Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Intergovernmental Support topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Garfield County ratifies support letters for Rio Blanco disaster appeal and Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART funding
Summary
The Board ratified a letter backing Rio Blanco County’s disaster declaration appeal to state and federal officials and approved a letter supporting Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART funding for FY2027, citing local projects and water‑conservation efforts; both measures passed by voice vote.
Garfield County’s Board of County Commissioners voted on Jan. 20 to ratify two separate letters of support: one backing Rio Blanco County’s appeal of a disaster declaration and another endorsing an application for Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART funding for fiscal 2027.
Commissioner Samson urged the Board to ratify the Rio Blanco letter, arguing ongoing infrastructure impacts remain after the Lee and Elk fires and emphasizing damage to transmission and access routes. He moved to ratify the drafted letter to the president and governor; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.
Commissioner Will presented the WaterSMART letter, describing the program as central to Reclamation’s mission to manage and protect water resources across the West. Will highlighted local examples the grant would support — including the Roan Creek fish‑barrier project and a turf buyback rebate administered by Garfield Clean Energy — and said the funding strengthens drought planning, water conservation, and habitat restoration. The Board approved ratifying the support letter and instructed staff to forward it to the Bureau of Reclamation.
Both ratifications were approved by voice vote; no roll‑call tallies were recorded in the minutes for these items. The decisions formalize Garfield County’s support for neighboring disaster recovery efforts and for federal funding initiatives targeting regional water resilience.
