Rio Grande County commissioners voted Tuesday to restore five-day service at the Clerk & Recorder’s office, ending a three-year experiment with a four-day workweek that drew citizen complaints about Friday closures. The board also approved purchasing a $118,488 mini excavator for road safety improvements and authorized a $150,000 grant application for tracking devices to help locate missing individuals with dementia or developmental disabilities. The changes to clerk hours take effect July 1, with the office operating Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., replacing the current Monday-Thursday schedule of 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Clerk Hours Restore Five-Day Access
Six residents spoke during public comment urging commissioners to restore Friday service at the clerk’s office. One speaker presented Facebook survey results showing 16 of 18 respondents preferred Monday-Friday hours, while another proposed alternating staff schedules to maintain five-day coverage while giving employees preferred hours. Speakers argued the Friday closure inconvenienced working residents, school employees, and those unable to visit during the week.
A commissioner said the board received numerous calls about the issue since raising it at a previous meeting. County Administrator Skip Schoen requested the July 1 implementation date rather than April 1 to allow staff time to adjust schedules and complete new system integration work. The office has operated four 10-hour days since fall 2022.
The new schedule maintains 40 hours per week with an 8.5-hour workday including a 30-minute lunch break. Schoen clarified that employees work 40 hours weekly under both schedules with no change in compensation.
Road & Bridge Equipment Addresses Safety Concerns
Commissioners unanimously approved purchasing a mini excavator with brush mulching head from Wagner Equipment for visibility improvements at dangerous intersections. The machine was a rental return from Los Animas County with 50-55 hours added during a two-month Rio Grande County trial period.
Road & Bridge Supervisor Patrick Sullivan said the equipment addresses safety issues by opening sight lines at locations with restricted visibility. Completed projects include the Poncha and Highway 160 intersection, where multiple serious accidents occurred, and Pines Creek near a residential driveway where visibility was severely limited.
The purchase price of $118,488 exceeds the $100,000 budgeted for equipment but falls within the $400,000 approved for capital expenditures. Wagner will credit rental payments toward the purchase and replace the damaged mulching head with a new one valued at $23,000-$24,000. The county will trade a 2004 grader that hasn’t sold despite public listing.
Tracking Devices for Vulnerable Individuals
The board approved submitting a grant application for the Kevin & Avonte program, which provides funding to reduce injury and death among missing individuals with dementia and developmental disabilities. The Rio Grande County Vulnerable Individual Tracking Initiative would provide tracking devices activated only when family members report someone missing.
Grant Specialist Isabel Velarde said the three-year grant totaling $150,000 requires no county match. The Sheriff’s office would lead the program in partnership with Dr. Kolawole Bankole, Rio Grande County Public Health Director, coordinating with nursing homes, families, and medical providers to equip at-risk individuals with tracking devices such as AirTags or shoe inserts. The Sheriff described increasing calls involving individuals who wander and referenced a fatal case involving someone who got lost. The application deadline is Friday.
Railroad Improvement Support
Commissioners unanimously approved a letter supporting Colorado Pacific Rio Grande Railroad’s La Veta Improvement Project. The BUILD grant application seeks funding to improve approximately 22 miles of rail over La Veta Pass, facilitating agricultural product movement from the San Luis Valley and reducing train derailments.
Special Recognitions
The board recognized Mathieu Dean of Monta Vista High School for winning the state wrestling championship in the 2A division’s 106-pound weight class. Commissioners also heard from Monta Vista’s 3D printing class, which has partnered with the Rio Grande County Weed District for five to six years producing plant models. Students presented improved models made with better printers and discussed displaying their work at an agricultural conference.
Department Reports
Weed District Supervisor Billi Blades reported completing scheduling for the 2026 spray season with several applications set for May. The district did not receive the 2026 noxious weed grant but will continue operations. New employees start in March, and the district is obtaining quotes for security cameras and window coverings.
Veterans Officer Jack Rudder described an emotional January 31 honor bell ceremony commemorating the 35th anniversary of Paul Weaver being shot down over Iraq. Seven participants tolled the bell for military members they wished to honor. The honor guard conducted three funerals last month and two to three this month.
Commissioner Updates
Commissioner Deacon reported the 911 center in Alamosa operates with 15.5 dispatchers against a target of 20.5 and handled 9,711 calls in January. The center’s balance increased from $1.36 million to $1.39 million.
Commissioner Glover attended the Museum Board meeting ahead of next week’s reopening and reported Monta Vista’s city planner secured major grants worth millions for previously delayed projects. The Opioid Board maintains approximately $500,000 in locally controlled funds and recently hired a coordinator to oversee funding applications. A Monday night South Fork town meeting lasting nearly three hours drew 40 residents, with approximately 37 supporting a new pub and entertainment venue near the train station.
Commissioner Ratzlaff said a South Central Seniors crisis over the weekend was resolved with help from new legal counsel. The statewide Sex Offender Management Board requested a rural county commissioner representative for monthly meetings.
County Administrator Schoen directed South Fork’s $6,500 marketing funds request to the county marketing group first, noting the November 2025 voter-approved expansion of lodging tax uses. The intergovernmental agreement for marketing fund distribution will appear on the next meeting agenda after only Monta Vista provided minor grammatical comments by Monday’s deadline.
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