craigdailypress.com

In April, Delbert Knez was promised by the Moffat County commissioners that several junk vehicles and trailers would be moved from within sight of his restaurant, The O.P. Bar and Grill.

But as of 6 p.m. Wednesday, two trailers, one wrecked bus and a truck that a man shot himself in remained.

"I'm just not getting no response. If all this stuff was next to City Market or the hospital or (Commissioner) Marianna Raftopoulos' house, it wouldn't be there," Knez said.

The vehicles are ugly and ruin the view from his patio, Knez said.

Although the vehicles are on a Moffat County-owned lot, only the truck is in the possession of the Moffat County Sheriff's Office. The other vehicles and equipment belong to other groups and government entities, but the county agreed to let them use the lot for storage. The county asked the owners of the vehicles to move them in mid-May.

The sheriff can't destroy the truck unless a family member of the suicide victim gives permission, sheriff's personnel told the commissioners.

One trailer belongs to Kiwanis and the other to the Lions Club. The bus belongs to the Moffat County School District.

Commissioner Darryl Steele has been spearheading the effort to clean up the lot. The county has discussed selling the property to Steamboat Transit Authority for the construction of a $600,000 commuter facility and bus garage.

On Wednesday, the Craig Police Department removed from the lot a car in which a woman had been murdered. They could not destroy the car because it could be used as evidence in an appeal, according to the Sheriff's Office.

"If we're going to ask other people to take care of their property we need to take care of ours," Steele said.

During public meetings the commissioners criticized Round Bottom Auto Wrecking south of Craig for the junk vehicles parked in front of the business, as well as the owner of the drive-in theater east of Craig.

Steele said he plans to have slats installed on a chain-link fence that separates the lot from Knez's property.

Originally, Knez had offered to split the cost of fencing and donate the use of machinery to accomplish the project.

But that offer is off the table because it has taken the county so long to follow through on its promise, Knez said.