Commission posts hearing to suspend safety-net care payments and to repeal personnel ordinance sections

The Colfax County Commission voted to post public hearings on two related items: (1) an ordinance suspending county payments to the state Safety Net Care Pool and (2) repeal of the county personnel policies and procedures ordinance (2017‑O‑1) as part of moving personnel sections into a policy manual.
County attorneys and staff explained that the proposed suspension of payments would withhold the county’s contributions while the county evaluates whether the state is complying with statutory responsibilities for the Safety Net Care Pool. County counsel said the ordinance language would suspend payments until the state demonstrates compliance; commissioners asked whether to set aside the withheld money in case the state later seeks repayment. The county attorney said that administrative safeguards could be used and recommended temporarily setting funds aside.
On the personnel ordinance repeal, staff said the repeal is intended to transfer personnel policy sections (policy sections 5 through 8) into county policy rather than keep them codified as an ordinance. The county attorney recommended a two-step approach when adopting: first adopt the policies, then repeal the ordinance at the same meeting so there is no regulatory gap.
Commissioners voted to post both items for public hearings. No final policy changes or suspensions were adopted at the meeting; commissioners directed staff to bring refined ordinance language and an implementation plan to the public-hearing packet.