Grand County commissioners tabled a decision on switching voting equipment from Liberty Voting Systems (formerly Dominion) to Clear Ballot after determining they had not actually decided to make the change. The Clerk and Recorder presented a contract addendum for Clear Ballot equipment, but Commissioner Linke questioned whether the board wanted to proceed.
Linke noted the county received presentations from both Clear Ballot and Liberty “a while back” but never discussed which vendor to choose. “All of a sudden a contract shows up basically indicating that we made a choice. And I don’t recall us doing that,” Linke said. He called the contract “very premature.”
The county attorney’s office had not approved the contract because they were waiting for Clear Ballot representative Matt Dwyer to accept a software addendum as additional contract terms. The board scheduled a workshop for December 16 at 3:15 p.m. to discuss the voting equipment decision and requested a summary of terms from both Liberty and Clear Ballot for comparison.
Hot Sulphur Springs Grant Request
The Town of Hot Sulphur Springs requested $3 million in Open Lands, Rivers, and Trails funds to purchase 110 acres with Colorado River frontage. Daniel Algo Silva spoke against the request during public comment, saying most OLRT sales tax comes from Winter Park, Granby, Grand Lake, and Fraser while Hot Sulphur Springs generates little. He said the land is designated for development with Highway 40 frontage—the only place the town could generate retail sales tax. Commissioners did not take action during the recorded portion of the meeting.
Hydrogen Rail Presentation
STE Holdings partners Dave Ruble Jr. and Dr. R. Paul Williamson presented their I-70 Mountain Express Project, a hydrogen-powered passenger rail system from Golden to Breckenridge and Winter Park. The Winter Park segment would cost $680 million including tunnels under Berthoud Pass. Ruble said if 236,000 people sign up for their residential solar program in the next year, they’d be ready to proceed.
Finance and Operations
Finance Director Alina Bell presented vouchers totaling $2,029,566.47, including $1,048,416.71 from OLRT to the county for the Windy Gap purchase grant and $150,000 to Grand County Housing Authority for Cliffview operations. The board appointed Miriam Roskam to fill a vacant library board seat and reappointed Jen Gertz. The board approved out-of-state travel for EMS staff to attend a Tampa conference, a $25,000 Justice Assistance Grant for water patrol support, and Amendment 3 restoring $14,435 in emergency preparedness funding.
Treasurer and Personnel
Treasurer Marcy Wheatley presented software license fee increases and reported the Federal Reserve is expected to cut rates by 25 basis points. The board welcomed three new employees and recognized December work anniversaries including Audrey Jennings’ 22 years with EMS and Sheriff Brett Schroetlin’s 13 years.
Manager Updates
County Manager reported the Winter Park Urban Renewal Authority will present their plan January 13 and workshops are scheduled for road maintenance, AI implementation, and DHS shared services. The county registered with Circular Action Alliance for Colorado’s Producer Responsibility Program which holds brands responsible for packaging materials.
Other Business
Human Resources Director Colleen Reynolds presented a proposed pet policy amendment to prohibit pets from county buildings with exceptions for service animals and law enforcement K9s. A clerk’s office employee spoke against the policy, saying it doesn’t address the public bringing dogs into the building. Nate Davis discussed 87 county-owned roads and Highway 40 maintenance issues.
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. 