Let’s get to the easy stuff first. The public hearing for a limited impact use permit application for the Tipi Hideaway on Highway 325 near Rifle was canceled. The applicant, Carrie Buhlman, withdrew her application. When asked why, she simply said that she wished to do so. That took all of five minutes in the afternoon.
The morning started off with a citizen who wanted to talk about something not on the agenda. Commissioner Tom Jankovsky had invited Terri Caine, co-founder and board chair of Summit 54, an Aspen-based nonprofit which runs the Summer Advantage program (SAP) for elementary school students, to speak. Jankovsky said that Summit 54 isn’t having any luck with Human Service Commission grants so he thought an introduction to commissioners (BOCC) and a future, detailed presentation might garner county funds for the organization.
Caine said that Summit 54 has served more than 8,000 students since 2011, 80% of whom live in Garfield County. The SAP is in its third year and costs nothing for participants. The program provides breakfast and lunch, FocusedKids activities, literacy and math tutoring, recess and guest speakers or a field trip every Friday. She was invited to return in August for a formal presentation.
Later in the morning, the BOCC approved the entire consent agenda and a special event permit for Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation’s summer polo classic. The Aspen Valley Polo Club in Carbondale will host the event on Aug. 27.
County assessor Jim Yellico and chief deputy assessor Lisa Warder updated the board on county property taxes and the inordinate amount of tax protests. Yellico told the BOCC that there were 1,938 real property protests as of June 30. The value of 701 properties were adjusted and 1,237 were denied. Nine protests were withdrawn due to clerical errors. The total assessed value was adjusted to a net decrease of $23,445,360. As of July 10, the assessed value of real property is about $1,661,079,520, an increase of 33% from 2022.
Thirty-nine personal property and oil and gas protests were filed as of the end of June. Thirteen properties were adjusted, 39 were denied, one was voided. Total assessed value was adjusted to a net decrease of $600,490 but, as of July 10, the assessed value for personal property is 20% more than 2022 — close to $46,886,190. The assessed value for oil and gas is $2,354,613,210, a 44% increase from 2022. The assessed value for drilling rigs in Garfield County is $2,934,890, up 395% from 2022.
“Any of the property owners who appealed to the assessor may appeal to the County Board of Equalization,” said Warder in an email to The Sopris Sun. “They must fill out the back of their notices of determination and return them to the county attorney by mail or hand-deliver no later than July 17.” Anyone who appeals to the County Board of Equalization may also appeal to the State Board of Assessment Appeals, Binding Arbitration or to the District Court.