Board of County Commissioners - Regular Meeting

Good morning, Vicki. We can hear you. Thank you.

Did you miss Katie's Doing the Jeopardy? It was so funny because it wasn't just a few lines. She did it. She did the whole thing. It was quite funny. I was I think Zach. Yeah, Zach.

All right, are we all ready? All right. Good morning, everyone. My name is Matt Salkin, County Commissioner Chair. It is September 23rd. It is 8.30 a.m. It is board discussion time. Commissioners, please introduce yourselves.

Elizabeth Filbrick, La Plata County Commissioner. Richard Porter Norton, La Plata County Commissioner.

Acting County Manager Jeff Hughes. I've got a couple screens open here. First up here is senior service budget amendment request. Vicki, good morning.

Question for you, Vicki. I know that some of the transportation funds can be reimbursed by AAA. Is that something that's available to us?

Nikki, can you give me a dollar amount on how much we lost?

Oh, it was just the two weeks. And roughly how much would be reimbursed if we brought in... If we brought in an employee, what percentage of reimbursement is it? Is it 50, 80?

Yeah. So it's a pretty good ROI on a single employee.

Vicki, for my own sake, do you know roughly how many in the Region 9 area are able to provide transportation?

Thank you. Thank you. Vicki, thanks for all your work. Question, this went, and I guess it's for Jeff too, this went through our budget review process before we're seeing it, correct?

So that's that's our sponge process before it gets to us. So, yeah, I think this is critical. I mean, you know, seniors getting to appointments, seniors getting what they need is just critical. So it looks like you or sounds like you have really done a lot of thought on this.

Yeah, and I would just make a note, Vicki, because you mentioned the hiring freeze that was pre-1A as a cost-cutting measure. One of the things we obviously ran on, it was right in our literature, was protecting vulnerable neighbors. And I can't imagine people more vulnerable than seniors that can't get somewhere.

Reporter spot on on that that was the item I wanted to bring up with 1a and senior services so for me I mean commissioner just sounds like we're all in agreement to proceed to move forward on this us providing services and only having to pay for 20 of it yeah and also it's just moving more money we've been talking and we will talk extensively tomorrow about how much money has been left on the table because of the AAA Management and leadership This is another opportunity for us to expand services. And it's one of the reasons I asked about why, whether or not other counties have equivalent servi

Thank you, Commissioner. All right. Thank you very much, Vicki. Sounds like you have the green light.

Thank you. All right. We're right on time. Up next here is South Durango Urban Renewal Authority Plan Area Proposal, Tommy and Andy. Morning, gentlemen.

If you, are you in here? Are you on the online meeting? Come on, press the next button. Oh, not yet. Once you get in, I can let you in.

We've gotten more rain in the last week than all you can imagine. Yep. Times four. I can believe it.

It's also as much as the flood last year. Yeah. Is that what you just said? Well, I was like half listening and looking at your report, honestly, although I did look at it, I promise.

Here you go. My wife was in Lake City and they saw 20 moose. Oh, that's wow. That's actually really encouraging.

It's also terrifying. I know she's kind of a quote-unquote moose hunter. But they go taking pictures of moose. I know I would want them here. Yeah. And they can be mean. Really, really mean. They're one of the most dangerous animals in Colorado. They're like

North American hippos. Long legs. It looks like we can see everything.

that so what I'm hearing is that the whole property of the mall where it sits will be it would if this was moving forward would leave the current ownership's hands and go to the developer so that developer would own 100 of that whole lot yes all right because then that would change some of my discussion so I'm good with that and can I clarify time spring too so what you are asking is essentially our

commitment, if any, for a property and sales tax by November 23rd? Okay. And then when will we get the feasibility study?

Okay. The question I have for Jeff is, with the current state of the county, which we're doing well, I mean, I'm concerned about the staffing

So can we get an e-session like we did last time? So process wise e-session. So we're negotiating and our legal and finance have time to look at the feasibility study, look at all your documents you sent. We would then go into e-session sometime. We're gone next week. It's a fifth Tuesday. So some commissioners are able to take vacation time because we don't have a meeting. So I'm just kind of like backdating to the third week, which is because we're gone essentially seven weeks away. Or yeah, six weeks away.

I believe I'm correct. And Lynn's been in these discussions from the very beginning. So she's already part of the mechanism that is in front of us. But also, we did a lot of legwork understanding the TIF agreements with the Durango Crossing's project. So I think that part of the education lift is already complete.

And Carrie, wonderful. Thank you very much. Do we have like even a 30% development plan? Do we have an understanding of what it is at work? I mean, one of the nice things about the Durango crossings is we had an understanding of what the plan was going to be. And as I can tell you right now, I'm just really quickly on the center Cal website and they have a wide variety of how they do these things. And not that I am here to have any design input whatsoever, but I do think that there is some, I think that there would be a very much of an interest for us in understanding what are we actually inve

When you say the mall, you're talking about the people that want to buy it. CenterCal. Yeah. CenterCal. Yeah. You said the mall and I'm like, is that the current, you know, okay. This is their plan. The mall developer.

