Board of County Commissioners of Lincoln County  

Agenda for February 7, 2008

 

 

9:00 Call to order and Pledge of Allegiance

 

9:05 Approve additional expense vouchers

 

10:00 Conduct a conference call with the Progressive 15 Transportation Committee

 

10:30 Bill Hyde with the Division of Property Taxation to discuss valuations for wind farms and to answer questions

 

11:00 Frogard Ryan with The Nature Conservancy and Bob Jones, landowner, to discuss a GOCO Open Space March grant cycle proposed project

 

1:00 County Coroner Jennifer Nestor to discuss purchasing a cell phone for the Coroner’s Office

 

 

 

1.      Approve the minutes from the January 31st meeting

2.      Review a letter from Robert L. and Samuel I. Jones requesting a letter of support from the Commissioners to accompany a GOCO Open Space grant application requesting funding for transaction costs incurred to place a conservation easement on their ranch

3.      Review notification of approval of an Energy and Mineral Impact Assistance grant for courthouse upgrades

4.      Review the January report from the Office of the Treasurer

5.      County Commissioners’ reports

6.      County Administrator’s report

7.      County Attorney’s report

8.      Old business

9.      New business

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Board of Lincoln County Commissioners met at 9:00 a.m. on February 7, 2008.  The following attended:  Chairman Ted Lyons, Commissioners Steve Burgess and Gary Beedy, County Administrator Roxie Devers and Deputy Clerk to the Board Vicki Ware.  Kay Christie with The Limon Leader and the Eastern Colorado Plainsman arrived shortly after 10:00 a.m. and remained for the rest of the morning, and County Attorney Stan Kimble was present in the afternoon.

 

Chairman Lyons called the meeting to order and led the Pledge of Allegiance, and then additional expense vouchers were approved.

 

The Board participated in a conference call with the Progressive 15 Transportation Standing Committee.  They discussed the legislative tracking report that was sent out on January 21.  This report will be sent out weekly from now on.  The bills discussed were: HB1012, HB1057, HB1074, HB1092, SB12 and SB34.

 

Bill Hyde and Terry Phillips with the Division of Property Taxation met with the Board to discuss valuations for wind farms.  Also present for this discussion were County Assessor Estelle Thaller, Deputy Assessor Jessie Meier and Land Use Administrator Ken Morrison.  Mr. Hyde gave those present a hand-out explaining the valuation process.  The methodology for valuing wind farms changed on January 1, 2006, from the cost approach to the income approach.  Mr. Hyde gave Ms. Thaller a computer program using the new methodology, but since all of the information needed to put into the program is not available at this time, any calculations now will be just a guess.  During the construction process, any buildings that are erected can be valued by the assessor and taxed as such, but as soon as the facility is operational, the Division of Property Taxation will take over and value the entire facility, including those buildings.  The question was asked about how everything will be divided between Elbert and Lincoln counties.  Mr. Hyde told the Board that the issue had not come up until now and that no decision had been made yet.  The land itself will still be assessed as agricultural land. 

 

Frogard Ryan with the Nature Conservancy, and landowner Bob Jones, met with the Board to request a letter of support to accompany a Great Outdoors Colorado Open Space grant application, requesting funding for transaction costs incurred to place conservation easements on the Jones Ranch and the Forder Ranch.  Ms. Thaller and Ms. Meier were still in the meeting and Ms. Thaller assured the Board that the valuation of the property would not change, as it would remain agricultural property.  Mr. Beedy made a motion to sign the letter of support.  Mr. Burgess seconded it.  Motion carried unanimously.

 

Mr. Burgess made a motion to approve the January 30 and January 31 minutes, as submitted.  Mr. Beedy seconded it.  Motion carried unanimously.

 

Ms. Devers read a portion of a letter from the Department of Local Affairs, notifying the Board that their application for state Energy and Mineral Impact Assistance funds for courthouse upgrades had been expedited and recommended for immediate funding in the amount of $51,007.00.

 

The Board reviewed the report of the Treasurer for the month of January.

