Resident tells Larimer County commissioners state job site omits local employers, raises data privacy concerns

Autumn Valenta, a resident of Loveland’s Ward 4, told the Larimer County Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 13 that connectingcolorado.gov, the state’s job-matching website, shows few local employers and that its vendor profiles jobseekers.

"This state website, connectingcolorado.gov, is an AI product...They want that data so that they can sell it," Valenta said, arguing the system favors large employers and assigns scores to jobseekers based on limited information.

Valenta said she emailed her city council and forwarded the message to the county; she told the board she plans to meet with her state senate district representative’s staff to press the issue.

Commissioner Kristen Stevens said she has "heard from others that it is hard to find local jobs on connectingcolorado.com" and offered to raise the concern with state representatives. Commissioner John Kefalas said he would follow up with the county's economic and workforce development director, Mark, to clarify how local businesses can be included and what outreach the county is doing. Chair Jody Shab McNally noted the county provides in-person workforce services and highlighted a regional partnership, NoCo Ready, as a resource she has shared with state lawmakers.

None of the commissioners committed to a specific policy change during the meeting. Stevens said she is willing to "pose that to some of our state representatives," and Kefalas said he would "follow-up with our workforce or economic and workforce development director" to better understand the county role.

The board did not take formal action on the issue during the Jan. 13 meeting; commissioners indicated they would pursue follow-up with state representatives and county staff.