The Garfield County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting in Rifle on Monday began with public comment from Rifle resident Mary Jane Hangs, a regular attendee when the BOCC comes to town. She had two concerns about the county’s senior citizens.
First, she disagrees with how the Garfield County Department of Human Services (DHS) represents the county on the advisory board for DHS senior programs. The purpose of the advisory board, according to the bylaws from which she read, is to inform the BOCC of the direction of DHS operation of senior programs and senior issues in general.
“We have a [DHS] staff member who is doing the programs on the advisory committee,” she explained. “I think [the Garfield County representative] should be someone from the governing body of Garfield County.” She said too much of the funding, which comes from the federal Older Americans Act, state and county coffers, is being spent on administration and not enough on the programs. “We need a little more oversight,” she said. “A member of DHS staff should not be a voting member of the board.”
Commission Chair Tom Jankovsky said that, as former commissioner John Martin was leaving office, they discussed what roles Jankovsky would take on — looking after senior matters was one. “I just haven’t been tied into the schedule of when those meetings are,” he explained. “I will take that on myself.”
Hangs’ second concern was the fate of the Parachute Valley Senior Center building, which Jankovsky told her would not go away. “You’re not going to lose that senior center,” he said. “We’ll come up with a resolution.”
Agenda items were few but mighty. Two people tried to comment about the library but Jankovsky swiftly put the kibosh on that. “No more comments on the library,” he said. “It’s on the agenda and it’s just a decision.” In fact, the unanimous decision was to appoint Tony Hershey to fill the Glenwood Springs library trustee seat.
The library board’s top recommendations were Susan Use, followed by Hershey. Jankovsky reiterated that he is looking for diversity of opinion, robust discussions and no “groupthink” on the library board. Hershey was his first choice; Maureen Biermann, his second and Susan Use, his third.
He stated that Use was his first choice after the December interviews but he changed his mind. He said he respects Use and understands the importance of consistency on the board. The axe fell when he spoke directly to Use, who was in the audience. “Both times, you stated in your interview that it was against the law to move library books around [in the library],” he said. “I read SB 24-216 twice, trying to find out where that was in the bill, and it’s not there.”
SB 24-216 or Standards for Decisions Regarding Library Resources was signed into state law last year.
The BOCC then approved a letter supporting Kathleen Sgamma, director of the Denver-based oil and gas trade group Western Energy Alliance, to lead the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). “I know she’ll be a strong representative for us in the BLM,” said Jankovsky.
Commissioner Mike Samson spoke about his and Commissioner Perry Will’s recent trip to Washington, D.C. for the National Association of Counties (NACo) legislative conference, stating that he told the leader of the Senate Natural Resources Committee that he is dismayed at Colorado’s “anti-oil and gas positions.”
“We are envious of Utah. We are envious of Wyoming and people who see the importance of the United States being an energy independent nation,” he expounded. “It would help our economy in western Colorado as well as Colorado as well as the western United States as well as the United States of America and the world to develop our resources — not just natural gas but our resources.”
Samson added that the nation’s capitol seems more upbeat and excited. “Our country is headed in the right direction for the first time in a long time,” he opined. “I see a genuine joy and happiness among people that our government is turning around.”
Commissioners approved the consent agenda, which included a contract to Daniels Long Chevrolet to purchase 14 new 2025 Chevy Tahoe SUVs for the Sheriff’s Department. The total cost is $797,133 based on a cooperative purchase agreement.
The Board approved a K9 vehicle donation from the county fleet to the New Castle Police Department and a 2012 Ford F-250 wildland fire transport truck to Colorado River Fire and Rescue. The approval was unanimous; although Jankovsky had trouble with donating the vehicles, stating that since there are no natural gas rigs in the county right now, he would prefer some money for the vehicles.
County manager Fred Jarman mentioned that Ryan Lee is the new county safety and loss prevention specialist. County Attorney Heather Beattie discussed the Intergovernmental Agreement between the library district and the BOCC, stating that Library Board President Adrian Rippy-Sheehy has requested to talk with Jankovsky in June.
Commissioner Will gave an update on the NACo meeting in D.C. as well as HB 25-1258, the Scientific Wildlife Management bill that died in the House Agriculture, Water and Natural Resources Committee last week.