[{"_1":2,"_85":-5,"_86":-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],{"_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",5977230,"mediaKeyId","5822108-ae10ed91751717beb99f17427179fa86","parentId",5822108,"title","Lake County manager outlines new line‑by‑line budget process, pushes for grant tracking and asset planning","audioSeconds",2502,"startMs",0,"endMs",2502000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5822108-ae10ed91751717beb99f17427179fa86&start=0&end=2502","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5822108-ae10ed91751717beb99f17427179fa86/thumbnail_0.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5977230/Lake-County/Colorado/Lake-County-manager-outlines-new-linebyline-budget-process-pushes-for-grant-tracking-and-asset-planning","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5977230-54d95323db49e79241f86a749080bcf8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770768834&Signature=Oz-q2Ynl6sDktn9DdfL9ImaG4VYsLvjtf8BjCUWN9OUSe7JJhtMrwANFv-ave5MdzgwifpGA9oSq69EwgspyODIXlJdhyLb1Zlx5PBWpzEhn5O0bm5zjVriBpje-am-LeZh5kZt5xhb6r9tf-lexY3meAB2G-jPGMnOl-Cz6AIvpDWwU6kIRIp1JgAAQkDtTvGGi5rU1fSKVb7k2EFEbMxrd1lccAGtJBcvqYXJURu4TDNvez9UaMW~CcroD8OwDzYZoUrqWWMknhYjPGZVvyz~39Ee6A6jY9seQDSL6QJ7TaKXq2huLTyIO8eZPTNqY~fwXxWORHPYGgeIapEQmpw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Lake County Colorado ","date","2025-09-23T00:00:00Z","article","Lake County Manager Candace Bridal on Sept. 23 asked the Board of County Commissioners to review a new line‑by‑line preliminary budget that uses positional payroll modeling and centralized grant and vendor tracking.

Bridal said the new process separates revenue and expenses and requires each department to document grants, multi‑year awards and the staff responsible for each award. “We budget for revenues and expenses separately,” Bridal told the board, describing a repeated request that grant lines include award amounts, match requirements and reimbursement details so grants do not disappear when a staff member leaves.

Why it matters: Commissioners were shown tools and policy changes intended to make county finances more transparent and auditable, reduce coding errors and reserve general‑fund capacity for obligations that are not revenue‑backed. Staff said a clearer capital and asset inventory will help the county plan multiyear repairs rather than relying on last‑minute contingency spending.

Key details
- Grant and vendor tracking: Departments received a standardized worksheet and were asked to record each grant on its own tab; finance said the information is stored in Airtable and linked to Tyler where practical so a departing staffer won’t leave the county unaware of active awards. Bridal said the change responds to past examples where knowledge of a grant or intergovernmental agreement (IGA) left with an individual.
- Chart‑of‑accounts cleanup: Finance and IT will deactivate account codes that haven’t been used for multiple years and reclassify items that staff repeatedly miscode (for example, training vs. personnel benefits). Bridal said the move will reduce accidental miscoding and simplify reporting.
- Intergovernmental agreements and IGAs: Bridal pointed to a weed‑control IGA originating in 2022 that a partner recently asked the county to sign or re‑execute; the county wants a single place to budget IGA obligations so multi‑year payments are visible during look‑backs.
- Certificate of Participation (COP): Staff recommended recording COP debt service in a dedicated account rather than in professional services. Commissioners were told the COP is a roughly 20‑year finance instrument with biannual payments on June 15 and Nov. 15; staff also said the COP can be prepaid without penalty. (Exact annual totals were discussed in the meeting but are recorded in county debt schedules.)
- Payroll modeling and positional budgeting: Finance turned on a positional budgeting module in Tyler this year to model staffing scenarios, estimate total payroll and produce more accurate multi‑year forecasts. Bridal said final payroll figures will be refined when year‑end insurance and benefit rates are finalized in late fall.
- Capital asset planning: Staff previewed a Power BI dashboard being developed to inventory county assets, log deferred maintenance and collect multiyear capital requests by department. The goal is a 1‑ and 5‑year capital plan that shows costs, requestors and proposed funding cadence.

