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Dolores County commissioners debate adopting state wildfire-mitigation code; enforcement and cost concerns loom
Summary
Commissioners discussed whether to adopt the state's Regulation 43 for wildfire mitigation but raised enforcement, funding, inspection burden and homeowner-cost concerns; no vote was taken and members urged further review in workshops.
Dolores County commissioners spent a substantial portion of the Feb. 2 meeting discussing the state's Regulation 43 — a wildfire mitigation and building-code package that some counties must consider adopting.
Commissioners and staff expressed concern that the county lacks local enforcement capacity and that the state indicated no dedicated funding to support enforcement. One commissioner said adopting the code may not change insurance outcomes and could create inspection and cost burdens for rural property owners who have older septic and building systems.
Speakers noted enforcement mechanisms and penalties are unclear locally: "if a resident wanted to enforce on his own property, you'd say, great. Follow the code... we're not gonna send out an inspector," one commissioner said, raising questions about the county's practical obligations if the code is adopted. Commissioners suggested watching how other counties respond and reviewing the formal adoption procedure in an upcoming workshop before deciding whether to adopt Regulation 43.
No formal motion to adopt the code was made at the meeting.
