The history of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Colorado dates back to 1975 when State Representative Wellington Webb introduced the first of three bills to establish the holiday. For three years, those bills were defeated. In 1979, Representative King Trimble introduced a bill that died in committee. In 1981, Representative Wilma J. Webb introduced the first of four bills to establish the holiday. The fourth one passed. On April 4, 1984, about a year after Dr. King’s birthday was approved as a national holiday, Governor Richard D. Lamm signed House Bill 1201 into law. The following year, Coretta Scott King, widow of Dr. King, came to Denver to help plan Colorado’s inaugural holiday for Jan. 26, 1986. It has been observed in the state ever since on the third Monday in January.
For more than 40 years, however, the holiday has not been included in Garfield County’s holiday calendar. But Commissioner Tom Jankovsky seems to want to change that.
During a discussion Monday of the calendar for 2025, the county Human Resources (HR) office gave the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) two options: keep the current calendar at ten holidays or increase observed holidays to 11 with a floating holiday. Jankovsky offered something different.
“I would like to see option ‘C,’ which would be Martin Luther King Day as a holiday,” he said. “I just think it’s time we honor that holiday for the father of the Civil Rights Movement and a gentleman that had very wise comments to make about civil rights.” He brought this up more than once.
But, the BOCC voted unanimously to adopt the current 10-holiday calendar and add Friday, Dec. 26 as the eleventh day. Commission Chair John Martin referred Jankovsky’s idea to HR.
“I think the committee needs to talk about Martin Luther King Day and see if the employees would like to add that,” said Martin. “But that would be 2026.”
In other news…
County Assessor Jim Yellico presented the 2024 report of values, protests, drill rigs and other items. The total assessed value for the county for 2024 is a little over $3 billion. That may sound like a lot, but Yellico told the BOCC that it’s a 26% decrease from 2023. Value of real property is just over $1.5 billion, down 4% from last year. And the oil and gas value is just over $1.3 billion, down 44% from 2023.
“The biggest factor in the reduction of Garfield County assessed value is the 63% reduction of the overall average netback price of natural gas and [natural gas liquids],” Yellico told The Sopris Sun in an email.
The BOCC approved auctioning surplus vehicles, heard an update on 5Point Film Fest and approved three liquor licenses and the consent agenda.
County Landfill Director Deb Fiscus gave an update on the landfill, stating that reports will be biannual instead of quarterly. Overall revenues are at $1,111,389, up slightly from $1,091,960 in 2023. Expenses are also up slightly over 2023 at $618,680. The landfill has accepted less waste from more customers so far this year than in 2023.
County clerk and recorder Jackie Harmon told the BOCC that the primary election results are still being finalized. The Garfield County RE-2 Tony May recall election is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 27.
After lunch, commissioners considered solar energy amendments to the Garfield County 2013 Land Use and Development Code, ultimately denying the amendments as presented. A future work session is planned to hammer out details.
The BOCC approved land use code text amendments for oil and gas operations discussed on June 17. Those amendments to Article 9 include detailed requirements for scheduling neighborhood meetings and public hearings. Setback changes include 500 feet between existing oil and gas wells and surface facilities and human-occupied buildings, 2,000 feet for schools/childcare centers, 350 feet for subdivision plats, and 150 feet between human-occupied buildings and abandoned/reclaimed wells.