Larimer County

October 6, 2022

After thorough consideration of its options, the city of Thornton has decided against filing a petition with the Colorado Supreme Court in its lawsuit against Larimer County. Thornton had sued Larimer County for denying it a permit to construct a water pipeline from the northwest area in the county east into Weld County. Thornton believes the time it would take for a potential Supreme Court action to take place is better spent engaging with Larimer County and its community on solutions amenable to the people of both jurisdictions, and trusts that will occur in a process where Larimer County does not exceed its jurisdiction and treats all parties, including Thornton, fairly, as the Colorado Court of Appeals indicated the County must. As demonstrated by the 43 conditions of approval Thornton had previously agreed to during the initial 1041 permit process, an agreed upon solution between Thornton and Larimer County is the preferred outcome. There is a long history of local governments in Colorado working cooperatively and agreeably on solutions for vital infrastructure projects. Thornton’s water project is included in The Colorado Water Plan and an agreement would further advance the state’s plan. Thornton looks forward to engaging with its northern neighbors on next steps and finding solutions to the benefit of the Coloradans living in both communities.