Weld County commissioners approve engineering contracts, road easements, toilet-replacement IGA and other routine items

The Weld County Board of County Commissioners on Wednesday approved multiple contracts and road-related actions, including awarding non-project-specific engineering contracts, authorizing an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Greeley for toilet replacements, approving easements and temporary road closures tied to paving and drainage work, and accepting an annual herbicide-discharge report required under federal stormwater rules.

The most consequential items for county infrastructure were approvals tied to county road and drainage projects. Public Works said it will acquire permanent drainage and grading easements for County Road 72 between County Road 33 and County Road 35 to support drainage improvements and paving, and the board approved a structure-agreement template to address potential damage claims for mining operations near County Road 27.

Why it matters: the approvals clear legal and funding steps that allow contractors and utilities to begin work on road reconstruction, lower utility lines that cross the roadways, and place temporary water storage while a subdivision completes a pump-station replacement. The decisions also put the county in compliance with federal reporting and formalize cooperation with the City of Greeley on a resident-assistance program.

Toby Taylor, purchasing, told the board that Public Works ran a qualification-based selection for non-project engineering services and that the selection committee reviewed 11 vendor proposals. "Atkins Realis Denver office had the first ranking" and a second firm, Drexel Burrell, ranked second. The board approved awarding contracts to both firms, with the recommended maximum amounts stated in the procurement documents: Atkins Realis at a not-to-exceed $238,000 and Drexel Burrell at a not-to-exceed $100,000.

Jamie Ulrich of the Department of Human Services presented an intergovernmental agreement (contract ID 9002) with the City of Greeley to have the Weld County Youth Conservation Corps remove and replace older toilets that do not meet specified flow thresholds. Ulrich described the item simply as "an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Greeley" and requested approval; the board approved the contract.

Public Works staff presented a temporary closure request for Good Avenue between Hart Street and Woodruff Street to allow placement of temporary water storage tanks while a subdivision completes demolition and reconstruction of an existing water storage facility and pump station. Sami Lecce said the closure is requested to begin Feb. 3 and run through June 29. Lecce said residents along the affected section have been notified and that the county had coordinated with fire authorities; she said hydrants remain operational in other sections and that the only system components taken out of service would be the existing pump station and tank facility.

Michael Bridal of Public Works described the drainage and paving project on County Road 72 and said some work will occur beyond the county right of way, requiring easements from adjacent property owners. Bridal told commissioners that two more easements from other landowners were forthcoming and that a separate road-closure request would follow because water and gas lines in the road must be lowered before paving.

On mining-related safeguards, the board approved use of a structure-agreement template provided by the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (DRMS). County staff said DRMS updated its template and that the county would use that standard form to document operator responsibility for damage to nearby structures within 200 feet of an operation.

The board also approved: the 2025 annual program plan for the county child support services program (contract ID 9003); the chair's signature on the 2024 annual report of herbicide applications under National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System requirements; the vacation of SUP 62 (an older special-use permit associated with Anadarko E&P Company LP) as a code cleanup item requested by planning staff; and the appointment of Dr. David Reyes Jr. to the Human Services Advisory Board.

Public comment: resident Steve Teets of Greeley raised questions about the county's coordinated planning agreements with municipalities and asked for a brief update on the Northern Colorado (NFR) MPO. A commissioner summarized recent MPO business — including air-quality updates, off-cycle TIP amendments, and the Multimodal Options Fund project presentations — and offered to provide Mr. Teets with a written list of projects.

Ending: All items on the agenda described above were moved, seconded and approved by voice vote during the Jan. 15 hearing. Several projects noted that separate, follow-up road-closure requests or additional easements would be brought to the board for final scheduling and coordination before on-site construction begins.