[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6521105,"mediaKeyId","5114141-8a491f4d27759668c6975f95f3e51731","parentId",5114141,"title","Adams County proclaims July 2025 National Parks, Open Space and Cultural Arts Month","audioSeconds",186,"startMs",1854000,"endMs",2040000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5114141-8a491f4d27759668c6975f95f3e51731&start=1854&end=2040","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5114141-8a491f4d27759668c6975f95f3e51731/thumbnail_1854000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6521105/Adams-County/Colorado/Adams-County-proclaims-July-2025-National-Parks-Open-Space-and-Cultural-Arts-Month","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6521105-c2bfb6bae293439db3b975fd9ab74025/orig.mp4?Expires=1770667047&Signature=PGqg477r~-o580E-aCZmoRUHZ~aWs5aYFsJnbJ6qgd60sAJkQH278fB8ZSZ409T6YMO4rnl9bxFOH2dy0uKsFFwflz0NKoliQ1bifwxdomUYfD~tf-M~bVjq9A3QUGmI74KcDtlPW6DG~1AxNYX0uzrp5gqGr8L3q5LT3ATqPdDaKIGWPxtbBcSd2mxC2Nqnm-J68GUpiMYb9Z4BNkBXOGgXCCRCuUeYhXqKtj~OVwVSPebV9F~LLDBUIczak5xYaVWDK9tb85B2HPyym7JG~Ff8kZIemRCe4MOmPQWKHysobxSbq8t0r50I2CzHKfsv1vfOFgbmVKeCYhv99EEKqg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Adams County","date","2025-07-01T19:43:59Z","article","The Adams County Board of County Commissioners on July 1 adopted a proclamation designating July 2025 as National Parks, Open Space and Cultural Arts Month in Adams County.

Commissioner Mullica read the proclamation into the record, praising the county’s parks, open space and cultural arts programs for promoting recreation, mental and physical health, community gathering and resilience to climate and natural disasters. Byron Fanning, the county’s director of Parks, Open Space and Cultural Arts, accepted the proclamation and thanked staff for their work on trails, events and preservation of open space. He highlighted upcoming county events including the Stars and Stripes celebration and thanked residents for supporting the open-space sales tax that helps fund parks and grants to cities.

Commissioners spoke in support of the proclamation, noting parks’ role in wellness and community identity and encouraging residents to attend upcoming events.

There was no recorded formal vote count beyond the proclamation reading and acceptance into the record; the action was presented as a formal proclamation read into the public minutes.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Adams County Public Hearing -- July 1, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Board of County Commissioners proclaimed July 2025 as National Parks, Open Space and Cultural Arts Month, recognizing the county parks, open space and cultural arts team and urging residents to celebrate parks’ contributions to health, community and economic vitality.","taxTitle","Adams County, Colorado","taxId",4150,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6521110,"Board approves Hurley Riding Academy conditional use; neighbors had mixed views on traffic and dust",1803,7124000,8927000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5114141-8a491f4d27759668c6975f95f3e51731&start=7124&end=8927","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5114141-8a491f4d27759668c6975f95f3e51731/thumbnail_7124000.jpg","/articles/6521110/Adams-County/Colorado/Board-approves-Hurley-Riding-Academy-conditional-use-neighbors-had-mixed-views-on-traffic-and-dust","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6521110-42c7fa20cd3c040d794b24195f75f130/orig.mp4?Expires=1770667047&Signature=nA6EZYiOtum67T1rohsfw~ir-pPCYLUDPHUjROQFSMV70-0uXgndRvBtLuW2fZQn0kl2kYhXSj0W1xzBgrAvK6RtrmD58PEiiVFF0UuLhmvag5bvehpcqSXKiZ~umHM8MdlZe6oXR~hBr1XFFkMLkf~UUP8aL9DLAg3N4ZhVfAVySxWzNAz9M87BKFkkPAT0zstgzQOaPh~oTy7~-C8mkzWPBMENdBrFGAX0dVz7MzOrCi5uqZSnlz0vFh9pFPwudo~FU0zuDRHRzGlj~3QuaWBWdEzDtemmYL1Po-cKgfxEBmE11tGyzyzNI~ECjFfixFKwR9nDytMxtbOB0ZDQ~A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Adams County Board of County Commissioners on July 1 approved a conditional use permit (RCU 2023-68) allowing the Hurleys to use two horses as part of the Giggling Life Care Farm’s equine program. The board vote was 5-0 after a session with staff, the applicants and more than a dozen public commenters.

Planner David DeBoskey told the board the 4.3-acre property at 14583 Cherry Street already houses a permitted accessory agritourism operation (the Giggling Life Care Farm) that includes chickens, ducks, lambs, goats, steers and miniature donkeys. The current application sought to add two horses for a riding-academy element — not to expand the total animals beyond what county zoning allows. DeBoskey said the site plan included 16 parking spaces and a drop-off lane; staff had proposed 12 conditions of approval and one note, and the planning commission recommended approval.

