Photo: From left, Archuleta County Attorney Cathleen Giovanini, Commissioners Warren Brown and Veronica Medina, August 19, 2025.
On Tuesday evening, the Archuleta Board of County Commissioners posted a notice of an upcoming ‘Special Meeting’ with two items on the agenda.
CALL TO ORDER THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF AUGUST 21, 2025 AT 8:30am.
NEW BUSINESS
Discussions Regarding County Manager Vacancy
Presenter: Cathleen Giovannini, County Attorney
Consideration and Designation of Supervision of County Departments
This agenda item is for the Board of County Commissioners to divide up the county departments that normally report to the county manager amongst the commissioners to supervise until such time as an interim or permanent county manager is hired.
Presenter: Cathleen Giovannini, County Attorney
One might expect staffing issues like this to be presented by the County Manager.
But Archuleta County no longer has a County Manager.
Thus… this morning’s special meeting… a continuation of the roller coaster ride our County government has been on for the past couple of years…
…perhaps an especially rough ride since Commissioner John Ranson joined the BOCC in January.
Jack Harper II resigned his position as County Manager on Tuesday August 19, following a somewhat weird series of closed-door discussions.
I had received a text message early Tuesday morning, from a person connected to the County government, suggesting that Mr. Harper would be fired at the BOCC’s 1:30pm regular meeting. And indeed, the published meeting agenda suggested that some type of personnel change might take place following a planned closed-door executive session, at the conclusion of a lengthy agenda. (More about the length of the meeting later…)
Executive Session
Pursuant to Colorado Revised Statute § 24-6-402 (4), upon the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the quorum present, the Archuleta County Board of County Commissioners will hold an executive session to discuss a personnel matter pursuant to C.R.S. §24-6-402(4)(f) and conference with County Attorney to receive legal advice on specific legal questions pursuant to C.R.S. §24-6-402(4)(b).
When the motion was made to enter into executive session, it was noted that the discussion would concern County Manager Jack Harper. BOCC chair Veronica Medina noted that, according to Colorado law, an employee who will be discussed by a governing board has the option to request the discussion be held publicly. She stated that Mr. Harper preferred to have the discussion take place in executive session.
Then the three commissioners — Warren Brown, John Ranson and Veronica Medina — and their Attorney — Cathleen Giovanini — departed the meeting room for a closed-door discussion…
…leaving Mr. Harper behind with the rest of the meeting audience. That is, with the half dozen people still left in the meeting audience, which had been ‘standing room only’ earlier that afternoon during the public hearing for the proposed ‘Tiny Pagosa’ variance request and re-zoning request. (The lengthy part of the meeting… more about that later…)
Colorado law requires that government boards meet openly and publicly, so that the taxpayers have the opportunity to observe laws being made, policy being decided, and money being allocated — and in the case of the government’s chief executive officer, such as a County manager, the hiring and firing decisions.
But Colorado law also allows for closed-door executive sessions for a very few purposes, such as discussing real estate sales or purchases, getting specific legal advice from the board’s attorney, and discussing personnel matters. These matters can be discussed behind closed doors, but any actual board decisions must be made in open, public session.
The “personnel matter” discussed behind closed doors on August 19 was, of course, County Manager Jack Harper. The executive session lasted a little longer than half an hour, and then the three commissioners and their attorney returned to open session.
But only momentarily.
BOCC chair Medina announced that no decisions had been made during executive session, other than “giving direction to staff” — that is to say, giving instructions to Attorney Giovanini — and that the meeting would be recessed until 5:30 to allow “staff” to meet privately with Mr. Harper. Ms. Giovanini and Mr. Harper then left the meeting room for a 15-minute private conversation, during which time Commissioner Medina left the room a couple of times, presumably to converse with Ms. Giovanini?
Commissioners Brown and Ranson sat and waited… with the rest of us… the media, and a handful of County employees.
At 5:36, Mr. Harper and Ms. Giovanini returned from their private discussion, and Commissioner Medina reconvened the meeting, noting that the BOCC would not “need to go into executive session” again to continue their private discussions.
Commissioner Medina: “From the information that I received from staff, the County Manager is going to be resigning. So we won’t need to go into executive session [again] and that we can end this meeting with that information. Can I get a motion to adjourn?”
Commissioner Ranson: “Do we need a motion to accept [the resignation]?”
Commissioner Medina: “If you like, alright… I will open the floor for a motion to accept the County Manager’s resignation.”
Commissioner Ranson: “Madam Chair, I move to accept the resignation of the County Manager.”
Commissioner Brown: “Second.”
All voting in favor, the motion carried.
Although the BOCC did not actually vote to terminate Mr. Harper’s employment, but rather, voted to accept his resignation, the manner in which the August 19 meeting unfolded makes it rather obvious that Mr. Harper was given a choice of resigning or being fired.
Thus:
CALL TO ORDER THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF AUGUST 21, 2025 AT 8:30am.
NEW BUSINESS
Discussions Regarding County Manager Vacancy
Presenter: Cathleen Giovannini, County Attorney