The Grand County Board of County Commissioners authorized injunctive relief and maximum civil penalties against a local food establishment operating without a license at their March 3 meeting, while approving a $63,200 state grant to pilot artificial intelligence tools and hearing updates on the county’s transition to a new emergency notification system. Sitting as the Board of Health, commissioners directed staff to pursue court action against a business that twice refused entry to health inspectors and has not paid its license fees since a February 4 deadline. The board also approved a corrected collective bargaining agreement with the Fraternal Order of Police and received annual updates from the Grand County Water Information Network and the Office of Emergency Management.
Public Health Enforcement
Abby Baker, director of Grand County Public Health, told commissioners the department attempted inspections of a food establishment on January 28 and January 29 and was denied entry both times. The operator was provided a printed copy of the statute requiring access. The business has not paid its retail food license renewal despite notices sent in November, December, and January, and missed the February 4 deadline. Baker said the department issued formal violation notices on February 20 and received no response by the February 27 deadline.
Acting as the Board of Health, commissioners authorized staff to pursue injunctive relief through the courts and assessed the maximum civil penalty of $1,000 per violation — $2,000 total — for operating without a valid license and refusing inspector entry. Baker noted the penalties can be reduced later if the operator demonstrates compliance. She said the situation is highly unusual and that the department typically works cooperatively with businesses to maintain licenses and resolve issues quickly. Baker said this is the second time the same operator has had compliance issues with the county.
Emergency Alert System
Emergency Management Director Alexis Kimbrough told commissioners the county is replacing its Code Red emergency notification system, which suffered a cybersecurity attack in November 2024, with a new platform called Rave. The county will brand the service as “Grand County Alerts” to maintain consistent public recognition if platforms change again in the future. Public registration opens April 2, 2026.
Kimbrough said the new system adds capabilities not available in Code Red, including optional profile fields for medical information, pets, livestock, and vehicle descriptions to support evacuation planning. The county owns its data under the new contract, allowing staff to identify registration gaps by geographic area and adjust outreach accordingly. She said the department is attending all town board meetings across the county to spread the word and plans a public workshop after registration opens to walk residents through the sign-up process. Kimbrough emphasized that residents should not disable emergency alerts in their phone settings, calling them critical life-safety tools.
AI Grant and County Operations
County Manager Ed Moyer reported the county was awarded a $63,200 Department of Local Affairs Energy Impact Assistance Innovation Grant to run a 12-month artificial intelligence pilot focused on accelerating staff efficiency. DOLA will provide $47,400 with a $15,800 county match. An RFQ was posted on the county website with submittals due April 2. Moyer credited county staff for the grant application work.
Moyer also reported the county is piloting AI-assisted detailed meeting minutes in coordination with Clerk and Recorder Jolene Linke’s office, with a sample expected within two weeks.
FOP Collective Bargaining Agreement
County Attorney Maxine LaBarre-Krostue presented a corrected collective bargaining agreement between Grand County, the Sheriff’s Office, and FOP Headwaters Lodge No. 71. The only substantive change from the version presented two weeks earlier was restoring a reference to the Graves Plan in the cost-of-living adjustment article after the FOP had initially replaced it with a percentage figure. The agreement has been signed by the FOP and the Sheriff. Commissioners approved the agreement unanimously and authorized the chair to sign.
Water Monitoring Network
Kyle Masterson, executive director of the Grand County Water Information Network, presented the organization’s annual update, marking its 26th year. The network reached 684 students through education programs in 2025, the highest total since the COVID pandemic. The organization completed a strategic plan and integrated the East Grand Water Quality Board into its operations.
The centerpiece of the presentation was a new water data dashboard built in partnership with Spheros Environmental at a cost of more than $100,000. The platform consolidates data from 12 agencies — including GCWIN, USGS, Northern Water, and Denver Water — into a single interactive map. Water Resources Manager Catherine Morris said the county is already using the dashboard and called it a major tool for stream management decisions. Adam Quinlan, Grand County’s water resource specialist and a GCWIN board member, said the volume of historical data in the system will support permit level determinations for wastewater treatment plant discharge renewals with direct implications for river health.
Other Administrative Actions
Jeff Bachman with the Sheriff’s Office presented a $9,827.51 contract for a Motorola ArcGIS Pro migration for the Sheriff’s Office dispatch system, which supports vehicle mapping for all responding agencies. Commissioners also approved an Emergency Medical Services registration with the Drug Enforcement Administration under new federal rules that shift DEA compliance responsibility from the department’s medical director directly to the county. EMS Chief Austin Wingate told commissioners the department has always been found in full compliance during DEA reviews and that failing to register would prevent paramedics from carrying pain and seizure medications.
County Attorney LaBarre-Krostue presented an update on county insurance liability limits, which adjust every four years by statute. Commissioners directed staff to work at a $1.5 million threshold — above the new statutory minimum of $1,421,000 — while allowing exceptions for lower-risk activities.
Moyer updated commissioners on several operational items: the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code must be adopted by April 1 and will go before the Planning Commission next week before a March 24 BOCC vote; a co-responder program meeting is scheduled with town managers, the sheriff, and police chiefs; and the county’s pay plan proposals will be reviewed with human resources before a recommendation comes to the board. Moyer also reported the county received a 401 water quality certification for County Road 522 in February, with the project currently in a holding pattern pending Corps of Engineers information.
Airport staff presented three hangar letters of agreement for Granby Airport covering the 2026 calendar year. One agreement had a discrepancy in amount and was sent back to the renter for correction, with commissioners authorizing staff to sign once corrected.
During general public comment, two County Road 525 residents asked that road maintenance be advanced from its September schedule, citing more than 20 years without grading, plowing, or road base. A resident from Granby raised concerns about wildfire mitigation on an isolated 600-acre BLM parcel in the Legacy Park Ranch area. Moyer said the county has documents showing the Legacy Park Ranch HOA is required to implement a forest management plan and offered to meet with the resident.
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