Public comment in the afternoon of Monday’s Garfield County Commissioner (BOCC) meeting included West Glenwood Springs resident Jamie Darien with complaints about an unnamed neighbor who is apparently collecting fire hazards in his backyard. Darien said there is brush, dry grass, palettes and 30 to 40 hot tub covers that have also attracted mice and skunks. She said that she has contacted the county building inspector and the board of health. Neighbors have suggested organizing a petition. People have been knocking on her door, asking what she’s going to do about the neighbor. She and her husband have also considered moving.
Commission Chair Tom Jankovsky said that private property rights can be difficult. Darien added that this is not just about one person, that the neighborhood is concerned about safety. “When do our rights come in?” she asked.
During the morning session, state Representative Elizabeth Velasco was scheduled to give a legislative update but failed to attend.
The BOCC unanimously approved a letter to Governor Jared Polis, state Senate leader James Coleman and Speaker of the House Julie McCluskie about the number of unfunded mandates coming from the state. According to the letter, spearheaded by Mesa County, unfunded mandates are “issued without the financial support required to implement them, place an unsustainable burden on local governments and the citizens we serve and [undermine] both the fiscal responsibility and the principle of local control.” The letter requests open dialogue about solutions, funding mechanisms or revisions to state compliance laws.
Jankovsky pointed to two such mandates affecting the county. “The Department of Human Services had a number of legislative updates that required more staff time,” he said. “The Department of Health had an increase in what we’re going to be charging for licensing for food and beverage establishments.” He asked County Attorney Heather Beattie if they could start calling out the state on this and not accept mandates because they’re not funded. Beattie said there is not much case law on the issue, citing a recent case involving Arapahoe County elections.
“As always in the legal field, it’s a case-by-case analysis. It really depends on the specific unfunded mandate,” she explained. “So what would happen is if the county refuses and says, ‘Nope, we’re not doing it,’ then we wait for the lawsuit.”
The BOCC also approved a hiring freeze for county administrative staff due to a $9 million property tax shortfall. They listened to a review of the county employee compensation package for 2026, including health insurance options and salary ranges. They approved the addition of Friday, Jan. 2, 2026 and Monday, Jan. 19, Martin Luther King Jr Day, as observed county holidays. This will be the first year the county has officially honored MLK Jr Day.
Commissioners heard from the Department of Human Services, Valley Meals, High Country Volunteers and the Advocate Safehouse Project (ASP). ASP Executive Director Betty Lucas said that community needs are “significantly bigger.” Domestic violence survivor numbers increased by 17% in 2024. ASP provided more than 1,300 emergency housing nights to Garfield County clients, about a third of which were covered by a $33,000 county grant. ASP’s Housing First Program saw a 48% decrease in 2024 due to federal funding cuts.
Sharon Longhurst-Pritt, the county’s human services director, reported that EFT/EBT disbursements came to $1,259,321.29 for June. According to the state Department of Health Care and Financing report, included in Longhurst-Pritt’s presentation, 1,223,788 Colorado residents were enrolled in Medicaid at the end of April, including more than 12,200 in Garfield County.
High Country Volunteers (HCV) Director Mary Moon reported that the 52-year-old organization now has 220 volunteers and works with over 100 nonprofits. But uncertain federal funding for Americorps has crimped what HCV can do. “Trump wants to eliminate Americorps,” she said. “If we lose this grant, High Country Volunteers will not be able to continue. Our program will end.”
The BOCC approved $50,000 from the county solid waste disposal fund for outside legal counsel to assist county staff during the upcoming state Air Quality Control Commission hearings on methane capture.
They voted 2-1 to increase rental rates at the county fairgrounds because people are not cleaning up after events. Apparently, shavings and manure are left in stalls or the parking lot and removing it takes labor away from other fairground work.
County licensing fees for restaurants, grocery stores and mobile food vendors are indeed going up in phases. Colorado Senate Bill 25-285 requires that the changes begin on Aug. 6 with a 25% increase.
Archived BOCC meetings are at the county website.