Gilpin County directs staff to apply for five-year EPIC public-health grant; vote 2-1

The Gilpin County Board of County Commissioners directed staff to apply for a competitive, five-year EPIC public-health grant and to accept the funds if awarded, after a lengthy presentation and debate over capacity and process.

Public-health Director Lisa Witt told commissioners the grant (a reformulation of the Communities That Care Coalition) is large and flexible and could support coalition-building, prevention programming and staff time. Witt said the county is "well positioned" for the work and estimated the county could request about $179,000 for the first year. She warned commissioners: "If we don't apply for it, we will be missing out on 800,000 to $2,000,000 over the next 5 years." Witt added that smaller counties often apportion existing staff time or use part-time consultants rather than hiring new full-time employees.

Commissioners probed whether the grant requires a single new full-time hire or whether the work can be apportioned across existing staff and consultants. Witt and parks director Gabriel Chisholm said the county can split responsibilities among existing staff and possibly hire a 10-hour-per-week consultant for relationship building. Commissioners expressed concerns about public-health capacity, budget timing, and whether prior direction at a work session was followed; one commissioner opposed the motion on the record citing process and notice concerns.

After discussion, a motion directing staff to apply and to accept award funds if received passed 2-1. The board asked public-health staff to prepare a ratifying resolution for the next meeting; the Board of Health must formally accept funds if the county is awarded the grant.

Next steps: Staff will finalize and submit the EPIC grant application by the Monday 5 p.m. deadline; a ratifying resolution will appear on the next consent agenda and the Board of Health will handle formal acceptance of funds.