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Summer Issue 2016

County Lines

In This Issue Page 2 Keynote Address

Page 3 Election Impacts

Page 6 Cybersecurity

Pages 14-16 District Meetings

CCI’s Annual Conference Brings Together 400 County Leaders

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper (left) and NACo Research and Out-reach Director Dr. Emilia Istrate were among the highlight speakers at the CCI Foundation Winter Conference.

Four hundred county commissioners, councilmembers and county staff convened in Colorado Springs in late-November for the CCI Foundation’s 2016 Annual Winter Conference. El Paso County Commissioner Darryl Glenn welcomed the record turnout to his home county and thanked his peers for participating in the state’s largest gath-ering of county leaders.

The three-day event included a lively keynote address by Colorado Gover-nor John Hickenlooper (see Page 2), meetings of three affiliate groups – the Association of Colorado County Administrators (ACCA), the Colora-do Human Services Directors Asso-ciation (CHSDA), and Colorado As-sociation of Road Supervisors & En-gineers (CARSE) – and the participa-tion of 41 corporate/association

sponsors (listed on 8). In addition, Larimer County Commissioner Lew Gaiter III was elected to succeed Otero County Commissioner Keith Goodwin as CCI President for 2017 and the association honored its 2016 top achievers (photos below), including Co-Commissioners of the Year Rose Pugliese (Mesa) and Nan-cy Sharpe (Arapahoe) and Distinguished Service Award

winner Art Goodtimes, a longtime San Miguel County Commissioner. To kick off the conference theme of “Telling the County Story,” Emilia Istrate, Director of Research and Out-reach for the National Association of Counties (NACo), highlighted two complimentary reports issued by NACo over the last several months. “Priorities in America’s Counties 2016: A Survey of County Officials” and “Doing More With Less: State Revenue Limitations and Mandates on County Financ-es” paint a nationwide picture of increased constituent demand for services colliding with limited financial

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CCI honored leadership excellence in 2016 by naming Co-Commissioners of the Year Rose Pugliese (left) of Mesa County and Nancy Sharpe (center) of Arapahoe County, and presenting its Distinguished Service Award to iconic San Miguel County Com-missioner Art Goodtimes.

Winter Issue 2016

C O U N T Y L I N E S

resources. This reality often sparks ingenuity and part-nerships with other local governments, non-profit or-ganizations and the private sector to achieve communi-ty goals. Speaking to the survey results, Istrate explained that NACo surveyed elected county officials in April 2016 for their opinions and perceptions of the top county issues. The survey describes challenges and priorities in seven areas: the fiscal environment, economic develop-ment, infrastructure, health and human services, pov-erty, public safety, and the impact of federal and state policy making. On the issue of infrastructure, 72 percent of respond-ents said they would prioritize repairing county-owned roads with additional funding for surface transportation projects. This speaks to the deferred road and bridge maintenance and constructions projects that are facing local communities nationwide. To address poverty, many county governments are en-gaged in initiatives that bring together a broad array of services and resources for disadvantaged residents. Ad-dressing an individual’s needs in their entirety – from providing food to helping residents with their critical expenses – helps residents break the cycle of poverty. Istrate also highlighted the findings of NACo’s “Doing More With Less” publication, including: 1) state gov-ernments are limiting counties’ revenue authority to fund essential services; 2) counties are coping with more state and federal mandates, not fully covered by state and federal aid; 3) counties are adjusting to new fiscal challenges on the horizon such as marijuana legal-ization, plummeting prices for oil and gas and the ad-vent of the “sharing economy;” and 4) counties are pursuing various solutions to ensure quality service de-livery despite fiscal constraints. Specific information on Colorado’s revenue streams and the challenges and solutions counties face in the Centennial State can be found on the CCI web site at http://ccionine.org/download/Colorado.pdf. To learn more about the nationwide findings among counties, or to access the data-rich County Explorer information tool, visit NACo’s web site at naco.org.

Keynote Address:

Governor Hickenlooper Stresses Unity After a Polarizing Election In his keynote remarks at the Winter Conference, Colo-rado Governor John Hickenlooper acknowledged that the recent election was highly polarizing and stressed that now is the time that government needs to listen to constituents and understand their frustrations. Further, Hickenlooper reminded commissioners that just as it is important to listen to constituents, we must all listen to one another just “a little bit longer and a little bit hard-er.” Turning to the “State of the State,” Hickenlooper not-ed that while the Front Range has experienced excep-tional growth and recovery from the recent economic recession, many rural areas of the state have not re-bounded in the same fashion. To help assist these com-munities in recovery and become competitive on a na-tional level, basic infrastructure like transportation is needed. In addition to improvements to transportation, he said high-speed broadband must be made available to all parts of the state – creating equality throughout the state and access to the same basic tools for economic development. “Your zip code shouldn’t determine whether or not you have internet,” he said. As improvements to economic development tools are being made, the Governor said diversifying workforce training should also be considered. While not all stu-dents are inclined to attend the traditional four-year college, he said it is important to elevate those who have chosen to pursue non-traditional career paths and provide a way forward for these skills to be fostered within our communities. Responding to these changes, the state has created a CareerWise Colorado, an ap-prenticeship program that will allow students to take classes in the industry areas that interest them most. Students who have completed an apprenticeship will be positioned with two years of experience and have the opportunity to either enter into the workforce or attend a four-year college.



Rounding out his address to county leaders, the Gover-nor noted that in order to balance the budget, dips into the reserve funds will be needed. He also added that among budget priorities, he and his staff will be work-ing to secure $15.9 million in funding for county hu-man services administration. Addressing the marijuana gray market through excise tax funding is also a high priority. Hickenlooper finalized his comments by not-ing that while Colorado has seen a drop in oil and gas production, the state economy has managed to stay strong as a result of economic diversification.

