The Historic Preservation Board works to educate the public on the history of the area and preserve historic landmarks in Cortez. There is a local register of historic buildings, sites and districts and another register for historic signs. Applications for the registers are available at the City Service Center in the Public Works Department.
Cortez is a Certified Local Government (CLG). The CLG program seeks to encourage and expand local involvement in preservation issues through a partnership between the CLG and the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). To strengthen existing local preservation programs and to catalyze the development of new ones, CLGs are eligible to apply annually for no-match grants from a designated CLG fund. Also, local landmarks of CLGs are eligible for Colorado’s state historic income tax credit of 20% or $50,000, whichever is less, of the cost of qualified rehabilitation. CLGs assume a leadership role by identifying, evaluating and protecting historic resources within their communities; receiving technical advisory services from the SHPO; and having a formal role in the National Register process.
Current meeting minutes and agendas of the Historic Preservation Board are available online.
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