The Alamosa Board of County Commissioners met December 10, 2025, at the county services center with all three commissioners present: Vern Heersink (Chair), Arlan Van Ry (Vice Chair), and Lori Laske. County Surveyor Dan Russell announced his resignation after 31 years in the elected position, creating a 15-day deadline for commissioners to appoint his replacement.
Russell, first elected in 1994, told commissioners the surveyor position primarily involves assisting Land Use Administrator Richard Hubler with subdivision processing. He expressed concern about leaving Hubler without help, calling the work “very complicated, very painful, and too difficult” for one person to handle alone.
“I don’t think you’ll find somebody that wants the appointed position,” Russell said, noting the wages may not attract qualified candidates. He offered to stay temporarily while the board searches for a replacement, suggesting he could remain through January or February.
County Attorney Jason Kelly explained that state law requires the board to appoint someone within 15 days of Russell’s effective resignation date. If commissioners don’t act within that timeframe, the governor can appoint someone on an interim basis until the November 2026 election.
Kelly noted some Colorado counties don’t have county surveyors and instead contract with private surveying firms through intergovernmental agreements. Russell indicated he would provide a written resignation with an effective date to start the appointment clock.
Budget Adoption
Commissioners unanimously adopted Alamosa County’s 2026 budget totaling $54,518,652 in expenditures with total available resources of $108,144,874. The board approved four budget-related resolutions after combined public hearings with no public comment.
Resolution 25-F-9 set the county mill levy at 25.238 mills, unchanged from previous years, breaking down as 21.238 mills for general fund, 3.550 mills for Department of Human Services, 0.250 mills for community development, and 0.200 mills for debt service. Commissioner Laske noted Alamosa County’s mill levies are “fairly low compared to the rest of the state.”
Resolution 25-F-10 set the weed control district levy at 1.004 mills (1.500 mills with 0.496 mill credit). Resolution 25-F-8 appropriated $54,429,652 to county funds. Resolution 25-F-7 formally adopted the budget with lease purchase obligations of $2,153,937. Laske emphasized the budget received extensive public input through multiple hearings dating back to August.
Minor Subdivisions Approved
The board approved two minor subdivision applications after separate public hearings with no public opposition.
Craig Janda Subdivision (MS 25-014): Commissioners unanimously approved dividing 4.6 acres at 6788 Cottonwood Lane into two lots of 2.43 and 2.17 acres. The property has two existing residences: a 1936 historic home and a 2006 site-built home. The subdivision brings the property into conformance with regulations limiting one residence per lot.
Both lots exceed minimum requirements and have access to Cottonwood Lane. East Alamosa Water and Sanitation District serves the property with separate taps for each residence. The Planning Commission recommended approval November 12 with one condition requiring updated utility easements on the final plat.
JDS Farms LLC Subdivision (MS 25-015): The board unanimously approved dividing approximately 156.82 acres at 4186 Road 100 North into two tracts: 154.76 acres of farmland and 2.06 acres with an existing residence. Christy Harvey of JDS Farms LLC proposed the separation to sell the residential tract while keeping the irrigated quarter section in agricultural production.
The approval includes Division of Water Resources requirements for domestic well permit 136359. The well can continue serving the residential tract but will encumber 35 acres that cannot qualify for additional exempt well permits. The final plat must include this restriction. Staff explained this pattern is common for corner separations where farm corners with existing homes are separated from larger agricultural tracts.
Secure Transportation Policy Updates
County Attorney Jason Kelly presented proposed policy updates including quarterly driver’s license verification, requiring third-party institutions to provide mental health training rather than allowing unqualified in-house sessions, and clarifying vehicle registration requirements. County Administrator Roni Wisdom reviews compliance quarterly.
The board declined to add criminal background check notification requirements beyond existing initial checks for ownership and administration. Commissioners agreed the business should maintain appropriate staffing standards while the county focuses on whether drivers are safe and legal to operate vehicles. The board will continue reviewing updates at a future meeting.
Other Business
The board approved a one-year secure transportation vehicle permit for First Response K-9 and heard from Fernando Garcia, Senator Michael Bennet’s regional representative, on recent legislative work including the CORE Act protecting 420,000 acres of federal land and $50 million secured for low-emission transit buses. Iava Williams with the San Luis Valley Local Foods Coalition also addressed the board.
The board unanimously approved the consent agenda containing the Treasurer’s October and November Fund Report, Public Health Emergency Preparedness Grant Amendment 3, Resolution 2025-G5 establishing commissioner salaries, VOCA Grant, Chronic Disease Pilot Program, and Opioid Resilience Grant.
Commissioner Reports
Commissioner Laske reported the county secured $10,000 for a courthouse PA system and attended mass violence training where she praised local agencies for already implementing federal recommendations. She met with Olivia Neese, the governor’s designated outreach person for San Luis Valley, and attended eight opioid settlement meetings.
Laske expressed concern about emergency services radio funding, noting county fire departments received $7,000 while federal fire departments received $40,000 despite federal funding. “The federal government can cover their own,” she said. Other commissioners shared similar concerns about funding equity.
Representatives discussed a proposed Rio Grande National Conservation Area along the Rio Grande corridor involving 81,000 acres of BLM lands. Discussion included the recent La Jara Reservoir transaction where 45,950 acres of state lands were purchased for $49.6 million using Land and Water Conservation Fund money, with the lands transferring to federal management. The transaction drew bipartisan support including all Conejos County Commissioners and former Senator Ken Salazar.
Support Independent Local Journalism — High Country Advocate was created as a real alternative to regional media that too often silences dissenting voices while taking sides in the political struggle. Producing in-depth, unflinching reporting like this series and others is expensive: servers, editing, research time, and legal review all add up quickly. If these articles have informed you or given you new perspective, please consider supporting HCA with a paid subscription — every subscriber helps keep this reporting strong and independent. 