Election Impacts:

Panelists Agree Split Assembly Will Lead to Fewer New Laws

Secretary of State Wayne Williams (center) was joined by political insiders Chris Castilian (left) and Mike Beasley (right) on a panel that looked at what the recent election means to Colorado’s future.

Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams presided over a panel discussion on the last day of the Winter Conference that examined both the conduct of the re-cent elections and the results of several ballot measures. He was joined by two experienced political consultants, Mike Beasley of 5280 Strategies, LLC and Chris Castilian of Colorado Solutions, who opined on the outcomes of various ballot measures.

Williams began by assuring the audience that it is next to impossible to “hack” elections here in Colorado (as some have suggested on the national level). State vot-ing systems are not connected to the Internet, so hack-ers would have no way of gaining access. The only component that is connected to the Internet is the

SCORE system (the state voter registration system), and it is not linked to county voting machines and sys-tems. Colorado voters are among the most active in the na-tion, according to Williams. Colorado leads the nation in percentage of voting-eligible population that is regis-tered to vote (at 87 percent). Seventy-five percent of registered voters in Colorado turned out for the 2016 election, placing us third in the nation (behind only Minnesota and New Hampshire).

Williams then turned to the various initiated measures that were on the ballot this fall. Amendment 69 (the Health Care Tax), which was opposed by CCI’s mem-bership, failed in all 64 counties. Beasley noted that while everyone expected the measure to fail, most were surprised by just how poorly the measure did – garner-ing only 21 percent of the vote.

The panelists then turned to Amendment 71 (Raise the Bar), a measure that will make it harder to amend the state constitution. CCI’s membership supported Amendment 71, and it passed handily, garnering al-most 56 percent of the vote. Castilian was one of the proponents of the measure, working on some of the groundwork policy while he was part of the Colora-dans for Responsible Energy Development coalition. Castilian noted that this measure has been tried before – both legislatively and at the ballot. This constitution-al amendment will require that signatures be gathered around the state – not just in the Front Range – and will raise the threshold for passage of a constitutional amendment from 50 to 55 percent. Passage of measures that seek statutory changes will require only a simple majority in order to pass. Williams then turned to the passage of Propositions 107 and 108, which will create a statewide presidential primary beginning in 2020 and allow unaffiliated voters to participate in primaries. Unlike the legislative pro-posals that CCI supported this past session, these measures require that counties foot the bill for the presidential primary (minus the statutory reimburse-ment that the state provides to counties for running elections). Combined costs for running a presidential primary and having to send ballots to unaffiliated vot-ers could run as high as

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$9 million. Williams believes that the state should fully reimburse the cost of the presidential primary, reason-ing that this is a state election and not a local one. The panelists concluded by talking about statehouse races and the upcoming legislative session. Democrats increased their majority in the Colorado House of Rep-resentatives, adding three more seats. Rep. Crisanta Duran (D-Denver) will serve as Speaker of the House next session, while Rep. Patrick Neville (R-Castle Rock) will serve as Minority Leader in the House. Over in the Senate, the Republicans retained their one-vote majority. Sen. Kevin Grantham (R-Cañon City) will serve as Senate President in January, while Sen. Lucia Guzman (D-Denver) will serve as Minority Leader in the Senate. All three panelists agree that an-other two years of a split House and Senate will mean fewer laws enacted and probably an impasse on thorni-er issues like transportation funding, construction de-fects reform and state budgeting.

For more data on the recent election, please go to the Secretary of State’s webpage at www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/ACE.

Drone Application and Regulation:

Counties Apply Many Uses Amid Security, Privacy Issues

El Paso County Commissioner Peggy Littleton moderated the workshop on drone application and regulation where the speakers were (left to right) Wendell Pryor, Chaffee County Economic Development Director, and David Couch and Constantin Diehl of UAS Colorado.

“Who Watches the Watchmen? - Recent Develop-

ments in Drone Application and Regulation” may have

been one of the most timely workshops at the Winter

Conference. In her opening remarks, moderator and El Paso County Commissioner Peggy Littleton noted that over the past few years, the use of unmanned aircraft systems (also known as “drones”) has risen sharply, in the recreational and commercial arena as well as by governmental agencies. Nationally, there are over 550,000 drones already regis-tered. That number is likely to climb – as drones are one of the most popular Christmas presents this year.

Chaffee County Economic Development Director Wendell Pryor explained some of the current uses for drones at the county level, including search and rescue, wildfire reconnaissance and law enforcement surveil-lance. Drones also have surveying and mapping applications that can benefit county road and bridge, public works and open space/recreation departments. Pryor talked briefly about the formation of Chaffee County’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Advisory Committee. The committee is comprised of citizens, former pilots and other drone enthusiasts who provide comments and recommendations to the board of county commissioners. He also indicated that Rep. Jim Wilson (R-Denver) will be carrying legislation next ses-sion to establish a UAS pilot program in the county.

Constantin Diehl and David Couch of UAS Colorado

provided an excellent overview of the drone phenome-

na and the current regulatory structure.

Diehl pointed out that just three years ago only experts

could fly drones; now anyone can do it. The speakers

also touched on some of the concerns that repeatedly

come up in public forums, namely privacy, security and

limits on airspace regulatory authority.

Diehl noted that counties cannot ban the operation of

drones over public places like parks and open space

because airspace is under the jurisdiction of the FAA.

However, counties are allowed to regulate drones tak-

ing off or landing in public areas.

http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/ACE

http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/ACE


Mike Whatley (far left) and Jack Arrowsmith (far right) of SIPA were joined in the preparation and presentation of the cybersecurity workshop by Eric Hopfenbeck (second from left) of the National Cybersecurity Center and Eric Bergman (third from left), who oversees the issue as CCI’s Policy Director.

