Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sheriff requests additional jail staffing, radios and transport vehicle; explores outsourcing kitchen services
Summary
Montezuma County sheriff outlined requests for four additional full-time positions across jail and patrol, equipment capital for radios and a transport vehicle, and warned the jail kitchen could require costly kitchen changes if outsourced to a private provider.
The Montezuma County sheriff told commissioners the jail and sheriff’s office combined now operate at about 60 full-time equivalent positions and requested four additional FTEs in the 2026 budget to keep up with workload and recent turnover.
The sheriff said staffing shortages have required moving certified officers between detention and patrol and that the office recently hired one detention deputy to help. He also asked for higher allocations for training, vehicle maintenance, and event/security staffing, pointing to recurring large events such as the Ute Mountain Ute Rodeo as high-cost security needs.
Capital requests include replacement radios and a proposed detention transport vehicle. The sheriff said commissioners previously discussed adding $10,000 for gravel at the landfill shooting range and that the transport vehicle will require further study before finalizing specifications and procurement. He described the transport vehicle as a detention transport need and said the county will “explore all the options with this kind of a capital item.”
On the jail kitchen, the sheriff reported the county has received a proposal from Summit Correctional Services to supply meals and described potential trade-offs. He said the private vendor would provide staff training and uniforms and purchase leftover product, but that the county likely would need to pay for locking chemical cages, tethering small wares to counters, and other kitchen modifications. “My suggestion would be before you bring it in, have them come and do their assessment first and tell them what…changes they’re gonna want,” he said.
The sheriff also proposed creating a dedicated traffic enforcement unit of two FTEs to address speeding on county roads and reduce fatal crashes, describing it as a seven-days-a-week presence focused on enforcing the model traffic code. He said historical citation data from recent years was used to estimate revenue and enforcement impact.
Ending: Commissioners heard the requests and directed continued review; no formal action was taken during the workshop. The sheriff said some capital items and the kitchen assessment require vendor visits and measurement before final costs can be presented.
