RBC | Here’s additional reporting on the county commissioner work sessions from Aug. 8
COVID VACCINATIONS
RBC Public Health Director Makala Sheridan and Public Health nurse Karen Dinwiddie told the county commissioners, convened as the Board of Health, that the public health department does not want to provide vaccinations for COVID-19.
“I think the COVID vaccine is harming people,” Sheridan said, noting that she didn’t think the county would violate any state requirements if in the future they do not keep COVID vaccines in stock, though she said the county would have to give back approximately $58K in grant funding to the state. The money is for COVID vaccine-related work, which the public health department currently is not doing, according to Sheridan. Sheridan, who became a Registered Nurse (RN) in 2019, described how she actively discouraged residents from getting vaccinated if they ask. The board agreed that the county should not provide COVID vaccinations pending a review of any vaccine contract violations with the state.
Besides generalized claims and anecdotal personal experience, one of the specific sources cited by public health staff was the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). VAERS is a public-facing data collection system which allows anyone to file a report. It was developed specifically to help health experts monitor for potential trends and represents increased efforts by government entities to track vaccination safety data. Vaccine injury claims in VAERS remain unproven until investigated by medical experts. Larger analysis of VAERS data consistently shows that incidences of serious adverse reactions are rare, varying between ages and demographic groups.
While speaking publicly in an open meeting, staff claimed they were not able to discuss the subject and said they wanted to encourage open discussion on both sides. They also said that information about vaccines is hard to find, citing numbers from VAERS, and noting deaths attributed to the vaccines by the CDC. The HT was not able to find corresponding CDC information backing claims about deaths attributed to vaccines. The CDC publishes a variety of studies on vaccine safety, monitoring efforts, investigation methodologies and other related inquires at https://www.cdc.gov/vaccinaesafety/research/publications/index.html#anchor_1639772389647
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
Emergency Manager/Natural Resources Director Eddie Smercina said the county’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) needs updating to stay in compliance with state regulations. The most recent update in 2018 describes the plan as “an all-discipline, all-hazards plan that establishes a single, comprehensive framework for the management of domestic incidents,” including coordination between federal, state and local entities, supporting documentation and more. RBC Commissioner Ty Gates said specifics about remote work would be one major change/addition which could include secure access of county systems, ability for various department staff to be able to work remotely from a variety of locations as needed in emergency scenarios. Smercina also suggested updating the Continuity of Operations (COP) plan. He emphasized it would be a more comprehensive process involving all county departments over a longer period of time.
INDUSTRY RULEMAKING
Smercina highlighted upcoming stakeholder opportunities for the Colorado Department of Health and Environment (CDPHE) Gemm Phase 2 Rulemaking. The new law includes requirements that the State’s industrial sector must reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 20% by the year 2030, compared to what was released in 2015. GEMM Phase 2 specifically notes 18 industrial/manufacturing sources in Colorado with direct GHG emissions at or above 25,000 tons per year, including Natural Soda in Rio Blanco County.
Smercina said he was concerned how the law would impact major employers. He encouraged the board to coordinate public comments at upcoming stakeholder meetings and described how he would coordinate the process. “Rebuttal statements are going to be due on the 29th. and then the hearing will commence on Sept. 20, Smercina said, noting that party comments submitted by Rio Blanco County will be on the next day, Sept. 21, 2023. “The biggest thing for natural resources is having multiple people go out there and address the same issues,” he said.
AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN
RBC received a second allocation of federal funds from the American Rescue Plan’s (ARP) Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund (LATCF). Treasurer Rhonna Waldref said the total fund allocation is over $3 million following the second payment. The county invested the first allocation into a short-term CD investment account and plans to do the same with the remaining funds. The funds would remain in those investments to earn interest until the budget process where the board can use them as needed. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, money can be used for any governmental purpose with the exception of lobbying.
Other normal revenue collection for the year is over 90% according to Waldreff, noting a few oil and gas companies who have not paid yet collectively owe $343K.
ADA COMPLIANCE
The county is taking steps to update its website to comply with new accessibility requirements that will come into effect next year. Representatives from CivicPlus, a local government operations software company, explained potential solutions for accessibility of information on the website. Currently rbc.us utilizes a service called AudioEye to provide compatibility for blind/visually impaired people using screen readers. Information available as text on the county’s site is already compliant, but more work is required to provide compatibility for attachments like PDF files. CivicPlus reps noted that retroactively fixing old files to meet requirements will be an ongoing project, and suggested content management system Monsido to provide monitoring and statistics about how users engage with the county site so they can prioritize high-traffic documents, pages and files. The county could also purchase “virtual webmaster” services that could be used to audit existing pages and do ongoing ADA compliance work.
County staff and officials offered differing interpretations of new ADA compliance laws with some saying the requirements must be met by next year’s deadline while others felt they just needed to show an ongoing good faith effort to achieve the goal. Following updates, compliance could also mean ongoing maintenance work to ensure continued compliance, which could come from CivicPlus’ virtual webmaster services, or the return of a Public Information Officer position.
COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
County department heads met with the board to continue the process for hiring a new administrative position in the county that could function as a liaison between the Board of County Commissioners and “assigned staff,” other duties envisioned for the position include public information and managing the budget. Some beneficial reasons include familiarity with day-to-day operations the board doesn’t have, better long-term planning and continuity of operations. “Even if you lose a commissioner or two or whatever you have the whole organization still moving forward,” said Road and Bridge Director Scott Marsh.
County staff and officials are still working to define what the position would look like, what the specific title would be, and what responsibilities they would have. That definition is required for the county to receive a funding commitment from the Department of Local Affairs. If deemed eligible, DOLA will fund 75% of the salary for the first year, 50% the second and 25% the third. After that the county would pay for the full salary. DOLA representative Dana Hvalac suggested the county hire someone as an interim, consultant position to assist with the process of creating a solid job description and defining responsibilities.
Facilities Director Eric Jaquez pushed back on the necessity of hiring an interim position, emphasizing more than $30 million in successfully executed projects under the current management structure. “We’re the first ones to jump the game on broadband, we have an extensive road and bridge five-year planning process… We’re at the cutting edge of technology,” said Jaquez.
Hvalac argued that centralized management would provide efficiencies and better long-term coordination, noting, “It’s difficult for elected commissioners to constantly be working through electeds and losing those messages between electeds and staff. So I think it gives you an opportunity to do a lot more with the resources you’ve got. ” The board shared their own hesitations about DOLA requirements, undue influences and various other concerns. Ultimately they agreed that an interim management position is a good idea to move forward and determine what would work best for the county.
By LUCAS TURNER | [email protected]om
