Archuleta County commissioners voted 2-1 to reinstate the county’s recreational vehicle temporary use permit policy for one year at their March 17 meeting, with Commissioner Veronica Medina dissenting, while the board adopted the 2025 Colorado Wildfire Urban Interface Code and tabled 12 other International Building Codes until June. Finance Director Chad Eaton reported the county closed 2025 with $1.8 million added to general fund reserves. Commissioners also approved $14,000 in Main Street Business Grants for three downtown businesses affected by construction, a zoning variance for Cues and Brews, and a special use permit for a May archery event at Cloman Park.
RV Policy Extended Through 2027
County Manager Longinos Gonzalez Jr. presented Resolution 2026-26, reinstating the interim RV temporary use permit policy that expired in June 2023. The resolution extends the policy through approximately March 2027, with a provision allowing permit renewals for RVs connected to septic or utilities.
During general public comment earlier in the meeting, Bill Hudson addressed the board on an affordable housing financing matter, noting that a local community development organization had sold most of the homes in a workforce housing project to families above the income threshold originally agreed upon, and that up to $125,000 in previously committed fee waivers may not be honored as a result. He encouraged the county to work toward resolving the issue.
Commissioners supporting the extension said the policy helps property owners who cannot afford conventional construction and argued that without a resolution, the county would lose its ability to enforce any RV-related standards. One commissioner noted the upcoming community plan update as the appropriate venue for long-term zoning solutions.
Commissioner Medina said she does not believe housing is a county government function and questioned the logic of creating a new regulation while existing health and safety codes go unenforced. She said the county should focus on enforcing nuisance, sewer, and fire hazard ordinances already on the books. The resolution passed with the pandemic-related “whereas” clause removed from the original 2021 language.
During public comment, residents were divided. One Aspen Springs couple living in a fifth wheel said off-grid conditions make utility hookups impossible and called the $50 permit fee government overreach. Mark White, an Aspen Springs property owner living in an RV, said the county had done nothing on affordability and warned that forcing residents off their land would push them to the streets. Jessica A. Stiles said she could support a temporary fix but raised code enforcement concerns, describing parts of Aspen Springs as resembling informal campgrounds. Bill Hudson cited state demographer data showing Archuleta County lost population between 2023 and 2024 for the first time since the Great Recession, and suggested exploring grants for shared septic infrastructure.
Building Codes: Wildfire Code Adopted, Others Tabled
Building Official Randy Betts recommended adopting only the state’s 2025 Wildfire Urban Interface Code now — to meet the April 1 compliance deadline — and tabling the remaining 12 International Codes until June. He said the state version allows local amendments, while the federal I-WUI Code does not.
Betts warned that failing to adopt the I-Codes could allow the state to override local building authority, effectively blacklist the county from disaster relief funding, and eliminate local building department input on code implementation. Commissioners expressed concern about unfunded mandates from Denver and the added construction costs, and said they wanted to watch how other counties respond before acting. The board unanimously adopted the wildfire code and tabled the rest.
During public comment, a resident said state pressure toward carbon-free energy would make building in areas like Aspen Springs — where utility access is limited — nearly impossible if the International Energy Conservation Code is adopted.
Downtown Businesses Receive Construction Grants
Commissioners unanimously approved $14,000 in Main Street Business Grants to three businesses hit by downtown construction. Aurora Salt Cave & Spa received $4,500 covering approximately two months of rent after reporting a significant customer decline beginning in October 2025. The Gibson Suites received $5,000 for rent and utilities. Higher Altitude Pagosa LLC received $4,500 for rent, payroll, utilities, and website development after reporting nine months of negative profit and loss.
County Finances Strong in 2025
Eaton presented preliminary, unaudited figures showing $25.8 million in general fund revenue against $24 million in expenses. Forty-four of 48 departments came in within budget. Sales tax collections totaled $3.6 million, exceeding projections by 18 percent. Highway Users Tax Fund revenue reached $2.2 million, 4 percent higher than 2024. Overall expenditures came in at 76 percent of budget.
Variance and Other Business
Sitting as the Board of Adjustment, commissioners unanimously approved a general variance for Cues and Brews at 68 Bastille Drive, exempting the business from drainage study and paving requirements. Planner Katie Neher said the county’s process of placing full drainage study costs on a single tenant in a multi-tenant property was an undue hardship.
Commissioners approved consent agenda items including accounts payable, the county’s artificial intelligence policy, a lot consolidation in Aspen Springs, and support letters for A Safe Place in Pagosa and an Emergency Watershed Protection funding application. The board approved a special use permit for the Wolf Creek Gun and Bow Association’s 3D archery shoot at Cloman Park on May 3.
County Manager Gonzalez announced a community forum for March 25 at 5 p.m. at the Springs Resort to gather public input on the community plan and future land use code updates.
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