Category Archives: BOCC

2019, BOCC

November 27th BOCC: Fiber, EMS, Airport Fire Truck Issue, HOAs want Snow Plowed by County

BOCC: IGA Signed for Fiber Project,
Airport Fire Truck Issue, HOA Wants Snow Plowed,
MORE EMS Drama

Board of County
Commissioners (BOCC)
—November 27, 2019
WESTCLIFFE, Colo.
by Jackie (Muddy) Bubis
The meeting started with the Pledge of Allegiance and roll call. Introductions of the public followed.
The minutes from November 13th were approved.
Commissioner Items
Commissioner Canda reported that the Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District will be meeting after the first of the year with those opposed to the water augmentation plan. He worked with Fire Chief Shy to clarify insurance issues with the damage done by the fire truck housed at the airport. He announced that the $30K grant for the Underfunded Courthouse project was awarded. Continue reading November 27th BOCC: Fiber, EMS, Airport Fire Truck Issue, HOAs want Snow Plowed by County →

2019, BOCC

BOCC Nov 13th: BOCC: New Christian Radio Station Coming To County; Another EMS Vote, Fiber IGA Approved

Board of County
Commissioners (BOCC)
—November 13, 2019
WESTCLIFFE, Colo.
by Jackie (Muddy) Bubis
The meeting started with the Pledge of Allegiance and roll call. Introductions of the public followed.
The minutes from October 31st, November 6th and 7th were approved.
Commissioner Items:
Commissioner Canda held his comments until a later agenda item.
Both Chairman Flower and Commissioner Printz reported on meetings they attended. Commissioner Flower got a consensus from the other commissioners that the county should not buy the salvaged deputy’s vehicle from the recent crash. The vehicle was heavily damaged and Mr. Flower expressed that he didn’t think the county wanted to be in the salvage business. He also reported that the letter that the Board sent to DOLA requesting funds had a mistake in it. Christy Doon from DOLA will attend the end of month meeting to discuss this request in light of new management at DOLA. Continue reading BOCC Nov 13th: BOCC: New Christian Radio Station Coming To County; Another EMS Vote, Fiber IGA Approved →

2019, BOCC

SHOCK: Hospital District REQUIRED to Provide EMS Service to Wetmore!

by George Gramlich,
News, Analysis and Commentary

Contrary to what we have been told repeatedly by the West Custer County Hospital District Board (the “District”) and District Management for around the last decade, the District is required, by contract with the Custer County Board of County Commissioners, to provide emergency ambulance services to ALL of Custer County, regardless of whether the area is in the District’s taxing area or not. This surprising fact somehow has not been disclosed to the public by the District and directly contradicts multiple District Management statements that the District has no responsibility for areas
outside of their taxing district. Continue reading SHOCK: Hospital District REQUIRED to Provide EMS Service to Wetmore! →

2019, BOCC

BOCC Workshop with Hospital District on Ambulance Coverage

Monday’s Workshop Clarifies and Distills;
2nd Ambulance Problem Remains

by Jackie (Muddy) Bubis

After three-plus hours of talk and discussion amongst the Commissioners and the Hospital District Board, the people in the eastern portion of Custer County are still relegated to a big maybe on whether they will get an ambulance if they need one.
The meeting began with hospital district chairman Tobin reading several options for EMS for the Wetmore area residents – mostly relying on the county and the commissioners to foot the bill – up to $40K per month.
BOCC Chairman Tom Flower tried unsuccessfully to get the answer to the simple question: who’s responsibility it is to make sure EMS coverage is available for these residents. At one point, the commissioners had to remind Tobin that this issue is no laughing matter.
Two citizens’ input at the end of the meeting really summed the issues up well. One citizen of the hospital district asked if he has a car accident out of the bounds of the hospital district and there is no second crew, will he get the service he is paying taxes for. When the answer was no, he responded that, in that eventuality, the clinic would then be getting a call from his attorney.
The other citizen observation came when the comment was made that, even if you’re in the district, if the first crew is out, the likelihood is that there will not be a second crew to answer your call. The finding from this citizen was that this shows that the ambulance service is incapable of covering even their own district – a job they are being paid to do.
The OEM also commented that the first question that must be established is who is responsible for handling this issue – and Mr. Flower’s question came full circle. “Only one entity can make the decision,” she stated. In the end, three things are on the to-do list:
1) The BOCC will schedule another meeting with the people of Wetmore to find out what the people in the area want to do – because the entire hospital district board didn’t come to the last one.
2) Clinic administrator Lisa Drew is meeting with AMR tomorrow (Tuesday) and will let her board and the BOCC know what came of that meeting.
3) The clinic will come up with a call for service fee for the Wetmore area people, what board member Weisenbach called “Uber for medical.”
How soon any of that will happen is anyone’s guess. But if a call for chest pain comes in tonight in no-man’s land – even if it’s for a taxpayer in the district – and if a second crew is not available – that person is on his own.