And this would be outlined in the feasibility study, more of the details?

And there's a time constraint due to the current property owners putting this on a six-month timeline. Thank you. Bonnie, if you could please just come up here. And since we have them here, I would prefer, I would rather have you, let's have you, whatever question you may have, I'd rather have you ask it now. So that's something that we can discuss in the future.

I have a couple of questions to follow up on this. And then, Bonnie, we can get to you. You know, one is our treasure. Oh, I did not know that. Nice to meet you. Thanks for having me. All right so some of these are more global this is helpful with background I think one of the things would be I'm kind of bouncing all over the place from my notes the 50 homes for river gate we could look at similar to what we're wanting to do with dringo crossing which is currently we're negotiating is sharing because we just have opted into one two three as of yesterday So we would look at sharing depending on

Okay. I know Mani might have some questions. Yeah.

Yeah. And I think the commissioners have expressed concerns about cannibalization of other business revenues before. And we are working on that at this moment.

Yes. But there's an idea about housing on the backside of the mall.

Yes. I'm going to please answer that. But what we need to do, commissioners and staff and treasurer, we can compile some questions. We will end them here soon. They can then answer that to all of us. And then further discussions.

And so we have to, we have two, we have two individuals waiting for us to get up here next, but what we need to do commissioners as well as treasurer is we can formulate some questions. Like I absolutely, like I will have questions too as well, because it's, we, yeah, the city of Durango land use code. make sure there is accessibility for that lot. But let's have those conversations here soon. So commissioners, it sounds like a Jeff, this is something that you're willing to take on interest in being able to do it and you have the time. Correct. All right.

Yeah. So we need a e-session. Yes, we do. Yeah. So Monty, I'm happy to go offline, Treasurer Brushkin, just about how the negotiations work. And so we need to bring in legal and finance and Look at our own numbers. Get your feasibility study. It sounds like after the end of next week.

All right. Next up here, commissioners, do you need like a quick two minutes? Very good. All right. So the next up here is a lot of economic development alliance, return on investments, and the budget. Have a good day, everyone.

And apologies for going into some details here, but are we talking infant and all up?

I should know this. Where's the property?

Over by where currently BEEP is. It's behind BEEP.

North. It's on the south side. It's on the edge of town.

It's actually up on the hill. It's close to those townhomes. That's where Fox Farm is. All right, thanks.

A bunch of kids there. It's a great location.

If you all remember, when we applied to the CDS, we applied for $3.4 million, which is likely the cost of what they're going to be

We'll be monthly... cost for families change at all with this development? Will it increase?

And correct me if I'm wrong, but I think our next stage, we're trying to get a work session planned on this, a detailed work session. So we can really delve in because we've gotten the report, we're chunking through it and we have this, you know, light that's like, yes, interested, yes, supportive. And then there's all the millions of details under it. Right. But so that's great. I like the word unhearable. Lead. Yes. It's just like you said, it's a really exciting project. And we know that the details are going to be huge. Yes. Almost probably a full-time staff person.

Can I ask briefly about the Intimus Air Park? Has the city, because the city has been part of the stakeholdership, have they expressed a willingness to adjust the joint planning area? Yes. Because I know that that has been a concern for the Treasury.

Thank you. We have a future quarterly meeting with the tribe, and so this is maybe a potential opportunity for a very, very, very high-level discussion with them.

Well, I think the key difference is that, one, the alliance is leading, and two, it's different from the LaPosta discussions in the past because we're also making sure, via the alliance, having the Southern New Indian tribe at the table for these pre-discussions, pre-talks, so that we can all financially or physically be bought into this type of development. Sarah, I'm going to have to push you here. So if we can jump on to the alliance item and then we can.

Perfect. Thank you. Commissioners questions.

I have one question in part because in 2025 the Alliance received $120,000 from the RHA actually. in order to be able to pass through quite a bit of substantive work in creating regional housing summits and the county housing needs assessment. Now that the RHA is sort of up and running again, can I ask how is the relationship between the Alliance and the RHA planned?

Can I update on that? So we had a retreat and Pat is tasked with meeting with you to talk about this. So at our retreat, what we talked about, this has been talked about for years, the need for the RHA to have sustainable funding. That's the whole reason we're staying in business. And so obviously then you get to the really tough, in this case, $2 million to $3 million question of how you do that. So we are proceeding to look at what all the options are, reconvene the steer committee, because we know a ballot would require something outside of the government's. We, at our retreat, integrated i

Well, Sarah, thank you very much. We were actually just for, for information today, we're starting our budget process. And so we're going to have a very high level, big picture, and then we'll be getting into future tis the season. So we'll, we'll, we'll, we've gotten your letter. We have it in our packets, the ask. And that's something that we will have that future discussion.

