Larimer County Board of County Commissioners - Administrative Matters 5/21/24
by Lee Thielen
For more information (including members in attendance) see the full notes document here.*
View the meeting agenda and packet.
When available, a video recording of the meeting will be on the Larimer County Government YouTube channel.
From the Board of Commissioners website:
“Larimer's three-member Board of County Commissioners is the main policy-making body in the County and works to represent the interest of the citizens of Larimer County at local, state, and national levels.”
Highlights
The County has received an award of $9.7M for community wildfire mitigation for a five-year period from the US Forest Service. This is for the Red Feather Lakes Area.
The Commissioners voted to award a grant to the Thompson and Poudre School Districts of $1M each for the expansion of the career and technical education programming and facilities, using American Rescue Plan funding.
Meeting Notes
Following the Pledge of Allegiance, the Approval of Minutes of May 13, 2024, and a review of the Commissioners’ schedules, the Commissioners approved the Consent Agenda. Of interest is a contract to recycle mattresses for the county.
Guests Comments
Josh Roberts, Mitigation Coordinator for the County, announced an award of $9.7 million from the US Forest Service for community wildfire mitigation activities in the Red Feather Lakes area. This is a five-year grant which will focus on:
- Wildfire mitigation activities
- Education on defensible space
- Evacuation route improvements
- Post-treatment of biomass
- Effective administration of the project
This grant will implement current community plans and was supported by the NoCo Watershed Coalition.
Discussion Items
Laura Walker, Director of Human and Economic Development, introduced Brian Kinsley, Superintendent of the Poudre School District; Todd Piccone , Chief Operating Officer of the Thompson School District; and Cheryl Zimlich, CEO of Bohemian Foundation. These leaders and their staffs discussed the American Rescue Plan Collaborative Project for Expansion of Career and Technical Education Programming and Facilities for Larimer County’s two school districts. This grant of $1M each to the two districts will support education in such pathways as manufacturing, welding, computer-driven design, medical careers, construction trades, first responders, culinary arts, and others. The grants are matched by the Bohemian Foundation. The districts are working with 15 industry partners to create a pipeline from school to careers.
The Commissioners voted to approve the grant.
After the County Manager Update and review of the Commissioners activities, the Board voted to go into Executive Session for legal advice regarding pending cases.
Questions to Consider
How will the school districts continue their activities in career education once these dollars are spent?
Will the Estes Park School District, also in Larimer County, benefit from the career programs?
*Citizen Observers further the commitment of the League of Women Voters to its principle of Citizens Right to Know, however, we are not acting as journalists. Omissions and errors are possible. It is assumed that users of this information are responsible for their own fact-checking. This could include contacting a government clerk, conversing with an elected official or staff, and/or asking us to speak to the Observer who attended.