County Commissioners approve 2024 budget

At the Dec. 8 and Dec. 15 Board of County Commissioners meetings, the Board considered requests from county staff; attended to contracts, personnel-related decisions and matters pertaining to the landfill; and addressed other miscellaneous items as listed below. They also approved Board meeting dates for 2024.

The most significant decision made on Dec. 15 was to adopt the 2024 budget. Resolution No. 2023-12-15-02 appropriated $8,757,781 to the General Fund and eight others such as the Road and Bridge Fund and Human Services Fund. Resolution 2023-12-15-01 specified estimated expenditures and revenues for each of the nine funds.

The Board also adopted Resolution 2023-12-15-03 that set the mill levy for general property taxes for the year 2023 assessment payable in 2024. The mill levy was set at 28.28 to be levied upon each dollar of the total assessed valuation of all taxable property within the County in 2023. The County Assessor certified the county’s 2023 property valuation for assessment at $101,147,210.

The Board met with the following two individuals during the Dec. 8 meeting:

• County Treasurer Steve Young regarding tax and interest forgiveness; and

• An individual to discuss the progress being made on cleaning up property to comply with the Junk and Weed resolution.

Deputy Administrator/Planner Andrew Nygaard updated the Board on behalf of County Clerk and Recorder, Beth Zilla, regarding a contract for new recording software.

Actions approved at the Dec. 8 meeting included:

• the request from County Treasurer Steve Young to forgive taxes and interest on a specified account that was tabled from the Nov. 30 meeting;

• the renewal of the farm ground lease at the landfill for 2024;

• the designation of Human Services Director, Lori Lundgren, to serve as a proxy to the Colorado Counties, Inc. Health and Human Service Steering Committee during 2024; and

• the Hyper-Reach notification system contract with Asher Group for emergency mass notification services for $5,450 for three years.

The Board met with the following individuals during the Dec. 15 meeting:

• Weed and Pest Manager Kerri Doleshall regarding an equipment request, and,

• Maintenance Assistant Supervisor Brandon Market regarding additional uses and possible modifications of one of the buildings at the fairgrounds.

In addition to approving the budget and 2024 meeting dates, actions approved at the Dec. 15 meeting included:

• an increase in Landfill rates for various materials;

• the request by Doleshall to purchase rodent extermination equipment for a cost of $1,835;

• the job description for the Fair Manager;

•  a pay scale grade level increase for two individuals from the Sheriff’s office and one individual from the road and bridge department;

• the hiring of Christy Kage for administrative support in the Administration office;

• annual membership dues for Colorado County’s, Inc. membership and dues for CCI’s public lands fund that supports the work of its Public Lands Steering Committee in order to ensure adequate representation on federal and state public land legislation or regulatory efforts; and

•  an extension of the hiring incentives for another six months.

The Board tabled a decision on a Memorandum of Understanding between the county and Colorado State University regarding increased costs associated with the CSU Extension office.

The 2024 meeting schedule and meeting minutes with full details can be found at the Phillips County website, phillipscounty.colorado.gov. Copies can be requested at the Administrator’s office in the courthouse or by calling (970) 854-3778.