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Commissioners discuss continued use and sunset risk of COVID-era public-health retention grant
Summary
Dolores County staff described using a COVID-era public-health retention grant (through OPP/FI G) for employee retention through 2027; commissioners emphasized the need for signed acknowledgements that grant-based pay adjustments are temporary and flagged staffing and budget planning for 2026–27.
County staff updated the Board of Commissioners on a COVID-era public-health retention grant (Public Health Infrastructure Grant through OPP/FIG) that funds retention payments for staff whose duties align with public-health work. The grant runs through 2027, and county staff said it has been actively used for the past several years.
Commissioners and staff discussed how raises funded by the grant have been handled historically: staff said employees were provided forms acknowledging that pay increases based on grant funding are not permanent and could be revoked if funding expires. "If you're going to do that, if we could continue that practice, I think it helps solidify people's minds," one commissioner said.
The board directed staff to continue tracking grant-dependent pay, to include clear written acknowledgements for affected employees, and to incorporate anticipated grant expiration scenarios into the 2026 budget planning process. Commissioners also discussed pursuing joint or regional grant applications to strengthen applications and flagged personnel workload increases expected from upcoming Medicaid redetermination policies beginning in late 2026.
