No public comments at this week’s Garfield County commissioners’ (BOCC) meeting. “It’s a skinny audience,” observed Commission Chair Tom Jankovsky. The meeting itself took up a little over an hour of Jankovsky’s and Commissioner Mike Samson’s time. Commissioner Perry Will was absent.
The consent agenda was approved and discussion moved into fourth quarter discretionary grants.
Last week, nine local nonprofits each requested $5,000 and the situation on Monday turned into one of those math story problems. If nine nonprofits ask for $5,000 each, the total is $45,000. If the county discretionary fund has $44,000 left for the year, how much does each nonprofit receive? Samson picked up the ball and worked his way up from the bottom of the request list.
“Number nine, the New Ute Theater Society, I would say we give them $5,000. The Colorado River Chamber of Commerce? $5,000. Symphony in the Valley, $5,000,” said Samson. But when it came to Community Health Services – Aspen, Jankovsky said, “I would like to zero that out and request they go to the mini-grants for Human Services.” Samson concurred and moved up the list.
“Carbondale Community Access Radio, $5,000. Garfield County Search and Rescue, $5,000. Mount Sopris Nordic [Council] Spring Gulch cross country ski trails, $5,000. Western Slope Veterans Coalition, $5,000,” he announced. “And the Roaring Fork Valley Wildlife Collaborative, I would say $2,000.”
So how much does that leave in the discretionary fund? If you said $7,000, you’d be correct. And it’s a good thing, because the Middle Colorado Watershed Council (MCWC) was on the agenda for another $5,000 request. This time for matching funds for a $262,500 forest restoration and wildfire risk mitigation grant. Kate Collins, MCWC director, told the BOCC that all other matching funds have been secured from towns in the western end of the county, Chevron, Holy Cross Energy and more.
The grant will allow MCWC to hire a program manager for the Colorado River Wildfire Collaborative — a group of municipalities, fire districts, land agencies and citizens across the county working on wildfire risk and community resilience. Collins said the hire is for three years. “They’ll do defensible space inspections and support all the on-the-ground activity and recovery and resilience planning,” she added.
The BOCC awarded the request, leaving a remainder of $2,000 in the discretionary fund. Jankovsky suggested awarding the entire $7,000 in the discretionary fund, but Samson thought it would be best to maintain a small balance. “Because you know as well as I do, we got the rest of November and all of December, and somebody’s going to come and say, can you just give me $1,000 for this?” he cautioned.
The BOCC then approved a $773,441 contract to Citadel Security Group for security services for the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office in 2026.
A presentation about GovAI was postponed until Commissioner Will returns.
Next up, a presentation about instream flow water rights from Marielle Sidell, hydrologist for the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) and Kate Birch with Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW). Sidell told the BOCC that this was an informational presentation only. “I’m not going to be requesting any board actions this morning,” she said. The presentation included information about 2026 instream flow recommendations within Garfield County, the Instream Flow Program (ISF) and the instream flow water right process.
Senate Bill 73–97 gave the CWCB authority to appropriate water from natural water sources to preserve the environment by protecting stream flows and lake levels. The ISF Program involves new appropriations, acquisitions and legal and physical protection. Sidell talked about the ISF acquisition process and more, including examples of various creeks in western Colorado.
Birch, CPW’s instream flow specialist, explained that the agency is involved in the ISF Program to ensure that wildlife and habitat are protected. “Our strategic plan specifically directs us to participate in the Instream Flow Program to recommend instream flows, protect reservoir levels and influence water management activities,” she said.
She presented examples of various creeks in the state and how the program has helped native Colorado fish, including hydrology requirements, fisheries and more. You can find the complete ISF presentation on the Garfield County website.
The BOCC ended the meeting after discussing calendars for November. County Manager Fred Jarman confirmed that the BOCC will conduct interviews for library board trustee appointments Dec. 12 at 8am at the County building in Glenwood Springs.