Thank you. I just need a quick break in transition. Just a quick coffee. Yep. Just yeah, two, two, three minute break and then we'll reach.

Can you stay for like a minute afterwards? Sure. Okay. Wait.

We don't. Well, just so you're not hanging around for a while.

Yeah, we have a whole talk afterwards. Sure. Two minutes. Okay.

And I got your email. I disregarded the other email. And then I'll just tell them what to do later on.

When I first became commissioner, I was... wanted to get information, get it out. Yeah. Oh, wait, shoot, we still have to review it. Of course.

Yeah. It's very important to remember that those are two different things.

All right, where are we? What are we? What are we doing here? Okay, up here next. Thank you very much. We're back. We'll continue. This is an update on human services restructuring and SNAP cost share. Martha, please introduce yourself and welcome.

Can you remind me real fast, what was the request of HR1? What percentage are they asking for states to cover? Well, thank you for that segue.

It'll be interesting to see where that falls. Because that really could potentially change...

I just really appreciate your work on this. Mr. Porter, you've been a part of this discussion via our portal, CCICCAT. I just wish that we could propose an error rate on our House and Senate, but unfortunately we cannot. Yes.

And we, you might, sorry, I was talking. We have the cohort. Did you talk about the cohort? No, that's next. Okay. And then tomorrow, human service office hours to really explain all those things.

Questions about the cohort? Yes. So in our state at this point in time, there's also a sort of a simultaneous effort to merge multiple programs in the education and post-secondary talent world. So there's an equivalent occurrence happening in 20 other departments that are looking to be merged together. And it sounds like there's an equivalent concern about why the deadline, why now, why are we pushing this at the very last moment? One of the things that is being discussed in the PAC, which is the post-secondary equivalent of your IWG, is whether or not we would align these regional areas with

That's pretty good. I'm not sure I would have been able to do that without labels.

And do we have certain counties whose error rates are significantly higher, and so they're bringing the state in one direction or another? And is that considered to be divvied up so that they can be assisted?

Who is in charge of the software development? Is it OIT?

Potentially. And then new staff. I might've missed the new staff. I did not. Eligibility staff.

We also have Logan. Looks like she's driving, so the slides are online as well.

Want to both introduce yourselves, and then you have the floor.

But you essentially paid for your new paver three times over already. Yeah, exactly. Wow. Incredible.

Well, the priority should be making sure that our residents are not falling into a missing culture going on. Um, I do thank you for the customer service aspect of this. And just any listening public, it's like, just please bear with us. Let us catch up. We need to take care of the emergencies first, and then we'll get back to the daily routines.

It's also important to note that there's not a lot we can do during the active moments of flooding. We can't go out there and bring heavier equipment onto your dirt road.

Do we have any kind of, and if you don't have this, that's entirely fine, but any kind of sense of like the percentage of roads that have been damaged in these rains? like, incidents or even, like, number or something like that. I mean, a lot of mud, but, like, the kind of damage we've seen.

So we're getting some outreach, like Representative Katie Stewart has reached, like anything we can do. We've also, some of us have received information or communications from DOLA asking what's going on. Are you guys all right over there? So I guess, please, if there is anything, there are tools available. Let us, the commissioners know, and we'll be able to then kind of relay that information to you. I don't know much. infrastructure dollars from Dolla. I just don't know what's even available or if they're just being kind and reaching out to us. But if there's anything that we need to highli

Please. Let me make sure I'm reading this correctly. I've seen this before. So to date this year, you have spent $4,435,000. Yes, ma'am. Right. And we're going to have you come back in when we do our formal budget. But I would think or wondering... How did this relate then to your 27 ask? So I'll ask you more detailed. So it looks like, and you know, like there was some gearing up that needed to happen to get the projects done, but the budget was, you know, there's a 3,402,651 difference. So I'm just wondering how this relates then to what you're gearing up for in 27. And none of that is by wa

It's just like, I'm trying to figure out like, and this is more of like when you come in and talk to this discussion that like, how do you, how do you judge capacity for what you can get done next year based on what you're learning this year?

It's kind of more global, and maybe I can email you some questions for when you come back in for the budget, and we get the budget this afternoon. We haven't seen your budget yet, but I'm just trying to figure out how do we budget... Because if we're leaving money on the table, so to speak, at the end of 27, A, we could mobilize it elsewhere, but B, we want to give you that 1A was primarily passed because of infrastructure. I want to give you, speaking for myself, the money you need, but then learn what can get done so that we're not leaving a gap at the end of the year. And again, I know this

Anyway, so I know this has been like the building year. So I'm just wondering how we budget on what we've learned in the building year. That's what I'm really asking.

