Larimer County to monitor Estes Park annexation study session; no county commitment to annexation work yet

Larimer County staff told commissioners on Sept. 22 they will monitor a study session planned by the Town of Estes Park on Sept. 30 that will address annexation policy but said the county has not been asked to enter into formal agreements and is not currently assigned to lead annexation-area planning.

Rebecca Everett, Community Development Director, said town staff have asked county planners for examples of how other municipalities and counties handle annexation criteria and administrative coordination. "At this point the conversations with staff have been very focused on those kind of administrative coordination pieces or giving them information or resources about how the county works with our other municipalities related to annexation and we have not had any conversations about entering into an intergovernmental agreement or anything in that nature," Everett said.

Why it matters: annexation policy can affect land use, service delivery, roads and infrastructure across jurisdictional boundaries. Commissioners asked whether Estes Park appeared to be accelerating annexation work; Everett said town staff want objective criteria that the trustees can reference when considering annexation requests and that the county will respond if asked to engage more formally.

Next steps: county staff will observe the town's Sept. 30 study session, review any materials or proposals that come out of that conversation, and report back to the board if the town requests formal county participation.