A DRCOG representative told the Board of County Commissioners on Nov. 4 that Clear Creek (and Gilpin) County could be brought into the Denver-region metropolitan planning organization (MPO) boundary so the counties and their municipalities would participate directly in regional transportation planning, technical assistance, and the MPO's subregional funding process.

Jacob Reeder, DRCOG's transportation planning director, said DRCOG already supports a wide range of planning products (regional transportation plan, TIP programming, modeling, traffic-count program, bicycle/pedestrian/transit planning) and that joining the MPO would let Clear Creek participate in subregional funding allocations and access technical resources without immediately creating new local statutory obligations. Reeder said DRCOG would help members meet any state or federal requirements that do apply.

Commissioners directed staff to brief municipal leaders (mayors and town councils) and provide formal, local-level feedback; the board indicated support for moving the discussion forward and asked DRCOG to present at the county's municipal meeting on Nov. 10.