to the website, Protect My Paws. The city of Durango wants you to do your part to change that title and has launched Back to Schoop to encourage pet owners to pick up after their animals. Dog waste, in particular, can carry bacteria and parasites that can make other people and pets sick and harm the environment by contaminating waterways and other common use areas. There are waste bags and receptacles at parks and trail heads. Pick it up and pack it out. Learn more about these and other stories online at durangolocal.news. Thank you for watching this edition of the Local News Roundup, I'm Wendy Graham Settle.