Yeah, that is super helpful. And so what really matters is the report that we get on 1231 to see how it all played out. And then, of course, even then you'll have accounts receivable and payable.

That's something we will be comparing, but for myself would be is that what got done, which you've been killing it, appreciates you and your team, but want to see, okay, all right, we gave X amount for 26. We got this, these results. What's the ask for 27 and what the expectations are for, for those results. So I'm looking forward to those and we have not seen the budget and today is the day that we will.

A little bit of a side note before we end, because I've been going back and forth with Mike and Aaron and our community, who's very concerned about the Florida, the repair that's going to be reworked this fall. There has been a, extreme amount of emails coming in regarding bicycle traffic on this and Mike you very you very quickly responded to me on Monday and I really appreciate how quickly you did respond to me that the decisions to add signs and lower speed limits are not in your purview however there is the potential of adding bike symbols to the road surface and that you could react you c

On the asphalt as a way to just, as the things that we can control, because I have learned Erin has informed me that changing the speed limits is off the table due to state statute. And that share the road signs are not recognized by the manual of uniform traffic control devices. But if we wanted to put something up, there are other forms, but that we are concerned about what is called sign blindness. When there's too many signs, no one pays attention to anything. But I do know, and I very much respect our bicycling community has rallied significantly around this Florida road project in partic

I think that right now they're very focused on the component that we are actively about to resurface. That edge mount to the city limits area in particular. I think, and I am meeting with the person who's organizing this group later today. I do not know that, that they may not know that it goes all the, you know, we're not planning on doing any additional all the way up. This is a very small component, but that area between Edgemont and the city limits is the area that we have any control over right now. Yeah. And I mean, I, at this point in time, I really just, I want them to know that we hea

We're trying to do safety. We also talked about, I don't know what this would look like. This is where, emily's talents come in but some kind of multimodal just talking because our county roads are being used more and more and more for like they're on ride the rockies or that one thing you know that and so just this overall public awareness of like share the road without maybe the sign so I think we agreed at some point when emily gets some bandwidth to do that maybe a cycling season starts coming up next year

Yeah, particularly in gearing up to the world championships. Yeah, yes. Even more of a cycling mecca. And it is wholly unsatisfying to tell people, please don't ride your bicycle on that road. It is dangerous. Our community doesn't want to hear that. They want to hear, make it less dangerous. And there are capacities that we have and capacities we don't. And I'd like to work within what capacities we have.

And that's why I think it's important for us to just have the discussions of what we do have control over and how we can help now. Because my responses have been, you know, this is... The widening of adding bicycle lanes is the equivalent of adding an entire third lane and then you still need drainage on each side it's it is bigger than it seems and no we can't just move lines a little to the left everything is engineered and designed specifically we can't take three inches off of the shoulder on one side and add it to the shoulder on another and it's Again, it's wholly unsatisfying to give th

I have wondered two things. We don't have to decide today about a public meeting. We did this in a couple things when we had Rockwood very concerned about what was going up in that area. There was a public meeting. Our county manager went to it. So that might be a tool in the toolkit eventually just to Have you all come in? Because that face-to-face and explaining things is like nothing can replace that. The other thing that I think may be important to note is that isn't the only area that we have been asked to put bike lanes on. We got a petition, I think, with 300 people. They were quite org

Oh, yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's right. Clyde used to tell us about that. Yep. E-bikes, especially. Probably everywhere, e-bikes.

Yeah, we try to remind people that when the road is improved, it's improved for everyone because bicycles are legal vehicles in Colorado. They have the right, I mean, and I understand and I've heard a lot of responses that my suggestion to take the lane is extremely dangerous, but It's a, you are a legal vehicle, and I personally wouldn't take the plane in Florida, but the improvement of the road will help every legal vehicle.

All right. Thank you. Love seeing your signs. I haven't been on this road in a long time.

So what I'm seeing is this would be on October 6. That would be on a special business meeting. When will we see some product? Yeah.

So it's looking like you said, end of this week, you may see something. Okay. Commissioner Porter and order myself are gone next week, but I still have access. I, I, I, yeah. So I will be able to review next week.

I know that there are many discussions that we've been having for a while about these. One thing that we haven't brought up, but I would like to bring up, I know that these well pads will be larger. And one of the concerns I have heard from our community, and this is a strange thing to say, but because our part of the world is such a massive bird migration area, I would like for us to consider making a comment on light pollution and light mitigation and complying with dark skies. And in large part because the area that is likely going to be developed is already such a dark area, we don't want

There are obvious mitigation techniques that are being used in various other states. I just want to make sure that as we go forward, we're considering the dark sky compliant lighting and that kind of a thing. Thank you.

