[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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],{"_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",6154109,"mediaKeyId","5486041-14157a975fa6795396d36a4e57d02e02","parentId",5486041,"title","Landfill managers warn state methane rule could raise costs sharply; county joins coalition ahead of prehearing","audioSeconds",1262,"startMs",1622000,"endMs",2884000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5486041-14157a975fa6795396d36a4e57d02e02&start=1622&end=2884","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5486041-14157a975fa6795396d36a4e57d02e02/thumbnail_1622000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6154109/Garfield-County/Colorado/Landfill-managers-warn-state-methane-rule-could-raise-costs-sharply-county-joins-coalition-ahead-of-prehearing","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6154109-58f8344f4392a066174ea856313432c9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770833249&Signature=UGoD4tFiOU9uHBrbFQbz4ALdX-T5V2Uc1XposW6IseP26AFe7qKHHsRoAcRb4BNMB93Uda08r8o14X2nnm6Yzx~~hiVbkispjjLrxlE7omgReJ9JRcEHnHfvxvS-lHYZ~qj4S6CkGWXaBfGCt9UV3NHmLg29121K0Zz7sK8-VBjCCOKj13ha6ZB20YtIbtL1KL3SVxLZTgCPsr0IgmDdsF8LKGyFNKsSd3GZgsLW8iG1uimGA5INobplbY3K42ipVBU06heabtW-z-c4q7UF~JwRUPC2YJoxA1LQX-Yt358sq49TMQ~JRQH3EnTqYgvGcWZH9mP6DasWuVdZi7kBHQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Garfield County CO","date","2025-07-14T00:00:00Z","article","Garfield County landfill staff presented a semiannual operational update and an overview of pending state air-quality rulemaking that could significantly increase landfill costs and local tipping fees.
Deb Fiscus, landfill presenter, walked commissioners through operational metrics, including year-to-date tonnage increases, revenues from metal recycling, tire and e-waste collections, septage and the upcoming pond cleanout. She reported revenues for 2025 up from 2024 (for example, metal recycling revenue rose from tens of thousands in 2023'\u00042024 to $73,172 on 911 tons in 2024; year-to-date 2025 revenues were higher) and that the landfill had one staffing vacancy that would be filled in coming weeks. She described ongoing maintenance tasks including cleaning three ponds and options for doing that work in-house or hiring hydrovac services at an estimated $200'$300 per hour.
The presentation turned to a detailed discussion of proposed Air Quality Control Commission Regulation 31, a draft regulation to control methane emissions from municipal solid waste landfills. County staff said Garfield County had gained party status in the rulemaking and joined a multi-county coalition to prepare a prehearing statement. \"Garfield County gained party status into this regulation for to provide comment back in, May around May 14,\" a staff member said, and commissioners delegated Commissioner Will to speak on the county's behalf at the prehearing conference. Staff said the prehearing conference was scheduled for the 17th (the prehearing statement meeting) and that the commission may continue the full hearing to December.
Landfill staff and outside counsel outlined the key cost drivers in the draft regulation: biocover (an organic intermediate cover) estimated by one consultant at roughly $60,000'$80,000 per acre to install, the requirement to install gas-collection and enclosed-flare systems for some landfills (capital costs staff estimated in the low millions to several million dollars depending on site), and ongoing monitoring and testing that could add substantial recurring costs. Fiscus summarized the county's midpoint estimates: roughly $3'$4 million in capital to construct required new cells/controls under the new standards, and annual operational costs in the range of $750,000 to $1,000,000 if the county needed a full gas control system.
Staff and the coalition are pushing several technical changes in an alternate proposal, including raising the surface-emissions action threshold from 200 parts per million (ppm) to 500 ppm (the EPA guidance referenced by coalition members), shortening the lookback period for waste-in-place calculations to 1995 rather than 1987, and changing tonnage thresholds tied to when a collection system is required. Fiscus said a key concern is the availability of compost for biocover: \"It's been said that there's not enough compost in the entire state of Colorado to do this for, you know, every landfill that has to do it.\" She and others warned that requiring enclosed flares can produce greater emissions if operators must supply alternate fuels to keep a flare running at low methane generation rates.
