PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

MONTEZUMA COUNTY, COLORADO

April 27, 2021

STATE OF COLORADO           )

                                                     ) ss.

COUNTY OF MONTEZUMA   )

At a regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners, Montezuma County, Colorado, held on Tuesday April 27, 2021 at the Montezuma County Administration building in Cortez, Colorado, there were present:

Jim Candelaria, Chairman

Kent Lindsay, Vice Chairman

Joel Stevenson, Commissioner of Deeds

Shalako Powers, County Administrator

John C. Baxter, County Attorney

Kim Percell, County Clerk,

CHAIRMAN, CANDELARIA opened the meeting of April 27, 2021 with the Pledge of Allegiance.

MINUTES: Commissioner Stevenson moved to accept the minutes of the Proceedings of the Board of Commissioners Montezuma County, Colorado dated April 20, 2021 as presented.  Motion was seconded by Commissioner Lindsay and carried.

PUBLIC COMMENT: Bob Clayton discussed property owner appreciation for approved road improvements for Roads 27.1, Road 27.3 and Road L.9.  Melanie Filener made a request for a formal Board declaration against the proposed PAUSE Act (Protect Animals from Unnecessary Suffering and Exploitation) initiative #16. 

PELLET MILL DISCUSSION: Partners, Mara Baxstrom, Rachel Comisky, and Luke Baxstrom met with the Board to discuss a proposed local pellet mill.  Topics of the discussion included; sawdust waste products, fire mitigation, revenues for the County, employment opportunities, grant programs, tax incentives, enterprise zone incentives, the pelletizer machine, transportation, local product resources, long term product infrastructure, utilities, proposed locations, generator options, highway access, contract sales and working with the Planning Department.  

MARIJUANA MORATORIUM DISCUSSION: Kevin Wing and Bob Varcados with Green Lynx Farm Inc. met with the Commissioners with a request that the Board of County Commissioners lift the County moratorium and end the prohibition on the operations of marijuana facilities within Montezuma County. Topics discussed included; employment opportunities, the capabilities of the four wing facility, the facility value, current property taxes, crop options, USDA guidance, supply and demand, neighboring county moratoriums, monthly operational expenses, State marijuana growth regulations, , projected harvest count, generated income, buyers and marketing, a business development plan, plant based fees, increasing costs and diminishing County revenues, local municipality cultivation fees and the County process for the proposed removal of the moratorium.  (See attached)    

BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES MONTHLY REPORT: It being the time set aside, the Board of Social Services was conducted.  Director, Gina Montoya and Finance Officer, Lori Higgins were present.  (See attached)

VETERANS SERVICE: Veteran Service Officer, Rick Torres met with the Commissioners to give a monthly report.  A copy of the Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, County Veterans Service Officers Monthly Report and Certification of Pay, for March 2021 was presented for the record.  Other topics discussed included; the March 2021 financial report, a review of office activities, statistical data, the indirect income to Montezuma County, virtual trainings attended and 90^th anniversary celebration event scheduled on May 22, 2021, for the Ute Mountain American Legion Post 75.   (See attached).

MONTEZUMA COUNTY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION (MCCO): MCCO Manager, Jennifer Morris met with the Commissioners to give a monthly report.  Topics discussed included; an increase of ridership, the Meals on Wheels program, an available driver position, a proposed vehicle purchase, the Fixed Route grant funding and mounting bike racks on the buses.  Manager Morris presented for approval the MOCO Public Transportation Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy.  Commissioner Stevenson moved to accept the Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy for MOCO Public Transportation, adopted as of April 27, 2021.  Second by Commissioner Lindsay and carried.   (See attached)

TRANSFER ORDER: Transfer Order #1-2021 was presented for approval.  Order #1-2021 is a transfer of $14,481.09 from the general Fund (001) to the Bus Replacements Fund (089).   Commissioner Lindsay moved to approve transfer Order #1-2021, a transfer of $14,481.09, from the General Fund to the Bus Replacement Fund.  Second by Commissioner Stevenson and carried.  (See attached)

SENIOR SERVICES: Director, Jonathon G. Parker met with the Commissioners to give a monthly report on the Senior Services programs.  Director Parker reported that they had opened up 2 days a week for meals and planned to open 4 days a week as of May 10^th.  Other topics discussed included; vaccines, safety protocol, group gathering numbers, a site coordinator, the current senior’s moral, speaker presentations, proposed senior road trip / tours, fall field trips, a fiscal update and public vaccine outreach to seniors.     

CSU EXTENSION OFFICE: Extension Director, Gregory Felsen met with the Commissioners for a monthly report.  Director Felsen presented a video on the Grow and Give Project.  Other topics of the discussion included; the Modern Day Victory Garden, garden give sites, grow areas, the Montezuma School to Farm program, the Healthy Youth and Health Schools event, the Montezuma County Supports Each Other event, site visits, work at the Yellow Jacket Orchard, the 4-H market tag in’s, the County Fair Board meeting, a drought advisors group, a Social Service / Extension office collaboration and the Memorandum of Understanding  between CSU and the County regarding a second extension agent. 

Chairman Candelaria announced the adjournment of the meeting for the LUNCH break.

Chairman Candelaria announced the meeting would reconvene

FPPA/ CRA DISCUSSION:  From the (FPPA) Fire and Police Pension Association, Phil Borgman, Beth Hemenway, Chip Weule and Jacquette Tara met with the Commissioners virtually to give an overview of the FPPA Public Pension Plan.  From the (CRA) Colorado Retirement Association, Matt Benitez and Tim Mullen gave an overview of the current Montezuma County CRA retirement plan and a comparison of defined benefit to defined contribution retirement plans.  Sheriff, Steven Nowlin discussed the choices for the Sheriff’s office with a request to allow them to move forward with a resolution to join FPPA.  (See attached)

IMAGINATION LIBRARY DISCUSSION was postponed. 

COUNTY ATTORNEY REPORT: County Attorney, John Baxter, discussed the County’s Memorandum of Understanding with CSU regarding the second extension agent and an amendment to the Memorandum of Understanding for Law Enforcement to the Town of Dolores.  

NATURAL RESOURCES, PLANNING & PUBLIC LANDS: Resource Director, James Dietrich along with Devin Camacho (via Zoom), Representative for Congresswoman Lauren Boebert discussed an update on the roundtable with Congresswoman Boebert, and proposed letters of support for the Western Waters Securities Act, the Local Act and the Protecting the American Energy Jobs Act.  Other topics discussed included; the May 7^th scheduled 30×30 meeting and the irrigation analysis at the Combined Court Building.  

COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR REPORT: Administrator Shak Powers presented the Public Notice for the CDOT meeting scheduled May 5, 2021.  (See attached)

COUNTY COMMISSIONER REPORT: Topics discussed within the Commissioners reports included: Commissioner Stevenson discussed the virtual Town Hall meeting with the Attorney General, constituent emails, phone calls and attendance to the Suckla Auction. Commissioner Lindsay discussed the virtual Town Hall meeting with the Attorney General, constituent emails and phone calls.  Commissioner Candelaria discussed the developed Social Services video, the virtual Town Hall meeting with the Attorney General, the attended Region 9 Board meeting, a CCI legislative update, a Bustang bus ride, the attended County Commissioners of Southwest Colorado meeting and the Dolores Town Hall meeting.  

CORRESPONDENCE: The following correspondence was read and noted:

MOTION TO ADJOURN: was made by Commissioner Lindsay seconded by Commissioner Stevenson and carried.

MEETING ADJOURNED: 3:30 p.m.