Routt County removes Fair Advisory Board member, appoints four interviewees

The Routt County Board of County Commissioners voted Jan. 14 to remove Lynn Powell from the Fair Advisory Board and to appoint four interviewees to fill open seats.

The board accepted a recommendation from the Fair Advisory Board, which met after its January meeting and voted 3–1 that Powell should not remain on the board. Commissioners then voted to remove Powell and to appoint the four candidates the Fair Advisory Board and staff had recommended.

The decision followed staff and advisory-board review of attendance: the board was told Powell attended six of 12 meetings last year. A county official urged that advisory boards consult the county attorney before holding executive sessions to review membership, saying it was unclear whether the fair board’s executive-session discussion was proper. The board said it will flag advisory-board governance and guidance for a future retreat with county leadership.

One commissioner said she trusted the Fair Advisory Board’s recommendation after interview work and asked that the county call out planning or resolution numbers when items appear on consent in the future.

Motion language recorded in the meeting: a commissioner moved that "Lynn Powell is no longer on the Fair Advisory Board," the motion was seconded and carried. A separate motion to "elect all 4 interviewees from January 7 to serve on the Fair Advisory Board for 1-3 year term" was moved by Commissioner Angelica Salinas, seconded, and approved.

The board did not record roll-call names for each vote in the public discussion; votes were taken by verbal "aye." The Fair Advisory Board’s recommendation, the commissioners’ actions, and a staff request for clearer advisory-board rules were the substantive outcomes of the item.

The county will notify the appointed members and said staff will follow up on documentation and next steps for the new advisory-board members.