Discussion versus direction
- Discussion: Commissioners asked how routine items (utilities, website, postage, legal fees) should be budgeted and whether items historically coded to the commissioners’ budget should move to operations or central departments. Staff explained the rationale for reallocating line items so operational costs sit in the department that consumes the service.
- Direction/assignments: Staff said they will (1) deactivate unused account codes, (2) attach agreements to vendors in the financial system so future reviewers understand payment purpose, (3) continue to centralize IGA tracking so multi‑year obligations are visible, and (4) provide updated payroll estimates after insurance rates are final.
- Formal decision: No formal vote or budget adoption occurred at the session; the presentation was a preliminary work session and commissioners were asked to submit desired line edits for the preprint.

Clarifying details mentioned at the session included a $15,000 commissioners’ contingency placeholder (presented as $5,000 per commissioner), a land purchase that had $950,000 budgeted earlier in the year (staff said it will be reclassified if not spent) and an annual maintenance estimate for asset‑management grooming tools and vehicle fuel that staff estimated in the low thousands per year. Staff also noted a need to purchase replacement wheels and spares for aging equipment where parts are no longer manufactured.

What’s next: Staff asked commissioners to identify any expense‑line changes now so they can be captured before the preprint and said budgets can be adjusted again in the fall as final payroll and insurance numbers are available. Bridal and finance staff signaled they will present the consolidated budget book and five‑year projections in the fall budget cycle for formal review and adoption.

Ending: The county presented the new workflow as a move toward stronger internal controls and clearer capital planning; staff asked the board to review the preprint and return any coding or policy questions quickly so the county can finalize the budget by the standard fall deadlines.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Lake County CO 09.23.2025 BOCC Work Session - 1PM","oneSentenceSummary","Lake County Manager Candace Bridal on Sept. 23 asked the Board of County Commissioners to review a new line‑by‑line preliminary budget that uses positional payroll modeling and centralized grant and vendor tracking.","taxTitle","Lake County, Colorado","taxId",27576,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":44,"_43":78,"_45":78,"_47":79,"_49":80,"_51":81,"_53":82,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":83,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":84,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5977225,"County weighs leased groomer, hiring a full‑time operator for 2025–26 winter trails",3720000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5822108-ae10ed91751717beb99f17427179fa86&start=3720&end=3720","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5822108-ae10ed91751717beb99f17427179fa86/thumbnail_3720000.jpg","/articles/5977225/Lake-County/Colorado/County-weighs-leased-groomer-hiring-a-fulltime-operator-for-202526-winter-trails","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5977225-0ca2e0c3f9d4c60f7788715fd0c83498/orig.mp4?Expires=1770768834&Signature=dQz5IAAFfOUCsc3EaxuRG2goodwsYi9gNeqspc5DT7r39vDWG8g4Frk7gGTrfzmmEW-4at~InNoQ89BJ3kdXPfkRiHeP3dPZKlrnbwiBJM-KK3vfrBlnOofYjGD5ybCZv2cHkVA7ieoDEF6UceHkcQVnGDoWYBbV41PLcZ4YCftktBhQOFnEa-CGgy0Snyzl4B9-3CesE2WyYMZTtXMd7pjEHiyrYgE1jSfRAaHgruA0L5IJs9cYi3iOIjg1jj0OL88iE07lzN4Ctqw9uz6UiKyyAGWfnpLvCyrizBcu7TdZjHGOsJFl4eQ90pzUEnkI3h1po~1He9VOg60MR4-0gA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Duncan Chisholm, Lake County Parks, Recreation and Open Space director, presented four options on Sept. 23 for winter grooming of the Mineral Belt Trail, Mount Massive and the county golf course for the 2025–26 season and recommended leasing a commercial groomer as the county’s preferred first‑year approach.

“At this point in time, we’re recommending option 1 for 2526,” Chisholm told the Board of County Commissioners, laying out estimates and vendor guidance the county has collected through an RFP process that has a due date extended to Oct. 3.

Why it matters: The Mineral Belt Trail is a high‑use recreation asset that county staff and commissioners described as an economic driver for local businesses. Commissioners must weigh cost, equipment reliability and staff capacity before committing scarce general‑fund dollars or hiring new personnel.

