Moffat County commissioners appoint board members, transfer EMS reserve ambulance and approve two contracts

Moffat County commissioners on Tuesday, Aug. 26, approved a slate of routine appointments and procurement actions that the board said will position the county to receive Tri-State settlement funds, maintain emergency medical coverage in the western part of the county and complete two county projects.

The actions included appointing commissioners to the newly formed Moffat County Economic Development Authority board, appointing Amy Allen to the Hamilton Community Center board, transferring a county-owned EMS reserve ambulance to Maybelle Ambulance Services, awarding a $39,750 contract to Paint Viking to repaint the Public Safety Center, and approving a sole-source $25,000 design contract to Heinz, Inc., for the Louty Simpson irrigation system.

Why it matters: The economic development authority was created to manage future settlement funds from the Tri-State matter, county staff said; establishing an initial board and hiring design and maintenance contractors are preparatory steps the county says are needed before the first disbursement is expected. The ambulance transfer responds to local staffing and mechanical issues and is intended to preserve EMS coverage in the county’s largest geographic service area.

Appointments and governance The board moved to appoint Commissioner Bouyer to a three-year term and Dave Fleming to a one-year term on the Moffat County Economic Development Authority board. Commissioners said the first appointed board will be staggered so subsequent members follow the county’s normal appointment process. The board noted the authority will handle investment policy decisions and that the county plans to wait to spend interest until a threshold is met, unless a supermajority decides otherwise.

The commissioners also appointed Amy Allen to fill the remainder of a term on the Hamilton Community Center board, the seat vacated by Tina Smith; that term runs through December 2026, the board said.

Emergency services: ambulance transfer Todd Wheeler, director of the Moffat County Office of Emergency Management, explained the county purchased an ambulance in 2017 as a reserve to help offset ambulance calls but that volunteers are increasingly scarce. "It's been difficult to staff that ambulance with volunteer EMTs," Wheeler said, and explained that CNCC’s EMT training program has stopped, reducing the local volunteer pipeline. Wheeler told the board the ambulance was purchased with a grant from the Colorado Department of Public Health and that the county has exceeded the grant time limit; staff said the vehicle is now county property but that the department wishes to be kept informed of the transfer.

The board approved transferring the reserve ambulance to Maybelle Ambulance Services and authorized County staff to present the vehicle keys and an authorization letter to Tanya Stoffel, who is overseeing Maybelle’s operations.

Contracts and procurement The board accepted a single bid for exterior painting at the Public Safety Center and awarded the work to Paint Viking for $39,750, below the county’s $48,000 allocation for the project. Office of Development Services staff said the bidder proposed work that exceeds the original scope by adding a clear coat on unpainted brick.

For the Louty Simpson irrigation infrastructure, staff reported difficulty finding firms willing to perform the design and engineering work and recommended a sole-source award to Heinz, Inc., under the county’s purchasing policy and citing Colorado’s procurement statute for sole-source justification. The board approved a contract to Heinz not to exceed $25,000.

Public comment During the public-comment portion of the meeting, Allison Anthony addressed commissioners about concerns she described as “voter fraud going on across the country and here locally,” summarizing national allegations and urging more attention to election procedures. Those remarks were public comment and did not prompt formal action.

Next steps and meeting close County staff said the economic development authority will complete its initial organization and issue an RFP for an investment firm so funds will be in place when the first payment from the Tri-State settlement is expected in January. The board concluded regular business and adjourned.