RBC | All three Rio Blanco County Commissioners attended their regular meeting last week. During the public comment period, Rangely resident Wendy Gillard raised concerns about Commissioner Jennifer O’Hearon.
Gillard highlighted that O’Hearon was escorted out of the Department of Human Services (DHS) in 2017 following a third-party investigation that revealed discrimination, harassment, and wage violations. “She’s still sitting on the overseeing board of County Commissioners over the very departments where she violated ethical and lawful standards,” Gillard said. She expressed concern that O’Hearon’s past might influence the board’s oversight of DHS, Public Health, and Senior Services.
Gillard also criticized the board for not addressing a statement made on Sept. 24 regarding the Board of Human Services and the citizens review panel. “The Rio Blanco County website shows that the Commissioners are the Board of Human Services, and the citizens review panel is not,” she noted, emphasizing the board’s legal obligations to ensure all departments comply with state and federal laws.
“The only urgency shown regarding the horrific issues I raised was when Commissioner Overton was upset with me for questioning the legality of someone who is not an elected official sitting in on the County Commissioner executive session regarding legal counsel,” she continued. Commissioner Doug Overton responded, clarifying that he was not angry with Gillard.
Gillard argued that the BOCC must understand its legal responsibilities rather than merely aligning with local political priorities. “There seems to be a misunderstanding about the BOCC’s power over departments versus actual law,” she stated, stressing the importance of adherence to constitutional rights.
She questioned whether the BOCC was relying on experts who fully understood the legal standards and expressed concern over the board’s political affiliations. “It’s unethical to turn your head; you must look at facts, no matter how uncomfortable it makes you,” she stated, invoking the example of Jesus to illustrate her point on righteous anger.
Gillard also addressed her Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) request for answers that had not been provided. She asserted the need for transparency and accountability in the board’s operations.
After public comments, the board approved the meeting agenda, adjusting it to accommodate Don Steerman’s court schedule. They then moved into an executive session to discuss the County Attorney’s annual contract.
Following the executive session, the consent agenda was approved without further discussion. The board also heard a presentation on 24/7 emergency services and approved a memorandum of understanding with the Colorado Department of Revenue regarding confidential data. Additionally, a letter of support for the County Road 17 bridge project was approved.
Each commissioner provided updates on their recent activities, including attendance at a budget workshop and participation in a produced water consortium. The meeting adjourned with the next regular meeting scheduled for Nov. 5, in Meeker, Colorado, at 9 a.m.
Work Session Report
The day prior, on Oct. 21, the BOCC held a work session in Meeker to discuss the Rio Blanco County Broadband Infrastructure project. Commissioner Doug Overton attended in person, while Commissioners O’Hearon and Gates participated via Google Meets.
No decisions were made during this session; instead, Operations Administrator Eric Jaquez provided information about potential benefits of the project. The board decided to include the topic in their agenda for the next meeting, with Jaquez indicating he would need a letter of support from the County Commissioners for his application submission. The work session concluded as planned.
By JARED HENDERSON
There is a county commissioner running unopposed (again) who was escorted out of her Rio Blanco County Director of Human Services, Public Health and Senior Services position after the county hired a third party to investigate claims of “wage and hour violations, harassment, retaliation, and discrimination”. The investigator concluded “as indicated above, this investigator concludes based on the available information it appears that Jennifer O’Hearon and ________ engaged in the conduct described by complaints and other employees.” Do not vote for her. “No vote” is a vote against her.
Disclaimer: DHS is a vital program that is necessary and needed everywhere to protect children and help families. I love that we have programs like this available, they just need to be ran by the laws that regulate them!
When I first brought concerns to the county administrator and county commissioners as well as seeking an organizational structure for accountability (by phone AND public comment), I was told a)they absolutely were NOT the overseeing board, b)NOT the Board of Human Services and that c) the Citizens Review panel was the board of human services. That’s odd that suddenly they would *not know* that they are the overseeing governing board of county commissioners AND the board if human services just like their website states…and Jennifer O’Hearon used to have to report to!!!
My concerns were about hotline calls NOT being screened properly and children being left being tortured in their homes. How long were those little boys on TikTok left without help?? I can tell you it’s been over a year.
The problem is from the very top down…and WHY? WHY would they look away? It makes zero sense! None! Maybe it has to do with….money and power??
It’s interesting that every time I tried to find out organizational accountability the county administrator kept answering my question with “budget”, “finance”, and “money”.
I was also told “oh no, we can’t know any specifics or anything like that”….but when Pakistani-American Nabila Mason (she gave me permission to speak about her) was DHS director for a very short time, and was really cleaning up DHS procedure/practices to meet statutory standard, she was viscously run off by….the County Attorney/Attorney/DHS supervisor and who else but racist Jennifer O’Hearon?! What reason did Don Steerman and O’Hearon have to go after her, do you ask? Oh, she used money out of her own approved APS budget to care for a medical need for an open-case APS client. This is not only her job, but required by law and the ethical thing to do! They reamed her about using her own budget without Don’s expressed consent! They made her sign a document stating she would never do that again, then ran.her.off. This was the Director that spoke with Chief Hamblin about reinstating the CPT team to screen hotline calls and hold DHS accountable! Look at the Herald Times article from 6/2022!!!