RBC | The Rio Blanco Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) convened its regular meeting last Tuesday in Meeker, with Commissioners Doug Overton and Ty Gates attending in person. Commissioner Jennifer O’Hearon participated remotely via Google Meet due to a recent surgery.
During the public comment segment, Rangely resident Wendi Gillard spoke at length about her concerns regarding child welfare and the county’s handling of related issues. While public comment is typically limited to three minutes, Gillard was granted 10 minutes due to a disability.
Gillard referenced an incident in August on Hwy. 139 involving two boys running away on from home and criticized the county for what she described as ongoing systemic failures. She pointed out it was a bizarre situation, and she was surprised that authorities would react the way that they did.
Gillard brought up a 2016 third-party report that alleged unethical behavior by O’Hearon, when she was director of the county’s Department of Human Services, claiming that such issues persist.
She went on to mention how the 2016 report was very clearly written out. Gillard stated that those behaviors in the report are still happening, “…including trying to find out who gave information and trying to discredit whoever threatens her. For those reasons I won’t be wasting my time or energy on someone who clearly is not going to be part of the solution.”
Gillard accused O’Hearon of making offensive comments about minorities and failing to address concerns effectively. She also raised questions about potential violations of HIPAA laws, claiming that a public health nurse’s computer and password were improperly accessed as referenced in the 2016 investigation.
Gillard said she was lied to about the BOCC’s responsibilities, the Board of Human Services, and the citizens review panel in a public meeting, stating, “… every time there’s no answer, no accountability, no apology. It’s unacceptable.”
She cited concerns about high staff turnover, mentioning Nabila Mason, a former DHS employee who worked on adult protective services and foster care initiatives. Gillard accused O’Hearon and Steerman of berating Mason for using budgeted funds appropriately and questioned the lack of progress on re-establishing the child protection team.
Gillard also raised the question of why foster parents are not being paid. “$990,000 in the budget for the last couple of years and budgeted for this year, just for child DHS. That’s not all of DHS, why is the money not being spent on open cases or paying foster parents?”
Gillard said she asked Mason if foster parents were being paid when she was there and her response was no.
The full meeting, with all of Gillard’s comments, can be viewed at https://tinyurl.com/5awks2ak
Following the public comment period, the BOCC addressed several agenda items. There were two key additions included. The first was a lease agreement with the Kenneth E. Harris Family Trust for a housing incentive. The second was a ratification letter opposing wolf reintroduction in Rio Blanco County, addressed to Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) officials, Governor Jared Polis, and the CPW Commission. Both additions, along with the rest of the agenda, were approved.
The consent agenda, which contained routine matters, was also approved without amendments. Among the items discussed, the BoCC approved Ty Gates as interim emergency manager. Commissioner Overton thanked Gates for taking on the additional role without extra compensation.
“I want to publicly thank Ty for stepping up and doing that and taking on another role without any more compensation and just helping the county out,” Overton said.
No explanation was provided for the recent departure of former emergency manager Eddy Smercina. Gates previously held the emergency manager’s position before being elected to the board.
Ryan Hubbard provided a road and bridge department update, detailing ongoing projects in the county. In Rangely, crews completed crack sealing on various roads, conducted snowplow training for new employees, and began reclaiming an old gravel pit on East Douglas. In Meeker, crews installed a culvert on County Road 81, repaired a bridge on County Road 5, and prepared snowplows for winter.
Each commissioner shared updates on their recent activities: Commissioner O’Hearon participated in a career fair at Colorado Northwestern Community College, engaging junior high and high school students in future career discussions. Commissioner Gates served as a judge for the Meeker Elementary School Elk Bugling and Camo Contest. Commissioner Overton attended an Associated General Contractors meeting in Rifle.
The meeting concluded without an executive session. The next BoCC meeting is scheduled for Nov. 26 at 9 a.m. in Rangely.
By JARED HENDERSON
UPDATED: Article has been updated to note that allegations of public health records being accessed were from the 2016 report referenced by Gillard.