I sent my questions to Cheryl. So did she get those to you? Yeah. Okay. Yeah. One big area is when it is fee land and the tribe is developing on fee land, how does that play? So that'll, I'm sure, be in your document.

Do we, my last question in this is, I was thinking of this because I was out there this week. Is there a map that shows the 108,000 of both between states and fee interest? do we, I'm trying to figure out where the impact is going to be. I was on 318 and I'm like, now is the, is the 108 going to go on this side of the road? Or I know it's more Southeast of there, but just some kind of a, I've seen a bubble map. That's like, like, like this, like this, you know, here's Colorado, here's New Mexico, but you can't really get granular.

Yeah, I'm just curious, like what county roads are involved and where does, you know, where would it be by a subdivision, if at all, or homes and all of that?

Yeah, that's just one big question I have. Thank you. Oh, one last thing is, sorry, this is a complicated topic, right? So we had talked about what's the road, Mike, by Allison that has all the trucks on it that goes to- County Road 330. 330. So what is the interface between our roads and if the fracking is happening in New Mexico?

Okay. Okay. And I'll also point out, and I think the discussions are ongoing, but I just like to make it public. There was some concern about lay flats actually being in culverts and indigenous things of that nature. We want to make sure that there is no interference with existing agriculture operations in the county. I understand that they have certain rights, but there's also the liability. What happens if a tractor runs over only flats? Who is liable for that? Right now, it's already difficult enough to get agriculture water across the county, and we don't want to make that more difficult f

I'm hearing is wildlife, water, road infrastructure. Maps, any maps that you may have that you could share that with the commissioners, just kind of the area of impact.

And just for our internal staff, I'm concerned a little bit about ADTs now affecting people's ability to subdivide. So we need to be able to have some plan that if... shale of development is affecting people's ability to have their own property, private property rights. We need to be, this is not really for this letter, but this is something that we need to be thinking about internally. Are we going to hold people to account to ADTs that are not actually community development? They are more economic development on tribal lands. We need to think through all of that.

Yep. Great. You said 328, Mike? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I think I shared this. I went to office hours at the Allison Grange a couple, gosh, I lost track of time. I think it was a couple months ago. And I went down one of these roads. I'll have to look. No, it was, anyway, it was right by Allison. Might have been 330. Anyway, because I got there early and the Grange wasn't open yet. So I'm like, oh, I'll go down this road. And I bet there were eight trucks. I mean, I was only on that road for 10 minutes and there were any trucks. And so that would have been 330. Yeah, because it was right by the Allison Grange.

All right. Let's get these other items. Can we take a three-minute break? Yeah, let's take a three-minute break and proceed here in three minutes.

Great. Thanks, you guys, for all the work.

have a couple of remaining items left and then we can go on about our rest of our day yeah yeah that is weathering it rained in Bayfield all night long today yeah it rained in the rainbow I was coming in as staff support so this is different times

We will probably need to put an updated CSU extension contract in BDT since that CSU has not updated their conference in about 10 years. I think you guys all received this email. I think that we should probably go ahead and have that discussion in a BDT so that we can understand what the benefits of the extension is. We do have one of the most robust extensions and 4-H programs in the entire state. And it is quite a successful project. And I think that we should just get a little understanding before we re-up a contract. Okay.

So I would put that in there. Can we add to that what happens if we don't extend the contract? Do we even have that choice? I think there's some questions here. I mean, I'm not proposing that at all, but just what are the choices and options would be helpful. Okay. Yep. I mean, like I said, that's not, it's just.

I think it was, so for the BDT item, it would be kind of like the, what, choices, costs, repercussions, those type of topic items on that.

And we have a draft, Nicole Sonata draft of the changes.

I just mentioned one yesterday and I don't, I mean, we have so much on our plate with this URA, the everything else going on, but at some point getting SOAR here, it could even be December, you know, just to hear we are, we spend a significant amount of finances and Cheney's time on SOAR. And so there's that, but then where are the grants going? What is, how much do we, let's see, we are in what year? I think we're in year four-ish of 18 years of money. So just where are we at with money? Where's it going? Are there renewed discussions around bringing any more? What we were able to get done wi

There's a couple awards for actual services, mat services. So what I would like to do, commissioners, if you're good with this, tomorrow I will be at Region 9 majority of the day. So Sword, Laura? to give an update, I will speak with her. I think that I would, let's say, let's talk about this like in October for an October BDT, if there's a spot available, if not, then November. So I will speak with, or I'll ask Logan and Sarah on scheduling. So tomorrow when I see SOAR Laura, I will ask her when we can get her in. These are the dates, speak with our staff and let's get you scheduled. Cause th

I'm hearing none. All right. We'll go ahead on to the next here. And that is board discussion updates with acting county manager URA. Okay.

