The Jackson County Board of County Commissioners met June 9, 2026, in Walden. Commissioner Coby Corkle chaired the meeting, joined by Commissioners Ronald F. Drinkwine and David “Ty” Wattenberg. The board opened by approving minutes from its May 26 regular meeting and special meetings of June 2 and June 4, then approved Expense Approval Register Packet APPKT00569 without discussion.
The board ratified signatures on a certification waiver request to the Peace Officer Standards and Training Board on behalf of Scott Fisher, the county’s sheriff-designate, who has been unable to assume the position due to a medical issue requiring surgery. Under an 1877 Colorado statute, county Coroner George Crockett has been serving as acting sheriff in the interim — an arrangement officials called rare, noting that POST itself described the law as archaic. The waiver extends through September 16, with POST staff authorized to grant 30-day extensions without returning to the full board if circumstances require. Once Fisher recovers and the board formally appoints him, the waiver process ends. The board voted unanimously to ratify the letter.
The commissioners adopted a resolution allocating $166,062.22 in Federal Forest or Secure Rural Schools and Self-Determination Act payments received May 7. Of that total, $153,427.05 is Title I money subject to statutory distribution — about $20,000 less than last year. The board unanimously approved the historical 50-50 split with the North Park School District, directing the county’s share to road and bridge. A school district representative attending via Zoom noted the statute requires three representatives from the school rather than three board members, a clarification the board said would simplify future annual meetings.
Coroner Crockett, acting as sheriff, gave commissioners a candid update on the department’s condition. He said he had found procedural problems predating his tenure and was working to correct them with help from the district attorney and other agencies. He described the department as still unsettled but said he was making progress, had a hiring candidate to interview that day, and hoped to add five part-time deputies before the North Park Rodeo. He also asked the board to confirm his discretion to set starting deputy salaries based on experience — the range runs roughly $70,000 to $75,000 — and commissioners confirmed he had that authority while cautioning against automatically starting hires at the top of the range. Crockett also flagged the jail’s drunk tank as an urgent repair need: it had been lined with a material that could be peeled off and fashioned into a weapon or ingested, forcing two recent prisoner transfers to Larimer County at significant overtime cost.
Jessica Wilson, a Jackson County Sheriff’s Office staffer appearing via Zoom, presented a memorandum of understanding with Routt County Crisis Support, a regional first-responder mental health check-in program founded after a Routt County fire chief attempted suicide. The free, app-based program connects first responders across Routt, Moffat, and potentially Grand counties for peer check-ins after major incidents. The board voted unanimously to authorize Chairman Corkle to sign the MOU.
Human Services Director Deb D. Ruttenberg presented two contracts. The board unanimously authorized Corkle to sign a Mountain Family Center contract running June 1, 2026, through May 31, 2027, capped at $7,000, to provide life-skills and intensive family therapy to child-welfare-involved families. The board also authorized him to sign a Chafee Grant application for federal fiscal year 2027 in partnership with Larimer County, covering services for foster youth aging out of the system through the Matthews House program. Ruttenberg said Jackson County has never had a qualifying youth but keeps the contract in place as a resource.
Administrator Samantha Martin reported that the county’s Emergency Operations Plan is nearly ready for state submission, where it must score at least 90 to be accepted. The update came one week after a security incident at the courthouse — which Martin said was not a bomb threat and was directed at individuals rather than the court — that left neighboring facilities including the museum without clear protocols. Martin said an after-action review was scheduled for Thursday and that the incident made completing the plan a priority.
Martin also presented a draft list of 15 county positions for inclusion in a previously approved compensation study, spanning road and bridge, the landfill, public health, administration, the 4-H coordinator, lifeguards, and elected officials. The board discussed whether to use a stepped pay structure or salary ranges and settled on ranges to preserve flexibility for future boards. Martin said she would present the draft to consultants the following day and report back. Separately, Martin briefed the board on a transition of building door access controls to consolidate administration under her office and Clerk and Recorder Hayle Johnson, removing a former administrator from the system.
Road and Bridge Supervisor Tootie Crowner reported that crews had patched most paved county roads and were actively working on County Road 24. She noted the road zipper had broken after hitting something and was being repaired.
North Park Fire Rescue Authority Chief Jeff Benson used public comment to tell the board the fire station’s exterior lights would remain on despite a complaint from a neighboring resident. Benson, a 35-year department veteran, said the lights do not violate any town ordinance and that cycling the breaker to satisfy the complaint disrupts the building’s interior lighting during emergency responses. He said firefighters built the station at little or no cost to the community. Commissioners expressed support but took no formal action.
Jim Dustin, a Town of Walden representative, asked the board to support an El Pomar Foundation grant application to replace aging fire hydrants on a Walden street. He said the existing hydrants are 50 to 60 years old, manufactured by a company now out of business, and lack shutoff valves — meaning a fire response draws water from an entire city block. Replacement is estimated at $60,000 to $70,000. The board expressed support and agreed to formalize a letter at its next regular meeting.
The grants team reported that a Bennett-Neguse federal appropriation remains pending in Congress, that staff were working with Rep. Joe Neguse’s office on potential judiciary grants for capital projects including the courthouse and jail, and that a GoCo funding application for fairgrounds improvements was being developed with potential in-kind contributions from the state, stock growers, and a pipe donation from an oil company.
Before entering executive session, the board and administrator walked through the library and public health office to view recent renovations including new carpet and paint at the library and a reconfigured public health workspace.
The board entered executive session at approximately 11 a.m. to discuss Veterans Services Officer personnel matters under CRS §24-6-402(4)(f), with representatives from the Colorado Division of Veterans Affairs in attendance.
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