2019, BOCC

Wetmore: Dial 911 for EMS NO ONE COMES

Custer County Board of Commissioners (BOCC)
Afternoon Workshop
—July 17, 2019
WETMORE, Colo.
by Jackie Bubis
A s you have read in the Sentinel, the people in Wetmore are no longer covered by emergency medical care. For years the people below McKenzie Junction have been served by the Florence Fire Department. But that is no more, due to a lack of personnel.
The West Custer County Hospital District also does not, technically, service this area. At numerous meetings, Director Lisa Drew has attempted to lay this issue in the laps of the county commissioners, who have been wrestling with the issue. The new policy handed down from the hospital district is this: if a 911 call comes in from out of the “district”, then it is dispatch’s job to tone out a second ambulance crew. Until that second ambulance crew is at the ambulance quarters, the on-call crew will not respond. Continue reading Wetmore: Dial 911 for EMS NO ONE COMES →

2019, BOCC

No EMS Response to Wetmore Emergency

Custer County
Commissioners (BOCC)
A.M. Meeting
by Jackie (Muddy) Bubis
-July 17, 2019
WETMORE, Colo.
As you have read in the Sentinel, the people in Wetmore are no longer covered by emergency medical care. For years the people below McKenzie Junction have been served by the Florence Fire Department. But that is no more, due to a lack of personnel.
The West Custer County Hospital District also does not, technically, service this area. At numerous meetings, Director Lisa Drew has attempted to lay this issue in the laps of the the county commissioners, who have been wrestling with the issue.
The new policy handed down from the hospital district is this: if a 911 call comes in from out of the
“district”, then it is dispatch’s job to tone out a second ambulance crew. Until that second ambulance crew is available, the on-call crew stationed in Westcliffe, will not respond.
Imagine for a moment the poor dispatcher trying to handle emergencies is now tasked with scrounging up a second ambulance crew. Imagine it no longer. In the early hours of July 5th, an extreme emergency happened to a person driving down the mountain. At the junction in Wetmore, the driver pulled over for the passenger to be sick. What happened then was the
unthinkable.
The passenger had a significant medical emergency right there in the middle of the road. EMS was toned. Dispatched toned the second crew. No one answered. Finally, Flight for Life was called. Ordinarily, the Fire Department lands the helicopter. In this case, a lone fireman from
Wetmore did the best he could and the helicopter landed and loaded up the unfortunate patient. All the while the ambulance crew up the mountain went back to sleep.
The County Commissioners will further address the issue at a workshop this afternoon at the Wetmore Community Center. More to come on this issue.

Ms Drew responded to this article on 7/25/19. Response HERE

2019, BOCC

June 28 BOCC: Roads, Hospital District, Moratorium on Subdivisions

Board of County
Commissioners (BOCC)
—June 28, 2019
WESTCLIFFE, Colo.

by Jackie (Muddy) Bubis
The meeting started at 9 a.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance and Roll Call. Introductions of the public
followed.
Commissioner items:
All three commissioners listed meetings they attended. Commissioner Printz reported that there are two private initiatives in Silver Cliff that have gotten approval to build attainable housing.
Commissioner Canda reported that Road & Bridge is prepping Hermit Road for chip seal. He also gave kuddos to the community Vacation Bible School that just finished up. Continue reading June 28 BOCC: Roads, Hospital District, Moratorium on Subdivisions →

2019, BOCC

June 19 BOCC: June 19 BOCC: New Burn Ordinance, Strategic Plan

Board of County
Commissioners (BOCC)
—June 19, 2019
SAN ISABEL, Colo.
by Jackie (Muddy) Bubis
The meeting started at 12 noon with the Pledge of Allegiance and roll call. Introductions of the public followed. The Board approved the minutes from May 31st, June 6th, and June 7th.
Commissioner items:
Commissioner Canda reported that the final strategic plan was emailed out and the check was cut for Cheryl Trent’s services and mentioned that there needed to be meetings scheduled for organizing the implementation of the plan. Continue reading June 19 BOCC: June 19 BOCC: New Burn Ordinance, Strategic Plan →

2019, BOCC

BOCC: No More Wetmore EMS Service? OEM Job Director Misstep

Board of County
Commissioners (BOCC)
-June 6, 2019
WESTCLIFFE, Colo.
by Jackie (Muddy) Bubis
The meeting started at 9 a.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance and roll call. Introductions of the public followed.
Commissioner Reports:
Commissioner Printz reported attending the planning/needs assessment meeting with the architect for the future Justice Center.
Commissioner Canda reported that Aught-Six Ranch is waiting for the airport grant in order to itemize the work to be done. He had a fruitful conversation with the BLM Director at the CCI conference and learned of a better way to do land swaps with the BLM. He also reported that Silver Cliff will be doing a broadband study. Continue reading BOCC: No More Wetmore EMS Service? OEM Job Director Misstep →