The Garfield County Commissioners (BOCC) Monday approved the county’s first Chevron natural gas well permit request to drill two wells from an existing pad northwest of De Beque. The pad is remote. No human-inhabited structures are within a mile of it, although it is in the middle of high priority habitat (HPH) for elk winter range and sport fish management. Colorado Parks and Wildlife granted a waiver to drill in the HPH zone due to the drainage’s intermittent nature and no evidence of sport fish.
A Chevron representative told The Sopris Sun that the company plans to use best management practices for wildlife protection, including deliberate fencing, bird surveys and no drilling or other activities between Dec. 1 and April 1. He said that an enhanced stormwater berm will divert wastewater into detention ponds but the ponds will not be covered. No pipeline permits are required.
The BOCC approved the request with conditions. Staff planner Philip Berry said the company needs to obtain a baseline water sample from the state health department before the county permit is issued. “The reason we prefer that is our regulatory regime ends when we issue that permit,” he explained. “We wouldn’t have any skin in the game left.”
The well pad was originally approved for 22 wells but has been used as a storage site. Berry said the new permit would replace the storage permit. All equipment not associated with the new permit would need to be moved to the new storage site within a year of county permit issuance. The process now moves to the state Energy and Carbon Management Commission.
Monday was also Budget kick-off day, heralding the budget process that ends with final approval in the fall. Jamaica Watts, county finance director, and her team presented a sobering forecast of declining revenues over the next few years. Already, the 2024 actual revenues are $5 million less than 2023 and expenses have increased by almost $18 million. The county’s fund balance this year is projected to be a little over $100 million, down $8 million from last year. If trends don’t change, it is predicted to fall through the floor in 2028. Property tax revenue forecast shows $41.4 million in 2025, sales tax at slightly more than $18 million. Severance tax has flatlined at $1 million. Oil and gas property tax revenue will significantly decrease next year.
The BOCC agreed that it’s time to curb spending. Commissioner Tom Jankovsky mentioned several ways to do this, such as returning the mill levy to 13.665, reducing discretionary grants, revamping health insurance costs and grudgingly suggested a possible workforce reduction. Commissioner Mike Samson said he is against raising taxes and reducing the workforce. “We have good benefits and good salaries,” he said. “This will be a struggle to continue to pay a liveable wage.”
“I just want to say that, okay, if we collapse the whole system, then a foreign entity can come in and take over without firing a shot,” offered Commission Chair John Martin. “That’s my gloom and doom.”
In other news, it looks like the elevator at the county courthouse in Glenwood Springs will be replaced after all. It stopped working mid-March. Dallas Crow of TK Elevator Corp said he and county workers have been trying to fix it ever since. First, they found a blown fuse in the mainline disconnect, replaced it, the elevator ran for a day and then quit. They replaced a different fuse, troubleshooted the starter and replaced the door motor, among other things, to no avail. The real culprit seems to be age. He said the elevators are 42 years old, which makes repair difficult.
Crow said he will not bill the county due to obsolete equipment and will credit the county for two months of the maintenance contract. Elevator replacement begins in August and will take about a month. The other elevator is still working.
Commissioners approved a transfer of concept plan from Dark Horse Aviation to Vantage Aviation for improvements at the Garfield County Airport. But, they denied a permit for a rooftop solar farm south of Silt, stating that the request was premature. The applicant can return once it has purchased the building upon which the solar panels will be placed.

You can watch Monday’s meeting and all archived meetings at the county website, www.garfield-county.com