FAIRPLAY — Park County commissioners approved a revised short-term rental ordinance Tuesday that establishes a 24-month path to “responsible owner” status and aims to close a compliance gap affecting approximately 750 unlicensed properties.
The Board of County Commissioners passed Ordinance 2026-01 in its final reading June 9, culminating a three-year stakeholder process that included multiple community meetings. The ordinance takes effect July 19, 30 days after publication.
Assistant County Manager Brandon Heacock said the county has already implemented a new fee schedule under a previously approved resolution, and rental operators are now paying those fees.
“This has been work product for three years,” Heacock said. He expressed optimism about partnerships with online platforms to improve compliance, noting the number of compliant operators is growing but the county remains roughly 750 short of estimated total short-term rentals.
The ordinance defines a responsible owner as someone who operates without violations for 24 consecutive months. Commissioners added clarifying language to explain what happens during that probationary period and if violations occur.
All instances of “must” were changed to “shall” for legal consistency — 163 changes throughout the document. The effective date was extended to 30 days to accommodate the 20-day publication requirement.
Interim Chair Amy Mitchell said the extended timeline reflected lessons learned from previous ordinance attempts. Stakeholder engagement started three years ago because “after doing it once, they knew where they wanted to be for a second go-around.”
Commissioner Jason Gemmer voted to approve the ordinance after thanking staff for clarity in the responsible owner provisions. “Things should be as clear and easy to understand as possible,” he said.
Interim Emergency Management Director Tim Ellis reported the county received a no-match grant totaling $73,784.57 from the South Central Region to modernize the Emergency Operations Center.
Five vendors submitted proposals through BidNet — four Colorado companies and one from North Dakota. All bids exceeded the grant amount. Ellis and staff member Chris Byram eliminated one proposal and planned to narrow the field to two vendors by close of business June 10.
Ellis said current equipment is 10 years old, making the center effectively 20 years behind available technology. Much of the existing system relies on incompatible components held together with “duct tape and zip ties.”
“There should never be a second when that room is not 100% operational because an emergency could happen at any time,” Ellis said.
The center coordinates responses during emergencies including wildfires, housing representatives from state, federal and local agencies who need mapping capabilities, GIS systems and multi-screen displays.
Ellis told vendors he wants equipment that will remain current for eight to 10 years, avoiding another large-scale replacement. The county had not budgeted for the upgrade before securing grant funding.
County Attorney John Evans clarified that despite being fully grant-funded, the expenditure requires board approval because it modifies a capital asset.
Gemmer disclosed a potential conflict of interest before voting on June 9 vouchers that included a $9,615 payment to Gimmer Construction, owned by his son Coy Gimmer, for fence and gate construction.
Gemmer stated he has no direct or indirect financial benefit from the payment. Evans confirmed the disclosure met legal requirements and that Gemmer’s vote was necessary for a quorum. Mitchell moved to approve the vouchers with the understanding Gemmer would notify state authorities. The motion carried 2-0.
Commissioners passed two resolutions appointing Development Services Director Andrew Grant to additional roles. Resolution 2026-29 names Grant or his designee as county planning director. Resolution 2026-30 designates Grant as chief building official, responsible for issuing building permits, wastewater permits, certificates of occupancy and contractor licenses.
The chief building official resolution formally rescinds authority previously held by Heacock, who had replaced Cindy Garst in that role.
Commissioners approved a $1,200 monthly lease with Ferrellgas LP for property at 45000 Highway 9 after clarifying that no security deposit was required. The lease covers storage sites B and T at the Park County Industrial Park.
The board approved an $85-per-hour agreement with Gary Pedersen to serve as hearing officer for the County Board of Equalization, unchanged from last year. Pedersen receives a $150 travel stipend for in-person hearings plus overnight expenses.
Resolution 2026-28 reduced Planning Commission quorum requirements from a majority to three members. Gemmer said the change ensures applicants can move forward even when scheduling conflicts affect the five-member commission with two alternates.
Commissioners tabled Ordinance 6 prohibiting environmental blight accumulation after discovering they were working from different draft versions. Mitchell said her edits did not appear in the version under consideration, including proposed language protecting constitutional rights and agricultural operations.
The board also heard a presentation on state-mandated updates to on-site wastewater treatment system regulations, including new requirements for “squirt tests” on pressurized leach fields. Development Services staff member Sarah Larimer said the tests will add costs because engineers must be present, with trip fees ranging from $75 to $500.
Commissioners approved $174,077 in vouchers from May 26 and $380,264.50 from June 2 without discussion.
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