Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing Cdbg topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioners approve CDBG intergovernmental agreement; debate loan fund condition on sheriff use-of-force policy leads to tabling
Summary
Rio Blanco County commissioners approved an intergovernmental agreement April 15 to participate in a Community Development Block Grant project with the Northwest Loan Fund, while tabling a related vote on adopting the sheriff’s use-of-force policy in resolution form.
The Board of County Commissioners approved an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) April 15 with the Northwest Loan Fund to participate in a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) project, but commissioners spent significant time discussing a separate loan-condition that would require the county to provide a sheriff’s office use-of-force policy in resolution form.
Commissioners said they had previously discussed joining the loan-fund partnership and that staff had found the IGA aligned with prior direction; the IGA was on the consent/business agenda for formal approval. A commissioner said the county had not previously produced the IGA as part of earlier paperwork and presented it for formal ratification. The motion to approve the IGA passed by roll call; at least one commissioner stated an intention to vote no but the motion passed.
Discussion then shifted to a sheriff’s use-of-force policy that the Northwest Loan Fund had requested to see in resolution form as a condition of funding. Staff and commissioners debated the relationship between housing/economic development funding, HUD rules and a 1990 HUD amendment requiring evidence of policies related to excessive force when certain HUD funds are distributed. Commissioners and staff said the county historically had a sheriff’s use-of-force policy in place but had not previously been required to present it as a resolution when applying for these loan funds; the sheriff (Anthony) was not present to discuss the policy.
A motion to approve the signing of the current sheriff’s office use-of-force policy for the loan fund was made and seconded, but commissioners agreed to postpone debate until the sheriff could participate. The board voted to table the motion and will revisit the item at the May 13, 2025 meeting.
Why this matters: the IGA approval enables the county to participate in CDBG loan funding administered by the Northwest Loan Fund; the discussion highlighted tension between accepting certain funding and conditions tied to law-enforcement policies, raising questions about local control, HUD rules and intergovernmental requirements.
