The Custer County Board of County Commissioners approved a $215,900 purchase of a used road grader, renewed a law enforcement contract with the Town of Westcliffe, and adopted a child welfare records policy update during its regular meeting Tuesday, April 29, 2026. The board also approved a CDOT consultant waiver needed to keep a courthouse sidewalk project on track and heard that rising material costs are pushing that project close to its grant ceiling. Commissioners Bill Canda, Paul Vogelsong, and Lucas Epp were present, along with County Attorney Dan Slater and Clerk & Recorder Kelley Camper. The board approved minutes from its April 15, 2026 meeting without amendment.
Grader Purchase
The board’s longest discussion centered on purchasing a 2021 John Deere motor grader from Chaffee County for $215,900 — roughly half the $401,000 price of a comparable new machine. Road and Bridge Supervisor Vince Koch told the board that aging equipment costs more to maintain each year and a newer grader would allow the county to reduce its maintenance budget and redirect funds toward road materials. Koch said the county mechanic inspected and test-drove the grader in Buena Vista. It carries 2,700 hours, six-wheel drive, rippers, and a plow attachment mount. John Deere dealer Four Rivers will inspect the machine before delivery.
The board weighed paying cash outright against a lease-to-purchase arrangement. Finance Director Vernon Roth, who worked through the options at a prior workshop and attended the meeting online, had analyzed both. Paying cash outright would drop the capital improvement fund from roughly $550,000 to $259,000. Commissioner Epp noted the county still lacks finalized refinancing terms on an existing balloon payment, making the cash cushion question unsettled.
The board voted unanimously to purchase the grader on a lease-to-purchase basis at 4.75% interest at $50,000 per year, with the right to pay it off early. Koch said he plans to sell one of the county’s older graders — which the county mechanic assessed as likely to fail within a year at current usage — to help reimburse the capital fund.
Courthouse Sidewalk Project — Costs Rising, Grant at Risk
Commissioner Epp reported that engineering cost estimates for the CDOT-funded courthouse sidewalk project have climbed about 10% over the original estimate of roughly $250,000 — approximately 5% per year over two and a half years — driven by higher asphalt and concrete costs. The project will relocate the sidewalk in front of the courthouse to street level and make it ADA-accessible. Epp said the rising costs are pushing the project close to the CDOT Multimodal Options Fund (MMOF) grant ceiling, and any overage above the grant amount would fall to the county.
The board unanimously approved a CDOT Chief Engineer Memorandum consultant waiver allowing Baseline Engineering — which designed the project — to also handle construction management. CDOT typically requires a separate firm for that role but waives the requirement for smaller counties that lack in-house capacity. The project is funded through MMOF grants and bag delivery fee revenue. A construction management bid from Baseline is still pending; Epp expects the full package before the May 13 meeting.
Westcliffe–Sheriff Contract
The board unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement between the Town of Westcliffe and the Custer County Sheriff’s Office, effective January 1, 2026. The contract arrived bearing what appeared to be the signature of a previous Westcliffe mayor. The board approved the agreement pending verification that the signatory held the office at the time of signing, with commissioners noting they would execute their own signatures after the meeting once that was confirmed.
Accounts Payable
The board unanimously approved an accounts payable report totaling $352,028.15 through April 29. Major items included $123,750 to Mountain Valley Excavating for road and bridge crushing; $111,870.53 to Meritain Health for coverage and claims; $25,216.98 to the Office of District Attorney Jeff Lindsey for April and May payments; $10,321.75 to Government Software Assurance Corp. for assessor second-quarter software support; $6,771.04 to Delta Dental of Colorado for April and May group coverage; $5,031.50 to County Attorney Dan Slater; and $4,800 to CAM Appraisal Services for an appraisal of the Village at Silver Cliff land tied to the workforce housing project, paid through a grant.
Human Services Policy
The board unanimously adopted a revised Custer County Department of Human Services policy governing falsification of child welfare records, quality assurance, investigation, and notification, effective April 1, 2026. The revision brings the county into conformance with state requirements that fund the department. DHS Director Vicki White, attending online, was credited by a commissioner for her work on the update.
Surplus Equipment Sale
The board adopted Resolution 26-26 authorizing the sale of a surplus water tank and trailer from the Defense Military Reutilization and Marketing Office program to a private buyer for $1,501. By statute, proceeds are deposited into the Sheriff’s Office Military Surplus fund for sheriff’s equipment and capital improvements.
Attorney Items
County Attorney Slater reported that a draft workforce housing development agreement has been sent to the developer for review. The developer has submitted one round of changes and is preparing a second before returning it to Slater.
Slater said he has spent the past two weeks reviewing the county’s personnel policy manual, with significant changes coming that will go out to all elected officials. The board noted a review session is scheduled.
Slater also outlined a new cease-and-desist enforcement process developed with the Sheriff’s Office. Planning and Zoning Director Delenna Crofford will be accompanied by a posse member when conducting enforcement, with the sheriff available for emergencies. Property owners will receive two days’ notice before enforcement tape is placed.
Clerk & Recorder Kelley Camper raised the county’s CORA request routing process, saying she can no longer serve as the go-between when requests belong to other county offices. She said three requests in recent weeks consumed a week of her time as she relayed questions back and forth. The board agreed to work toward a formal resolution clarifying routing — with requests forwarded directly to the responsible office, and Slater involved when legal review is needed.
Commissioner Reports
Commissioner Epp reported the county did not receive an opioid grant it had applied for, leaving the proposed community service hub without funding. The county will explore other options. Epp said a workforce housing community forum held the prior week at Tony’s drew a decent turnout, with residents moving through informational stations. Workforce Housing Committee Chair Barry Keene is involved in ongoing coordination with Slater on the development contract.
Epp also reported the courthouse ballot initiative remains on track, with three milestones completed and an August 6 filing deadline still on the schedule. He said no reimbursable expenses have been billed to the county yet.
Commissioner Canda said the county’s liability insurance costs have climbed significantly following a rise in accidents and the board hopes the trend reverses following a recent workshop with insurer CTSI. Canda said he planned to attend the Wetmore Fire Board meeting that evening at 7 p.m. to discuss EMT support coordination with Florence. He is establishing monthly office hours in Wetmore — the last Thursday of each month aligned with fire board meetings, and a Wednesday afternoon session — to improve access for District 2 residents.
Vince Koch has prioritized road maintenance by condition and use, recently working Housey Flats. A lack of road base material is a persistent problem. The county is developing a contingency to pump water for road base work during what is expected to be a dry summer. Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District has committed to not cutting water for road or fire protection uses.
The board noted a memorandum of understanding with the Upper Arkansas weed control program is pending the other party’s board meeting, expected around May 5 or 7. The item will appear on the next agenda. No public comments were received from those attending in person or online. The board adjourned at 9:52 a.m.
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