Lake County commissioners made a string of decisions May 19 — approving a historic trail designation 20 years in the making, adopting updated building codes ahead of a state deadline, and leasing surplus water to Climax Mine to plug a budget hole — but hit a roadblock on a contested plan to lend the county’s $43,000 yurt to a local environmental group, tabling that vote amid pushback from one commissioner and community members who had different ideas for the asset.
Stage and Rail Trail designated pioneer route
Commissioners unanimously approved Resolution 2026-16, formally designating portions of the Stage and Rail Historic Route through Lake County as a pioneer trail. The 75-mile route runs from Salida to Leadville along corridors once traveled by stagecoaches and the Colorado Midland Railroad.
Alan Robinson, the volunteer who has driven the project for roughly 20 years, told commissioners the designation covers county roads, municipal streets, and established trail systems, including portions of the Mineral Belt Trail and County Roads 4, 5, 10, and 55. The route excludes segments on the west side of U.S. 24, where landowner agreements have not yet been secured; Robinson said he hopes to bring those sections back once access is confirmed.
County Attorney Matt Hobbs noted the resolution carries no cost and does not alter maintenance responsibilities or public access rights — it is an honorary and interpretive designation authorized under state law. Robinson said kiosks are already being developed for Ice Palace Park in Leadville and the Hayden Recreation Site. Jessica Downing, Executive Director of the Greater Arkansas River Nature Association, which sponsors the project, was also present.
Building codes updated to meet state deadline
Commissioners held a public hearing and unanimously adopted Resolution 2026-20, approving the 2024 International Code Series to replace codes in effect since 2018. The update was driven by a state mandate requiring local jurisdictions to adopt the 2021 energy code or a more current version by July 1, 2026.
CPD Director Anne Schneider told commissioners the county’s Board of Review — composed of local building professionals — spent four months evaluating the 2021 and 2024 editions before recommending the 2024 version. The 2024 code adds provisions for energy storage systems, expands flexibility for existing building upgrades, incorporates tiny home standards previously relegated to an appendix, and removes language requiring accessory dwelling units to be smaller than the primary structure.
A board member estimated the 2024 code adds roughly $8,000 to $10,000 per home in construction costs — less than the 2021 edition would have imposed — and noted the most significant cost drivers are state-mandated and cannot be amended locally. One commissioner raised concerns about the cumulative burden on builders; Schneider and board members said the 2024 code’s multiple compliance pathways were designed to offer flexibility. No one from the public opposed the adoption. Leadville City Council is scheduled to hold its own hearing the following week, with both adoptions set to take effect June 30. A brief disruption occurred when someone reported a fire in the building’s maintenance area, pausing the hearing before it resumed.
Water lease to Climax Mine
Commissioners unanimously approved an augmentation water lease agreement with Climax Molybdenum Company for the 2026 water year, leasing 20 acre-feet of the county’s firm water supply at $150 per acre-foot in a single upfront payment.
Water and Natural Resources Director Bryce Ehrlich told the board that Mount Massive Golf Course is not leasing county water this year, leaving that supply available. Climax approached the county after its own potable water well faced the risk of being called out of priority due to low snowpack and dry conditions. Under the agreement, Climax handles all legal work and administrative filings, including any Substitute Water Supply Plan required by the state. Ehrlich said the deal offsets a budget shortfall in his department and could establish a longer-term relationship with Climax.
Yurt dispute tabled
The most contentious item of the day was a proposal allowing Cloud City Conservation Center — the Leadville nonprofit known as C4 — to install and operate the county’s 30-foot yurt on Lake County School District property near C4’s farm off Sixth Street. The county purchased the yurt in 2024 for $43,430; it has sat in storage at the Lake County Airport since.
Commissioner Andy Lee raised several objections. He said community members had expressed opposition to the proposed farm location, voiced concern about what he described as a pattern of county approvals for C4, and argued the yurt was purchased with Nordic skiing and outdoor recreation in mind — a purpose better served at the Dutch Henry Recreation Area near the Mineral Belt Trail. “I have serious concerns about the amount of collaboration between the county and C4,” Lee said. “It’s starting to look concerning from community members about the county’s relationship.”
C4 Executive Director Emily Olsen and Education Director Ash Warner responded that a yurt has been in C4’s strategic plan since 2019 and that the group has worked on the project with county staff since August 2025. Olsen said C4 has raised roughly $60,000 toward the project and offered to formally lease the yurt rather than borrow it. Warner described the educational programs that would use the space, including high school science classes, youth camps, and after-school programs serving hundreds of children each year.
Commissioners Matt Bullock and Elsa Tharp expressed varying levels of openness to the proposal, but all three agreed the decision needed broader deliberation. County Manager Candace Bryans acknowledged that staff had not flagged the need for commissioners to weigh in individually before the item reached the board. Commissioners voted to table it to June 2 to allow a work session involving Colorado Mountain College, the Mineral Belt Trail Committee, and others with ties to the Dutch Henry area.
Public comment, attorney and manager updates
During public comment, a resident raised three questions she said had gone unanswered since a May 1 email to all three commissioners: the cost of payments to CVS Accounting, the severance agreement given to former County Attorney Chris Floyd following an executive session, and the status of the courthouse remodel and the $8 million in certificates of participation bonds pledged for it. Chair Bullock said the email had landed in his junk folder and promised a response. A second resident asked the county to look into replacing bike rack trays on public transit buses, saying current trays are too narrow for fat-tire bikes.
County Attorney Hobbs told commissioners the county is preparing to file three additional land use enforcement cases in district court. County Manager Bryans reported the county hired a new Emergency Management Director, Dan Campbell, who started the previous Monday. She flagged that the county’s E911 dispatch system recently went down and was restored, and said aging IT infrastructure and dispatch equipment will be major budget conversations later in the year. She also said the county expects to hand off its 2024 audit papers by the end of May, noting that a timely completion does not preclude findings as the county continues to clean up issues inherited from prior staff.
Commissioners entered executive session to receive legal advice on a potential intergovernmental agreement with the City of Aurora regarding water rights; no action was taken. The board then unanimously approved the consent agenda, covering payroll, accounts payable, special meeting minutes, and ratifications of health agreements and a letter of support for a Full Circle grant. The meeting adjourned at 2:20 p.m.
Support Independent Local Journalism — High Country Advocate was created as a real alternative to regional media that too often silences dissenting voices while taking sides in the political struggle. Producing in-depth, unflinching reporting like this series and others is expensive: servers, editing, research time, and legal review all add up quickly. If these articles have informed you or given you new perspective, please consider supporting HCA with a paid subscription — every subscriber helps keep this reporting strong and independent. 