[{"_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",6497497,"mediaKeyId","5680542-512bf05f20b388f6cbfa78b50d6deec3","parentId",5680542,"title","County attorney reports stalled sheriff sale at Ironwood site, landfill methane rulemaking and several pending legal matters","audioSeconds",577,"startMs",1936000,"endMs",2513000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5680542-512bf05f20b388f6cbfa78b50d6deec3&start=1936&end=2513","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5680542-512bf05f20b388f6cbfa78b50d6deec3/thumbnail_1936000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6497497/Montezuma-County/Colorado/County-attorney-reports-stalled-sheriff-sale-at-Ironwood-site-landfill-methane-rulemaking-and-several-pending-legal-matters","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6497497-a34bf678cd683a1956b0cf349175a571/orig.mp4?Expires=1771116911&Signature=WULEnX-a~eDxc4j6n05xB05i4aNt2kVeJz1p7SyirRm5pbziWVtRKVdTFoCEjUHoFWb4bMTxPDg~YA2Qo-Y0tR6dqLbLVbxJKirLfd0i8kJccp~rQbt8VHfGw28o3gzAcw3IlgOufAvXa1l7YNKsA4crBxnC69K8kbm3tDFy1eQ-KvgYZNBLvWp4JoQ10Ox6NQcFvt~AefUM4~1RnuSCf2JigBbiD3~4TSrA5x4~FD85~M9SPLNgZMfwoCz8wlPJ3sMdbGdkY-9J0EynIxs-qyn6HgqvTvxVSUDlgBqSa87x-C-nG5Oe8Rwul9Sxk8k8rc1mVaSodGw13pC9guuBdg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Montezuma County","date","2025-08-27T04:04:59Z","article","Montezuma County’s attorney told the Board of County Commissioners on Aug. 26 that a scheduled sheriff sale for the Ironwood property did not proceed because lienholders and the property group appear to have reached an agreement, and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) will conduct another site visit.

The attorney said he and CDPHE counsel had followed up with Ironwood’s attorneys but had not yet received a response. He said county officials do not believe cleanup work is actively ongoing at the site and described continued concern about fire danger on the property.

The attorney also reported that the county is participating in a coalition of public landfill owners and operators to engage on proposed methane regulations before the Air Quality Commission. A public hearing was continued to a later quarterly meeting and coalition members planned follow‑up meetings to discuss next steps. \"We're gonna continue advocating through this coalition for a good outcome, for public landfills and obviously for Montezuma County,\" the county attorney said.

On litigation, the county attorney said the county received a wrongful termination complaint from a former sheriff's office employee and has referred the matter to its insurance carrier. He also reported that the county filed a motion to dismiss in the Ellis Lewis civil action that arose after the board's denial of a subdivision application; he said he expects the motion to be granted but that Lewis will likely have leave to amend.

The attorney said a separate wrongful‑termination matter involving Bonnie Anderson is near settlement but not yet finalized, and that the county is preparing jury instructions and other filings for upcoming child protection and jury trial deadlines. He also said the county will meet virtually Sept. 4 with FOP representatives to hear their initial collective‑bargaining proposal related to sheriff's office employees.

Why it matters: The Ironwood site is a continuing county environmental and public‑safety concern. Separately, methane regulation changes could affect public landfill operations and costs. The litigation and labor matters could carry financial and operational consequences for the county.

Next steps: CDPHE will conduct a follow‑up site inspection of the Ironwood property; county counsel will continue coalition work on methane rules and will coordinate with the county’s insurer and outside counsel on pending litigation and labor negotiations.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Montezuma County BOCC August 26, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The county attorney updated commissioners that a sheriff sale relating to the Ironwood property did not proceed, CDPHE will reinspect the site, the county is participating in a coalition on proposed landfill methane rules, and several civil cases and labor negotiations are active.","taxTitle","Montezuma County, Colorado","taxId",27581,"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},6497498,"Montezuma County and Town of Dolores continue talks over sheriff services contract; commissioners set Sept. 15 cutoff for contract finalization",806,2394000,3200000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5680542-512bf05f20b388f6cbfa78b50d6deec3&start=2394&end=3200","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5680542-512bf05f20b388f6cbfa78b50d6deec3/thumbnail_2394000.jpg","/articles/6497498/Montezuma-County/Colorado/Montezuma-County-and-Town-of-Dolores-continue-talks-over-sheriff-services-contract-commissioners-set-Sept-15-cutoff-for-contract-finalization","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6497498-7a638ef13c7fe29902bbd7f63c1bf294/orig.mp4?Expires=1771116911&Signature=iFcGo0wf2JQYWQYuDEywwLqdmUlt6RoJkBnitQaLO~soYHbzhNJFcadDHTX61Rv8UKPLpMclUJitxizDW14uZEJ2TVnBm2UHbxYyptilNCTlojUXdG0qATxD3eZEsyKs4So64ZQRz2wboEXlrw80wQjmoPNuwuDh-tZUwOurQ1oLVDwaeZosLTjq5VReZ6D2fN5Cqom2HAhPLRhNasCr0GK4cFBnqAc3mby0RSxWbw33Y6L35IwzvyN2u6Uz6FCjgiKBBg1ZkDAiFHNzi1eKLEaCJ8URnNLK6LrbhWOQTPWEs1GJ8LAotx~3GhWHdIuOJxm0XXZQrXQtHjYNlZKqZw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Montezuma County officials told the Board of County Commissioners on Aug. 26 that negotiations over a proposed contract for sheriff services to the Town of Dolores remain ongoing and that the county needs a final agreement by Sept. 15 to meet its budget schedule.