In an e-session. E-session, yes. Yeah, that's right, correct.

Were they in our packet yesterday? Yeah, so if we read our packets, I think we're pretty up on it.

That is good from me. All right. Commissioner's roundtable.

This, I put this on here. So you might be getting contacted by CCAT members. And the reason is, is I've been thinking about our CCAT conversations, looking at it from all angles. I think CCAT is incredibly valuable, but I also hear your concerns and I hear your questions and I hear like the why and the money angle, but I, and so I don't think I'm the messenger on this. I think that maybe hearing from other members, hearing from Thomas and talking about any concerns you have directly is a better way than me relaying that. And so if you get calls, I just want to be transparent. Like it may be fr

Yeah, I have a call with Commissioner Bucket Daniels on Friday, as well as Commissioner George Marlin.

George, okay. Um, On that note, Sarah or Jeff, as we are looking at our budget, what is the day that we are going to talk about circle back on the commissioner budget?

The only reason I'm asking is a different topic, which, well, CCAT and deciding where we're at with that. But I can give a little update. I had a really great conversation with Monique DiGiorgio and Rachel Landis on Monday. about the food work and their request and how well we'll be talking about that when we talk about our board priority part of the funding. So, yeah.

I gave incorrect information, so I'll correct it with them.

I mean, it's kind of been a revolving conversation because they're not really human service or health related. So then we talked about potentially, did we want to fund it as a board priority, similar to how we do WAP and, and, but maybe I got my wires crossed on that. Cause we have wildfire adaptive partnership and four core that we fund. They don't really fit all the other boxes. So it's like, this is a board priority. We're going to give some funding team up tends to do, you know, childcare, human services, all that. So, but if we want to just send them that direction, whatever, I guess I wo

we're going to assess this as a board priority. I would recommend based on last year's conversations that we direct everyone we can to team up primarily because the point of employing team up to be the intermediary is so that we don't have multiple projects being targeted at individual commissioners. And then we champion different projects because we have different points of communication with the community. I think the whole point of team up was to streamline it. So let's double check. I, to me, I would suggest we double check with team up to see if they feel like they have the capacity.

Okay, great. I'm comfortable with Commissioner Felbrick's input on that. All right. Regional meeting, five by five. Anything to bring up?

Yeah, I just wondered if you had anything. I thought we have not heard anything from PHMSA, correct? Nothing that's gotten back. Like, like here's all your answers. Okay. And then the other, I'm just trying to think what else might come up.

So I would like to, it goes on to the next section here. And that is, is that commissioner Brown will be at the five by five in person.

I will be joining in after I'm done with region nine via zoom. So I would like to bring up is just highlighting the concerns and the issues. with how do we have priority location services on important thoroughfares, corridors and areas because again, 25% of La Plata County goes down with a fiber strike as well as all of Archuleta County. So the frustrating part about it, I can give a quick update as well as Commissioner Brown, he's been in the loop on these communications of reaching out to 811. USIC, Lumen, Underground Safety Prevention Commission, PUC. And what I'm really finding out is ever

So Commissioner Brown will bring that up.

I will speak, or you will, I will, I will be, but I will also, we funny, funny thing is, is that we're actually going to have a pre-meeting with the representative of PUC, Daryl is his name at 12 right before the meeting. And so I'll be online. We'll have a kind of a similar, like what are, what are our expectations that we'll see from the PUC and underground. And so Brown and myself will, we'll have that information as of 12 to 1230, right before that meeting. That's all I have for a topic for that.

Yeah, the other thing is I've been approached by Shelly Burke at Access. There is, I'm not going to attempt to explain this. There is a way to capitate Medicaid and get a lot more bang for the buck, so to speak. And she wanted me to bring it up. And I said, I met like not even 101 on this. And so we're going to try to get a Zoom for when we get back where commissioners could just jump on. And as a provider, you know, Medicaid is under such stress right now for all kinds of reasons. And just explain it. And then she said, well, we want commissioners to advocate. And I said, we can't advocate if

So speaking of which, unless you're talking about tomorrow's schedule. Okay. All right. So we can tag team on this. Please proceed. And I want to pull up the schedule here.

So with the grace of Laura Lewis-Roschino, they have put the AAA vote at the top of the agenda tomorrow so that several of the commissioners can leave for the five by five after that. There are several of us who will be making a case for the AAA to be shifting over. This is a large component of my day-to-day work right now is to try to figure out how to iron out the AAA and then make the argument for it to go under the COG as it does in most regions. I cannot guarantee that I can then jump in a car and make it to Telluride. So I will try to zoom in if possible. But my main focus at this point

So what I'm seeing on Region 9's agenda for tomorrow here is it starts at 9. Mm-hmm. Yes, at 9 a.m. AAA should be up right after the consent. So it's just really the usual thing that we do in board, but consent agenda and then the old business, which is AAA. So it's looking like 9-15.

