BOCC: Seal Chipper Needed,
Useful Public Service Contract,
Road Maintenance Request

by George Gramlich,
News and Commentary
The July 9, 2025/  Custer County Board of County Commissioners regular weekly meeting was held at the All Aboard Westcliffe meeting room and started at 9 a.m. All three County Commissioners were present: Chair Bill Canda and members Lucas Epp and Paul Vogelsong.
In Commissioner Items Epp had a finance briefing with the department heads. This meeting will be quarterly going forward. He also attended several agricultural meetings re the potential grant for a dedicated ag market. Epp stated that he had talked to our tourism people and lodging across the state is down. (Hence our Lodging Tax revenue is lower.) Canda opined about whether the County should raise its Lodging Tax.
First up in New Business was Wet Mountain Fire District’s request for a setback variance for a new fuel tank they want to put in. This went on for a bit on exactly how to do it procedurally. Eventually it was decided that they needed a survey done to confirm the property lines and they can go forward and ask for a variance via Planning & Zoning.
Next up was the Rotary Club with a request for an alcohol sales permit for their upcoming soiree Rocking the Ranch Weekend at the Beckwith Ranch, Saturday, August 2nd. This was ok’d.
Bob Smith, our Human Resources Director was the next supplicant concerning a potential “ Useful Public Services Contract”, the County’s program that monitors the public service sentences given by our courts. The current 11th Judicial District Clerk Justine Wilson currently handles that as a part time job being paid $9k a year by the County. She is retiring so the County needs a replacement. It turns out the County only receives around $2k from the people fulfilling these public service sentences. It was brought up that all the surrounding counties use a company called “Intervention” to do this on a per county contract basis. Bob has been in contact with these people and will be meeting them the next day to get pricing, etc.
Road & Bridge’s request concerning getting a used road chip sealer was next. They had sold their old one to a local contractor and now want to buy it back and get it refurbished by a company in Idaho. It will cost about $15k to buy it back and around $40k to $45k to have it rebuilt.
(A new machine costs over $1 million.) The Commissioners asked R&B to get firm numbers from the rebuild company.

Terry Skaggs, a resident of the Mountain Springs Country Estate subdivision off of Oak Creek Grade was next requesting the County assume maintenance of their two roads which total about 2.2 miles. Terry had the subdivision map which showed that the subdivision had deeded those roads to the County when it was originally set up. The County has never maintained the roads. After a big discussion, it was decided that Terry would review the road with Road & Bridge and then the County could make a decision.
In Additional Items, Epp said the County is maintaining roads it shouldn’t be and that has to be reviewed.
And that was that.