DEL NORTE — The Rio Grande County Board of County Commissioners voted Wednesday to formally authorize Sheriff Anne Robinson to declare fire bans based on nationally recognized weather forecasts — without waiting for board approval — as drought conditions across the county continue. The board also approved $40,327 in Conservation Trust Fund expenditures for electrical repairs and improvements at two county facilities, conditionally approved a new liquor license for an incoming lodging business, and heard calls from two members of the public for a moratorium on AI data centers in the valley.
Sheriff Fire Ban Authority
County Attorney Nancy Lake brought the request to the board on Robinson’s behalf, acknowledging she had delayed getting the item on the agenda. State statute designates the sheriff as the county fire marshal, which technically gives Robinson the authority to act unilaterally — but the customary practice has been for the sheriff to seek board approval first. Lake said if the board is unavailable, the sheriff is left waiting, which is a risk the county cannot afford given current drought conditions.
All fire chiefs in the county have been consulted and support the change. “If it’s not already that way, we need to make it that way,” one commissioner said during discussion. The board voted unanimously to approve. Lake said a formal resolution will be drafted immediately for placement on the consent agenda the following week.
McMullen Building Electrical Repairs: $30,950
The board approved a $30,950 contract with Power Pro for electrical repairs and code compliance work at the county-owned McMullen Building. Two bids were received: Alpine Electric at $68,650 and Power Pro at $30,950. County Administrator Skip Schoen called the comparison apples-to-apples and strongly recommended the lower bid. Funding comes from the Conservation Trust Fund.
Commissioner Scott Deacon solicited the bids. Schoen noted the Stampede committee may contribute funds toward the project; any Stampede contribution would be used to replenish the CTF. A third contractor was contacted but did not respond.
Community Fields Improvements: $9,377
The board also approved $9,377.78 from the Conservation Trust Fund for two improvements at Rio Grande County Community Fields in Del Norte. The first covers 200 additional feet of four-foot fencing along the eastern perimeter — on school district property — by the same contractor that installed the existing perimeter fence through a Great Outdoors grant. The second covers concrete pads for benches already purchased for the site, at a cost of $3,887, to be done by Legacy Builders/OLC.
Schoen said the local chamber may reimburse the county for the fence and gate costs if their funding is secured, which would partially replenish the CTF.
Public Urges Moratorium on AI Data Centers
Two members of the public used the comment period to urge the board to place a moratorium on AI data centers in Rio Grande County, citing water consumption and electricity rate impacts.
The first speaker, a former farmer, said San Luis Valley potato farmers plan to plant only 30 to 50 percent of their normal acreage this year due to drought, rising input costs, and depressed prices. He asked the board to limit government costs and to pursue a moratorium modeled on action taken by Chaffee County, arguing that data centers would consume water resources the valley cannot spare.
A second commenter, accommodated by the board after the formal comment period closed, said data center developers have already approached San Luis Valley REC seeking discounted electricity rates. She cited examples from Virginia and Georgia where, she said, residents saw multiple rate increases and water pressure problems after data centers opened nearby. She asked the board to impose a five-year moratorium and raised concerns about the county’s obligations under the Rio Grande Compact.
Commissioner Deacon, who spent 35 years in the utility industry, expressed support for a moratorium during his commissioner update, saying the county cannot meet the water and electricity demands such facilities would create. Commissioner Glover said the board needs a work session on the issue, noting concerns about the compact’s downstream water delivery obligations.
Frontier Drive-Inn Liquor License Approved
The board granted conditional approval of a lodging facility liquor license and takeout/delivery license for Frontier Drive-Inn, operated by LNMark Frontier LLC. Clerk and Recorder Cindy Hill requested conditional approval because fingerprints from two owners, an individual history report, and payment were still outstanding. Hill said no further board action will be needed once those items are received. Representatives for the business said their target opening date is May 21.
Museum Landscaping: $2,500 Approved
The board approved $2,500 from the Conservation Trust Fund for Phase 2 of the Rio Grande County Museum landscape project. The funding covers four years of annual plantings, temporary plant identification markers, and precision signs and labels toward permanent markers recommended by Denver Botanic Gardens. The permanent markers will feature QR codes linking to information about plant history, native uses, and wildlife connections.
