Graham County supervisors approve contracts, accept vehicle transfer and clear multiple land-use and licensing items

The Graham County Board of Supervisors on July 7 approved a slate of routine fiscal, public-safety and land-use items, including two contract ratifications, acceptance of a transferred public-safety vehicle, treasurer actions to clear certain taxes and a series of land-use approvals that included road names, a family cemetery special-use permit and several rezonings.

During the consent and regular-agenda items the board approved minutes, demands and handwritten warrants, and an agenda change to move a Superior Court presentation to the start of the meeting.

Ratifications and contracts: The board ratified a fiscal year 2026 limited-services agreement with a private investigator, Larry Rivas of Northwest Investigations, to provide criminal-defense investigation services when appointed by the court. County staff said Mr. Rivas charges $70 per hour plus travel; last year the county used just over $6,000 of a $20,000 budgeted appropriation for such services and the expense is covered by the general fund. The board also ratified a separate limited-representation contract for the dependency alternative program (DAP); staff discussed that contract and estimated modest county savings from its use (covered separately).

Vehicle transfer: The board approved acceptance of an unbudgeted capital vehicle offered by Santa Cruz County through the Department of Homeland Security under the Operation Stone Garden program: a 2023 Chevy Tahoe designated for Stone Garden activities. County staff said the vehicle can…