County counsel and outside counsel Chris Kolklecher (Beatty & Wozniak) are coordinating the county's comments. Staff said the coalition currently includes 15 counties and that representatives from Mesa County (Commissioner Cody Davis) and possibly Summit County will join Commissioner Will to make the county's prehearing statement. \"There was a pretty good chance we'll see something [adopted],\" staff said, \"What we want to do is try to affect it such that we can limit the expense and the exposure for the taxpayers of Garfield County to the greatest extent that we can.\"
Commissioners asked about likely cost impacts and service-life planning. Staff said the landfill's current life without expansion runs to the mid-2040s (about 2044-2045) and that the county has expansion property identified (Langstaff) for future cell construction. Staff also highlighted near-term operational items: pond cleanout bidding, e-waste and metal-recycling events, and that quarterly user-fee payments to the state have risen and may require increasing the landfill's PO later in the year.
No board action was taken; staff requested continued engagement in the rulemaking process and signaled that, depending on the commission's schedule, the coalition may submit a redline alternative or an alternate proposal to the Air Quality Control Commission.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Garfield Board of County Commissioners Monday, July 14, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Landfill staff told commissioners that a proposed state rule to control methane from municipal landfills could force multi-million-dollar capital investments and hundreds of thousands of dollars in new annual operating costs, and that Garfield County has joined a 15-county coalition preparing to challenge parts of the draft rule.","taxTitle","Garfield County, Colorado","taxId",27339,"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},6154113,"County treasurer outlines third-party installment service to avoid legislative mandate costs",410,704000,1114000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5486041-14157a975fa6795396d36a4e57d02e02&start=704&end=1114","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5486041-14157a975fa6795396d36a4e57d02e02/thumbnail_704000.jpg","/articles/6154113/Garfield-County/Colorado/County-treasurer-outlines-third-party-installment-service-to-avoid-legislative-mandate-costs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6154113-a5741d3c75d21c5942148e78832ff54a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770833249&Signature=BT5Ocq7MJ7KWT3BkYwfJufx4EVS7lphLxz5kgIB5InHik4uVqVskyHE6LrgO7nY6O-gomAImubq9hxW~WuDN9nT95CY2JD9JoH~EN20Jmzp0ARqWzjr5EUr5HxXVcKjNwcBIwG~Rz1xR5vmGVqKQa-bpMgXl8epISYevSpGXUM~Tp2rYGLE1ae1QcBnZoR2BkP6EPVhSwR7xoq5ewZYVY2TEjg4OFkCKKbxtJa0lv2yyMd0FPkXF6rZ37tJjDpQ-UmP95PPNtHDJOse3bMBKZnT0GBicBw3-ktSsE1DHMNn-SdCMprO-oVWN3a08D9r6TQcya6VwvRhiYIdbTfNdhw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Garfield County Treasurer Carrie (last name not specified in the record) briefed commissioners on a third-party escrow service designed to allow property owners to pay property taxes in installments without imposing operational costs on county government.
The treasurer said she and peers in El Paso and Larimer counties worked with the county's tax processor, which already serves 49 Colorado counties, and that the processor can operate an opt-in third-party escrow to create installment plans for taxpayers. \"Technically, we could already do that. We have something in place that could do that,\" she said, and added that El Paso County already has a live arrangement.
She said participation is voluntary for taxpayers and does not require county action: \"Each county opts in on their own, and how that works is that they base the installments on the current year's taxes on an average. And then when the new tax roll comes on, they adjust that to make the new tax roll. The processor, remits the tax payment on time. It doesn't affect the tax affect the taxing authorities.\"
The treasurer described the private provider as Escrow Taxes, underwritten by Huntington National Bank, and said fees depend on payment method: about $1 for an eCheck per payment and $2.50 for card payments; she estimated that someone using eCheck might pay about $12 extra a year in fees, depending on the number of installments. \"They're underwritten by Huntington National Bank,\" she said.
She framed the plan as a way to avoid an unfunded mandate: county staff had been concerned that proposed state legislation on installment plans could cost Garfield County about $100,000 to implement or more; using a third-party escrow reduces or eliminates that local cost: \"So we think we've come up with a free market solution to avoid the counties costing a lot of money.\"
The presentation was informational; commissioners asked clarifying questions about fees and participation but did not take formal action. The treasurer noted the service is live in other counties and that customers may sign up directly without county administration.
