Custer County commissioners hire emergency-management director, create shared field inspector and deny outdoor-event permit

The Custer County Board of Commissioners on June 10 approved a series of personnel and administrative actions, including an offer for an emergency management director at a $75,000 starting salary, authorization to post a new shared field inspector position for the assessor and planning and zoning offices, and denial of a planning-commission-recommended special-event permit for a ticketed outdoor event.

Board members moved and voted on multiple items during a roughly two-hour meeting at the county courthouse and via Zoom. After an executive session to review personnel applications, the commissioners voted to extend an offer to “applicant number three” for the Office of Emergency Management director position at a starting salary of $75,000; staff was directed to contact the applicant and report back if the offer is declined.

The board also approved creating a full-time field inspector who will perform site inspections for both the assessor’s office and planning and zoning. County staff presented a proposed pay range of $17.48 to $25.53 per hour and said the role would operate in a matrix structure, taking direction from both departments for their respective inspections. Commissioners discussed scheduling, reporting lines, and that a volunteer inspector who had helped in recent years left on June 1, leaving inspection workloads behind.

On a permit contested at the meeting, planning staff said the county planning commission had unanimously recommended denial of a special-event permit for a property listed in the packet. A public commenter said tickets for the event were still being sold and urged the board to issue a cease-and-desist; the board voted to accept the planning commission’s recommendation and deny the permit.

Routine items approved included an accounts-payable report presented to the board and a procedural signing of the county’s onsite wastewater treatment system regulations enactment clause in front of the clerk and recorder. Human Services presented Amendment 3 to a memorandum of understanding with the Colorado Department of Early Childhood; the board voted to extend the memorandum’s term through June 30, 2027.

The commissioners accepted a bid to sell a county grader to a private bidder who offered $50,000 cash plus $20,000 in road-base material, with the sale conditioned on staff clarifying the quantity (tonnage) and unit valuation of the material before finalizing the transaction.

Residents used the meeting’s public-comment period to press the board on traffic safety and enforcement on local roads, and to urge improved field communications. Mel Dennis urged the county to consider buying multiple “mini Starlink” satellite units to support off‑grid field work and emergency communications; Dennis said the devices run on 12 volts and can be kept on standby for emergencies.

The meeting concluded with the board noting it would reconvene if the OEM applicant declines the offer. The session adjourned after routine closing remarks.

Votes at a glance - Offer OEM director to applicant No. 3 at $75,000 — outcome: motion passed (voice vote). - Create and post shared field inspector position (presented pay range $17.48–$25.53/hr) — outcome: motion passed (voice vote). - Deny special-event permit (planning commission recommended denial) — outcome: motion passed (voice vote). - Approve accounts-payable report (as presented) — outcome: motion passed (voice vote). - Approve Amendment 3 to the memorandum of understanding with the Colorado Department of Early Childhood (extend term to June 30, 2027) — outcome: motion passed (voice vote). - Accept bid for county grader (apparent bid: $50,000 cash + $20,000 road base) subject to clarification of material quantity and valuation — outcome: motion passed (voice vote).

Who said what - County attorney Dan Slater, county clerk Kelly Camper and HR Director Bob Smith participated in the executive-session review and were listed as participants when the board announced its decision. - Commissioner Lucas presented the accounts-payable items and reported on grants, workforce-housing design work and regional drought/fire-hazard discussions from a recent conference. - Planning and assessor staff jointly presented the field-inspector proposal and described a matrix supervisory arrangement between the two offices. - Mel Dennis (public commenter) recommended purchasing multiple mini Starlink units to improve field communications in outages.

What’s next The board asked staff to contact the OEM applicant and report back; if the applicant does not accept the offer, commissioners said they will reconvene to consider further options. Staff will clarify the grader sale’s material quantity and valuation before final sale paperwork is completed.