The threat of cyberattacks and hacking is a growing concern among all levels of government in Colorado. Counties maintain a wealth of sensitive information that is of interest to hackers, including financial ac-counts and personal information such as Social Security numbers and health records. At the Winter Confer-ence, Commissioner Lew Gaiter III (Larimer) moderat-ed a session on cybersecurity with an expert panel to provide tips and resources to help counties adopt re-sponsible and secure network protection procedures. Jack Arrowsmith of the Statewide Internet Portal Au-thority (SIPA) provided some introductory remarks about his agency – including the services they offer to local governments in Colorado. SIPA – in operation since 2004 – provides a variety of services to counties, including website hosting, event registration and pay-ment processing. SIPA also provides cyberterrorism analysis and threat assessment. Mike Whatley of SIPA then talked about the two basic kinds of cyberterrorism attacks that counties are experiencing today: Ransomware – software that inhibits computer opera-tions until the local government agrees to pay a ransom to the hacker in exchange for freeing up the user’s serv-er. An attack like this happened in Hinsdale County this year.

Denial of Service Attacks – basically overloading your system with inquiries, effectively paralyzing and shut-ting down the server. There is specific malware out there that allows cyberterrorists to initiate hundreds of requests simultaneously.

Whatley concluded that cybersecurity is a business reali-ty for all local governments. Many protection measures have low-to-no costs associated with them. An analysis by SIPA contractors can give counties a roadmap of where the vulnerabilities are in their system and what due diligence can be done to minimize risk of cyberter-rorism. Eric Hopfenbeck of the National Cybersecurity Center (NCC) then talked briefly about the new center (based in Colorado Springs) and the long-term mission of the organization. The NCC was organized earlier this year and was charged with providing collaborative cyberse-curity response services. A branch of the NCC is the new Cyber Institute which will work directly with local, state and federal agencies to provide information on the latest trends, security, best practices and educational resources. Earlier this year the NCC held its first Gov-ernor’s Symposium on Cybersecurity that attracted over 300 participants from ten states.

Legislative Advocacy:

Sen. Steadman Offers ‘Secrets’ On Counties Telling Their Story

Senator Pat Steadman (center) was welcomed to the Winter Conference by Summit County Commissioners Karn Stiegelmeier (left) and Dan Gibbs (right).

The Winter Conference theme “Telling the County Sto-ry” was enhanced by a lunchtime session with Sen. Pat Steadman (D-Denver). He gave conference attendees an insight into the “secrets” of the Joint Budget


Cybersecurity:

Threat to Counties Is Real… But Protection Is Affordable


Committee (JBC), of which he was a member for six of his eight years in the Senate. He also passed along im-portant advice for tailoring messages to communicate the county story effectively to legislators. Steadman knows even better than most how to suc-cessfully work with people on both sides of the aisle. While serving on the JBC, Steadman and the other members were able to pass budgets with bipartisan support. During four of the six years that he served on the JBC, the legislature, and consequently the JBC it-self, was split, making the job even more challenging. He also served on the JBC during years of recession and in the recovery years after. In these tough budget years, the JBC was able to increase the state’s statutory reserve requirement to 6.5 percent. The JBC also worked on the difficult and unpredictable topic of ma-rijuana and distributing revenue to better anticipate and mitigate some of the consequences of legalization. During his talk, Steadman shared some of the “secrets” of the JBC which gave attendees an insider look at the budget process. First, he emphasized the power of the JBC. While the JBC takes the Governor’s budget re-quest into consideration, ultimately the JBC decides which items make it into the long bill. Consequently, the JBC briefings and hearings in the fall/winter are an influential time to highlight the county story and de-fend the Governor’s budget requests. This also empha-sizes the importance of cultivating a relationship with the Governor and his Office of State Planning & Budg-eting. Second, Steadman highlighted the importance of creat-ing relationships with the staff of the JBC. The staff often reaches out with inquiries related to the budget, and supporting them in this process is vitally im-portant. The JBC staff knows every agency, revenue source, and funding structure, and has broad expertise. The staff can cast tremendous doubt on budget re-quests and can also change the way things are request-ed. The JBC staff is especially knowledgeable in regards to the competing demands of government and what it takes to fund programs that make a difference. Because of the influence JBC staff has over the long bill, it is important to help staff whenever possible. Third, Steadman detailed the best time to reach out to

the legislature in regards to budget decisions. Ultimate-ly, while the other 94 legislators have an opportunity to vote on the bill, the true battles about the budget occur among the six members of the JBC. Floor amendments change just .004 percent of the funding in the Long Bill and are often used for reallocating funds to small pro-jects. Difficult decisions and creative solutions do not get debated on the House and Senate floor. These take place in the JBC, often based on JBC staff recommen-dation. Therefore, reaching out early to discuss the budget is incredibly important.

Steadman capped his remarks with specific suggestions to strengthen the county voice. He again emphasized the need to reach out to legislators and teach them about state and local government, the ramifications of the legislature’s decisions, and what counties are doing in their community specifically. Many new legislators do not have prior local government experience and may not be aware of the county’s role in governing. This is an important role that counties can play. He specifically highlighted that counties should not let state departments speak for them or rely on the state departments to communicate the county voice. Steadman also highlighted the importance of reminding legislators that many county responsibilities are state-mandated. And while this may seem obvious, it is something that is often forgotten. Specifically, he men-tioned how counties need to remind the JBC of the five-year plan to increase the number of child welfare caseworkers across the state. The plan is not currently on track, but Steadman encouraged attendees to stay vigilant, communicate with legislators, and remind new legislators and JBC members of the unfinished multi-year plan. Finally, Steadman expressed the strength of the coun-ties when working together. He noted that when the legislature hears that the counties are not on the same page, it confuses legislators about how to best repre-sent their constituents. Steadman encouraged attendees to pick and prioritize issues where there is a strong consensus in order to be the most influential at the leg-islature. While partisanship and politics is a huge influ-ence in the government, the county plays such an in-strumental role in administering programs of the state. Therefore, it is important to stay focused on governing together.


