Park County commissioners approved the annual Highway Users Tax Fund report January 7, certifying 1,574 miles of roads to the state while defunding four roads and reinstating funding for the Will-o-the-Wisp subdivision.
Right-of-Way Manager Greg Kasparek presented the mileage report, which determines the county’s share of state road funding. Park County certified 322 miles of arterial streets and 1,252 miles of local streets.
Defunded Roads
Commissioners removed four roads from HUTF funding.
Auk Avenue in the Berlin subdivision was dropped because it remains undeveloped with no houses. One Harris Park road was defunded after being missed when the county removed approximately 100 Harris Park roads two years ago. The road serves a single house, and the homeowner maintains it.
PV32 in Placer Valley was defunded because staff cannot identify what road the designation describes. Kasparek said he will leave it as a placeholder until it can be identified.
Will-o-the-Wisp Funding Restored
Funding was reinstated for Will-o-the-Wisp subdivision roads to reflect current county maintenance. The funding has toggled on and off for 25 years due to disputes over responsibility between the county and metro district.
The county performs chip sealing and snow plowing. The metro district handles signs but contributes nothing to road maintenance.
State Park Road Funding
Commissioner Amy Mitchell said the mileage data will support legislation she is pursuing to secure Colorado Wild Pass funding for state park access roads.
Traffic on these roads has increased significantly. County Road 90 now exceeds 1,200 vehicles per day in summer, up from under 1,000 previously. Studies indicate roads with 400-500 average daily trips should be paved.
Mitchell said the county needs pavement, not chip seal, for roads handling heavy recreational traffic.
Contracts Tabled
Commissioners tabled two items for incomplete information.
The Just Appraisal contract was tabled because commissioners received only the signature page. Chair David Wissel said he would not approve anything he could not read.
The Advisory Board of the Environment vacancy was tabled one week. County Manager Lucas Meyer said Chairman John Reiber agreed to a one-year term to stagger board terms, but staff must determine which other member should also be staggered.
Arbitration Consultant
Commissioners approved a contract with Daisy Glassburn to provide arbitration services at $150 per hour from January 29 through February 9.
Commissioner Jason Gemmer called the agreement “a new tool in our toolbox” for handling arbitration matters.
Land Use Approvals
The board approved three resolutions formalizing prior land use decisions.
Resolution 2026-001 approved Todd Freeman’s subdivision of 23.4 acres at 150 Summit Drive in Bailey into two lots.
Resolution 2026-002 approved a common plat amendment consolidating four lots into one 4.02-acre parcel at 368 Rising Sun Road in Bailey for applicants Jackson Krebill and Ashley Lavallee. Mitchell noted the consolidation aligns with the county’s Strategic Master Plan goal of larger lots.
Resolution 2026-003 approved a Board of Health variance for Ginnie Larson to drill a well 90 feet from the septic system at 61 Shelton Drive in Bailey. The standard 100-foot setback would have placed the well under power lines.
Other Business
Commissioners approved vouchers and minutes from December 17 and 22 meetings. Mitchell recused herself from the January 8 vouchers because her son had a check in the collection.
One resident attempted to comment via Zoom but could not be heard due to technical difficulties. Commissioners asked him to submit comments by email.
Executive Session
Commissioners entered executive session at 3:34 p.m. for legal advice on commissioner powers and civil penalties for zoning violations.
Wissel reported upon return that commissioners received advice on budget authority, an update on land use violations, and discussion of a potential ordinance revision. No decisions were made.
The meeting adjourned at 4:29 p.m. All votes were unanimous.
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