Chevron donates $30K to county

The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) met on Nov. 22, 2022, in Rangely for their meeting and work sessions.

During the meeting, they were presented with a donation check from Chevron in the amount of $30,000 to support the county’s ability to improve radio communications in the event of an emergency. This donation is directly related to the incident that occurred at a Wilson Creek plugging rig on June 29, 2022, that left one employee deceased and two injured. Andrew Olsen, Chevron operation superintendent from Grand Junction, spoke on behalf of the company. Chevron and Rio Blanco County have a long relationship together. Commissioner Ty Gates thanked Chevron for all they do in the community and their professional response to the incident at Wilson Creek. Chevron has since plugged the well, and from inspection, no major release of fluids was observed.

During the work sessions, the commissioners discussed with Budget and Finance Director Janae Stanworth the need for a grant writer. The concern was whether the position would be a 40-hour, full-time position and what the job description would include. Comments from the IT department informed the commissioners that they could not even consider some grants available to them because the department staff was already at full capacity.

The 2023 budget does include a salary for a radio programmer position that could assist multiple departments.

Commissioner Jennifer O’Hearon raised concerns about the multiple positions being considered and the last-minute decisions that result. She is interested in expanding future conversations to include a report on cost analysis and the position’s duties to help keep track of expansion. Two department heads offered the availability to provide this information in the future. The BOCC has included wage adjustments in the budget.

The budget for Columbine Park was discussed as a decreased expense. The goals and needs of Columbine Park are expected to be achievable and maintainable with a new budget of $100,000. Meetings will be held next year with all the entities that utilize the park concerning their goals and expectations and if the budget will continue to work. In the event of unforeseen expenses, the use tax will fund those projects.

The board discussed the need to update the county’s website and review its online presence to be compliant with new Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) legislation by the State of Colorado, which may mean limiting content that’s available online for the public. The bill will go into effect in July 2024, and adds language to strengthen current Colorado law related to protections against discrimination on the basis of disability for persons with disabilities, specifically as those laws relate to accessibility to government information technology. The county needs to begin its planning to ensure the implementation of ADA compliance requirements as soon as possible. Requirements include:

• Provide text alternatives for non-text content.
• Provide captions and other alternatives for multimedia.
• Create content that can be presented in different ways, including by assistive technologies, without losing meaning.
• Make it easier for users to see and hear content.
• Make all functionality available from a keyboard.
• Give users enough time to read and use content.
• Do not use content that causes seizures or physical reactions.
• Help users navigate and find content.
• Make it easier to use inputs other than keyboard.
• Make text readable and understandable.
• Make content appear and operate in predictable ways.
• Help users avoid and correct mistakes.
• Maximize compatibility with current and future user tools.
  The BOCC budget is set at $20,000 for expenses incurred during this process. More information can be found at https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/glance/
  Wages for employees, budget needs, and what the future would look like were also discussed. Commissioner Ty Gates said he would like to be competitive with wages to retain employees and reduce the need to train new employees. Commissioner Ginny Love believes employees who have been employed long-term deserve to be compensated for their loyalty and hard work. Commissioner O’Hearon advocated for a Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) wage increase to benefit every employee and honor the conditions of the economy, with a goal to reduce future needs. Previous attempts at wage adjustments have still fallen short of averages. Benefits were also considered as a factor of compensation.
  Additional new business included:
• Approval of a USGS Joint Funding Agreement for operation and maintenance of streamflow gaging stations and water quality sampling sites on Piceance Creek, Corral Gulch and Yellow Creek with the total amount not to exceed $121,737. Rio Blanco County will pay $104,630 of that, with USHS covering the remainder.
• Approval of a USGS Joint Funding Agreement for operation and maintenance of streamflow gaging stations and water quality sampling sites on the White River, with the total amount not to exceed $21,089.00, of which $14,989.00 will be be paid by Rio Blanco County and USGS Matching Funds of $6,100 covering the remainder.
  The Board voted to go into executive session pursuant to §24-6-402(4)(b) to conference with Rio Blanco County Attorney Don Steerman for the purpose of receiving legal advice on specific legal questions regarding senior nutrition programs, senior housing, and county boards.
  Bid awards included:
• The 2022 Road and Bridge Cattleguard Project to Skyline Steel, in an amount not to exceed $20,800.
• The 2022 Road and Bridge Culvert Project to Skyline Steel, in an amount not to exceed $14,473.
  The next regular board meeting is tentatively scheduled for Dec. 13, 2022, to be held in Meeker. For more information, please check the County’s website at http://rbc.us/186/Board-of-County-Commissioners. If you need special accommodations, please call 970-878-9431 in advance of the meeting so that reasonable accommodations may be made.