Options presented
- Leased commercial groomer: Staff presented two vendor estimates and a working price range of roughly $50,000–$60,000 for a season lease of a modern grooming machine to service the Mineral Belt Trail, Mount Massive and, if feasible, the golf course. One vendor estimated roughly $62,000 and included about 500 hours of machine use; another proposal was roughly $56,600 and included about 300 hours plus a vendor maintenance schedule. Staff noted that leased units provide backup if a machine in county ownership fails.
- Lease plus FTE: Lease the groomer and also hire a full‑time equivalent (FTE) who would be a year‑round county employee under Road and Bridge and groom as part of their duties. Staff estimated an all‑in annual cost for a full FTE of about $80,000. The FTE model was proposed to secure consistent on‑site staffing and reduce reliance on vendors’ schedules.
- County groomer plus seasonal help: Use the county’s existing snowcat or side‑by‑side groomer with two or more seasonal part‑time workers to groom most days; staff estimated seasonal labor plus operations at about $71,000 in the example shown, with additional allowances for fuel and maintenance.
- No county‑sponsored grooming: Maintain the status quo of volunteer grooming and ad hoc arrangements (the board did not choose this at the meeting; it was listed for comparison).

Key operational and budget details discussed
- Maintenance and spare parts: Staff flagged that parts for older machines are sometimes discontinued; replacing a wheel or buying spare wheels was discussed as a nontrivial short‑term cost and an operational risk. Staff suggested ordering spare wheels as a near‑term contingency.
- Fuel and maintenance: One vendor’s estimate included annual maintenance needs and staff estimated roughly $3,000 a year for fuel and routine upkeep for contracted arrangements; staff also built an allowance for a Nordic Pulse subscription for trail posting (about $1,500).
- Volunteer and committee funding: The Mineral Belt Trail Committee has raised funds historically and verbally indicated a willingness to contribute (Chisholm said a figure of about $30,000 was under discussion, described as not finalized). Staff discussed using committee donations for seasonal operations or a reserve for eventual capital replacement of a groomer.
- Prioritization conflicts: Road and Bridge duties (plowing and emergency response) take precedence; commissioners asked whether a full‑time road employee assigned grooming might be diverted during storms. Staff acknowledged that plowing is a higher operational priority but said the FTE model can be budgeted under Road and Bridge to ensure year‑round value outside grooming season.

Discussion versus direction
- Discussion: Commissioners and staff debated trade‑offs: leased groomer reliability and vendor backup versus a local FTE for daily grooming; whether to attempt grooming both Mineral Belt and the golf course in year one; limits imposed by trail width and Forest Service permit language (the Mineral Belt Trail has permit restrictions that staff said require clarification for grooming width). Dan, a frequent user and commenter during the meeting, argued that “Daily grooming. Everyday. Daily grooming. Cool. It’s the industry standard.”
- Direction/assignments: Chisholm and Road and Bridge were asked to (1) inspect county equipment, confirm spare‑parts availability and order critical spare wheels if possible, (2) continue the RFP process with an Oct. 3 deadline, and (3) present final cost and operational plans to the board quickly so a staffing or lease decision can be made before the season. Commissioners asked staff to track usage and fundraising results if the county pursues a pilot year.
- Formal decision: The board did not adopt a binding contract or hire an FTE at the session; staff recommended leasing as the preferred option for 2025–26 subject to final vendor quotes and machine inspection.

Community fundraising and events: Commissioners and staff discussed using targeted events, improved signage and QR codes to capture donations and build a dedicated grooming fund. Staff described past QR campaigns that generated small sums (about $5,000 in prior years) and suggested more organized event‑based fundraising and clearer donation mechanisms could offset a portion of grooming costs.

Next steps: Staff will finalize vendor responses to the RFP, inspect county equipment, estimate spare‑parts costs, and return with firm numbers and a recommended contract or hiring plan. Commissioners asked for a decision soon to avoid missed seasonal procurement windows and to allow time to recruit or post for any new FTE.

Ending: Commissioners expressed support for a pilot approach that prioritizes a high‑quality grooming product on the Mineral Belt Trail; staff recommended either a leased commercial groomer for year one with vendor backup or a county FTE that can provide daily grooming if funded.","Parks director Duncan Chisholm presented four options for grooming the Mineral Belt Trail and other county routes for the 2025–26 season, including a leased groomer, hiring a full‑time equivalent, a hybrid seasonal model and no grooming. Staff recommended leasing for year one while continuing equipment and staffing analysis.","actionData","errors"]

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Lake County manager outlines new line‑by‑line budget process, pushes for grant tracking and asset planning

County weighs leased groomer, hiring a full‑time operator for 2025–26 winter trails