MEEKER I Following the departure of two of its seven board members in April 2021, the Eastern Rio Blanco Health Services District board voted in July 2021 to change the seven-person board established in 2006 to a five-person board, citing difficulty in generating interest and commitment for the volunteer board, and two of the last three election cycles being unopposed.
Colorado statute provides direction for increasing a special district board from five to seven, but offers no direction for decreasing the number of board members. In the event a five-member board opts to go to seven, state statute does not permit that board to go back to five members.
The district filed a resolution to amend the bylaws in August 2021 with the Rio Blanco County Commissioners after receiving only one letter of interest for the two open positions, and only hearing one comment from the public.
The resolution was discussed by the commissioners in a work session on Sept. 14, 2021, with the two commissioners in attendance agreeing they saw no problem with the change. The item was not apparently added to any subsequent agendas for an official vote by the BoCC, and according to statute, if comment is not received within 45 days, the resolution is to be filed with the clerk of the court for a decision. That was done on March 1, 2022.
The decision whether to change the district’s original bylaws is now scheduled for a public hearing in Rio Blanco County Combined Court on April 19 at 9 a.m. with Judge Norrdin.
Members of the public who wish to share their thoughts on whether the district should have a seven person or five person board may submit a letter to the judge prior to the hearing, addressing case number 2006CV22. Letters can be emailed to [email protected], dropped off at the court, or mailed to PO Box 1150, Meeker, CO 81641. The hearing is open to the public in person or via Webex (see tinyurl.com/yfu2y3ka for instructions).
The next Eastern Rio Blanco Health Services District board election is set for May 3, 2022, with seven names on the ballot: incumbents Kai Turner and Todd Shults, Michael Hoke, J.H. Sheridan, D. Wade Bradfield, Bobby Gutierrez and Jeffrey Eskelson.
By NIKI TURNER – editor@editorht1885.com
