RANGELY | The Rio Blanco County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) held a special work session last week in Rangely ahead of their regular monthly meeting, addressing a wide range of topics including plumbing issues at the county fairgrounds, legal action related to energy regulations, and the possibility of adopting home rule governance.
The meeting opened with a discussion about persistent plumbing problems at the Rio Blanco County Fairgrounds in Meeker. County Administrator Vicky Edwards referenced a June 21 facilities tour and explained that improper T-intersections in the restroom plumbing were contributing to backups.
Facilities representative Thad White presented options to manage the issue during the upcoming Fourth of July holiday, including closing certain bathroom stalls. Edwards mentioned the possibility of removing toilets altogether, but White warned that sealing issues could lead to leakage. Edwards noted the county will provide wash stations and portable restrooms and added that the grandstand restrooms are unaffected.
Commissioner Doug Overton expressed concern about shutting down restrooms entirely.
“I would like to give the public a little more credit than that,” Overton said. “I can’t see shutting the whole thing off because of one bad actor. Put some cameras up and that one bad actor has to be caught sometime.”
The board agreed to install exterior security cameras at restroom entrances. No cameras will be placed inside bathrooms, and the BOCC emphasized compliance with privacy laws.
County Attorney Don Steerman updated the commissioners on Rio Blanco County’s involvement in the Western Slope KOGA lawsuit, a multi-county challenge to state energy regulations.
“We’ve joined the co-complaint and it’s been filed with the court,” Steerman said. “The state immediately turned around and filed a motion to dismiss.”
Steerman said the county has 21 days to respond and is working with other counties to possibly submit a joint response. He acknowledged that courts often remove counties from such suits early in the process, but emphasized that Western Slope counties have a vested interest and may continue the case even if Rio Blanco is dismissed.
Steerman also presented information about the possibility of Rio Blanco County adopting home rule status, which would allow the county to draft its own charter for local governance.
“There are only two home rule counties in the state—Pitkin and Weld—and four city-county combinations like Denver and Broomfield,” Steerman said. “For counties, the statutory authority is more limited compared to municipalities.”
He noted that while home rule offers added flexibility in taxation and bonding, it may also impose restrictions on commissioners. No action was taken, but the board plans to gather more information and consider public input.
Following the work session, the BOCC convened its regular monthly meeting, beginning with a public comment period. Rangely resident Wendy Gillard said the current draft public comment policy may violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and urged the BOCC to review it more carefully.
Rio Blanco County Assessor Renae Nielson presented her annual protest valuation report, noting a relatively low number of protests this year.
“This year we had a light year,” Nielson said. “We increased values again, but I think people are realizing that’s just the world we live in right now. We had 50 real property protests, which are all done now. Personal property notices went out on the 13th, and as of yesterday we had no protests.”
Nielson said the county’s assessed value has decreased approximately 9%, dropping to $750,971,610—a decline of $69,723,390 from the previous year.
The board later reconvened as the Board of Health to hear updates from Makala Sheridan, who provided information on immunization schedules and public health rumors. Sheridan said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) removed the COVID-19 vaccine from the recommended childhood vaccination schedule.
“For children 6 months to 17 years old that are not immunocompromised it has been shifted from recommended to shared clinical decision making,” Sheridan said. “So what that means is I couldn’t even give them a vaccine if I wanted to. I would need to tell them you need to go to your health care provider and talk to them about it.”
She said the county is not currently required to stock the vaccine and noted they are still waiting for guidance on its removal from the adult immunization schedule. Sheridan also addressed a local rumor regarding a potential measles outbreak.
“We do not have a measles outbreak,” she said. “The Meeker hospital had contacted us saying that people were getting a hold of them and really concerned about that. That is when they contacted us and asked. We don’t have even an exposure in Meeker or Rangely, so just wanted to squash any rumors about that. We definitely don’t have measles.”
She assured the board that the county remains in close communication with Mesa County and the state and regularly monitors communicable disease reports through its EP tracks system.
After reconvening as the Board of County Commissioners, the meeting concluded with commissioner updates. The next regular meeting is scheduled for July 8, 2025 in Meeker.