County Administrator Anderson said the town was presented with an updated contract at about 8:30 p.m. the previous night and that the county’s target remains a Sept. 15 signature so staff can include the resulting costs in the county’s proposed budget, which the administrator said must be presented by Oct. 15 \"by statute.\" Anderson told the board the town had asked to push the deadline to Oct. 13; she recommended holding Sept. 15 as the cutoff.

During the attorney’s report the county attorney said the proposed contract had been presented in a new format to Dolores and that the county needed to review changes made by the town before deciding whether further negotiation was necessary. The attorney noted there is concurrent authority between the sheriff and the board regarding law‑enforcement services, and recommended possible executive‑session discussion because some matters could involve privileged legal advice.

Commissioners questioned whether the county could take a firmer position and present nonnegotiable contract terms, noting the county’s role as the fiscal authority and that if no contract is signed those positions are not funded. The attorney cautioned that some town enforcement activities—such as enforcing town ordinances—may fall outside the sheriff’s statutory duties and therefore can be subject to separate negotiation.

County Administrator Anderson said the county had set a Sept. 15 deadline previously in a similar situation and urged that date remain. \"Leave it in there. September 15. Good with that,\" a commissioner said during the meeting.

Why it matters: A signed agreement will determine whether and how county sheriff resources are assigned to the Town of Dolores, affect the sheriff’s staffing and hours, and must be reflected in the county budget cycle. Delays risk leaving positions or hours unfunded and could require the county to adjust budget assumptions.

Next steps: County staff plan to review the town’s revisions, follow up with the sheriff’s office and, if the board desires, hold additional privileged discussion in executive session to finalize negotiation strategy before the Sept. 15 target.","County leaders discussed the proposed sheriff services contract with the Town of Dolores and said the county needs a signed contract by Sept. 15 to meet budget timelines for the Oct. 15 proposed county budget deadline.",{"_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},6497500,"Montezuma County social services wins meat donation, secures transit grant and plans TripMaster launch",469,1376000,1845000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5680542-512bf05f20b388f6cbfa78b50d6deec3&start=1376&end=1845","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5680542-512bf05f20b388f6cbfa78b50d6deec3/thumbnail_1376000.jpg","/articles/6497500/Montezuma-County/Colorado/Montezuma-County-social-services-wins-meat-donation-secures-transit-grant-and-plans-TripMaster-launch","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6497500-94b7b4d505a0e8e3692dfc361bdb5fc9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771116911&Signature=Qjs~iBkksDynf6T8afSanLYw7Vm057RS30ZXqy~sWckeOVbI9bvJ8sCyvfxlDQ6UlqQbRwW2BE1h9lqL4aaWqQu4GtqYu77z8WCvanDTSsBKyvFGUce32g5MehLqFQ8B1y72MmSQWioOPTZFVhT-cdqPjV50Jc0vO27VlEUXCWr6Dlbb00ZuL~7Ylz3K8HJ~hSMUGQFdInuEPXOKQCpHzpVBUA0tdTX6Z5CqQYNaSqysqJNpyoSZrN4Gv8ZocwYtkcjV3fsiptS-RlgEvt4VOuCvA-RlCzfjoTUk72Ur2UBzUc~MSKse3T3fiXU9o5zTZuzocdj2DYqh06XbJ~VlRQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Montezuma County social services officials told the Board of County Commissioners on Aug. 26 that Rocky Mountain Meats will donate 25 pounds of meat each month to the county’s senior services program and has offered a reduced rate of $1.80 per pound for additional purchases.

The county’s social services representative, identified in the meeting transcript as Kelly, also announced that the department was formally awarded $171,857.28 through “53 11” funding the department applied for. “We were hoping to get that full amount,” Kelly said.

Kelly gave quarterly transit data for the county’s MoCo service for the second quarter: 2,319 unlinked passenger trips, about 24,000 revenue miles and 1,041 revenue hours. She said the department plans to implement TripMaster scheduling software this fall and expects to need about 60 days to transition and train staff before broader marketing. \"I think 10% additional ridership's a fair estimate in the first quarter,\" Kelly said, adding her estimate was conservative and that same‑day trip capability could boost ridership further.

The department also reported senior-services activity for July: 1,705 meals (both congregate and home‑delivered), an average of 39 people served per day and a peak of 66 on a single day.

Kelly described an ongoing management evaluation that will require staff work over the summer and fall, with a review period expected to wrap up around Oct. 21 and subsequent time for responses and corrective actions. \"We have to finish 15 different questionnaires over the next 6 weeks,\" Kelly said.

The Board approved the Social Services minutes for July 22, 2025, and payables for July in the amount stated at the meeting. The motion to approve was moved, seconded and carried with recorded “aye” votes.

Why it matters: The items affect day‑to‑day services for seniors and rural transit users in Montezuma County. The TripMaster rollout and the awarded transit funds could change scheduling flexibility and potential ridership growth, while the meat donation supplements the county’s food resources for senior meals programs.

Additional details: Kelly said the department averages underused vehicles and driver capacity that, combined with scheduling improvements, represent room for increased service. She said the TripMaster rollout would be followed by a publicity push starting about Jan. 1 after staff have trained on the platform and data have been migrated.","County social services reported a monthly donation of meat for senior meals, a transit grant award of $171,857.28 and plans to launch TripMaster software with an expected initial ridership bump of about 10%.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

County attorney reports stalled sheriff sale at Ironwood site, landfill methane rulemaking and several pending legal matters

Montezuma County and Town of Dolores continue talks over sheriff services contract; commissioners set Sept. 15 cutoff for contract finalization

Montezuma County social services wins meat donation, secures transit grant and plans TripMaster launch