The county’s regional sustainability contractor told commissioners she has completed high‑level municipal facility audits for county and city buildings and will issue recommendations for low‑cost efficiency measures and larger investments such as solar or HVAC upgrades. Lotus Engineering was selected to produce a county greenhouse‑gas inventory; the kickoff will begin the data‑collection phase for local sector analysis (transportation, tourism and land use).

On transportation, the contractor said the county will soon start an EV readiness grant project with planning staff and join Drive Clean Colorado’s clean mobility planning cohort to survey residents, businesses and tourists about trip patterns and charging priorities. She said the county plans to pursue available grants to fund pilot projects starting next summer.

Waste diversion and landfill planning were a major focus. The contractor said the county submitted a letter of intent for the Colorado Energy Office Impact Accelerator grant to support construction‑and‑demolition (C&D) diversion policy and equipment for the landfill, and that the Colorado Circular Communities Enterprise Fund’s STEPS technical assistance is expected to produce a comprehensive landfill waste audit in spring. She identified opportunities for shorter‑term diversion pilots — mattress recycling (about 2,200 mattresses enter the landfill annually), cardboard compaction/drop‑off and targeted collection events — and described financing gaps for mattress recycling (recycling cost about $45 each vs. $10 landfill disposal). The county is also pursuing a SWIFT grant for a transfer station or materials‑recovery facility; the timelines for those grants are multi‑year.

The contractor outlined a regional Green Week of events Sept. 27–Oct. 3, including e‑waste, Green Home Store events, Drive Clean workshops and Recycle Colorado meetings. She said a new part‑time sustainability coordinator hired by Salida (10–15 hours/week) will support public education and outreach.

This was an informational briefing; commissioners expressed interest in landfill audit results and possible interim diversion pilots and encouraged continued outreach to stakeholders and partners.