“I maintain it is high time to legislate for term limits for all elected [Garfield] county positions,” offered Carbondale resident Susan Rhea during the public comment period at Monday’s Garfield County Commissioners’ (BOCC) meeting. For the second week in a row, a small crowd showed up at 8am to speak before the BOCC dove into […]
GarCo report
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GarCo Report: November food assistance at stake, 500-foot oil and gas buffer waived
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. […]
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GarCo Report: County Fair Board fills vacancies, DHS pinches staffing to help offset budget shortfall
The Garfield Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) tackled a relatively short agenda on Monday and continued rolling budget hearings with department leaders on Tuesday. The commissioners reviewed four new applicants for three contested seats on the County Fair board: Scott Schilt, Aaron Walker, Kevin Costanzo and Jozie Merritt. Levy Burris resigned, leaving one seat vacant […]
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GarCo Report: Budget talks get underway, library IGA remains elusive, development fees increase
Starting out Monday’s regular Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting, Silt resident Caleb Waller piped up during public comment and suggested that the county consider enacting a noise ordinance. He described an instance over the weekend of music being too loud at a party on private property within unincorporated Garfield County that kept the “whole […]
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GarCo Report: Hooray for firefighters and the county airport
Praise and gratitude opened Monday’s Garfield County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting, but not before Fred Standefer of Aspen Glen asked the BOCC to curb development in the area. “At present, there are three active development applications on your website that will have a huge impact on our property,” he said. “First, there’s the […]
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GarCo Report: Medicaid changes and a public land use ally from Utah
As the Lee Fire on Monday was closing in on 137,000 acres and the dubious achievement of becoming the state’s 4th largest wildfire in history, Garfield County Commissioners (BOCC) had a public conversation promoting natural gas drilling and timber sales with Jacey Albaugh, legislative assistant for U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) on the U.S. Senate […]
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GarCo Report: Town hall with Hurd, new natural gas pad, nonprofit grants
After thanking firefighters for their work on local fires and praising Aspen’s gondola transit system idea, Steve Kuschner of 350 Roaring Fork asked the Garfield County Commissioners (BOCC) Monday to support an in-person town hall with Congressman Jeff Hurd (R-CD3). Hurd has been on the hook with constituents since last March for having tele-town halls […]
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GarCo Report: ‘I’d like to put you in charge of the federal government’
Paul Backes and Calvin Seneker, auditors with McMahan and Associates LLC, had fairly good news for the Garfield County Commissioners (BOCC) on Monday, Aug. 4. Referring to how well the county manages its budget, Backes said, “I’d like to put you in charge of the federal government.” He also compared Garfield County to Moffat County […]
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GarCo Report: New property tax payment option, landfill faces methane capture regs
With no public comments Monday, the Garfield County Commissioners (BOCC) jumped right into a meeting that lasted less than two hours. County Assessor Jim Yellico and Deputy Assessor Juby Cumming presented the 2024 annual recap of the results of the property tax appeal process and what valuations look like. Yellico told the BOCC that his […]
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Garco Report: Fireworks ban, budget pre-kick off, public lands letter
High fire danger is behind the Garfield County Commissioners (BOCC) decision Monday to prohibit the use, sale and possession of fireworks in unincorporated Garfield County. Emergency Manager Chris Bornholdt told the BOCC that sagebrush fuel moisture “is at or below 100%.” Piñon pine and juniper fuel moisture is at 72% and is expected to dry […]