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Park County moves to standardize appointed advisory boards, sends draft policy to boards
Summary
The Park County Board of County Commissioners voted 3-0 to add a provision that board bylaws will supersede the countywide advisory-board policy and to distribute the draft policy to appointed boards for review and bylaw development.
Park County commissioners on Oct. 8 directed staff to revise and distribute a draft countywide policy for BOCC-appointed advisory boards, adding a provision that any conflict between the county policy and a board’s bylaws will be resolved in favor of the bylaws.
The proposal aims to standardize duties, responsibilities and appointment procedures across the county’s roughly 10–12 advisory boards, including the recently reconstituted Tourism Board, the commissioners said. Liz Biggs, the county’s board liaison, described the measure as a step to provide consistent guidance while accommodating boards’ historic differences.
Why this matters: Several long-standing boards operate under different documents — some by resolution, some by memorandum of understanding (MOU), and some with no bylaws. The board said standardization should clarify authorities and expectations while preserving boards’ established practices where appropriate.
Board discussion and action Commissioner Amy Mitchell and Liz Biggs led the effort; commissioners agreed to add wording that, where a board has bylaws, the bylaws will supersede the countywide policy if there is a conflict. The board discussed the Fair Board as an example of a longstanding organization that predates county involvement and that historically raises its own funds and operates under an MOU.
Christie (county attorney) advised that the new policy is intended to replace an older 2012 document on BOCC-appointed board procedures and that a 2019 draft policy exists but the county is researching whether it was formally adopted. Commissioner discussion emphasized sending the draft to boards so they may prepare or update bylaws and to identify conflicts before the county repeals older resolutions.
The board voted 3–0 to approve the modification and send the draft policy to all appointed boards for review and bylaw development.
Next steps Staff will incorporate the added clause that bylaws prevail, distribute the draft to advisory boards, and identify any existing county resolutions that should be repealed and replaced. Commissioners said boards without bylaws should use the draft as a working document while developing a formal set of bylaws.
