Garfield County Clerk and Recorder Jackie Harmon started out the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting on Monday with an elections update. “It’s a busy election,” she said. “Get your ballot, vote it, return it.” She added that when ballots are returned early, it’s more doable to announce unofficial results by 7pm on election day.
The commissioners approved the County’s AI policy within the consent agenda, so no discussion was had. “The purpose of this policy is to ensure that AI technologies are used responsibly, ethically and securely across our organization,” the policy reads. Oliviya Daugherty and Leah Bergener were reappointed to the Garfield County Fair Board and Scott Shilt was selected to fill a third vacant seat.
On Tuesday, the BOCC concluded its rolling budget hearing and intends to approve the 2026 budget on Nov. 17.
DHS update
The BOCC unanimously approved a proposed $708,000 in human services grants for 2026, out of the $1.065 million requested. That’s on top of another $81,000 appropriated for mini grants. However, as stated, the final budget will not be approved until next month. In comparison, $628,000 was appropriated for human services grants in 2025. Finance Director Jamaica Watts pointed out that this funding comes from the County’s sales tax revenue.
According to a Department of Human Services’ report, food assistance and low-income energy assistance benefits totaled $768,634 in September. Director Sharon Longhurst-Pritt explained that due to the federal government shutdown, food-assistance disbursements beyond Oct. 31 may be in jeopardy. “Any benefits passed Nov. 1 would be suspended until the federal budget [is] passed,” she relayed to the commissioners. Of the 3,986 beneficiaries in the county, about half are children.
Longhurst-Pritt added that the department’s call and walk-in volumes have increased because people are concerned about not receiving disbursements in November. “Unless the federal budget is passed by the end of this week, there will be a delay in food assistance,” she stated. “So we’re down to crunch time here.”
The department also received approval from the BOCC to hire four vacant positions — two child welfare and two child support — which will cost the County a total of $111,508, with the state paying the bulk of those salaries. Commissioner Perry Will, asked, “And the state allocation will come through?” Longhurst-Pritt said it would.
Oil and gas waiver
The BOCC narrowly approved a waiver to the County’s Land Use and Development Code requirement that homes be built at least 500-feet from any oil and gas facilities. The applicant, Brian Sperry, plans to build a single-family log home within three miles of the City of Rifle, off of County Road 320. The property is zoned rural with a right to build a single-family home and accessory dwelling unit. Sperry has owned the property since 2003, when both wells were already in existence but the rule was not.
The 500-feet requirement was instituted in 2021, following updates from Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission (ECMC). ECMC Rule 604 also includes a decree that wells be drilled no less than 200 feet from existing buildings.
The proposed building site is approximately 400 feet from two oil and gas sites. One pad is on the parcel, operated by Mustang Energy Resources, and another is just north of the lot, operated by Terra Energy Partners.
Among the conditions was that the applicant sign a statement acknowledging the existence of the oil and gas facilities and agreeing to future oil and gas activity at the existing sites. The energy companies could use this information when and if seeking waivers from ECMC to expand production in the future. The applicant is also to consent to an oil and gas infrastructural survey ahead of breaking ground.
Robert Bercher, a resident just south of the property, provided a letter arguing against approval and spoke during Monday’s meeting. He said when he bought his property it was under the assumption that no one would build on Sperry’s property due to the rule. He said that he respects Sperry’s right to build a home, but is protesting because he values the seclusion. He also brought up that waiving the 500-feet rule to accommodate a 400-feet gap could lead to even narrower spacing in the future.
Commissioner Mike Samson and Chairman Tom Jankovsky voted to approve and Will dissented.
Will echoed Bercher. “I understand the private property rights thing, but I think we’re heading down a slippery slope with the setback,” he said. “I’m not in favor of granting this waiver.”