Applicants Christy and John Hurley described their camp and farm programs and offered testimony about program operations and safety: camps are held during the summer (four days per week sessions for nine weeks) and smaller weekday programs occur during the school year. The Hurleys said they stagger drop-off times, plan to add a back parking area and follow biosecurity and animal-care protocols, and that they clean pens twice daily and manage waste and flies per described practices.

Public comment at the hearing included several parents, volunteers and regular participants who described the farm as an educational and therapeutic resource that has benefited children with special needs and helped build responsibility and confidence. Several attendees provided detailed accounts of children’s progress and family experiences. One nearby resident spoke in opposition, citing concerns about traffic volumes, dust, manure and potential effects on property values; that commenter asked the board to weigh neighborhood impacts.

Board discussion focused on traffic, dust mitigation and how to handle signage and parking during events. Staff, the county’s engineering and public-works representatives and the applicant worked through language on temporary traffic-control plans and the placement of signage. The board decided to remove a staff-proposed requirement for permanent “no parking” signage along the roadway frontage and instead preserved the county’s ability to require infrastructure or a traffic-control plan for specific events as needed. The final approval included the conditions recommended by staff as modified in the hearing.

Commissioners stressed the need for the applicant to be a good neighbor: they noted staff had added conditions responding to dust-control and event-management questions and that compliance and any enforcement of nuisances or code violations would be handled through the county’s code compliance and health departments. Code compliance staff said odor and intermittent dust complaints can be difficult to enforce without documented or observed violations, and recommended photo documentation and repeated observations when problems arise.

The board approved the conditional use permit 5-0. Staff recorded the motion as approval of RCU 2023-68 with 8 findings of fact, 12 conditions of approval (as modified) and one note. The applicants may proceed subject to those conditions and any required permits for future special events.","The Board of County Commissioners approved a conditional use permit allowing two horses to be integrated into the existing Giggling Life Care Farm’s programming on a 4.3-acre property in northwest Adams County, 5-0, and modified permit language on parking signage and event traffic controls.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6521114,"Adams County OKs large-scale Vega solar project with battery storage, sets decommissioning oversight conditions",3903,3241000,7144000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5114141-8a491f4d27759668c6975f95f3e51731&start=3241&end=7144","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5114141-8a491f4d27759668c6975f95f3e51731/thumbnail_3241000.jpg","/articles/6521114/Adams-County/Colorado/Adams-County-OKs-large-scale-Vega-solar-project-with-battery-storage-sets-decommissioning-oversight-conditions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6521114-aad509a077a1f41eb5d926d56e1484c6/orig.mp4?Expires=1770667047&Signature=g39da0aN-oL8BQJWdnv23xilNHvrahB39caNKzq4FUEMMLhZKoi1EOJq3jiLaJrIb0JwuBTFlLxQIU9MKKottY2DItSShOxcx1eVAmGW9uS2zkyeP64OSCZHuu1WZO34QvwL1eOFZvVDK1yGUWZR8NFebXqNArytK8IUVa6EtIahBxHPLC9M9g8ktW4aWrjTb9ywTos3mKosSkm2b-TH3OIaUFrpRvmG2Je4Dy8tTpNg4JCQvdfSdxjmoH3h4xAIVGh4ktY8wdWwYAAGAQsFQEDh15GxeNvxF0AQor4TyW4oI-vAdywIlXHw7LnBWvTPHKBUzd2s3CT7dAFF53CLdA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Adams County Board of County Commissioners voted 5-0 on July 1 to approve conditional use permits for the Vega Solar Energy Facility, a proposed utility-scale solar project and associated battery energy storage and substation on approximately 981 acres in eastern Adams County.

Planner Brian Marron presented the application (Case PRC 2024-6), saying the site is about 16 miles north of Byers and is zoned Agricultural A-3 with a future land-use designation of agricultural large scale. The project team requested three conditional use permits: a large-scale solar facility, a utility substation, and a battery energy storage system. The county packet and staff report describe panels mounted on single-axis trackers, panel heights of roughly 8 to 10 feet depending on topography, and engineered setbacks from abandoned oil and gas wells.

The applicant, represented by Dale Harris of Infinity Global, said the project would be sited where two major transmission lines cross the properties and is designed for 120 MW AC (156 MW DC) of solar paired with a 60 MW battery. Harris told the board the project’s estimated capital cost is about $250 million and that it could yield roughly $20 million in tax revenue to the county over time. He said peak construction would employ about 250 people and long-term operations would staff roughly two to five workers on-site.

County staff recommended approval with conditions, including a decommissioning and site-restoration requirement and a performance bond equaling 100% of the estimated decommissioning cost. In discussion commissioners and staff focused on the projected term and on mechanisms to ensure that the county can cover decommissioning costs if operators change or go bankrupt. Planning staff noted the planning commission had approved an amendment extending the conditional use permit validity to 45 years; staff recommended a 30-year expiration but told the board they would not oppose a longer term if the board found it warranted.

Before the board vote, commissioners adopted an amendment that added a new condition requiring the operator and any successors to reimburse the county for its cost to hire a third-party consultant to review the estimated decommissioning and site restoration cost at least every two years (and whenever the operator updates the estimate for purposes of the performance bond). The amendment was read into the record and accepted by the applicant during the hearing.