Museum Board representative Ruthanne Johnson presented the request alongside the museum’s volunteer landscape committee. Schoen recommended approving the plantings and markers immediately and deferring a proposed outdoor interactive art installation — a lithophone display — to a future CTF work session given competing demands on that fund. The board approved the $2,500 and tabled the art installation.
County Supports Alamosa Water Treatment Grant
Emergency Manager Brian Burrell asked the board to authorize a letter of support for Alamosa County’s grant application for a mobile water treatment system capable of producing up to 10,000 gallons of potable water and 50 gallons of disinfectant per day from any water source. Alamosa County will house and maintain the unit, likely at a Division of Fire Prevention and Control facility. Rio Grande County contributes no funding.
Burrell said the system’s value was illustrated by the fall 2025 flooding emergency, when contamination of sewer ponds at Fun Valley raised concerns about potable water supplies for municipalities along the Rio Grande. He also noted the city of Victor has been without potable water for several weeks. The board voted unanimously to approve the letter.
McMullen Building Approved for 4-H Livestock Event
The board approved use of the McMullen Building at no charge for the Sand Dune Drifters 4-H Club’s annual two-day livestock jackpot. Heather Tillman, who has led the club for 22 years, said the event draws more than 500 participants from Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. The club confirmed 501(c) nonprofit status. Commissioner Glover made the motion; Commissioner Deacon seconded.
Department Reports
Building Inspector Randy Kern reported that five building permits issued in April were for new single-family dwellings — three in the South Fork area and two near Del Norte — and two were for manufactured homes. Commercial projects approaching completion include Dollar General in Monte Vista (operating on a temporary certificate of occupancy pending fire hydrant installation), AutoZone (final documentation outstanding), and Modern West, a new modular home manufacturing facility. Cobblestone, a large commercial project, is not expected to open until October. A planned apartment development near Legacy is in plan review, with 25 units in the first phase and 50 total planned.
Land Use Director Dixie Diltz reported that the county has hired a new code enforcement officer to start Monday, shared between the land use and building departments. Diltz reminded residents that yard sale signs, election signs, and advertisement signs must be placed on private property, not in county road right-of-ways or on utility poles. Upcoming items before the board include a public hearing on solar regulations the following week, a conditional use application for a rock crushing operation, and a South Fork replat. Road and Bridge Director Patrick Sullivan submitted a written report; he was not present.
Consent Agenda and Other Business
The board unanimously approved the consent agenda, which included accounts payable, minutes from three prior meetings, a resolution approving the Renfrow Zoning Amendment Application, and a resolution approving the Reel Rio LLC Subdivision Application.
The board also approved a paid team building day for the county administration team, scheduled for Friday, June 5, with mandatory participation from all administration staff.
The meeting opened with the recognition of a county administration employee for 10 years of service, described by Schoen as the longest-serving member of the current administration team.
Commissioner and Administrator Updates
Commissioners Deacon and Glover attended the Monte Vista Golf Course Clubhouse grand opening the previous week, which Deacon said drew about 100 people. The county contributed funding to the project. Deacon said he is working to arrange a P-51 Mustang and T-6 trainer flyover for the Rio Grande County Stampede on July 10, at a combined cost of $1,500, to be funded through the chamber.
Commissioner Ratzlaff reported attending the Western Interstate Region conference of the National Association of Counties in Lahaina, Hawaii, where programming focused largely on lessons from the 2023 Maui wildfire. He said May 13 was the final day of the Colorado General Assembly. Ratzlaff and Schoen said county staff tracked legislation through the session and helped defeat several bills that would have been harmful to small counties. Lake added that several additional bills were killed in committee.
Schoen said the county will submit a Homeland Security Grant Program application for an auxiliary generator to power the county campus. He is also in early conversations about an EPA brownfield community-wide assessment grant — a no-match program — and plans to explore a partnership with the towns of South Fork and Del Norte. The America 250/Colorado 150 planning committee held its first meeting and elected a county social services employee as president.
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