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Dolores County Board of Health raises questions about IGA terms and vaccine ordering as partners pull back
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Summary
The Board discussed an intergovernmental agreement that would supply a public-health director and services, flagged consultant billing and nurse oversight for the VFC program, and agreed to contact counsel and partners before deciding whether to reopen vaccine services. A noon deadline to order flu shots prompted immediate follow-up.
The Dolores County Board of Health met in special session on Feb. 9, 2026, and spent much of the meeting discussing an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) intended to provide a public-health director and related services to the county. The board chair said the IGA included "$20,000 direct" for the director and raised concern about an additional consulting piece that could amount to "about $3,000 a month."
Why it matters: Commissioners said the IGA had been expected to supply nursing oversight for vaccine programs and daily operational support; with partners or counsel now signaling they would not assume the director role, the board said it could lose coverage for vaccine ordering and clinical oversight unless it secures alternative arrangements. That gap would affect the county’s ability to order and administer seasonal vaccines.
Board discussion and concerns Chair (speaker S1) said the county had allocated "20,000 direct" in the IGA and questioned paying a consultant if partners would not assume director duties, arguing the agreement should be reworked to "carve out consultation completely" and instead cover only billing and travel. Committee member (speaker S2) said the county had received a bill that appeared to charge for services the board did not recognize and that "I honestly don't know what consulting they have."
Members repeatedly raised the question of nursing oversight for the VFC program (referred to in the meeting as "VCF"/"VFC"). S2 summarized the issue: "the only thing would be if there's some statutory or some state ... You have to have a director to have a nurse," and added that VFC paperwork historically had required signatures by the nurse and the director. The chair said Posner had completed required training and that the board needed to decide whether to keep the program suspended or reopen it with alternate ordering arrangements.
Immediate operational deadline S2 told the board there was a deadline that day to order remaining flu shots (board members reported a noon deadline). The board agreed to check vaccine-ordering options, contact Mallory and Bobby (staff referenced in the meeting) and to reach out to Dennis (the county attorney) for clarification of counsel's advice. Chair (S1) said staff would attempt to reach partner contacts and then reconvene to determine next steps.
Budget and staffing details discussed During the discussion the chair and members referenced several budget figures mentioned in the meeting transcript: the $20,000 direct allocation for director services, an estimated consultant billing figure of "about $3,000 a month," a noted RN-related line item of "5,700" (discussed as the amount tied to nursing services), and an indirect-cost figure of $3,800 that the chair said could be cut from the draft. One member also noted a small travel/mileage request "$490" and an estimate of roughly 700 miles annually at $0.71 per mile.
Next steps The board did not take a final vote on the IGA during the special meeting. Members instructed staff to contact partner counties and counsel to clarify why partners backed out, to verify whether an outside nurse or Montezuma County's nurse could place vaccine orders for Dolores, and to return with a redlined IGA or recommended changes. The board then adjourned.
The meeting record indicates staff follow-up and a reconvening will occur after counsel and partner responses are received.