Yeah. And this does affect a significant number of the 5-by-5 counties. And so I would imagine that there will be a significant number. I'm hoping that there are a significant number of people at least queuing up and logging in and making the argument for it.

I'm the vice chair of the COG and Laura, Region 9 Laura, asked me to run the COG meeting, which is later on down the agenda. But so what I'm understanding is that Commissioner Medina is either going to be there for the moment, I have not spoken with her, and then leaving. And so what I just want to let you all know, Commissioner, is that on our agenda for Region 9 with AAA, there are two recommended actions. And those recommended actions is to vote yes to take on the AAA. with a formal transition of the AAA designation February 1st of 26th. Then the second 27, 27, it says six on here. We'll fi

So those are the two action recommendations. I will talk to Laura about the 26 versus 27. But those are the two items.

Yeah, so those are the two items. And then separate of that, the nonprofit entity, the San Juan Basin AAA, would have to dissolve after that. The intention was for it to dissolve at the beginning of November. However, the Region 9 Economic Development has requested a longer runway in order to be able to iron out several items they're concerned about. And we will speak to those at the summit tomorrow.

So then the interim director, Ava, who worked for Region 10's AAA for 12 years, jvaa board members and Laura strathers with state unit of Aging will be in attendance as we have to answer questions so there'll be a heavy heavy heavy lift of style or heavy seems like you have a more detailed schedule would you mind sharing that yeah it's just that I can see what it is that has been included in the packet I know that we included some

one pagers of the finances and some understanding of where we're at. We have accounted for all dollars at this point in time, but it is still a little bit at the 300,000 foot level.

I will be sending this to you and Jeff for information only. And so I will get that forwarded to you.

So if we, I am going to send out good energy for that boat, that it goes the right way. If it doesn't, and we don't have to talk about now because that will be later, I assume we would go in some kind of an e-session to figure out county role or, you know, like because the health department was... We can go any incredibly heavy lift and maybe, and hopefully we don't have to go that, but that would imply the County would be taking it on. No, but it would be what you're saying. If I understand you correctly, it would be of that level of getting all the spaceships off the ground, administrative p

It's the board of the San Juan basin, triple a that does it. And so it's a very heavy lift at this point in time when there's only a handful of people left on the board. The board has been quiet quitting for years. And there's a lot of names on the board of people who have never attended the board meetings. And so it would be a heavy lift. There are state statutes as to what happens next. And that is one of the reasons that Laura Strother will be on the phone with the region meeting tomorrow. And that is with the intention of making sure people understand what happens and how much could potent

I'll send out good energy. Okay, thank you.

I appreciate, though, that Commissioner Ranson and herself will be there, I think, somewhere. I'm there to represent Region 9, but was struggling at times of some questions. So I'm glad that we've got backup there for AAA and that you'll be able there to support and address any questions there may be. Because there were, I'll be very blunt, there was two board members that were questioning. Which ones?

And then the other one is, oh my gosh, I'll get you the name later. It's... Oh, Silverton. Austin? It's a female. I will get you that name. But there's just the two. But I went, it went to a positive direction. So I think, yeah, I'm just glad that you all be there.

Yeah. Nothing's on fire right now. So we won't lose Commissioner Ransom. That's how we lost him last time.

Any other items on region nine? Oh, I will also too. Yes. So I will be part of that. And then you'll figure out your, your next steps. And then which Gordon, thank you very much for being there in attendance. And I will be there.

If you guys can't make it, I think even with adult out adult supervision, I think I can recognize that. And we know you can. So, I mean, like, that sounds a little stressful, but do what you need to do. Yeah, yeah. So, anyway, but I'm leaving at 10, and I will be color peeping on the way up there unless it's cloudy.

One other item of importance, I know that you all are heading out, and so it's important. I think it is important to note that on October 2nd, we will be setting our CCI legislative priorities. And because I will be the one doing that for you, if you could assume the responsibilities of your individual committees, because I know you have been paying attention to the legislation in your committees, tell me what you want me to be fighting for and fighting against and any points that you need answered. to, to make those points, but just so that I can be voting on your behalf as your proxy on Octo

I'm so glad you were on that. I had it on my list and I forgot. I listened all last Friday. I, for the whole entire thing, don't have any heartburn over what they're proposing. Okay. And so you can vote yes for, I am making sure I get this right. Taxation is legislative reform for county impacts of course we want that strengthening county revenue revenue I think that one may not I mean anything to give counties revenue tools that are permissive like like that that like if we want to vote on an excise tax on X we should be able to do that if it goes to voters so I am a yes on so taxation is one

And then your general government, right? Yeah. I'm general government agriculture and tourism.