Maximizing Agricultural Exports:

Brown, Addison See Opportunity For Counties to Boost Economies

Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture Don Brown (left) spoke to how agri-cutural exports can provide additional resouces to meet county needs… music to the ears of Linda Warsh, Director of Social Services, Saguache County.

According to Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture Don Brown, speaking at the Winter Conference, agri-cultural production is the second largest industry in Colorado, employing approximately 175,000 individu-als, bringing in $40 billion in sales, and ranking Colora-do in the top 10 states nationwide for livestock, feed crops and fruit and vegetable production. With such competitive levels of production, Colorado has taken a global approach in expanding its economy and agricul-tural industry, exporting goods to over 100 countries including Japan, Mexico, and China. While Colorado has used this strategy in diversifying the state economy, many counties often overlook how they might strengthen and diversify their local economies by in-creasing agricultural exports. In a state where agricultural production is outpacing consumption, exporting agricultural commodities pro-vides an alternative to waste as well as adding $2 billion dollars to the state economy and providing approxi-mately 12,000 jobs. Senior International Marketing Manager of the Colorado Department of Agriculture John Addison also reminded members that often when farmers and ranchers find that the price of commodi-ties are down stateside, they may be able to find better pricing internationally. Addison added that in addition to finding better com-modity pricing, counties should encourage local farm-ers and ranchers to consider diversifying their crops to

keep pace with population changes and better tailor themselves to supply and demand (or market changes). However, Addison noted, these crops should be sus-tainable and not just a response to the current trends. In this way, producers will be able to better withstand the downturns in pricing of cash crops like corn and soy because of oversupply. As farmers and ranchers explore diversification of crops and working with co-packers, counties can help by incentivizing companies to expand their businesses locally through tax credits, clear land use policies, and addressing the existing obstacles to transportation funding. Not only do incentives help retain local busi-nesses, they also make Colorado more competitive with surrounding states such a Utah in attracting new busi-ness. Commissioner Brown and Addison finalized their comments by reiterating to commissioners that one of the best ways to strengthen a local economy is to adver-tise the resources available to small agricultural businesses.

Achieving Safe and Reliable Rural Roads:

Commissioner Ryan Outlines Strategies to Reduce Fatalities

Jill Ryan (left), with fellow Eagle County Commissioners Jeanne McQueeney (center) and Kathy Chandler-Henry, recommended ways for rural counties in Colorado to stem the tide of growing highway deaths.

In a Winter Conference presentation to commissioners and road and bridge supervisors, Commissioner Jill Ryan (Eagle County) offered her insights on methodol-ogies for increasing road safety. She noted that after 12 years of declining vehicle fatalities in Colorado, the last two years have seen an increase in fatalities statewide. This is largely attributable to population increases, addi-tional vehicle miles traveled because of low gas prices, and continued issues with texting and distracted driv-ing. Ryan, relying on data from the recent National


Rural Transportation Summit, outlined a number of strategies that governmental agencies can utilize to re-duce motor vehicle deaths: Increasing the Use of Seatbelts. In 2015, 49 percent of all passenger vehicle fatalities in Colorado were unre-strained, and it is estimated that 15 percent of all people in Colorado do not wear seat belts. CDOT is consider-ing legislation next year to increase the enforcement for not wearing a seatbelt. Reducing Drunk Driving. It is estimated that the current .08 blood alcohol content law saves 400-600 lives per year. Alcohol checkpoints also reduce fatali-ties by 9-20 percent. Finally, the use of ignition inter-lock laws (where you have to blow into a device in or-der to start your car) reduces alcohol-related crash fatal-ities by 15 percent.

Safer Roadways and Engineering. Many communi-ties are installing roundabouts at intersections. Studies have shown that roundabouts reduce intersection crashes by 75 percent. Center line and shoulder rumble strips reduce collisions by 40-60 percent and off-road crashes by 30-40 percent, respectively. Finally, using high friction surface treatment (composed of high-quality aggregate) has been shown to reduce wet road crashes by 30 percent. Ryan also mentioned that if you decide to pave a road (which is often a contentious is-sue in rural counties), drivers tend to go faster on the road, which then requires the county to realign the road to make it safer. Graduated Driver’s Licenses. New drivers account for a disproportionate number of accidents in Colora-do. One way that the state has tried to reduce this number is by prohibiting new drivers from having pas-sengers (other than family members) in the car for the first six months. This new requirement (adopted in 2006) has reduced fatalities by 35 percent. Reduce Speed Limits. Studies have shown that driv-ers will travel at speeds 5-10 miles per hour faster than the speed limit because they believe they will not be ticketed at that speed. Based on this behavior, govern-ments should consider reducing speed limits so that the traveling public (while going faster) will travel at the actual speed that is recommended by safety studies.

Wildlife Fences/Tunnels. Eagle County has also had success with the construction of wildlife fences and tunnels along the I-70 corridor. These engineering features resulted in 60 percent fewer wildlife/car colli-sions in the first year.

Ryan concluded by talking about future technological advances that could make roads safer in coming years. New smartphones could automatically lock out certain apps when driving to prevent distractions. Infrastruc-ture technologies like “virtual guardrails” will speak to the computers in cars to help eliminate crashes. Hav-ing computers in cars “talk” to each other will help connect traffic and prevent rear-end accidents (which are almost always due to driver error). Finally, the ad-vent of driverless cars could result in a serious reduc-tion in vehicular accidents.

Mitigating Economic Disruptions:

Pueblo, Rio Blanco Counties Excel Through Diversification

Chris Markuson (center) of the Pueblo County office of Economic Develop-ment and Geographic Information Systems, joined at the Winter Conference by Pueblo County Social Services Director Tim Hart (left) and Pueblo Coun-ty Commissioner Terry A. Hart, said his county has developed tools and resources to attract new small businesses and help the existing ones grow.

