RBC | Rio Blanco County Board of Commissioners reviewed supplemental expenditures in the 2020 budget with Budget and Finance Director Janae Stanworth Tuesday. An additional $1.8 million was spent in 2020, most of which was offset by grant revenues, CARES act expenditures and other sources.
An additional $6,930 was moved into Emergency Management for COVID-related expenses, offset by grant revenues. The Meeker and Rangely Airports each received $20,000 in CARES act funding. $10,300 was spent through the County Attorney’s office for mediation and costs associated with a Board of Assessment Appeals hearing. $23,075 was spent through the Sheriff’s Detention Center for “telehealth equipment” and was offset by additional grant allocations.
$157,304 came out of contingency to pay for sales tax refunds. Stanworth noted that the total amount taken from contingency is $182,604.
Weed and Pest is increasing by $13,095 because the County is acting as the fiscal agent for a vendor who would not bill individual landowners.
Capital expenditures increased by $193,909 including $20,000 previously mentioned for the Rangely Airport. The rest was spent on patrol vehicle laptops, laptops for county employees to be able to work from home, and HVAC system upgrades in the Radino Senior Center. All extra capital expenditures were offset by CARES act revenues.
The road and bridge fund increased revenues and expenditures by $261,615 thanks to a grant for a CR7 bridge project.
Human Services increased by $778,977 all of which was offset by new revenue allocations from the state. The bulk of the increase ($675,000) was for the food assistance program, and LEAP (low-income energy assistance program), with smaller increases for adult protection services and child welfare services.
The public health agency fund increased by $177,362 due to CARES act and other COVID-related grants. Other increases came from a family planning grant and increases to WIC funding.
An increase of $88,160 for the Fairfield Complex was mostly spent on flood insurance. $15,000 was used to help complete a pavement project at the Fairfield which was a safety concern.
Under the Capital Improvement Plan fund, $300,000 was listed for the Meeker airport drainage project, some of that will be carried over to the 2021 budget. The project is expected to be 100% reimbursed by the FAA.
The board met with Alden VandenBrink from the Rio Blanco Water Conservancy District for an end of year update. The discussion mostly revolved around Governor Jared Polis recent activation of Colorado’s Drought Contingency Plan. The action has only been taken one other time in the state’s history in 2013. “I’ve been following up on this quite a bit, trying to make sure that they understand what’s happening in our White River Basin,” said VandenBrink, adding that “there is no drought contingency within the basin.” He also discussed conversations with members of the state conservation board, who told him that according to climatologists and NOAA, “we’re in for an extended period of drought.”
“We need to be planning for three-year, or back-to-back droughts,” VandenBrink added.
County Attorney Todd Starr commented, “I’m just a poor dumb country lawyer, but that sounds like a good reason for a reservoir to me.”
VandenBrink expressed frustrations over his interactions with the state, who he says does not have any drought contingency for the White River. “They have no water rights, they have no water storage, all they have is a little bit of water in Avery and we have a little water in Kenney Reservoir, and you know how limited that is,” he said, describing those reserves as “just a couple of days worth of water” for the basin. The conversation continued with discussions of Rio Blanco County’s upcoming lawsuit, efforts to secure a water right for the proposed Wolf Creek Reservoir, a potential expansion of Lake Avery and other water storage options within the county. The HT plans to have additional coverage of those discussions in next week’s paper.
Road and Bridge director Dave Morlan asked for approval to pursue an agreement with a contractor out of Denver to put their asphalt plant in the county’s “Quinn Pit.” In exchange the county would receive “around 3,000 yards of plastics” which Morlan said would help the Rangely district. Board members agreed that Morlan should proceed with the agreement.
County Attorney Todd Starr said an intergovernmental agreement for public health to provide services to Moffat County DHS was ready to go on a future agenda. Another Meeker Airport SBO agreement is also ready for a future agenda. Commissioner Woodruff asked about Strata. Starr said he didn’t want to talk about it in a public meeting, but noted “they would like to talk about a potential of resolution.”
In regular business, the board:
- Approved an Agreement for Services with Ducey’s Electric, Inc., for the 2020 Rio Blanco County Radino Senior Center 400A Service Project, in an amount not to exceed $12,625.
- Approved a Contract for Professional Services with the Town of Rangely for Building Inspection Services.
- Approved an Agreement for Services with River Bridge Regional Center for Sexual Abuse Treatment Services, in an amount not to exceed $2,500.
- Approved a resolution appropriating additional sums of money to defray expenses in excess of amounts budgeted, in the various funds and spending agencies, in the amounts and for the purposes as set forth for the 2020 budget year.
COMMISSIONER UPDATES
Commissioner Woodruff proposed giving county employees Christmas Eve off as a thank you gesture, excluding Sheriff’s Office personnel who would instead receive Chamber Bucks. If other employees within the county had to work on Christmas they would be given a different day off before the end of the year. The board agreed to say it is their intent to officially approve the matter during next week’s regular meeting.
By LUCAS TURNER | [email protected]om
