Photo: Conversation at the January 14 Archuleta Board of County Commissioners work session: from left, commissioners Warren Brown, Veronica Medina, John Ranson, and County Manager Jack Harper II.
The Tuesday, January 14 work session conducted by the Archuleta Board of County Commissioners — and the first meeting to include newly-sworn-in commissioner John Ranson — didn’t start out as emotionally charged.
The first presentation was by County Human Resources Director Mitzi Bowman, and dealt with the idea of allowing County employees to change the amount of money withheld from their paychecks and placed in their retirement accounts. Currently, an employee’s chosen percentage is ‘locked in’ at the start of their employment. Ms. Bowman and the commissioners seemed comfortable with allowing employees to change the percentage withheld, on an annual basis, but no final decision was made.
The next discussion touched on a local concert organizer who hopes to stage a summer concert on the County’s park property in Cloman Park. No such large event has ever been staged there — previous events have been smaller; disc golf tournaments and cross country skiing. The BOCC once again seemed supportive of the concept, but no final decision was made.
This is typical of BOCC work session… that no final decisions are made.
Then the commissioners started to discuss more sensitive, political matters. Potentially, personal matters. Matters related to how the three of them would be interacting over the next couple of year.
Commissioner Warren Brown suggested that, in the interests of government transparency, the commissioners openly share information with the public about any local businesses they may be involved in, “so when we get to a decision, there’s no surprises when a commissioner recuses themselves… appropriately. So I just wanted to put that out there, and get your thoughts on it, and if and when you’d like to talk about it.”
Commission Chair Veronica Medina:
“Was there something specific that you would like to disclose?”
Commissioner Brown disclosed that he recently became an owner of an RV repair business, but said he didn’t know if that would cause a conflict of interest at some future point.
Newly-seated commissioner John Ranson announced that he was one the the original investors during the development of the Aspen Springs subdivision, and that he owns property there, but is no longer a partner in the development. “I’m glad that you brought this up, Commissioner Brown, because I think it’s a good thing to be upfront… transparency is a good thing, and you can’t get out early enough or often enough to talk about these things.”
The BOCC voted in December — prior to Mr. Ranson joining the Board — to purchase four acres of vacant property in the Aspen Village subdivision for $1.8 million.
Commissioner Medina announced that she continues to hang her real estate license with EXIT Realty. That particular relationship created discord in the community last summer, when Commissioner Medina urged her fellow commissioners to consider the purchase some vacant property near the Pagosa Springs Medical Center, that was being marketed by EXIT realty.
A complaint filed with the Colorado Independent Ethics Commission, concerning those actions by Commissioner Medina, has resulted in an ongoing investigation.
Commissioner Medina recommended that the commissioners declare such conflicts whenever appropriate. She then moved on to the next work session agenda item.
“BOCC Chair Position. I believe this is your item as well, Commissioner Brown?”
“It is,” Commissioner Brown acknowledged. “Yesterday, when we had the swearing-in ceremony, one of the things I said was, I want to try and help us work together better. Better. And I think that, sometimes, we can remove some obstacles that allow for that.
“So the [BOCC] Chair position as been a voted position, I think historically? But I know that it is, at times, very political — and I’m not sure that’s to the best benefit, for our community.
“I’m throwing out, for consideration, and if we want to look at our next meeting, that this board agrees to make that a rotating positio, so that all Board members have the responsibility, and the privilege of being in that position for a one year term. Because, as you know, Veronica, it’s a lot of work. It’s a lot of work.
“And I think the Board changes a bit, with every different style of leadership that comes in, and sometimes it’s to the better. And that [rotation] would take away some of the political pressures…”
Commissioner Brown is beginning his fifth year on the BOCC, without ever having been elected by his fellow commissioners to serve as Board Chair.
“Again, I’m trying to find ways to remove barriers, to just have us get along. That’s my offer.”
Commissioner Medina is starting her third year on the Board, having served her first year as Vice Chair and her second year as Chair. She asked Commissioner Ranson for his thoughts.
Commissioner Ranson:
“Yes, I had the advantage of meeting with both commissioners last week, while it was still legal…”
According to Colorado law, the commissioners serving on a statutory BOCC, as we have here in Archuleta County, are prohibited from meeting for private closed-door conversations, because a two-person meeting constitutes — for a three-person board — a ‘quorum’, and is thus a public meeting that must be properly advertised and open to the public. (Especially, I suppose, open to the media.)
I have been told, in the past — by County employees — that the Archuleta BOCC has occasionally violated that particular state law.
Because Commissioner Ranson was not sworn in until this past Monday, he was still free to meet privately with Commissioners Medina and Brown last week.
What did our new commissioner learn from those private conversations?
And in particular, what does he think about a commitment to have the Chair position rotated among the three commissioners, on an annual basis?
Considering how political that position can be?
Read Part Two, tomorrow…