Mr. Beedy reported that on January 31, he had attended the Eastern Colorado Services for the Developmentally Disabled meeting, by phone.  On February 4 he attended the Economic Development Board meeting and on February 5, he attended the Department Head meeting.

 

Mr. Burgess met with Joe Kiely on February 1.  On February 4, he talked to Pat Vice and on February 5, he attended the Department Head meeting.  On February 6, he attended an eastern district commissioners meeting in Akron.  They discussed proposed Energy and Mineral Impact Grant Program enhancements.  He brought back a questionnaire which they filled out so it could be submitted by the deadline date of February 12.  In the afternoon, they discussed election issues with several county clerks.  Mr. Burgess told the people at that meeting that Lincoln County supported a mail ballot election this year.  The commissioners asked Mr. Kimble to see what liability they would face as a board if they refused to fund anymore purchases of hardware and software, due to equipment certification issues.  Mr. Burgess attended a Council of Governments meeting on February 6, and a Baby Bear Hugs meeting at noon on February 7.

 

Mr. Lyons talked to Keith Schafer on February 1, regarding the trial.  On Monday, February 4, he went to the landfill, and on February 5 he went to the Department Head meeting.

 

Ms. Devers reported that she had sent in more information to get a credit card for a Clerk’s office employee, but that the credit card had not been received yet.  That employee needs to go to training next week so the Clerk asked Ms. Devers to ask the Board if it would be acceptable to get cash for that employee.  The Board said that it would approve that request, but that the employee would have to bring back receipts and return any unused money.

 

Ms. Devers received a letter from Venturoni Surveys & Research, Inc. wanting to do a “Housing Needs Assessment” for Lincoln County.  The commissioners did not want to do this at this time.

 

Mr. Kimble reported his findings regarding demolition derbies held in Adams and La Plata counties.  Adams County sent Mr. Kimble a copy of their agreement with the Demolition Derby Racing Association for him to look at.  The commissioners felt that, for the proposed demolition derby at the fair, they wanted to keep it as simple a process as possible and see how it goes.  Mr. Lyons said that it was his understanding that the responsibilities of the county would be to furnish the arena, to build a berm and to remove disabled vehicles.  A call was placed to Ryan Britten and then Mike Vaughn of the LC Derby Club to ask them to get a quote for $1,000,000.00, $2,000,000.00, and $3,000,000.00 insurance coverage on the event, listing the county as additionally insured.  The Board directed Mr. Kimble to draw up an agreement with Ryan Britten and Mike Vaughn d/b/a LC Derby Club for them to sign.  It will be discussed again at the next meeting.

 

Mr. Kimble discussed the Safranek lease with the Board.

 

The Board signed an Agreement for Sanction and Approval with the Colorado Professional Rodeo Association for rodeos to be held on August 8 and 9, 2008.  Section 3 a) was crossed out and initialed, and an amendment was substituted in its place, which Mr. Kimble felt was acceptable with the CPRA, as per his phone conversation with someone at the association.

 

Mr. Kimble gave the Board a letter in response to the questions they had asked at the previous meeting regarding office space for the coroner.

 

Mr. Beedy reported to the Board that he could buy a trailer and a hitch for the truck for approximately $32,000.00.  Mr. Beedy made a motion to make that purchase.  Mr. Burgess seconded it.  Motion carried unanimously.

 

Megan Brophy, Legislative Aide to State Senator Kropp, asked Ms. Devers if the commissioners would sign a letter to Governor Ritter asking him to stop the requirement that schools freeze mill levies.  After discussion, Mr. Burgess made a motion to sign the letter.  Mr. Beedy seconded it.  Motion carried unanimously.

 

The Board reviewed a letter from Baby Bear Hugs in Yuma, Colorado, regarding the contribution that nonprofits make to Colorado.

 

With no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was adjourned until 9:00 a.m. on February 19, 2008.

 

 

 

 

______________________________________              _________________________________

             Vicki Ware, Deputy Clerk to the Board                                             Ted Lyons, Chairman