A historic town established in 1904; Palisade has been working on upgrading its aged infrastructure into the 21st century. With a modest tax base and budget, it is difficult to make expensive infrastructure improvements. For the last 6 years the town has successfully completed multiple multi-year, multimillion-dollar projects. Palisade has utilized $5 million to leverage over $38 million in capital improvement projects to support residents, small business growth and expansion in agritourism. Big ambitions for a Town with a small yearly budget. The capital improvements represent a lifeline for the town to navigate the complexities of modern economic landscapes while preserving the heart of the rural agriculture town. PROGRESS THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS It takes great partnerships to garner $38 million dollars in quality infrastructure projects. Palisade’s commitment to community improvement is exemplified by its major infrastructure projects, funded largely through strategic grant acquisition and symbiotic partnerships. One standout achievement is the transformation of the site where the town’s old high school once stood. The old high school had been condemned. Progress through partnership, after extensive asbestos removal and demolition of the building, a new health clinic has been built, in the old high school’s place. Pro- Tempore Mayor Somerville highlights the importance of partnerships in making this project a reality. “Through a partnership with Community Hospital, we were able to tackle a major issue with that old high school… now on this site, the town has a clinic in a brand-new state of the art building,” he states. These accomplishments are a testament to the town’s leadership. With a very small capital budget, not enough money for all the needed improvements, hard decisions need to be made. “Securing grants and maximizing revenue is an important component of completing these multi-million-dollar projects,” stated Town Manager Janet Hawkinson. “Staff have been the leaders in finding grants that leverage and maximize our revenue, lots more than what we’re getting through tax dollars,” Somerville notes. “Our recent accomplishments seemed unimaginable because of the price tag, and not only did we get them done cheaper than expected, but we were also able to find money through grants because of Town Management making it happen,” he adds. Mayor Mikolai also praises the collaborative efforts of the leadership team, adding,“I think we just have great people working for us. When you look at the 3 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 01 PALISADE, CO
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