BOCC Meeting, October 21, 2026

This was the regular Board of County Commissioners meeting on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. Present were Chair Bill Canda, Lucas Epp, and Paul Vogelsong, county attorney Dan Slater, and BOCC admin. Audience included residents who later spoke on Highway 69 speeds. An emergency incident (shots fired at deputies on Oak Creek / Chapman Road) was reported as contained. The agenda was amended to move the executive session and the stop-loss / child-care items to the next meeting or a special meeting. Minutes of October 14 were approved, all aye. Commissioner reports covered the budget shortfall tied to property-value loss, the clean audit, a Central Front Range Transportation Planning Region meeting (bridge on 165 to be repaired by CDOT), Highway 69 South funding concerns, an Upper Arkansas Area Council of Governments meeting on aging programs, the airport capital plan, work on a long-term Forest Service MOU for firefighting, the Conservation District dinner, and the SBA disaster-recovery team at Wetmore through the following Friday for Aspen Acres fire-affected residents and businesses. Road and Bridge discussed a possible lean-to addition at the west shop for chip-sealer and roller storage (materials cost only, self-built). The election office noted it would be closed on election day for staffing and traffic reasons; ballots continue through the day before. The treasurer’s August report showed a total balance of $11,022,537.22 and an ending balance of $10,885,470.22. All funds balanced. Approved all aye. The Community Firewood Bank MOU (operated by Veterans Rescue Ranch at Centennial Ranch) was the contested item. The bank would use county equipment (dump truck, dump trailer, chipper) for mitigation wood (pinon and juniper). Volunteers cut, split, and stack; the public picks up on an income-based basis that prioritizes non-veterans. Applications sit at Human Services and the VSO office. No county personnel or direct cash. A federal grant application for gas and maintenance was named. Local firewood businesses were discussed; the volume (10–12 cords a week range cited) was called small. Corrections were made to the draft. Motion to approve failed: Lucas and Paul voted no, citing the need for more questions and input from local firewood operators. The item was not approved and was set for rescheduling. Two emergency-management resolutions passed all aye. Resolution 26-49 adopted the Custer County Alert and Warning Plan. Resolution 26-50 adopted the 2026 Emergency Operations Plan (deadline met; aligns with Free Com for dispatch). Resolution 26-51 authorized the sale of the 2009 Dodge Durango, 2012 Dodge Ram 1500, 2007 Ford F-150, and 2002 GMC Yukon (sealed bids with minimums; four sold, 2001 Durango remains). Adopted all aye. Five pairs of budget-amendment resolutions cleaned “due to / due from” balances: 26-52 / 26-53: $54,782.23 from general (fund 10) to emergency services (fund 60). All aye. 26-54 / 26-55: $279,826.88 from general (10) to capital improvement (50). All aye. 26-56 / 26-57: $3,872.56 from general (10) to human services (70), with a fund-name correction. All aye. 26-58 / 26-59: $48,000 from general (10) to Road and Bridge (20), with a fund-name correction. All aye. 26-60 / 26-61: $20,800 reverse transfer from contingent (30) to general operations (10). All aye. Airport liability insurance renewal was quoted at $2,006.74, moving toward a calendar-year policy. Approved all aye. Heavy mobile equipment / vehicle renewal was also noted. Public comment came from Mary Shields (Terry Drive) and Dave Seiler (Jerry Drive / Adams subdivision). Both described speeding on Highway 69 southbound into Westcliffe (55 mph signs dropping to 40 then 35, drivers still at 50–55), near-collisions, jake brakes, and increased traffic from new housing. A CDOT contact number was left; no response was reported. Road-condition concerns on Jerry Drive were also raised. No motion was made. No motion closed the Firewood Bank MOU, the Highway 69 speed request, or any remaining budget shortfall. Next dates named included the October 28 meeting for the deferred items and the auditor RFP.