Commissioners make John Black exemption contingent on signed authority; discuss search‑and‑rescue cabin extension

The Dolores County Board of County Commissioners on Dec. 22 approved a subdivision‑exemption resolution for John Black but modified the approval to be contingent on Mr. Black signing a statement of authority and the final plat before recording.

Staff told the board Mr. Black did not attend the meeting and had not yet signed the required documents. Commissioners said they prefer to wait for the applicant’s signature to ensure the county can file an executed plat and avoid downstream problems. The board passed a motion to amend the adopted resolution so that recording would be contingent on Mr. Black completing the statement of authority and signing the plat.

On other old business, the board discussed a search‑and‑rescue/incident‑command cabin funded by a roughly $38,000 grant, of which the board said about $24,000 has been spent. Members reported they are pursuing an extension — potentially to June 30 — and exploring options to reduce repayment risk, including negotiating changes to a Forest Service agreement or siting the building on state park property to use existing facilities and avoid repayment or increased liability. Board members said they are willing to continue negotiations but did not adopt a final path forward.

A commissioner framed the choice as balancing liability, grant terms and the county’s interest in retaining the cabin for future use. No final agreement or additional appropriations were approved at the meeting; staff will continue talks with the Forest Service and other agencies and report back.