Business View Civil & Municipal | July 2022

41 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 7 there. So we are really hoping to become the regional supplier of manufactured houses.” When it comes to workforce training, Montezuma County is working with Pueblo Community College of the Southwest to help build the trade skills needed to help diversify the area’s industry. Thurman explains, “They’re hosting a program for construction where they’re going to be able to have adults certified with OSHA and flagging certifications and whatever else they may need to hit the ground running in the construction industry.” There is also a “homegrown talent initiative” run out of the high school, which connects students with local businesses for internships. “It’s really helped them become career-connected,” Thurman says. In preparation for future growth, Montezuma County has been moving forward with some new housing developments, including discussions with IndieDwell – a company that manufacturers homes from shipping containers. They also have housing initiatives being developed through the Pinon Project, the area’s family resource center. Thurman explains, “The Pinon Project is working towards two programs – the one on Empire, which would be low income housing, and Built for Zero, which is to address homelessness.” On the sustainability front, Montezuma County has been working on some sustainable infrastructure improvements that could have big impacts for the states along the Colorado River Basin. Due to drought in the southwestern United States, water levels have been dropping. According to Powers, “If those water levels are not maintained, then we could be in danger of what’s called a ‘compact curtailment,’ in which they would shut off agricultural use water in the upper basin states of southern Wyoming, eastern Utah and western Colorado, which of course, would be devastating to the entire food supply chain.” Making matters worse is the Phreatophyte invasion. “The phreatophyte species are an MONTEZUMA COUNTY , COLORADO