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Board of County Commissioners’ Meeting
August 14, 2019


CONSENT AGENDA:
Approval of CDS mylars; vouchers; acknowledgement of CDS Pipeline Report; approval of IGA between county Clerk and Recorder and Arabian Acres Metro District for Sep 17 district recall election; approval of liquor license renewal for Murphy Express; letter of support for Colorado Cattlemen Agricultural Land Trust.

STAFF REPORTS:

> Deputy County Manager Eileen Krauth summarized county efforts to support the 2020 Census. A staffed information booth at the recent Elbert County fair offered information to visitors concerning the census and solicited part time and full time volunteers to assist with the county census. The majority of census information will be gleaned from mail-in questionnaires. Less than 1% of potential respondents will be contacted by canvassers, who will be carrying census bureau identification. Census questionnaires will not be mailed to post office boxes.
Ms. Krauth also introduced a couple of contracted folks who were on site conducting a more detailed review of all county facilities, as part of a needs assessment.
>County Manager Sam Albrecht reported that one meeting had occurred with department heads in preparation for building the 2020 budget. Mid-year review of 2019 expenses to date is to happen soon.

PUBLIC COMMENT:

>Citizen Marlene Groves suggested the county might consider a formal thank you to CDOT upon completion of the highway 86 paving project currently underway east of Kiowa.
>Citizen Leslie Anderson requested that the county change its current roadside mowing strategy from a zone-based to a priority-based strategy. She believes that the most heavily trafficked roads with trees right up to the road edge with wildlife crossings, such as CR 21 between Singing Hills Rd and Highway 86, have priority over other less traveled county roads. She also considered the Independence developer to not be a good neighbor, as she considered the condition of CR 158 to have deteriorated significantly since that developer began moving lots of heavy earth moving equipment and water trucks over that road.

DISCUSSION ITEMS:

1. County Manager Sam Albrecht announced that the town of Kiowa had sent the county notification that it was cancelling a recent IGA (Intergovernmental Agreement) with the county for the Elbert County Sheriff to provide law enforcement services to the town. The town of Kiowa recently dissolved their police department due to revenue shortfalls. County Attorney Bart Greer stated that the IGA would officially be terminated on Sep 16. Kiowa Town Administrator Maria Morales and Kiowa Mayor Rick Kolm were present and stated that the town would honor its $30,000 debt to the county for the sheriff’s services to date and would continue to pay victim’s fees and 911 fees for minimal services from the county sheriff. Colorado State Patrol has been advised of the situation in Kiowa and is stepping up patrols in the area also.
2. Undersheriff Dave Fisher provided a very detailed presentation of the need for some additional county funding for the purchase of new vehicles. The Sheriff’s budget can fund the majority of the cost for the purchase of 9 vehicles, but is slightly short. County commissioners will meet with the sheriff later this week or next to consider the request which, if approved, would require a budget adjustment. A decision by commissioners is expected at their next regularly scheduled meeting on Aug 28. The outgoing sheriff in 2018 only budgeted for three new vehicles, even though he had been routinely requesting 5-9 new vehicles each year on a replacement rotation plan based on mileage on the vehicles.

3. CDS Director Christina Stanton summarized proposed changes to the county’s Cash in Lieu of Open Space fee structure. In order to benevolently accommodate needs of citizens, the commissioners are being asked to consider changes to these fees. Ms. Stanton stated that the county’s previous Cash-in-Lieu fee structure required 20% of the appraised value of the newly created lots times 20% + $1,000. The current Cash-in-Lieu fee structure requires 10% of the appraised value of the newly created lots + $1,000. Property owners wishing to divide their property to create one (1) additional lot, often for family, are finding it difficult to do so financially. Ms. Stanton proposed a modification to the current policy that would reduce the percentage fee from 10% to 4% for the first subdivided lot and elimination of the +$1000 fee. The 10% fee would be required for any additional subdivides. Commissioners are expected to vote on the proposal at the next BOCC meeting in two weeks.

Public comment included suggestions for lowering the percentage even further for the first and subsequent subdivides. One citizen questioned the commissioners about the fees they might have paid or not paid if they subdivided their property in the past and whether or not they should recuse themselves on this upcoming vote.

ACTION ITEMS:

1. Approval of July 24, 2019 Minutes – Approved unanimously.

2. Elbert County Library Board Nominations – Rick Brown, current President of Pines and Plains Library Board presented the board’s nominations of Jim Duvall and Karen Suchan to serve as new board members. Commissioners approved those nominations.

BOARD PLANNING:

Commissioners meeting with Sheriff’s office to consider funding for vehicles purchases, Sep proclamation regarding national preparedness month. Next BOCC meeting is scheduled for Aug 28 at 9am in the Commissioner’s meeting room in the Kiowa Administration Building.

-Susan Shick

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