“I can see the headlines already,” said Garfield County Commission Chair John Martin at his first BOCC meeting since October and the last meeting of his career. “‘He’s finally gone.’”
Martin opened the meeting, thanking everyone for their patience during his absence. He said Nancy, his wife of 56 years, has been dealing with a fourth bout of cancer and he was taking care of her during her stay at UC Health in Aurora. “We missed you,” said Commissioner Tom Jankovsky. Commissioner Mike Samson reported that Martin was honored by Colorado Counties Inc. last weekend for his 28 years of service to Garfield County.
Then, on to the business of the day, which included signature approval on the 2025 mill levies, approval of the consent agenda with the exception of item eight, to award a contract to Pillar Designs, LLC to provide six privacy booths for county corrections. Jankovsky said he needed clarification because the item was budgeted for $104,000 but the approval is for $127,000. “We shouldn’t approve something we don’t have the money for,” he said. The item was clarified and approved by the end of the meeting.
After presentations by nonprofits Great Expectations, the Early Childhood Network and River Center, Sharon Longhurst-Pritt, director of the county Department of Human Services, presented the monthly EBT/EFT disbursement total for November: $1,076,585.12.
New library trustees
A few action items later, the Garfield County Library Board of Trustees appointments were announced with one snafu: Jankovsky and Samson could not agree on the Glenwood Springs appointment and neither was willing to compromise. Jankovsky wanted to re-appoint Susan Use “for consistency on the board,” while Samson chose Jacqui Edelman.
Brit McLin was appointed to the New Castle position to finish out the final year of Crystal Mariscal’s term. Jankovsky said that McLin was also the library board’s first choice. Both agreed on Stephanie Pierucci Hirsch to fill the Carbondale position. Jocelyn Durrance was up for another term to represent Carbondale but was not chosen.
As for the Glenwood Springs appointment, the BOCC plans to consult with the library board. But basically the entire process will start over — advertising for the open position and holding interviews with an appointment expected sometime in the new year.
Other news
Congratulations to Phillip Berry, assistant county planner, for his promotion to Planner Level III with a subsequent pay raise. The BOCC also interviewed two candidates for the Federal Mineral Lease District Board and will make their choice at the Jan. 6 meeting.
Jeff Nieslanik, Brett Jolley and Raymond Langstaff presented the annual reports for the Bookcliff, Mount Sopris and South Side Conservation Districts. County manager Fred Jarman told the BOCC that the American Petroleum Institute and others have filed a formal protest with the Bureau of Land Management about the Greater Sage Grouse Environmental Impact Statement, released in early November. He added that the state of Wyoming is expected to do the same. “That pushes it into the Trump administration,” said Jankovsky.
The BOCC will host a public listening session with Colorado Parks and Wildlife about wolf reintroduction on Thursday Dec. 19 from 6 to 8pm at the New Hope Church in New Castle.
The next BOCC regular meeting is Jan. 6. Commissioner-elect Perry Will and incumbent Mike Samson, beginning his fifth term, will be sworn in on Tuesday, Jan. 14. You can watch Monday’s meeting and all of the 2024 meetings at the Garfield County website.