Other details provided in the meeting: the treasurer reported the public trustee fund had net revenue negative $7,484.42 for the quarter but that the county held $289,482.43 in a CaliTrust account to cover that deficit, and that the county had 29 foreclosures to date.","Garfield County Treasurer introduced a third-party tax-installment escrow option—already used by some Colorado counties—that would let taxpayers pay property taxes in installments without the county operating as the banker; the service is underwritten by Huntington National Bank and charges modest per-payment fees.",{"_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},6154120,"Garfield County assessor reports 19% drop in total assessed valuation, driven by oil and gas decline",214,98000,312000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5486041-14157a975fa6795396d36a4e57d02e02&start=98&end=312","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5486041-14157a975fa6795396d36a4e57d02e02/thumbnail_98000.jpg","/articles/6154120/Garfield-County/Colorado/Garfield-County-assessor-reports-19-drop-in-total-assessed-valuation-driven-by-oil-and-gas-decline","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6154120-2e4dd9eae069971666b068c9893b7d42/orig.mp4?Expires=1770833249&Signature=nK8Z1Bq1LPpOfVYPLjs18QfmmgT7xHVLjjZHcUf8LV4yQTaXANC7KMg4fsBa3UHnf6UgmpZp0O1YhcrAW0zAiTQw4qCoGuw17Z-TLWPSEi1s3bhHlgbOfCwuE-mwgeP~2k8Ko5O19KIVJ0L8zy38Sby~f5D4BlGprTEy0x~OKPF03iaNo6YuZ5m1DAQkk0RcYZdrWciKSxdICQ1fCNpip8jwH1RM33-3hfV6QBb8Mzs67~o5W~LFjSBQQp8tuM9fRLIEbRIiAl62HwS66bicVtVgXA041lx2pDZt3FYWwsCFUyg7j-jBVcWJD9aTXgh6ddVxVfco0qA8PCyN42RSQA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Garfield County Assessor Jim Yalico reported to the Board of County Commissioners that the county's 2025 assessed valuation fell about 19% from 2024, primarily because of a sharp decline in oil and gas valuations.
Yalico said the county received 536 real-property protests during the appeal period this year compared with 1,923 in 2023, and that staff adjusted 276 protests, denied 260 and voided 8. \"We had 276 protests that we adjusted. We denied 260 of them. 8 of them were voided,\" he said.
The assessor said total assessed real property value (not including state-assessed property or possessory interests that will be finalized at the County Board of Equalization hearings) is about $1,686,428,070, an increase of 13% for non-state-assessed real property compared with 2024. But he said the county's oil and gas assessed value as of July 14 is $824,837,090, a 38% decrease from last year, and that the combined total assessed valuation for the county currently stands at $2,362,882,170, down roughly 19% from 2024.
Yalico noted one very large oil-and-gas protest produced a large adjustment: \"That's a really big number for, for 536 protests. But 1 of them was a really large oil and gas protest. So oil and gas is a little different. They self report their value, and then we work with them on that.\" He said work with the company uncovered an error in the reported value that showed up as an adjustment in the appeal period.
Commissioners asked about timing and how the numbers will be finalized. Yalico said the assessor's abstract delivered on August 25 will provide the county's final numbers after the CBOE hearings and after state-assessed property entries are posted: \"August 25 will be that'll be our final number as far as what we think our revenues are. ... The abstract in the 20 fifth is that's the number that it should be.\"
The board discussed the revenue implications in general terms but did not take action. Yalico noted the decline in oil and gas value will affect parts of the county west of New Castle more heavily, while non-oil-and-gas real property values have risen: \"This is for the whole county. ... the real property value actually increased 13% for homes and non oil and gas things.\" The assessor reminded commissioners that state-assessed property values and other adjustments may still affect the final totals at the CBOE hearings.
The report was presented as information only; there was no motion or vote tied to it at the meeting.
Less-critical details: Yalico said the CBOE hearings start next week and that the assessor's office expects more protests to arrive by the filing deadline; at the time of his report six protests were scheduled for hearing but the number had increased to about 10 by the end of that morning.","Garfield County Assessor Jim Yalico told county commissioners that the county's total assessed valuation is down about 19% from last year, driven mainly by a 38% fall in oil and gas assessed value despite a 13% increase in real property values excluding state-assessed property.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Landfill managers warn state methane rule could raise costs sharply; county joins coalition ahead of prehearing

County treasurer outlines third-party installment service to avoid legislative mandate costs

Garfield County assessor reports 19% drop in total assessed valuation, driven by oil and gas decline