RBC | Rio Blanco County Commissioners had a busy week, holding almost six hours of public meetings Tuesday, of which a significant amount consisted of interviews with candidates for county administrator. The board interviewed three finalists: Vicky Edwards, Guy Dansie and Jeremy Muxlow. Commissioners’ questions focused on subjects like leadership style and staff management approaches, experience with government operations and budgets, ability to foster collaboration across departments, knowledge of local community needs, communication skills and working with elected officials. The next update on the county administrator position will be on May 2, 2023, when the board can either make an appointment or schedule a second round of interviews.
PUBLIC HEALTH
Commissioners recessed and convened as the RBC Board of Health to discuss a preemptive county-wide public health order adopted from Douglas County that establishes guideliness for managing an influx of “migrants” into Rio Blanco County in the even that neighboring counties, municipalities, state governments or otherwise were to attempt to use the community as a shelter for migrants. The original order from Douglas County notes that they had no reason to believe such an event would occur but were taking preemptive measures. RBC officials also did not discuss a actual likelihood of such an event occurring in rio Blanco County. RBC’s order makes changes to the original including who would be considered a “migrant” as more broad than just those coming from the southern border of the United States, and clarifying the county’s authority “to exercise control over facilities and persons as needed to establish isolation and quarantine if a communicable disease outbreak occurs.”
Public Health staff also shared a brief update on measles outbreaks which are occuring in some areas of the country due to lower vaccination rates over time. According to staff, Rio Blanco County schools are at or exceeding the 95% vaccination threshold required for prevent measles outbreaks.
WOLF CREEK/ CO RIVER DISTRICT
Rio Blanco Water Conservancy District director Alden Vanden Brink shared a quarterly update with commissioners about the Wolf Creek Reservoir project and Colorado River District activities. The Conservancy District is working with the Army Corps of Engineers through the alternatives analysis process for the Wolf Creek Reservoir project. The work is meant to streamline the permitting process for the reservoir in the long run and includes defining the purpose and need for the project, evaluating alternatives and conducting an environmental review.
Vanden Brink also highlighted recently funded grant awards, including a $5 million grant of congressionally directed spending from the Community Funding Partnership and an additional $500K grant from the Colorado River District. Moving forward the district intends to make use of grant writers to pursue additional and more complex grant funds.
REGULAR BUSINESS
During regular business the board approved
– Ratification of a Meeker Airport waterline easement and ROW for the Estate of Walter R. Gentry, ADA Walter Ray Gentry.
– Consideration of getting access to Colorado Public Entity Compensation Data Warehouse.
– Co-operative law enforcement agreement Between Rio Blanco County and the USDA Forest Service White River National Forest.
– Agreement renewal with LEDS for the sheriff’s department.
– Raising the approval limits of the finance director to match other directors’ levels.
By LUCAS TURNER | [email protected]
