The Custer County Board of County Commissioners spent the bulk of its May 13 meeting debating whether to pursue a new justice center, with Commissioner Bill Canda making a detailed public case for eventually asking voters to fund a single-courtroom courthouse while residents at the meeting and online pressed the board on transparency, process, and cost. The board also approved the sale of an aging road grader, adopted four resolutions to dispose of surplus equipment, authorized a new weed management contract, approved mandatory employee training, accepted a tourism board resignation, and voted to post for an interim emergency management director. Commissioners approved the minutes of the April 29 regular meeting. No unfinished business was brought forward. The meeting was held at All Aboard Westcliffe, 112 Rosita Ave., and adjourned at 11:21 a.m.
JUSTICE CENTER DISCUSSION
Canda told those in the room that the current courthouse fails state standards on multiple fronts: inmates in chains walk the same hallway as the public, the jury room doubles as a staff break room, a propane tank sits behind the judge’s office, and a heating system installed with grant funds must be shut off in winter to keep internet service running. He said the state’s judicial branch — not the commissioners — first flagged the deficiencies in 2017, and that a constitutional requirement to provide a functioning court system leaves the county no legal room to ignore the problem indefinitely.
Canda said the board put a justice center measure before voters once, in 2021, and it failed 3-to-1. Since then, the county accepted a $25,000 state court grant to revisit the design and update requirements. That work, led by Riley Johnson Architecture, has narrowed the concept to a single modular courtroom with a sally port, judge’s chamber, and jury room, sized to allow a second courtroom or a jail to be added later. The proposed site is 6.4 acres of county-owned land near the current courthouse. The county still carries approximately $150,000 in payments on that land.
No resolution authorizing construction has been adopted. Canda said any funding mechanism would go to voters — most likely as a temporary sales tax increase. The county’s current sales tax rate of 2 percent has not changed in three decades. One online commenter asked whether a proposed 1-percent increase would sunset once the debt is retired; Canda said it would. Another commenter said many residents still do not know the redesigned proposal is a stripped-down modular courtroom rather than the full justice center that was voted down, and pushed the board to communicate the changes more clearly before any ballot measure. Canda agreed and said the board plans a focused public meeting once the architect’s cost estimate is complete.
A community member pressed Canda on whether alternatives to new construction had been fully considered. Canda said renovation was examined during the earlier grant process and ruled out because of the building’s structural condition. Another attendee questioned whether the full board had formally acted on the proposal and whether all three commissioners were aligned. Canda confirmed no resolution has been adopted and said the next formal step is a BOCC vote on whether to place a measure on the ballot. Commissioners Lucas Epp and Paul Vogelsong said they welcome contact from constituents by phone or email. The agenda did not include an action item on the justice center; the item was discussion only.
ROAD GRADER SALE APPROVED
The board voted unanimously to sell Grader One, a 2008 John Deere 872, with a minimum bid of $70,000. Road and Bridge Supervisor Vince Koch told commissioners the machine has averaged $22,000 a year in repair costs and requires maintenance roughly every one to two weeks during active use. A transmission replacement alone would cost between $22,000 and $25,000; a motor replacement would run $40,000. The county purchased a used 2021 grader from Chaffee County for $215,900 — compared to a new grader price of approximately $401,000 today — using capital improvement funds, and is making payments on it. Koch said the older grader is currently in use on County Road 271 and that interested buyers can review its maintenance history at the Road and Bridge office.
Epp said the county is seeking bank options to restructure existing equipment lease payments so that all capital fund outlays remain stable year to year and stay within what the county collects annually in sales tax and fees — approximately $450,000.
INTERIM EMERGENCY MANAGER TO BE POSTED
The board voted unanimously to immediately post for an interim director of the Office of Emergency Management after the current director announced her retirement effective May 21. Epp said the county needs someone in place no later than June 4, given the transition falls at the start of fire season. The interim will be paid at the current director’s rate, which falls in the $65,000–$70,000 range, and will report to the commissioners. The county will post separately for a full-time director once the job description is finalized, expected within a week.
A community member speaking online offered to provide interim support through her employer on the county’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan, including working with regional fire preparedness groups and maintaining mapping resources. Epp said the county’s fire mitigation chipper program will continue to operate through Road and Bridge during the vacancy.