And then we had the agriculture, the reveg for division three. That's just modeling after what we did for division two last year. Transportation airport. I think I saw something on that, that you're vetting that airport one.

Or is, is it go? I will forward that to her information.

I got a little lost on the HUTF distribution one. It's not that I'm opposed. I'm like, okay, I need to learn more about this. But it's your vote anyway.

Yeah, I have heartburn on... And I will put this in an email to get to Jeff, but updating the Colorado Privacy Act for the age of artificial intelligence. And there's reasons for that. My question I had posed during our district meeting up in Glenwood was the fact that the attorney general, whoever that is, has the ability to change and staff resources. I've already highlighted it on one candidate for the AG's office. So I've marked that for them. But for my input, and I will put this in for Jeff to have, and that is, is that why let's have CCI work on other items where we can then really purs

I actually agree. Looking at those privacy bills, it's all consuming. You know, we need like one staff person for that and data centers and, you know, CCAT ran into the same thing. Like, how do we all of a sudden become experts on, you know, flop cameras and privacy? I mean, not that they're, I mean, they're really important issues, but I think that's a really good concern.

A little bit of a heartburn as well on that topic is that that county is not unified on all county commissioners backing this. And so for me, I'm sticking to our policies of CCI. And that is, is you should have all, you know, unanimous vote support on a bill proposal. And so that is one where I've been getting my ear put on. So, okay. But I will, I'll put this on.

Yeah. Just ideally it more than anything, tell me what it is that you wish me to vote. No, I don't have a note in your proxy so that I can make sure that, Oh, that's easy then. I don't know. I mean, we don't have to go. We can just, We can be subtractive instead of additive. Just tell me what it is that you're... Because you, I mean, for the listening public, the commissioners divvy up legislative priorities by committee, and each of us has authority over specific committees. And so when someone is out of town or unable to make a vote themselves, we vote in proxy on behalf of those people, but

Right. Very good. I like that. And then also on that. So they're also doing the principles and we went through those. It was painstaking. I got a couple of cups of coffee as we went through it, but all the policy statements and I'm good with the ones for my committees.

And I'll follow up on the HUTF. Thank you. All right. Okay. Anything else?

And Commissioner Porter-Norton, just to clarify again, because I believe I had heard you a few weeks ago that you were concerned about our participation in CCAT, but you now have decided that you are in 100% support of staying in CCAT?

I am, yes. And that's why I, and I can talk about it in the budget meetings. When I really look back through everything they have gotten done in past years and thought about some of the votes where we've tried to get really good things through CCI, Yeah, I am. And if also I think it's more fair to all the other CCAT counties, if we're going to pull out that we don't we do it like earlier in the spring, because it'll it'll take that those costs then have to go to the other counties. But more importantly, I just I can't I, I can't. I can't count the number of times I vote at CCI. God bless them.

And that's, I'll talk to Puckett Daniels, Commissioner Puckett Daniels, but there needs to be internal improvements. Yeah. For sure.

A lot of it has to do with the fact that not every, I mean, I understand certain counties commissioners have a lot more time on their hands. We are as scheduled as scheduled can be. I look at all of my schedules side by side and there is not an hour free in my schedule all week long. When I look at commissioner and then parent, And business owner and I I can't drive right you know you have seven hours to have a two hour meeting. And it's a real missed opportunity that there isn't something as simple as one of these owls in the room, so that we can be part of the conversation and, most importan

Yeah, we are though. I mean, just to clarify for CCAT, we absolutely do have a Zoom link. I think we can vote. They always do that vote. It's not the same kind of voting and it's verbal. And so I think it gets lost.

Yeah, it gets lost. And I will say in the last CCAT meeting that was up at Steamboat, I had put my hand up for a couple of questions that was never caught on. I was unable to interrupt into the room because no one could see us.

Yeah, they weren't tracking on it closely. They weren't.

Yeah, it was not intended. It did not seem that it was intended for people to zoom in to have the same level of impact.

And I think giving them that feedback, like you said, like we know where technology friendly places are. And also that's why CCI always has their conference in Denver or on I-70. Is it's four and a half hours for us to get there. I'm like, I'm not going to go to Steamboat and sit there for a day and a half.

Yeah. It's a beautiful place to visit, but it is an entire day to get there. Oh my goodness. And there's no other way to get there than to drive.

Yeah. So I think any feedback you have, I mean, but I just think it's like, let's have more time to pull out. And then I really want them to share with you what, what the role of CCAT is, you know, like position wise in the whole policy realm. And if if our governor next governor is phil weiser Leslie dell kemper the lieutenant governor is a giant fan of CCAT and has been there she was at the retreat so I think that's good all right staff good good okay all right that was quite meaty yes it was all right I will call this BDT adjourned thank you everyone thank you thank you