After a county has faced an economic disruption there are several questions about how and what recovery looks like. At a Winter Conference workshop, Pueblo County Director of Economic Development and Geo-graphic Information Systems Chris Markuson, Rio Blanco Economic Development Coordinator Kaitlin Cook, and John Hall, the 2017 Board of Directors Chairman for the Economic Development Council of Colorado and Economic Development Director for the city of Westminster, provided commissioners an



outline of how to prepare for economic disruptions as well as case studies of both Pueblo and Rio Blanco and the steps they took to mitigate the impacts of these devastating events. As a longtime single-industry community, Pueblo had been reliant on steel for many years, but after the mar-ket collapse in the 1980s, the county was forced to con-sider a long-term plan for economic development and ways to better diversify their local economy. With di-versification in mind, a group of community stakehold-ers came together to question what types of industries Pueblo would be most successful in recruiting and how they would best be able to do so. The stakeholder group, Pueblo Strategies, determined that with the workforce skills developed by the steel industry, recruit-ing advanced manufacturing would best fit the needs of Pueblo. To begin recruiting, Pueblo passed a half-cent sales tax that would then be used to fund efforts to re-cruit and retain new industry. In addition to actively recruiting new advanced manu-facturing, Pueblo has also created tools and resources to help small businesses grow as well as attract new business to the areas with GIS and market data. Clear land use policies have also allowed Pueblo to attract new industries such as cannabis, because there is very little ambiguity as to how and where a new marijuana cultivation operation may locate. These added levels of information have helped Pueblo to effectively diversify their local economy and compete on a national level. As a county with both urban and rural areas, Pueblo has also been able to foster a creative industry through monthly art walks and a cooperative approach with the City of Pueblo to urban renewal to revitalize the down-town Riverwalk. While Pueblo demonstrates how a county can success-fully emerge from an economic disruption, Rio Blanco provides an example of how to begin to mitigate the ongoing disruptions. With a downturn in the natural resources extraction industry, not only have several high paying jobs been lost, but Rio Blanco County’s assessed value has also been dramatically impacted. To mitigate these impacts, Rio Blanco put together a stra-tegic plan in 2015 and began implementation in 2016. Within the plan, Rio Blanco acknowledged that as a rural county they are unlikely to attract large

manufacturing operations and are better fit to incentiv-ize small and medium businesses to locate within the county. In order to attract these small and medium businesses, Rio Blanco has taken the lead on deploying rural broad-band throughout the county as well as streamlining reg-ulatory practices and eliminating uncertainty. By using a customer service approach business recruitment and retention is more likely and allows for greater economic diversification. In addition to creating a broad base of incentives, Rio Blanco has also begun to build relation-ships with a diverse group of stakeholders including surrounding counties, towns, and districts. These rela-tionships have allowed Rio Blanco to initiate the urban renewal process with the town of Meeker as well as align master and comprehensive plans with one anoth-er. Closing out the discussion, John Hall reminded com-missioners of a few key steps all counties should be tak-ing to prevent and mitigate economic disruptions. Counties should develop an economic development strategy plan that not only includes considerations for incentives to attract businesses but also community buy-in and impacts to human capital. Finally, counties should try to best identify potential risk and how they will affect the county before they occur. In doing this, counties will be better positioned to weather the storm of an economic disruption.

Public Health Funding:

Formal, Informal Partnerships, Collaboration Can Spell Success Throughout the last year, stakeholders have met to dis-cuss Colorado Department of Public Health and Envi-ronment (CDPHE) funding and the funding of local public health agencies across Colorado. Because so much of CDPHE’s funding comes from specific federal grants, the funding is more limited and less flexible than the block grants and general funding of other programs. Most federal funds are categorical, meaning they obligate the state to spend the money in a particular way. Addi-tionally, the funds are often subject to appropriation


each year so they are not guaranteed. This creates unique funding challenges for CDPHE and local public health agencies. During conference, local public health agencies shared how they manage the various public health funding streams to support local public health. Many local pub-lic health departments talked about forming partner-ships, formal and informal, to make funding more col-laborative. There was discussion about how good rela-tionships with Regional Care Collaborative Organiza-tions (RCCOs) can help with funding flexibility. Addi-tionally, there can be great mental health and public health partnerships. For example, some counties have hired a mental health coordinator within public health which makes funding of mental and public health more flexible even though they are funded separately. Im-portantly, working together in marketing campaigns can be especially useful because it allows for collaborative funding and better communication with the public, who often do not differentiate between local public health agencies when seeking services. CDPHE also had ideas for the future direction of pub-lic health funding. First, they encouraged counties to expedite their grant approval process or designate a limited authority so that a local public health agency can apply for grants with quick deadlines. Second, they discussed the ability of local public health agencies to bill insurance for some public health activities. This source of funding can be useful but if the administra-tive burden of billing is too great, the funding may be less helpful. Third, CDPHE also emphasized the use of collaborative funding as a way of making funding more flexible. Sharing resources is a great way to help more people and can even lead to less turnover in local agen-cies.

Sales Tax Administration:

CDOR Tracks Audits, Prepared To Share Status with Counties The first of a series of quarterly meetings between counties and the Colorado Department of Revenue (CDOR) was held in conjunction with the Winter Con-ference.

Commissioners and county staff discussed administra-tive concerns ranging from the need for improved communication around audits to notice when vendors are filing reports but have no sales tax liability. Around the issue of audits, CDOR explained that they are tracking the status of audits and will share this in-formation with counties. The department will not al-ways be able to tell what the financial hit to a county will be from an audit but it can and will communicate with counties when a case is outstanding. Communica-tion around “zero filers,” a data point that was once available to counties, will also be reinstated. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 15 from 2:30 to 4:30pm in the 6th floor board room which is located in the same building as CCI (800 Grant Street, Denver). At that time, CDOR will pro-vide an update on how the above concerns were ad-dressed and conversation will continue on other areas that require work. Anyone wishing to be added to the email distribution list for this group should email Gini Pingenot at [email protected].

