The Custer County Board of County Commissioners hired an interim director for the Office of Emergency Management, denied a special event permit for an acoustic concert over application deficiencies, approved a new shared field inspector position to address a years-long inspection backlog, and accepted a $70,000 bid for a surplus road grader at its regular meeting Wednesday, June 10, 2026, in Westcliffe. The board also signed the enactment clause for updated on-site wastewater treatment regulations, extended a state human services agreement, and approved $140,063.56 in accounts payable. Commissioners Bill Canda, Paul Vogelsong, and Lucas Epp were present, along with County Attorney Dan Slater and Clerk & Recorder Kelley Camper. The meeting was held at All Aboard Westcliffe, 112 Rosita Ave., and adjourned at 11:11 a.m.
After returning from executive session, the board voted unanimously to hire an unidentified candidate — referred to only as applicant number three — as interim Emergency Management director. Human Resources Director Robert Smith told the board that six applicants were reviewed and the selected candidate more than met the qualifications. Canda directed Smith to contact the applicant immediately. When the board returned to open session, Smith reported the call had gone unanswered. Canda adjourned the meeting with the offer still outstanding, saying the board would reconvene the following week if the candidate declined. The board also entered executive session to develop strategy on pending litigation under C.R.S. § 24-6-402(4)(e).
The board voted unanimously to deny a special event permit for a property at 5.1 County Road 328, Zone 4, after the Planning Commission recommended denial on a 7-0 vote. Planning and Zoning Director Delenna Crofford told commissioners the application contained multiple errors and lacked a confirmed insurance binder. She said the proposed event warranted particular scrutiny because it was acoustic in nature, with acoustic events carrying a broad sound footprint across the county. A member of the public pressed the board to issue a cease-and-desist order to the organizers, who were already selling tickets despite lacking a permit. The board accepted the Planning Commission’s recommendation without further action.
The board voted unanimously to create a new full-time field inspector position shared between the Planning and Zoning office and the Assessor’s office. Smith told commissioners both departments had been relying on a single volunteer inspector who left June 1, leaving no field coverage for either office. Commissioner Vogelsong explained that the post-COVID property boom created an inspection backlog in both departments over three to four years, and that the two Planning and Zoning employees had been going into the field together for safety reasons, leaving the office unstaffed during inspections. The position carries a salary range of $17.48 to $25.53 per hour depending on experience and certifications. Assessor JD Henrich, attending online, confirmed the urgency. A member of the public questioned whether a shared position reporting to both Henrich and Crofford would create management problems; Smith acknowledged the concern and said he would mediate if scheduling conflicts arose.
The board voted unanimously to accept the sole sealed bid for Grader One, a 2008 John Deere 872, from Ed Lyons of Mountain Valley Excavating LLC at $50,000 cash plus $20,000 in road base material, meeting the $70,000 minimum set at a prior meeting. The board directed staff to confirm the tonnage equivalent of the road base portion before finalizing the transaction. Road and Bridge Supervisor Vince Koch was absent, working the water truck on County Road 255 near Rosita.
The board unanimously approved accounts payable of $140,063.56 through June 10. Items above $5,000 included $36,621.32 to McFarland Oil for road and bridge fuel; $9,862.73 for employee health insurance; $8,452.50 to CSU Extension for first- and second-quarter director contract payments; $6,204.23 and $5,297.07 to Four Rivers Equipment for CTSI landfill claims; $6,000 to Steve Locken for annual Kids Council office rent; and $4,800 to El Paso County for three autopsies. The board signed the enactment clause for the county’s revised on-site wastewater treatment system regulations before Camper, the final procedural step after the Board of Health approved the corrected regulation at its May 27 meeting. The board also extended the Memorandum of Understanding between the Colorado Department of Early Childhood and the Colorado Department of Human Services through June 30, 2027, effective July 1, 2026.
Commissioner Epp reported the county received an extension on the federal Emergency Management Performance Grant through September and reviewed preliminary workforce housing design drawings for Silver Cliff. Canda reported that Air National Guard helicopter training at SilverWest Airport projected use of approximately 11,000 gallons of Jet A fuel; that Road and Bridge is evaluating an oil-and-chip-seal surface for the airport road off Highway 69; and that an airfest is planned for August at SilverWest with a free breakfast and general aviation displays. A mining company strung sensor wires across county roads in the Rosita area at eight locations for subsurface mineral testing, with road crews installing temporary speed bumps over the wires for a $1,100 fee. Slater reported he was elected as a small-county representative on the board of the Colorado County Attorneys Association following the group’s conference at Keystone.
During public comment, a resident said drivers on Rosita Road are ignoring the new 35-mile-per-hour speed limit, with road maintenance undone within hours of grading. Canda said the county has coordinated with the sheriff to deploy deputies and posse members alongside road crews during active grading. Another resident reported deteriorating culverts on County Road 254; Canda said crews were already in the area. A third resident suggested the county purchase portable Starlink satellite units for emergency communications in remote areas; Canda said the county is already exploring satellite connectivity, including for the new field inspector position.
The board approved minutes of its May 27, 2026, regular meeting without amendment. The board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for June 17, 2026.
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