County selects JEO to lead hazard mitigation plan update

Rio Blanco County commissioners voted July 8 to award the county's hazard mitigation plan (HMP) consulting contract to JEO Consulting after staff reviewed four bids and confirmed the work falls within an existing grant.

County staff said the county has $77,000 in grant funding for an HMP update and must meet a 10% in‑kind match requirement. The county opened a one‑month solicitation and received four qualifying proposals with prices ranging from about $48,000 to $70,000; staff said all bids were within the grant amount and therefore would not require additional county cash outlay. "We have 77,000 for the grant, which we have to meet 10% of that with in kind contributions," a county staff member reported.

The staff presentation said the county prioritized firms with relevant Colorado experience and past work in Rio Blanco County. "JEO Consulting was number 1," the presenter said, noting JEO prepared the county's last hazard mitigation plan five years ago and prepared the more recent community wildfire protection plan. Staff said the county received positive feedback from previous local partners that had worked with JEO. The presenter also said only two firms in the pool offered timelines that would produce a draft suitable for submittal to FEMA and the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management before the end of the calendar year.

Commissioners asked whether they needed another meeting before signing the contract. County staff said the contract included in the RFP was the county's standard contract and that staff could proceed to finalize the contract and return it to commissioners for execution; commissioners then made and seconded a motion to approve the award and called the roll. The motion passed.

The county noted it expects to meet the in‑kind match with staff and local partner time (fire districts, sheriff, towns and police departments) and does not anticipate additional cash matching requirements.

The contract price for the award was not specified in the public discussion. If commissioners or staff identify substantive deviations from the standard contract after execution, staff said they would return to the board for correction.

Next steps described by staff included preparing the contract documents, initiating the project schedule and coordinating public meetings required for the hazard mitigation planning process.

Ending: Staff said they will proceed to finalize contracting paperwork with JEO and return a signed contract to commissioners; if material contract changes arise, staff will present those changes to the board for further direction.