Public Safety Funding:

CCI Workgroup Brainstorms Ideas on Reliable Mechanisms Counties throughout Colorado are struggling to build, maintain, and support their courthouses, jails, sheriffs, and other public safety systems. Currently counties can apply for Underfunded Courthouse funds, Courthouse Security funds, and grants from the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), however these funds are not long-term solutions and fail to address much of the needs across the state. The funds are too small and have many limitations, making them unreliable sources of revenue. Some counties have been able to pass tax and debt increases in order to construct new justice and public safety facilities, but this solution does not work for all counties. In order to brainstorm new ideas and potentially craft a legislative solution to fix these funding issues, CCI is hosting a workgroup to discuss public safety and po-tential funding mechanisms. In this session at Winter


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conference, the workgroup discussed proposing a legis-lative interim committee to study public safety funding in Colorado and craft state-assisted solutions. The hope is that this committee can determine the statewide funding need and how funding public safety burdens county budgets. Importantly, the workgroup hopes that any solutions crafted by the interim committee would be focused on long-term, reliable funding to allow for the building and maintenance of facilities as well as providing important justice and public safety services. The workgroup will also be collecting data and infor-mation from counties to get an idea of the scope of public safety funding across Colorado. The group will consider what laws and policies, such as sentencing laws, impact county public safety and overburden pub-lic safety funds. Throughout this year, the workgroup also hopes to meet with stakeholders across Colorado, including district attorneys, sheriffs, and judges to learn more about these complicated issues. For more information about or to join this workgroup, contact CCI’s Allison Daley at 303.885.1434 or [email protected].

New Commissioner Orientation:

Part I Covers CCI, NACo, Media Relations 101 Course

Speakers at Part I of CCI’s New Commissioner Orientation were, left to right, NACo’s Linda Langston, CCI’s John (Chip) Taylor, and Douglas County Director of Public Affairs Wendy Holmes.

Thirty-two of Colorado’s 54 incoming commissioners attended Part I of CCI’s New Commissioner

Orientation at the Winter Conference. The session was designed to give commissioners-elect and a few new commissioners high-level information so they can be thinking about their role in their county, at CCI and in NACo meetings and discussions. CCI Executive Director John (Chip) Taylor took the first hour to provide an overview of county govern-ment as an administrative arm of the state with general responsibilities but decentralized structure and specific powers. Taylor noted that commissioners’ responsibili-ties extend to the county lines, whether urbanized or rural or something in between. Attendees also learned that many state functions and services are provided through counties as agents of the state. Taylor said that this relationship with the state reinforces the importance of participating in organiza-tions like CCI, not only to educate state policy-makers about the local impacts of their ideas, but also for the opportunity to learn how other counties have dealt with the challenges of serving and meeting the needs of county residents. The second hour was devoted to discussing the role of the National Association of Counties (NACo) and how it serves a similar role to CCI but at the national level. NACo’s Director of Strategic Relations, Linda Lang-ston, a former Linn County Supervisor in Iowa, re-viewed NACo’s legislative activities, extensive research and networking opportunities, and cost-saving solu-tions available through NACo’s partner companies. Langston also noted the connection between counties and the federal government in funding for public lands management, transportation, and justice, and also in the federal regulatory decisions that affect counties in areas like clean water, endangered species, ozone, worker overtime, and health care coverage. Langston reiterat-ed the importance of being involved and speaking with one voice in order to have the maximum impact in fed-eral policy-making. She encouraged all of the newly-elected commissioners to attend a NACo meeting in the near future. The final hour was led by Wendy Holmes, APR, Direc-tor of Public Affairs for Douglas County, who focused on county communications and public relations. This



portion of the new commissioner program was devoted to the process of forging a relationship between the board of county commissioners and county residents, directly and through the media. Holmes framed this discussion as developing a relationship with county resi-dents by communicating county service and stewardship in a way that leads to familiarity, trust and support. Holmes emphasized the importance of talking about the county in terms of how it connects with citizens’ lives. She also tapped her media experience to remind partici-pants that journalists are neither friend nor foe. She said that reporters see themselves as the watchdogs over government, seeking to ensure that public business is done in the open and that public records are available. They think they are the voice of the people … just like elected officials do! Holmes concluded by encouraging county officials to be thoughtful about building their relationship with citizens and establishing a culture around telling the county story.

CCI Business Meeting:

2017 President Lew Gaiter III To Continue Strategic Focus

CCI’s Board of Directors for 2017 includes, left to right, Keith Goodwin (Otero), Barbara Kirkmeyer (Weld), Jason Anderson (Saguache), Jim Zwetzig (Morgan), Terry A. Hart (Pueblo), Mark Roeber (Delta), Dave Paul (Teller), and President Lew Gaiter III (Larimer).

The 2016 CCI Business Meeting was held on November 29, 2016 at the Hotel Eleganté in Colorado Springs dur-ing the Winter Conference. The meeting was called to order by CCI President Keith Goodwin. CCI Treasurer Barbara Kirkmeyer presented the pro-posed 2017 dues and budget to members. Both were

unanimously approved. Commissioner Kirkmeyer re-ported that the 2017 Public Lands budget was ap-proved by members earlier in the year and the CCI Foundation budget will be reviewed and approved by the Foundation Board of Directors based on the CCI budget. The membership considered four proposed changes to the CCI Bylaws.

A simple majority to take positions on bills (Article V, Section 7). The motion to post-pone indefinitely was seconded and passed unanimously by the membership.

Eliminate proxy voting for leadership positions

(Article V, Section 3). A motion to amend proposed language to read “Notwithstanding any other provision of these bylaws, proxy vot-ing FOR ANOTHER COUNTY is not permit-ted in the selection of individuals in the selec-tion of individuals to serve in leadership posi-tions…” was made and approved. A motion to send the proposed language to the CCI Bylaws Committee to discuss and amend was made and failed. A final motion, to adopt the amended bylaws, was made and passed by the membership.

