Commissioner Perry Will was absent for the regular Monday Garfield Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting, which left only two commissioners present. First up, the BOCC approved a permit for the grand opening event of a new coffee roasting facility in West Glenwood Springs. Charlie Chacos, owner of Bonfire Coffee in Carbondale, accepted the permit […]
GarCo report
Posted inLocal Government
GarCo Report: Local water conservation districts get bulk of county’s Ruedi water reserves
A warm winter and historically low snowpack in western Colorado has left the West Divide Water Conservation District (WDWCD) and the Silt Water Conservancy District (SWCD) thirsty. District representatives on Monday asked the Garfield Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) for help since the county owns rights to 400 acre-feet of water in Ruedi Reservoir. Back […]
Posted inLocal Government
YouthZone, River Bridge, Yampah teen parenting updates and a shout out to Larry Day
With no public comments, no elected official reports and a short consent agenda, the Garfield Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) got to the heart of Monday’s meeting right out of the gate. They listened to updates from local nonprofits that receive county funding. YouthZone (YZ) provides services to improve everyday life for youth who have […]
Posted inLocal Government
BOCC declines to help residents purchase Cavern Springs Mobile Home Park
Sometimes it doesn’t matter how many heavy hitters are on your side or how many of your ducks are in a row, those in a position of power just won’t budge. That was the case at Monday’s Garfield County Commissioner (BOCC) meeting when a group of said heavy hitters, supporting residents of the 98-lot Cavern […]
Posted inLocal Government
GarCo Report: Property value complaints, South Bridge permit dispute, CPW Commission woes
The Garfield County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting opened Monday without public comment. The board jumped right into five property valuation abatement hearings, three of which were resolved in the appellant’s favor due to distinct, clerical errors. County Assessor Jim Yellico and his team denied two requests that did not involve clerical errors. Remember, we’re looking at […]
Posted inLocal Government
GarCo Report: Public to BOCC — No library money for RFTA, rein in sheriff, diversify economy
Public comments at Monday’s Garfield County Commissioner (BOCC) meeting took on some heavy local issues, but had to wait until a presentation by Western States and Tribal Nations (WSTN) finished up. Lobbyist Andrew Browning, WSTN president and founder, gave the BOCC an update on the global energy climate, liquid natural gas export facilities, including Costa […]
Posted inLocal Government
GarCo Report: Focus on animals and at-risk teens
Yampah Mountain High School and Colorado River BOCES staff struck gold at Tuesday’s Garfield County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting. They asked for $25,000 from the national opioid settlement funds for an on-site intervention counselor. These funds are a result of 2021/2022 national opioid settlements resolving opioids litigation brought by state and local governments against manufacturers, distributors […]
Posted inLocal Government
Lepkowski returns, Feds urged to pay state disaster relief, county fair revenues up
Silt resident John Lepkowski is at it again with a new complaint about books in the Silt Library. The books are a series of graphic novels titled “The Boys” by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, the same books that a woman complained about last week. Lepkowski told the Garfield County Commissioners (BOCC) Monday that he […]
Posted inLocal Government
GarCo Report: Book complaint, weeds and waivers
Kristi Gill of New Castle started off Monday’s Garfield Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting with comments about certain books on Garfield County Library shelves. In a similar vein as previous complaints about library materials, Gill talked about a series of graphic novels titled “The Boys” by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, which she said […]
Posted inLocal Government
GarCo Report: SPEED Act, library trustee appointments, new dozer for the landfill
Monday, Jan. 5, marked the first Garfield County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting of 2026. The agenda opened with the appointment of three trustees for the Garfield County Public Library District. Library Board of Trustees Chair Adrian Rippy-Sheehy and Executive Director Jamie LaRue were on-hand. Describing the selection process, Jankovsky explained, “The library will get one vote […]