Huerfano County commissioners on Dec. 10 approved a batch of routine and program-specific actions, including preapproval of a noxious‑weed grant application, payment of the December vendor run, purchase orders for dispatch equipment, an IT renewal and training package for public‑safety systems, acceptance of a state‑funded jail–health records interface, and letters of support and contract changes for economic and fellowship programs.

The meeting, convened as the Huerfano County Board of County Commissioners, began with approval of the consent agenda and moved to several action items that commissioners said were intended to keep county operations and public‑safety systems on schedule. Carl, a county staff member who presented the noxious‑weed item, told the board the county submitted a preapproval application to the Colorado Department of Agriculture for the 2025 Noxious Weed Management Grant and described the county’s usual uses for the funding. "The amount of grant is $25,240," Carl said; the transcript also records one later motion that referenced $25,140, and county staff noted the award amount could be adjusted by the state when final allocations are made.

The board approved the application preapproval and several other items voted on individually or in grouped motions. Commissioners authorized the Dec. 11 vendor run totaling $252,958.36; approved purchase order No. 337 for portable dispatch consoles at $59,325.98 (the presenter said roughly 80% of that cost is grant funded, leaving a small county share); and approved a one‑year renewal quote for a system administration package for public‑safety software at $28,800, with commissioners discussing the need to confirm the sheriff’s office will use the service before the county pays. Commissioners also approved an on‑site training quote (presented as a three‑week package totaling $18,600, with a two‑week portion quoted at $8,600) and discussed whether and how to coordinate training timing with city police staffing.

Jared, a county IT/dispatch staff member, told the board the state has awarded a grant to cover the cost of a bidirectional jail–health interface and reported the quote for that system at about $11,287; commissioners approved the interface implementation after staff said ongoing costs over five years would total approximately $2,935. The board also approved an intergovernmental law‑enforcement services agreement extending through the end of 2024 and a contract to provide a project manager to coordinate configuration of a records/dispatch system for the sheriff’s office.

On economic matters, commissioners approved a letter of support for renewal of an enterprise contribution project with the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, and approved a request for a DOLA contract amendment to increase funding for a county fellowship program by $6,672. The board also voted to send letters asking Las Animas and Otero counties to support Huerfano County joining an underserved‑area designation for veterinary services — a designation that, if approved by the state, would make local veterinarians eligible for loan forgiveness and other startup or recruitment grants.

Commissioners and staff touched on several other administrative matters during staff reports: the county’s draft comprehensive plan is open for public comment through Jan. 6 and a plan commission public hearing is scheduled for Dec. 12; the county audit is still in progress; and county staff reported the building‑code enforcement rating was at or above the state median for 2023. County staff also said the newly selected health insurance vendor recalculated premiums and will increase rates by 11% from initial estimates; staff said the county‑employee cost split will not change and that employees will receive details by email.

The meeting record includes a few places where dollar figures and item descriptions vary between the presenter’s remarks and the motion language recorded in the transcript; those discrepancies are recorded below as clarifying details and will be resolved in official minutes or by county staff before final contract execution.

Votes at a glance

- Consent agenda — approved (unanimous). Motion and second recorded; vote announced as passed.
- Noxious Weed Management Grant preapproval (Colorado Department of Agriculture) — approved (motion recorded). Presenter stated $25,240 in the application packet; a subsequent motion referenced $25,140. Final award amount to be set by state. (See clarifying details.)
- Dec. 11 vendor run — approved. Total: $252,958.36.
- Purchase order No. 337 (portable dispatch consoles, Digicon Electronics) — approved. Total: $59,325.98; county share described as approximately $1,360 after grant funding.
- Intergovernmental law‑enforcement services agreement (city partnership; extends through end of 2024) — approved.
- System administration renewal (public‑safety software) — approved. Quote: $28,800 for one year; board discussed making approval contingent on sheriff’s office use; motion passed.
- On‑site systems training (public safety/records/CAD/jail) — approved. Full three‑week quote shown as $18,600; a two‑week portion was quoted at $8,600 and was moved for approval; motion passed.
- CJIS/jail–health bidirectional interface (state‑funded) — approved. Quote: ~$11,287; state grant will cover cost; ongoing five‑year costs noted as $2,935.
- Letter of support for enterprise contribution project (economic development) — approved.
- DOLA fellowship program contract amendment — approved. Increase: $6,672.
- Letters asking neighboring counties to support underserved‑area veterinary designation — approved.

Ending

Commissioners closed the meeting with routine scheduling and correspondence items. Staff said they will circulate more detailed budget and insurance information to employees and will notify the board when outstanding procurement credits or disputed charges (discussed during audit work) are reconciled. Several items the board removed from the agenda at the start were deferred to a special meeting to be scheduled when staff can confirm budget‑system reconciliation.