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December 19, 2013 Elbert County, Colorado | Volume 118, Issue 47 A publication of
elbertcountynews.net
Officials nearing decision on oil, gas Commissioners expected to vote on proposed changes in early 2014 Elbert County Commissioners Kurt Schlegel (far right), Robert Rowland (center) and Larry Ross discuss the 2014 county budget at a Dec. 11 public hearing at the Elbert County Fairgrounds. Photos by George Lurie
Commissioners approve 2014 budget About 75 attend public meeting at fairgrounds By George Lurie
glurie@ourcoloradonews.com Elbert County’s financial future was the subject of a spirited public hearing Dec. 11 at the county fairgrounds. The meeting was held in the larger venue in order to accommodate a crowd of about 75 people who turned out to voice their thoughts — and concerns — regarding the BOCC’s proposed 2014 budget. Presenting the budget before the start of the public hearing, Ed Ehmann, the county’s public works director, said: “There were some complicated issues we had to work out and mandates we had to fund. But we are very proud to be able to present a balanced budget that will help us move into 2014. ... This is a sound document for Elbert County.” Under the proposed 2014 budget, all county departments end the year with positive fund balances. In addition, Ehmann said the county will be able to keep $500,000 in a reserve contingency fund, a condition of the $7 million loan from Wells Fargo that refinanced the justice center in 2009. “Our goal is to ultimately have three months operating expenses as well as the $500,000 in that contingency fund,” said Commissioner Kurt Schlegel. “I think we are on the right track.” During the public hearing, a number of county residents shared their thoughts regarding the county’s finances — and where they think the county is headed. Tony Baker, an Elizabeth resident, questioned Ehmann about a $985,000 grant the county has applied for to pave County Road 29. “If we are not successful in our grant application, we’ll fall back on to our master plan and try to fix the roads that we’ve identified as needing work,” Ehmann said. Bob Lewis, another Elizabeth resident, said he wanted to speak in support of the POSTAL ADDRESS
Elbert County Sheriff Shayne Heap answers questions from commissioners at the Dec. 11 hearing on the 2014 county budget. sheriff. “We have gone from a county government that might have been depicted in the Dukes of Hazard to something that is actually pretty respectable. Part of that progress is our sheriff’s office,” said Lewis, adding that it is recognized around the state as one of the “best-run” in Colorado. Scott Wills, chairman of the county Republican Party, said: “I’m tickled to death with the collaborative budget-making process that we have done in this county. ... I think that’s the best way small government can do it.” County resident Susan Shick said she wanted to read in to the record a letter she had sent to the commissioners on Dec. 5 “protesting the 2014 county budget.” “I have no confidence in the processes used to develop this budget,” Shick said. “It is obvious that the department of finance and budget is grossly understaffed.” Shick also questioned how the county could come up with a 2014 budget with the 2012 budget audit still not completed. “The budget for 2014 has nothing to do with the 2012 audit,” said Schlegel in response. “While we’ve missed two deadlines on the 2012 audit, it has nothing to do with 2014’s budget.” Schlegel added that he believed Shick’s
letter “doesn’t state the facts at all.” Jill Duvall, an Elizabeth resident who sits on the county library board, asked commissioners why they don’t release monthly budget updates. “If we can do it on the library board, I think the BOCC should be able to do it too,” Duvall said. “It’s our goal as a team to improve how we present information to the public,” Ehmann responded. Rick Blotter, an Agate resident, questioned the methods county officials used to calculate anticipated revenues — specifically, a big jump in anticipated revenues from stepped-up traffic enforcement by the sheriff’s office and additional sales-and-use taxes. “When you speculate on revenues that don’t come in, somebody gets left holding the bag,” said Blotter. Mike Phillips, a Kiowa resident, also questioned how the BOCC could make an accurate 2014 budget with the 2012 audit still unfinished. “I understand things have been really screwed up for 20 years,” Phillips said. “But it seems to me like you guys are making things up as you go along.” Ehmann defended the work county officials have done on the 2014 budget. “We feel very confident in what we’ve done and can defend this thing line item by line item.” he said. Commissioner Larry Ross added that he believed “the county has made great progress” in dealing with its fiscal Printed on recycled challenges. newsprint. Please “We’re going to unkink this rope and recycle this copy. move forward,” Ross said. Following the public hearing — and as required by law — the BOCC voted unanimously to certify the 2014 mill levy and approve the 2014 county budget.
By George Lurie
glurie@ourcoloradonews.com On Dec. 12, the Elbert County Planning Commission met and after much discussion, decided to postpone a vote on approving a comprehensive set of revised oil and gas regulations. “We’re going to continue it until our next meeting on Dec. 19,” said Thomas Beshore, vice-chair of the planning commission. Beshore said there are “still a few verbiage changes that need to be addressed. So we didn’t feel comfortable doing an official approval. But we’re very close.” The revised regulations, which will serve as a road map for future oil and gas exploration in the county, have been a work in progress for more than two years. Revising the county’s oil and gas regulations has been a painful and controversial process and has sparked conflict between the planning commission and the BOCC. In July, the BOCC voted down a proposed set of oil and gas regulations that the planning commission and an ad hoc citizen’s group known as the editing committee had spent more than two years working on. Following that vote, then planning commission chair Grant Thayer resigned in protest. And then in November, Paul Crisan, who succeeded Thayer as planning commission chair, was summarily dismissed by the BOCC after being accused of obstructing progress in rewriting the oil and gas regs. Since Crisan’s unceremonious departure, Beshore has been serving as the planning commission’s de facto chairman. “It’s my hope that we can get the commissioners to approve” the revised regulations, Beshore said. “Up to now, I think most of the problems have been with contradictory wording and language that didn’t mesh.” Community and Development Services Director Kyle Fenner was hired by the BOCC this past May to replace former planning director Richard Miller and has been under increasing pressure to work with the planning commission to complete the revision of the oil and gas regulations, which the BOCC must approve before they take effect. Beshore complimented Fenner on her efforts related to the project. “Kyle has worked so hard in trying to put together these new regulations,” said Beshore. “There are only certain things we can put into them without conflicting with state regulations.” Beshore, who has served on the planning commission for four years, said: “We’ve all learned an awful lot about oil and gas. It’s been a tedious, difficult process.” The new regulations, according to Beshore, do not address address hydraulic fracturing — or fracking — a controversial method of extracting oil and natural gas from within solid rock. The process, which requires large amounts of water, has been banned in some areas around the state. On Dec. 12 at the same time the planning commission was meeting, a group of people protesting fracking gathered outside the courthouse in Kiowa.