The Park County Board of County Commissioners met December 10, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. at 856 Castello Avenue, Fairplay. Present were Chairperson David B. Wissel, Commissioner Amy Mitchell, Commissioner Jason Gemmer, County Manager Lucas Meyer, and County Attorney Nate Osterberg.
Park County commissioners approved an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Aurora to fund the county’s review of Aurora Water’s Wild Horse Reservoir project. The agreement provides an initial $50,000 payment from Aurora Water, with up to two additional $50,000 payments possible depending on workload complexity, bringing total potential funding to $150,000.
The funds will help Park County participate in the Bureau of Land Management’s National Environmental Policy Act review process and cover pre-application work before Aurora Water submits its formal application under the county’s 1041 regulations. Meyer explained Aurora is planning work on several reservoirs including the potential major new Wild Horse Reservoir project, which prompted the county’s earlier moratorium on water projects so it could hire specialized 1041 legal counsel.
“This IGA allows Aurora water with the amount of work that they are planning to dump on our plates to process their applications to pay for our attorney to expedient the 1041 process and make sure that it is all moving forward in good faith efforts for all parties involved,” Meyer said. The payments cover costs the county wouldn’t otherwise be able to administer or absorb. At 1041 application time, Aurora will pay a separate application deposit, and any remaining funds from the initial payments would be credited to that deposit.
Wissel described this as the first concrete step in “a very long process of time from the beginning of Wild Horse on the drawing board to the point where they put the sign up.” Meyer said Aurora Water representative Sarah has offered to send herself or representatives to address Park County citizens and participate in combined press releases with the county. The agreement requires prior written approval from Aurora Water before Park County issues press releases, though Wissel noted the county is working toward transparency. Wissel cautioned that Aurora’s city council and mayor must still approve the agreement, which could take until next year. The motion carried 3-0.
Montgomery Reservoir Lease Renewal
Commissioners approved a five-year renewal of the county’s water storage lease with Colorado Springs Utilities for 15 acre-feet in Montgomery Reservoir. The current agreement expires December 31, 2025, and the renewal extends through December 31, 2030.
Wissel explained CSU is likely to expand Montgomery Reservoir within the five-year period, potentially doubling capacity to fully develop Blue River collection rights that feed the reservoir. The original 1950s design included expansion plans. The county currently has about 17 acre-feet stored. Commissioners discussed whether the agreement should allow the county to “wheel” or sublease surplus storage during good water years, but the current agreement doesn’t include that provision. Gemmer said the 15 acre-feet storage is important and the county shouldn’t risk losing it, suggesting they sign now to preserve existing rights and negotiate better terms when CSU’s expansion project gets closer. The motion carried 3-0.
Board Volunteer Stipend Discussion
Commissioners continued discussing stipends for volunteers on BOCC-appointed advisory boards but tabled the item to December 17 with no decision. Proposals included $25 per meeting plus 21 cents per mile for travel, or separate rates for virtual versus in-person attendance. Meyer calculated that with 90 board seats and 957 annual meetings, a $40 stipend would cost a maximum $38,280 per year. The motion to table carried 3-0.
Consent Items and Routine Business
The board approved vouchers and minutes from the December 4, 2025 meeting. No public hearing was scheduled.
Public Comment and Administrative Session
Jack Cropper from Plaster Valley requested that future discussions about Montgomery Reservoir expansion and conditions with CSU be held in work sessions or standard board meetings. Commissioners declined to fund a climate change documentary screening in Fairplay, with all three expressing concerns about using taxpayer money for films with political viewpoints.
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