The meeting will focus on near-term challenges, such as who pays for road improvement in areas likely to be annexed by the city. A current agreement on the matter is set to expire in January.

A meeting in November tackled long-term planning and ended with elected officials agreeing, among other things, to explore a possible urban-growth boundary that would draw a line between urban and rural lands.

Such boundaries, which serve as a means to rein in sprawl, can take many forms, including a sharp transition from urban to rural, as is common in Europe, or a gradual shift.

Portland has had an urban growth boundary for about 30 years, making it the most well-known and analyzed example of the approach. Proponents say it has promoted smart growth and helped preserve the area's natural beauty. Critics say it has driven up housing costs by shrinking the amount of developable land.

"It's not a panacea," said Kyle Dalton, interim planning services manager for La Plata County. "It's one tool in the toolbox of growth management."

Everyone involved in the planning process agrees that the county and city must work together for any approach to work. Rapid growth - the county's population is expected to grow more than 50 percent, to more than 67,000, by 2025 - is pressing them to act. But a misstep could exacerbate sprawl and the lack of affordable housing.

Rolling up their sleeves for another session of planning, each of the elected officials shared their thoughts on the road ahead:

• City Councilor Scott Graham said he prefers an urban- growth boundary to the current tiered system, which requires developments to meet different standards depending on their eligibly for annexation to the city.

"UGBs are being adopted and implemented with a great deal of acceptance and success across the country," he said. "Such boundaries provide assurance to developers as they work to move forward with their projects."

He said it is great to see councilors and commissioners come together to "discuss these difficult growth issues."

• County Commissioner Kellie Hotter agrees it is significant that the two entities are working together but wants to proceed with "informed caution."

She doesn't want a growth boundary to infringe on the county's ability to replace some rural residents' water wells with pipelines.

"I do not want to tie the county's hands if we have rural water systems in our future and want some flexibility to create smart growth hubs," she said. "We also have to consider the constituents outside of that UGB. What does that mean to them and how do we best address that?"

• Mayor Doug Lyon said growth management in Durango has to be coordinated with growth management outside the city limits.

"You can't have one without the other," he said.

He said he sees "a sincere desire on the part of the City Council and the county commissioners to work together on this issue."

Lyon stressed that the two bodies must at least come to an understanding on roads in Thursday's meeting.

"We absolutely have to make sure we have something in place when (the existing agreement) expires," he said.

• City Councilor Leigh Meigs said consideration of a boundary is a step in the right direction.

"This is a dramatic departure from the tiered system of our current (intergovernmental agreement), which may be viewed as a recipe for unwanted sprawl," she said.

She said a new intergovernmental agreement is the best vehicle for change.

"The free market is not capable of responsibly coordinating where and when we should grow," she said.

But, she said, individual property owners will be leery if new regulations hurt them financially.

• City Councilor Renee Parsons said the costs associated with creating an urban-growth boundary must be considered.

"The city will be expected to assume responsibility for providing services for an expanded city population `85 To date, the city has no economic analysis to tell us what the cost of these annexations will be to the city taxpayers," she said.

Drawing population into the city means figuring out how to pay for the amenities new residents will expect.

"Our quality-of-life issues may depend on long-range planning decisions to be made in the next few months," she said.

• City Councilor Michael Rendon said he isn't sure yet if a boundary is the best approach, but thinks it's worth exploring.

"Where a boundary gets drawn at this point is anybody's guess, but I don't believe that most people would want development and gridlock all the way from Durango to Bayfield," he said.

He said he feels "the conversations with the county have been very productive." He would like to see that continue and the public involved.

• County Commissioner Joelle Riddle also wants to understand the ramifications.

"Ideologically, it might sound like the right thing to do, but without facts and objective goals it could backfire," she said.

Factors to consider, she said, are how much land is need within the boundary to accommodate long-term growth and which areas are the most important to preserve.

For a boundary to work, she said the city and the county need harmonious land-use practices.

"With zoning in the city and not in the county, the effect may be to further sprawl development," she said.

• County Commissioner Wally White also mentioned implementing zones in the county, which currently relies on a permit system for determining land uses.

"I strongly believe that zoning within the county would help us all achieve the land protections needed and provide direction to both developers and landowners," he said.

He said he hopes a boundary will preserve open space, reduce infrastructure costs by eliminating duplicative efforts and ensure a well-planned transition from urban to rural land uses.