by Laura Vass
—October 21, 2020
The meeting came to order followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and roll call.
Amend Agenda Items: First Net Tower discussion was moved to October 30th and the Executive Session was removed from the agenda, both due to the unanticipated absence of the county attorney.
The August 12th BOCC minutes were approved.
Commissioner Items:
The commissioners each reported their attendance at meetings, the budget hearings, and the Tourism Boards new Welcome Center. Commissioner Canda gave an update on the AWAS install which is happening, although there is an electrical stall. After the found septic turned out to be an active one, Sangre de Cristo Electric’s trenching will require the line to go under a paved road. A waiver for right of way is being sought. Of note, on November 5th the BOCC will readdress some budget hearing items. CDC meetings were not attended by the commissioners. A letter opposing the proposed Rosita tower (which has not yet had a public hearing) was read aloud and will be passed on to Planning and Zoning.
Chairmen Flower said that he turned in the Underfunded Courthouse grant application and that he added that the county would be willing to commit $5,000. There was some discussion on adding this without input without or a decision on where that money would come from in 2021. (Audio went out at that point.) It appears that all agreed that the gesture was acceptable. Without putting the approval for the $5,000 on the agenda, it was voted on and
approved.
Flower noted that VSO Director Mr. Carroll is back and keeping regular office hours. Flower attended a meeting with AG Weiser who was doing a three-county tour (one of his staffers is from Westcliffe.) Note that Commissioner Printz also attended, along with Jordy of the Tribune. [Reporter’s note: AG Weiser did not send an invitation to the Sentinel but whenever he decides (on your behalf, of course) to join multi-state lawsuits that align with progressive states, his office sends a press release.]
Commissioner Printz gave support for the Main Street Wifi that The Custer County Economic Development Corporation (CCEDC) private group started. (The grant funds are depleted, and the Corp. is asking for support from the community. Printz suggested the BOCC needs a discussion about whether the county and the two towns need to fund it. (The system was installed in 2015 to promote “Ride to the Rockies” and has had 6 or 7 more points added to it since then. The current estimated annual cost for service, support, and insurance of approximately $10K.)
Corona Virus Relief Fund Report: Mr. Flower noted that the funding wire for $119,168.48 has arrived. This is from the Corona Virus funding from the state. The committee has a remaining $205,142 uncommitted. December 10th is deadline for applications.
Admin Assistant Items: County credit card research was discussed briefly. Kirkpatrick Bank and United Bank were approached. Kirkpatrick allows more cards to be added and limits can be set by department. Neither have an annual fee. P-Card at United has a minimum usage and there are limits on items that can be purchased. Choosing a card company/bank will be on the October 30th agenda for a decision.
There was no Public Comment or Unfinished Business.
New Business:
Consideration of County unbudgeted expense items: which would be submitted to Corona Virus Relief Fund Committee (CVRFC). IT Vernon Roth presented a list of items (which he was tasked to do for several
departments) for consideration.
1.Coroner’s Office: Purchase of sterilized body bags, shoe covers, masks, high risk gloves.
2. Four IR Tablets with Entry Thermometers – County Building, SO, and R&B, Public Health
3 Card Printer- related to contact tracing if there is an outbreak.
4. Laptops for employees to work from home if they test positive.
5. PPE (personal protective gear) for OEM to distribute to staff/volunteers in an emergency.
The items total $35,000, excluding a drone which will be discussed at a later date.
The items would have to be purchased in order to submit to the CVRFC.
There was a discussion of getting one more IR tablet for the County office building for another entrance making the total $37,850. This was added by amendment, and the motion was made and approved for the new amount to come out of capital expenses and be submitted to the committee.
Following approval there was a long discussion of how the tablet with entry thermometers would work at County facilities; whether it would be for employees only, whether it would be voluntary or mandatory for citizens as they
enter, etc. Vernon mention aps that record body temps. Canda said that a lot of people don’t have a computer or a phone at home and we don’t want to scare people away from doing their business because of aps. The conversation continued, even after saying that citizen participation would be based on good faith and not required. At this point, Mr. Printz said that this could be a headline at the Sentinel newspaper “that [the BOCC] is taking away the freedoms of the people by doing this.”
In the end, the purchases were approved as Covid related expenses which, after purchase would be submitted for approval to the CVRFC.
Consideration of Resolution 20-11 to open County Rd 386: Attorney Smith wrote the resolution. The Forest Service had a representative present. This agreement will have R&B begin work on the county section of the road. The Resolution language was changed so that the county only agrees to the portion of its jurisdiction of the road that the county maintains. (Eliminating private roads.)
Consideration of DHS playground on the South side of the Courthouse: Public Health:
Laura Lockhart with DHS presented cost analysis for a playground equipment and ground-cover. A total of $46K includes installation but excludes the fence.
She only had time for one bid. Just the uninstalled equipment is $12K. This seemed a bit expensive to the commissioners.
She said it is a COVID expense because they are mandated to provide a place for parent visitation and that has been difficult to provide. (They have been going to the city park playground.) Flower thinks the playground construction could be done via volunteers for half of the price. Canda said he’d like to see other
options for equipment as well.
Tom moved to grant DHS authorization to build a playground south of the courthouse. This is for location permissions only. Seconded and approved. (Reporter’s note: This reporter could not attend the meeting via zoom due to other duties but wonders if a playground attached to a building that would be replaced if we get a justice center is the best option. A playground will be a cold place for half the year. If it is indeed for COVID reasons, a UV-C air cleaner for DHS visits could be had for a fraction of the cost, could be moved if DHS moves, and is a great sanitation device for any office, killing both viruses and bacteria.)
Consideration of uncollectible taxes on County owned properties:
Removing uncollectable tax lien properties: Five active liens are to be removed from the tax rolls. (Tax on the properties were mostly mineral -rights-related and not collectible and this cleans up the records.) Motion proposed, seconded, and passed.
Transfer of funds: $10,000 from General Fund to Airport Fund. The money will be attributed to the 2021 budget. The transfer was proposed, seconded and passed.
In an earlier meeting, Mr. Flower refused to vote on something that was not on the agenda as a decision item but as a discussion item and he said that he “was a Roberts Rules scholar”. Today, Tom said he’s been reading Roberts Rules, and found that an agenda can be amended/modified under the 24 hours by 2/3 vote or if deemed an emergency but that it doesn’t say who would deem it an emergency.
Printz said this seems to conflict with the 24-hour posting rule. All commissioners weighed in and the citizens we will likely hear more on the topic.