Huerfano County commissioners open bids for real estate brokers, approve surveyor contract and accept Brownfields grant

Huerfano County commissioners approved a set of administrative contracts and accepted a state cleanup grant during their Sept. 30 meeting, and opened bids for an on-call real estate broker service that the county plans to evaluate this month.

The board opened proposals for RFP 25-06 (on-call real estate broker services), received five submissions and said interviews will be scheduled later in the month, with recommendations to follow in about a month. Commissioners also approved a personal services agreement with Leverington Associates to serve as the county surveyor and accepted a Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Brownfields cleanup grant for asbestos and lead abatement related to a phase‑2 construction project at the site described in the meeting as the "Fox Bay in Rosenberg."

Why it matters: the broker RFP will guide how the county handles land and property transactions; the surveyor contract assigns responsibility for surveying work that supports county projects; and the Brownfields grant covers hazardous‑materials abatement tied to a local redevelopment project.

Bids and procurement

County staff opened bids for RFP 25-06 for on‑call real estate broker services and read five proposers into the record: Melissa Miller; Carlos Real Estate (listed in the record as such); Paul Roberts of Fuller Real Estate, CDRE; Impact Commercial Real Estate; and John Stroh. The county administrator said the proposals will be evaluated and interviews scheduled later in the month, and that the board would receive recommendations roughly a month after that.

County contracts and purchases

The board approved a personal services agreement with Leverington Associates to serve as county surveyor. During the discussion a staff member noted attorneys for the parties needed additional time to align contract language before the agreement was finalized; commissioners voted to approve the contract.

The board approved a purchase of security cameras described in the record as for "what went on in Kansas," with the motion listing a purchase amount near $9,800. Commissioners discussed timing relative to other recent camera purchases for county facilities and then voted to approve the purchase.

Grant award and related procurement note

Commissioners accepted an award from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment for Brownfields cleanup funds to cover asbestos and lead abatement at the site identified in the meeting as the Fox Bay in Rosenberg. The meeting transcript includes two different dollar amounts when staff described the award: $170,350 was mentioned earlier in the discussion and the formal motion recorded the award amount as $178,350. The board voted to accept the award as stated in the motion.

Budget, payments and plans

The board approved the September vendor run totaling $56,948.08. Commissioners also accepted the county's 2024 cost allocation plan under 2 C.F.R. Part 200, a document staff said determines how much federal grant‑administration funding the state passes through to counties; staff said that historically the county receives roughly $20,000 back to the Department of Human Services from that allocation.

Appointments and routine items

The board approved Resolution No. 25-76 appointing Susan Kinney to the Spanish Peaks Library District Board of Trustees with a term expiring Oct. 1, 2031.

Public comment and staff reports

A member of the public, Ryan Geese, spoke during public comment about proposed changes to the county land‑use code. Geese said the changes felt "pushed by privileged view and allows voices for selfish gains" and urged the county to preserve opportunities for newcomers and younger residents to build homes in the Spanish Peaks area. He told commissioners: "I fear that the new regulations on lot sizes and temporary camping give too much power to the HOAs and large cattle ranches."

The county administrator provided staff updates including a reminder that the consultant RFP closed that morning, that planning commission hearings and comment periods on housing‑related code changes are upcoming, and that county staff are working on an updated purchasing/billing position, a commercial card program and an audit.

Executive session

The board voted to recess to executive session under Colorado Revised Statutes to receive legal advice on proposed updates to county personnel policies, administrative policies and internal controls; the meeting record states no decisions would be made during the executive session and the board recessed to reconvene at 1:00 p.m.

Votes at a glance

- Consent agenda (minutes, sheriff bonus, other consent items): approved (votes recorded in the minutes as "Yes" by commissioners present). - RFP 25-06 bid opening: bids opened; no procurement award made at the meeting. - Resolution No. 25-76 (appoint Susan Kinney to Spanish Peaks Library District Board of Trustees, term to 10/01/2031): approved. - Personal services agreement with Leverington Associates (county surveyor): approved. - Security camera purchase (county facility, amount recorded near $9,800): approved. - Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Brownfields cleanup grant (Fox Bay in Rosenberg; motion recorded amount $178,350; earlier staff comment referenced $170,350): accepted. - Vendor payments (September vendor run): approved, $56,948.08. - 2024 cost allocation plan (2 C.F.R. Part 200): approved. - Motion to recess to executive session for legal advice on personnel/admin/internal controls: approved.

Ending

Commissioners scheduled interviews for the broker RFP and said they will return recommendations in roughly a month. No final procurement awards for the broker RFP were made at the Sept. 30 meeting; the board recessed for executive session on legal advice and policy updates and did not take action in that closed session, per the meeting record.