Commissioners began the meeting by approving a resolution commemorating Constitution Week and Patriot’s Day, presented by Linda Morcom of the Captain Richard Sopris Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The rest of the meeting was short with approvals of the consent agenda, a liquor license for the upcoming Journey Home Animal Care Center fundraiser and a fee waiver for the Colorado River Valley Chamber event at the county fairgrounds.
Commissioners also discussed the Buford Road situation and the outcome of Thursday’s Garfield County Public Library District board meeting in Carbondale. Commissioner Tom Jankovsky attended a recent meeting with Buford Road area residents, stating that they are angry about the condition of the road and the amount of traffic, including U.S. Forest Service logging trucks. “Those trucks are pounding that road,” he said. He recommended that the county “put a blade” on the road and clean out the ditches.
As for the library board meeting, Jankovsky said there is an “easy solution” to the problem of certain graphic novels at the Silt Library. “Have restrictions on the books,” he said. “The graphics are not appropriate. Pornography should not be accessible to children in our libraries.”
At the library board meeting last week, Rifle resident Trish O’Grady presented poster boards covered with photos of illustrations from the “Prison School” manga series by Akira Hiramoto and a petition against the books. All three Garfield County commissioners (BOCC) attended the meeting. At Monday’s meeting, Commissioner Mike Samson stated that he and county manager Fred Jarman worked on a public information article over the weekend. “We don’t tell the library board what to do,” he said. Nor can the BOCC remove members from the board.
But, said Jankovsky, the BOCC can appoint people to the library board. “And, that’s another way to change your library policies is to get people on that board when the seats open.” The BOCC hopes the library board will hold a separate meeting on the “Prison School” issue that would allow for more public comment. Jankovsky said he would be happy to comment as an individual at that meeting.
Commissioners Jankovsky and Samson plan to attend the Stop 30 x 30 Land Grab conference in Irving, Texas next week, hosted by the conservative lobbying group American Stewards of Liberty. The conference website features Garfield County’s February 2021 resolution against President Joe Biden’s 2021 order to conserve at least 30% of the nation’s land and waters by 2030. The event schedule published on the website shows that Jankovsky will speak on Friday, Sept. 22, as part of the “Issues Across the American West” panel and the “Using the Federal Coordination Directive to Stop 30 x 30” strategy session.
According to Renelle Lott, county chief communication officer, $2,713.84 has been spent on the conference so far, including transportation, registration and lodging for both commissioners. The money comes from the BOCC travel fund.
Comments are closed.