Increase size of the CCI Board by one seat, to

be elected by the minority party (Article IX, add new section). A motion to postpone in-definitely was successful.

Add district presidents to Board for their one-

year term (Article IX, Sections 1-4). A mo-tion to postpone indefinitely was made and was successful.

Pitkin County Commissioner Rachel Richards dis-cussed her recommendation that CCI create a Health & Human Services calendar and webpage to promote participation among membership and improve trans-parency and collaboration across meetings. As a result of the discussion, staff will work closely with commis-sioners and the Department of Human Services to de-velop an efficient and workable method for distributing information and notifying interested participants.



Counties were encouraged to subscribe to the Depart-ment of Human Service’s calendars and email lists. Incoming CCI President Lew Gaiter III indicated that the board will continue discussing both the suggestions and recommendations from the Strategic Planning Committee process, as well as the county caucus proposal.

District Meeting:

Eastern Hears CDPHE Report On Focus of Landfill Regulations CCI’s Eastern District meeting was well represented by the ten counties that comprise the district. Congratula-tions to Morgan County Commissioner Jim Zwetzig on his re-election to CCI’s Board of Directors as the East-ern District Representative. Following Commissioner Zwetzig’s re-election, there was a brief discussion of the proposed bylaw changes. The majority of the meeting focused on the CDPHE’s Solid Waste and Material Management Program. Joe Schieffelin, Program Director, explained that there are four main areas the program focuses on. These include ensuring that landfills 1) have adequate daily cover, con-trol pests and meet other requirements associated with daily operations; 2) prevent ground water contamination; 3) have a liner in place if ground water is contaminated and 4) have a closure plan in place. Schieffelin explained that CDPHE once considered the smaller landfills that are predominantly located in rural Colorado to be of low risk. As such, the department al-lowed small communities to operate out of compliance. The goal now is to help bring landfills into compliance over a period of time. Schieffelin made it clear that he does not encourage the closure of landfills. If a commu-nity wishes to do so, that is certainly their option but Schieffelin is encouraging communities to look at the cost of compliance and understand what is needed to comply. He continued by explaining that for the depart-ment, the top two priority areas are to ensure that

landfills meet the daily operation expectations and have ground water monitoring in place. Schieffelin shared that the department is trying to se-cure roughly $250,000 to help rural local governments comply with existing regulations. If this request is ap-proved by the Joint Budget Committee, this funding would be available beginning in July 2017 to help com-munities. County commissioners who wish to lend their voice to the importance of this funding request are encouraged to contact their legislators by the first of the year. Schieffelin concluded his remarks by reassuring eastern district counties that the department is not implement-ing any new regulations nor are they pursuing any legis-lation. Counties with additional questions are encour-aged to reach out to Schieffelin directly at 303.692.3356 or at [email protected].

District Meeting:

Front Range Receives Update On Denver Airport Expansion President Nancy Sharpe called the meeting to order and introductions were given. There were commission-ers/council members from each county or city and county present to include Adams, Arapahoe, City and County of Broomfield, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer and Weld counties. The election of the Front Range District Board of Di-rectors Representative was the next order of business. Larimer County commissioner Lew Gaiter III was nominated, and the nominations were then closed. Commissioner Gaiter was elected unanimously by the district. A presentation was made regarding the update of the current DIA expansion project by Dan Hopkins and Gisela Shanahan of DIA. This presentation centered on an expansion of the terminal and major changes to ticketing and TSA locations in the terminal. This is in response to security and safety concerns at DIA. TSA will be moved from level 5 to level 6, there will be



tented space transformations and baggage modifica-tions. In addition, the TSA checkpoints will be im-proved with new technology and procedures and an increase in lanes. There was then a discussion of bylaws changes to be voted on in the business meeting later in the day. CCI Executive Director John (Chip) Taylor presented an overview regarding the bylaws and operational changes at CCI. These would include member policies and elec-tronic recording of board meetings to be placed on the website. In addition, the board wants to improve tech-nology, including a new online voting system. Taylor also briefly outlined some staff initiatives to include enhanced new commissioner training, enhanced publi-cations, and having staff visit each county more often during the year. Taylor also outlined the caucus pro-posal that was contained in a handout to the members. Discussion continued regarding bylaws changes, tech-nology change and improvements, greater communica-tion, and more cohesiveness on the CCI board.

District Meeting:

Mountain Gets Status Report On Colorado’s FirstNet System Mountain District President Dan Gibbs (Summit) and Vice President Merrit Linke (Grand) presided over the CCI Mountain District Meeting on November 29, 2016 at the Winter Conference. Commissioners from twelve of the thirteen counties in the Mountain District were present for the meeting. Members were also joined by a number of commissioners-elect who were introduced and given a short overview of how the district operat-ed. Commissioner Dave Paul (Teller) was elected to his

fourth term as the Mountain District Representative on

the CCI Board of Directors. The commissioners then

received an update from Brian Shepherd of the Gover-

nor’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) on the

status of the FirstNet emergency communications sys-

tem and various broadband initiatives underway around

the state. Shepherd noted that there will likely be

changes in the makeup of the Federal Communications

Commission (FCC) under the Trump

Administration and this could have some bearing on broadband issues and service here in Colorado. Commissioner Paul then gave a brief presentation on the Strategic Planning process and went over the pro-posed CCI bylaws changes that came out of the pro-cess. Members had a short discussion on the status of the organization and pledged to come and make their voices heard at the business meeting. The next CCI Mountain District Meeting will be held

at the CCI Summer Conference in Keystone next June.

Agendas will be sent out in advance of that meeting,

probably in late May.

