Weld County commissioners remove planning appointee Hunter Rivera after criminal charges

The Weld County Board of Commissioners voted May 27 to remove Hunter Rivera from his at-large seat on the Planning Commission and from the Board of Adjustment for District One after the county attorney’s office described pending criminal charges against him.

Deputy County Attorney Karen McDougall presented the two resolutions and said they would also direct staff to advertise and fill the positions. "This is a resolution to remove Hunter Rivera from our planning commission as an at-large position," McDougall told the commissioners before they voted. Commissioners Ross and Buck moved and seconded the measures, and both motions carried by voice vote.

The board’s action included identical procedural language to remove Rivera from the Board of Adjustment and to begin the recruitment process. The resolutions do not detail the criminal charges; the county attorney’s office handled the personnel/legal explanation in open session and the board did not discuss further specifics during the meeting.

Next steps are administrative: county staff will advertise the vacancies and accept applications for the two openings, according to the motion the board approved. The board did not schedule a further public hearing on the removals during the meeting.

The vote was taken at a regularly scheduled meeting with four commissioners present (Commissioner Maxi was excused).