Dolores County Board of Health approves IGA with Montezuma County for vaccination services

The Dolores County Board of Health on April 6 approved an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the Montezuma County Board of Health to provide vaccination services, a move the board said will keep immunization programs local and preserve billing arrangements.

Board Chair said the IGA includes an itemized estimate: "$5,732" for immunization services, "$498" estimated annual mileage and "an indirect cost of $1,645," which the chair summarized as a total of "$7,875." The chair also said Montezuma County would retain insurance billing for those services, meaning "not normally would be any cost to the county," according to the meeting record.

Why it matters: The agreement is meant to keep vaccination services in Dove Creek and surrounding parts of Dolores County rather than sending residents to other counties. That continuity matters to board members because local clinics and nurses can better track and serve county residents, board members said during the discussion.

Discussion and concerns: Linda, a board member, said she was "a little shocked at that 28.6 on indirect costs" and asked for clarification; the chair responded by noting the IGA documentation lists what is included in that indirect-cost rate. Members also discussed operational details: Montezuma would assume ownership of vaccines and handle transport, and clinic schedules may shift (one staffer, Mallory, indicated Montezuma might move some clinics to Wednesday mornings and stop Thursday clinics), which the board said could require occasional full clinic days during busier periods like school start.

Administrative and fiscal details: Board members asked that changes to the IGA be raised early in the annual cycle; one member suggested beginning revisions in September. The board also discussed prorating payments between the outgoing and incoming contracts so the county would be up to date through the transition (the group discussed April–December as a nine-month proration window and agreed to have staff finalize the paperwork with Laurel and billing staff).

Vote and next steps: The chair moved to approve the IGA; the motion was seconded and the board voted in favor. The transcript records affirmative votes but does not include a roll-call tally. Members asked that the signature line show Lorita (rather than a different name) and agreed to send the signed document to the appropriate county contact (Tarnowski) for completion.

The board covered routine business (approval of the March 16 minutes and the meeting agenda) before the IGA discussion, and held a short conversation about training/recertification at a CCI conference scheduled for June. The chair then moved to adjourn; the meeting concluded after these items.