District Meeting:

Southern Engages in Discussion Of Strategic Planning Initiatives Saguache County Commissioner and District president Jason Anderson called the Southern District meeting to order in an unconventional way, asking all district mem-bers to participate in a quick icebreaker to help one an-other learn each other’s names. This activity also gave opportunity for commissioners-elects to introduce themselves and provide a little background information about themselves. Following the icebreaker, Commissioner Anderson called for the election of the new Southern District board member to replace outgoing CCI President, Keith Goodwin (Otero). After a brief thank you from Com-missioner Goodwin, a motion was made to elect Com-missioner Anderson as the new board member. Com-missioner Anderson was elected by acclimation. Following elections, Commissioner Goodwin and Com-missioner Terry A. Hart (Pueblo) reviewed the proposed bylaw changes that would later be discussed at the mem-ber business meeting. During this discussion, Commis-sioner Goodwin and Hart provided district members a brief history of the strategic planning process, reminding members that this review was intended to provide a pe-riod of self-reflection and allow for the betterment of the organization. Because of the initiative, four bylaw changes were proposed as well as member policy



decisions. In addition to the proposed bylaw changes, Commissioners Goodwin and Hart also reviewed the proposed caucus system that could potentially give commissioners a venue to further debate issues of in-terest.

District Meeting:

Western Targets Forest Health, Value of Public’s Involvement Western District President Tom Jankovsky (Garfield) and Vice President Ben Tisdel (Ouray) called the dis-trict meeting to order and welcomed county commis-sioners from 14 counties. Congratulations to Commissioner Mark Roeber (Delta) who was elected as the Western District representative on the CCI Board of Directors. Commissioner Tisdel led a quick discussion on forest health to determine which topics the district wants to focus on during the summer district meeting. There was agreement that the timber industry should be in-volved in these conversations, including smaller mills that are working to increase their capacity. In particu-lar, there was discussion that product should be utilized locally when possible because transportation increases costs and makes product less marketable. There was also agreement that public outreach efforts are an important part of forest health. Private land-owners must be a focus of this outreach because their land is a key component in ensuring forest health and counties cannot clear these perimeters. Additionally, there are laws and ordinances that prevent and limit burning which impact forest health. Home insurance companies and homeowners’ associations must also be involved in outreach. Commissioner Doug Atchley (Delta) then introduced the discussion of bylaws changes and policy decisions. Commissioners Tisdel and Rose Pugliese (Mesa) ex-plained the potential changes and provided important context for the conversation. Commissioner Pugliese especially emphasized the continued importance of enhanced technology to allow for anonymous voting and to strengthen the voice of those who cannot travel for meetings.

Over 50,000 Caucus:

Terry A. Hart, Barbara Kirkmeyer Re-elected to Leadership Roles Commissioner Nancy Sharpe convened the meeting and conducted a roll call of counties. There were com-missioners/council members from each county or city and county present to include Adams, Arapahoe, City and County of Broomfield, Douglas, Eagle, El Paso, Garfield, Jefferson, La Plata, Larimer, Mesa, Pueblo, and Weld counties. Commissioner Sharpe called for the election for CCI board secretary. Commissioner Terry A. Hart, Pueblo County, was nominated and elected to the position. He was unopposed. Commissioner Sharpe then called for the election for the CCI board treasurer. Commissioner Barb Kirkmey-er, Weld County, was nominated and elected to the po-sition. She was also unopposed. Commissioner Sharpe then adjourned the meeting hav-ing no more business to attend to.

CCI Summer Conference Set June 5-7, 2017

...at the Beautiful Keystone Resort

Colorado Counties, Inc. 800 Grant Street, Suite 500 Denver, CO 80203 303.861.4076 www.ccionline.org

http://www.ccionline.org


Photo Highlights from the CCI Foundation Winter Conference

Otero County Commissioner Keith Goodwin culminated an outstanding year as CCI President in 2016 at the Winter Conference where he welcomed Brad Cofield of Wagner Equiopment Company as the sponsor of the annual President’s Reception (left); worked with fellow Commissioners Kevin Karney of Otero County (left in photo center) and Larry Don Suckla of Montezuma County (right in photo at center) on an auction that raised $3,100 for scholarships for students in 4H and the Future Farmers of America; and created a smooth transtion of leadership as Larimer County Commissioner Lew Gaiter III (right in photo at right) succeeded him as President. Note: Commissioners Shawn Bolton and Jon Hill of Rio Blanco County, Darius Allen of Alamosa County, and Trent Bushner of Yuma Coun-ty (not pictured) played important roles in the success of the auction.

CCI members in the spotlight at the Winter Conference included (left to right) Douglas County Director of Public Affairs Wendy Holmes and La Plata Public Information Officer Megan Graham who spoke on “Telling the County Story” to the media; Alamosa County Manager Gigi Dennis who was named ACCA Administrator of the Year; Gary Walter of Douglas County and Ted Plank of Boulder County, the 2017 and 2016 President, respectively, of CARSE; and members of the Colorado Human Services Directors Association (CHSDA), Routt County’s Vickie Clark and Boulder’s Kim Hills.

The conference attracted 41 corporate/association sponsors including (left to right) Platinum sponsors Nationwide Retirement Solutions, represented by Burt Burrows and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, represented by Jana Waryan; and Silver sponsors CPS HR Consulting, represented by Geralyn Gorshing and Colorado Bar-ricade, represented by Danni Danko-Holloway and Rich Neal. For a complete list of the Winter Conference sponsors, see Page 4.

CCI Staff at Your Service John (Chip) Taylor Executive Director Kristin Dunn Deputy Director Allison Daley Policy and Legislative Advocate Eric Bergman Policy Director

Jeanne DeHaven Administrative Associate Brandy DeLange Policy and Legislative Advocate Gini Pingenot Legislative Director Paul Thompson Outreach and Education Manager

Colorado Counties, Inc. 800 Grant Street, Suite 500 Denver, CO 80203 303.861.4076 www.ccionline.org

http://www.ccionline.org

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