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Chair recommends opposing HB 26-1001 over five-acre provision; county agrees to monitor and seek amendment
Summary
Elbert County officials discussed HB 26-1001 and its five-acre parcel language. The chair urged outright opposition, but the group voted to maintain a monitored position while staff pursues an amendment to clarify the bill applies only to standalone five-acre parcels; a report is due in two weeks.
Elbert County leaders reopened their work study session to discuss HB 26-1001 and whether the county should support, amend, or oppose the bill. The county chair said the legislation was fundamentally flawed and recommended opposing it outright. "I just flat out oppose it," the chair said.
Staff asked for clarification about the bill's treatment of five-acre parcels and said there appeared to be interest in seeking an amendment so the measure would apply to standalone five-acre parcels rather than adjacent five-acre plots combined by proximity. The staff member said they did not recall a formal prior vote on the county's position and recommended taking an "amend" stance if the county pursued changes, noting the county could later switch to an opposed position.
Several members disagreed on strategy. One committee member cautioned that bill sponsors often will not accept amendments from an opposed jurisdiction, and another argued that amending the bill would not fix its core problems: "So, it's...lipstick on a pig," the committee member said. A different member urged a cooperative approach to secure changes before the bill reached the governor's desk and recommended checking with the Colorado Municipal League attorney about alignment with the county's concerns.
After discussion, members agreed to keep the county's position as "monitor" for now, instruct staff to pursue whether an amendment addressing the five-acre issue is possible, and report back in two weeks. The group also said staff would send an email update if the bill advanced more quickly.
The meeting ended with staff thanking participants and the chair closing the work study session.