The board approved the case 5-0 with the following key implementation points recorded in the staff report and in discussion: the applicant must comply with the Colorado Parks and Wildlife recommendations (including two 250-foot wildlife corridors and wildlife-friendly fence posts), provide a decommissioning and site-restoration plan with a performance bond covering 100% of the estimated decommissioning cost, and construct the site per the approved plans. Staff said construction is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2027 and that operations would start around May 2029 under current projections.

Public outreach: staff mailed notice to property owners within a one-mile radius and received one written comment of opposition citing concerns about mineral rights; the applicant and property owner negotiated to resolve that objection. No members of the public spoke at the planning commission hearing for this case. The planning commission recommended approval 7-0 after voting 5-2 to extend the permit term from 30 to 45 years; the board accepted staff’s recommendation on most elements but added the decommissioning-review-cost reimbursement condition and maintained a 30-year approach in the final packet language while accepting the amendment on oversight.

The deed, permit, and bond requirements reviewed in the hearing require future administrative actions by county departments (planning, risk management, and legal) to track the condition and performance bond amounts. Commissioners asked staff to ensure a robust monitoring process for re-evaluating bond amounts and to clarify responsibilities if an operator becomes insolvent.

Votes and formal actions taken on the item are recorded in the meeting minutes and summarized below.","The board approved conditional use permits for a 120 MW AC solar facility and 60 MW battery storage on roughly 981 acres in eastern Adams County, 5-0, adding a condition that the operator reimburse the county for third-party decommissioning-cost reviews every two years.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6521119,"Adams County commissioners unanimously appoint Dion Stroder as county manager",46,556000,602000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5114141-8a491f4d27759668c6975f95f3e51731&start=556&end=602","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5114141-8a491f4d27759668c6975f95f3e51731/thumbnail_556000.jpg","/articles/6521119/Adams-County/Colorado/Adams-County-commissioners-unanimously-appoint-Dion-Stroder-as-county-manager","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6521119-5039a3e495d1d21fece8a6b38992c2bc/orig.mp4?Expires=1770667047&Signature=b6Em~xJqG3L8WgP~nlk-ckcVGfF1nFMIsN3BHv9db5vRDaD0Jqo0RpexrS67NeW0g0-C-XVSDXsFdbC8xFoPpeqFtlmE9f~h6TBgPrl4tMKLyCZbf4WMRSinVfLPQIMfZwYCYiB72ekSuytwdD94It7FPrR5MHsNEWwujB7O01IPVweKF0bbDeQAGEHuq0Wq7~p5fLqMBMBCiYpocWkSXkBMzZKpxNkLuxwh8Gm5a69Pr88jsYZvrnLnH2pl2diY1rj~n5IFP1DYSfSP4Vx1PIaydbMb-WzBW1JA5y47Gwe4F4EE9XR0j4grJ1E9P2By8JV5ypLgNd6kF2u3nu-CTQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Adams County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously on July 1 to approve a contract naming Dion Stroder as the county manager.

Stroder, who has served in Adams County government since joining the organization last year, told the commissioners she was “deeply honored” by the appointment and said local government is her calling. “What you can expect from me and my team is ethical leadership, transparency, strong fiscal stewardship, a willingness to be innovative and forward thinking, collaboration and true partnership, accountability, and above all, love and care for every member of this community,” Stroder said during brief remarks to the board and assembled supporters.

The appointment followed a motion to approve the contract, which passed 5-0. Commissioners praised Stroder’s background in local government and described the selection as the result of a thorough process that included multiple candidates. Commissioner Mullica described the selection process as “very intense” but said Stroder rose to the top; Commissioner Pinter and others highlighted her systems-thinking and experience.

Stroder told the board she began her public-service career more than two decades ago and later joined Adams County staff. She introduced members of her executive leadership team and department directors during the meeting and said her priorities will center on the county’s stated vision and on serving the county’s diverse population.

The contract and staffing packet were included in the commissioners’ meeting materials. The board did not discuss salary details on the public record during the action; the vote recorded was 5 to 0 in favor of approving the contract naming Stroder as county manager.

The board took the vote at the start of its regular meeting; Stroder and commissioners paused afterward for photographs with family and county leadership.

What this means: With the board’s approval, Stroder will lead county operations and oversee the county departments the commissioners listed during the meeting, including public works, human services, the county health department, and the Colorado Air and Space Port. The commissioners framed the hire as part of their effort to strengthen county leadership during a period of population growth and change.

No separate follow-up actions or deadlines tied to the appointment were recorded in the meeting minutes beyond the adoption of the contract.","The Adams County Board of County Commissioners voted 5-0 to approve a contract naming Dion Stroder as county manager. Stroder pledged ethical leadership, transparency and a focus on serving the county’s diverse and growing population.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Adams County proclaims July 2025 National Parks, Open Space and Cultural Arts Month

Board approves Hurley Riding Academy conditional use; neighbors had mixed views on traffic and dust

Adams County OKs large-scale Vega solar project with battery storage, sets decommissioning oversight conditions

Adams County commissioners unanimously appoint Dion Stroder as county manager