A small Colorado town has been officially declared abandoned after its remaining elected officials resigned, leaving its water system in a state that poses a health risk to residents. The state office confirmed the decision following a public hearing that revealed the absence of a governing board and clerk.
The town lacks a Board of Trustees, a Town Clerk, and the capacity to conduct elections. It also owns essential water infrastructure needed for treatment and delivery to residents.
Abandonment is the only statutory mechanism that allows residents to secure clean water. Without it, the community remains in legal limbo, unable to address the water hazard.
The town's population is about 30. Three trustees resigned in January after a confrontation at a board meeting, and the mayor stepped down in October.
A resident named Jessie Simmons filed a formal request for abandonment in mid‑June, citing the lack of chlorine in the water for over a month and the ongoing boil advisory.
During a July hearing, the director of the Division of Local Government testified that state representatives had visited the town more than 30 times over the past five years to assist with elections, budgets, and audits, but no officials remained after the resignations.
The water system is currently compromised, with no operator and a damaged storage tank that requires repair or replacement. Grants totaling more than $1 million have been provided, but the town cannot access them without authorized officials.
Following the abandonment order, all streets and water infrastructure within the former town boundaries will be transferred to the county commissioners. The county is tasked with moving the water assets to an entity dedicated to water treatment or delivery.