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE
The board unanimously approved accounts payable through May 13 totaling $252,234.36. Items of $5,000 or more included $36,590 for road and bridge fuel; $24,163.62 for employee health insurance claims; $16,586.66 and $16,376.66 for county treasurer and finance department financial software subscriptions; $10,625 for a buildings and grounds software subscription; $5,919 for coroner electrical work; $5,566 for inmate housing at the Fremont County jail; $5,345 for an HR software subscription; $5,250 for third-party accounting services; and $5,000 paid from a state grant to a contractor for the early childhood needs assessment.
SURPLUS EQUIPMENT RESOLUTIONS
The board adopted three resolutions authorizing the sale of surplus equipment. Resolution 26-27 authorized the sale of a Kawasaki utility vehicle obtained through the sheriff’s office military surplus program for $534.99, with proceeds directed to the Sheriff’s Office DMRO Fund. Resolution 26-28 authorized the sale of two portable traffic sign trailers, also acquired through the surplus program, for $335 and $250 respectively, with proceeds going to capital improvement. Resolution 26-30 authorized the sale of a 2000 Chevrolet Impala donated to the sheriff’s department, with proceeds also directed to capital improvement. All three passed unanimously.
SHERIFF’S OFFICE SOFTWARE CONTRACT
The board unanimously approved a software contract for the Sheriff’s Office at $2,507.68. The system covers records management, use-of-force reporting, incident reporting, summons, and racial profiling compliance, along with ongoing training, consulting, and support.
AIRPORT EMERGENCY GENERATOR APPROVED
The board unanimously approved a $30,000 emergency generator project at SilverWest Airport, funded from the airport’s existing $65,000 capital improvements budget. Canda explained that the airport’s Jet A fuel supply is critical for National Guard rescue operations on the Crestones and for medical evacuation flights, and that the generator would keep both fuel tanks operational during power outages. A landowner speaking online noted that the airport and roughly 120 neighboring meters all draw power from a single 7,000-volt trunk line that has flooded before, and asked whether that vulnerability should be addressed alongside the generator project. Commissioners acknowledged the concern and said a workshop focused on the airport’s broader power infrastructure is warranted.
WEED MANAGEMENT CONTRACT ADOPTED
The board unanimously adopted Resolution 26-29 authorizing a contract with Arc Valley Weed Management and Consulting LLC to handle noxious weed spraying and identification countywide. The county reached out to several applicators; Arc Valley was the only one that engaged. The county’s longtime weed contractor recently retired, creating the need for a new agreement. Arc Valley has worked in the area previously and is familiar with high-elevation conditions. The contract is funded primarily through a state grant, with $30,000 in the county budget available for landowner cost-share work.
MANDATORY EMPLOYEE TRAINING APPROVED
The board approved mandatory in-service training for the county’s approximately 98 employees, scheduled for July 22 and 23 at All Aboard Westcliffe. A separate session for supervisors and managers is also on the schedule. A county HR official said the training fulfills state-mandated requirements for Colorado employers and that instructors from CTSI will conduct the sessions in person. Elected officials cannot be compelled to attend but were encouraged to do so.
TOURISM BOARD CHAIR RESIGNS
The board unanimously accepted the resignation of Debbie Adams as ex-officio member of the Custer County Tourism Board, effective at the meeting. Adams, who served as board chair since 2019, submitted a letter citing her personal interests. Epp thanked her for her years of work on behalf of county tourism.
COMMISSIONER AND ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS
During commissioner reports, Epp described an active period including an annual Board of Health training, a Tourism Board strategic planning session, a second-quarter IT infrastructure review with the county’s third-party vendor, a Community Service Hub meeting focused on childcare needs, and a public health strategic planning session. He said a full-time employee has been reassigned from public health to digitize and organize boxed records stored in the courthouse basement, with items to be shredded or retained according to state archivist guidelines before commissioners formally authorize destruction by resolution.
Vogelsong said he attended a Fair Board meeting and that fairground improvements — including new animal stalls — are on schedule. He said he is working with a team to address EMS coverage in the Wetmore area after the Florence Fire EMS agreement failed to provide service past mile marker 16. He also noted the county fire ban has been lifted and urged residents who want to burn to obtain permits through the fire department website first.
Canda noted the Bunker Hill television tower’s Channel 11 transmitter is down with a reception-side problem under warranty, while Channel 13 remains operational. He said he plans to bring Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District representatives to a future meeting to explain the district’s project to raise Lake of the East by four feet and its implications for valley water rights.
BOCC Admin Katlyn Wommack announced she will not be present for the May 28 meeting and reminded Zoom participants that YouTube live-stream comments are not monitored; public comment must be submitted through the Zoom platform.
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