Commissioners met in Rangely on Tuesday for a regular meeting with Commissioners Doug Overton and Ty Gates in attendance.
On the regular agenda the board approved the following items:
- The semi-annual report from the treasurer’s office for July-December 2023; an amendment for Area Agency on Aging for an increase in grant funding from $90K to $100K for the benefit of White River Roundup’s senior nutrition program; annual audit services contract; the 2023 Colorado Department of Transportation’s Highway Users Tax Fund report which included some changes for CR 8 and CR 77; an agreement for the replacement or upgrade of storage system upgrades for the data center that was previously budgeted; a revised Fairfield Community Center rental agreement; a temporary shutdown of county operations on March 6 for mandatory county employee training. “We’re going to try and do a lot of training that needs to be done and knock it out in one day,” Overton said. Some of the trainings include required training on sexual harassment and discrimination.
- The board also approved reappointment of Clint Chappell to the RBC Planning Commission. According to County Planner Leif Joy, Chappell is the longest-standing member of the commission.
- County Attorney Don Steerman was reapproved to continue providing county legal services and Department of Human Services (DHS) legal services.
- The board ratified a letter sent to Governor Jared Polis, state Senator Dylan Roberts, and state Senator Byron Pelton regarding appointments to the Colorado Wildlife Commission. “We received confirmation back from Pelton and Roberts that they’ve received the letter and appreciated the input,” said paralegal Vicky Edwards.
- Approved ratification of a letter regarding a Denver ballot measure that would ban slaughterhouses in Denver, Colorado, beginning in 2026. The ballot measure received more than 31,000 signatures. Proponents of the ballot measure believe the slaughterhouses are a source of industrial contamination and that Denver has grown too much to have an industrial-scale slaughterhouse,” according to a quote in Denverite. It’s a continuous attack on our ag and livelihood,” said RBC Commissioner Gates. “We just have to keep sending letters and letting them know we’re out there,” Overton added.
In his update to the board, interim County Administrator Larry Jones said there’s an opportunity from United Way for some grant funding to include $2,500 for White River Roundup to help combat senior isolation by providing some opportunities for seniors to socially engage. DHS would like to apply for a $5,000 grant for emergency resources. Additional funding would be applied to people in crisis who don’t necessarily fit into typical DHS programs.
Jones also said they had a staff meeting to review the results of the employee survey and found opportunities for improvement they will pursue.
On the revised Fairfield agreement, Jones explained the intent is to come back with a more comprehensive plan that analyzes the cost to the county to provide those rental services. “We want to make sure we know the cost and exposure to the county. We’ll do the same with the Fairgrounds.”
Jones said the board received an email from resident from the Fairfield complex commending Eric Jaquez and staff for “improving their living environment.”
Jones and Steerman also discussed a Rocky Mountain HMO grant for DHS that has been awarded jointly to Rio Blanco and Moffat counties for years, but Rio Blanco only became aware of the available funding last year. “We were able to get ours separated from Moffat County,” Steerman said. The funds, similar to the United Way grant, will go toward crisis services. “They’re not substantial, but they are where we could do some good with that,” Steerman added.
DHS will be looking for a new caseworker following the departure of Leanne Jones, who has had the biggest caseload for the department. Jones has agreed to continue working part-time temporarily while a new caseworker is being trained and becomes available to take on additional cases.
In commissioner updates, Gates said he attended a Northwest Colorado Development County (NWCDC) executive committee meeting and a regular monthly meeting. They proposed voting as a region to intervene with the Public Utilities Commission specifically regarding wind and solar. “I have an issue with that because it’s all being done under the Office of Just Transition,” Gates said, asking fellow commissioners to weigh in on the idea.
Overton said he testified at the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting regarding buffalo in Rio Blanco County and was thanked by CPW for participating. He also attended the first legislation meeting for Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado, met with seniors at White River Roundup in Meeker this week, attended a CPW meeting about big game structure and proposed changes, and called in to a Department of Local Affairs meeting about the CR 77 bridge project. A presentation about that project is planned in Manitou Springs next month.
A proposed rule change by the Securities and Exchange Commission that would have allowed for natural resources to be traded on the stock exchange has been dropped. Multiple counties, including Rio Blanco, wrote letters of opposition. “Our legislators didn’t know about it,” Overton said. “All of the counties that did that put enough pressure on them that they dropped it. These letters that we send out, it’s a good indication that once in awhile they do help.”
BY NIKI TURNER | [email protected]
