Dolores County board approves KCW grant-funded side-by-side for search-and-rescue

The Dolores County Board approved an expenditure to buy a grant-funded side-by-side off-road vehicle for the county search-and-rescue team during a special expenditure meeting on June 22, 2026. The authorization was made by motion and approved by voice vote; no opposition was recorded in the meeting transcript.

Tiffany Bowes opened the session as an expenditure meeting and introduced the single voucher and EFT sheet the board planned to consider. The primary substantive item was a presentation from a search-and-rescue representative explaining how county allocations from the Keep Colorado Wild (KCW) program are distributed and how the department planned to use those funds for a new response vehicle.

The presenter said KCW allocations vary by formula factors such as the number of rescues, hours spent on rescue responses, team size and county area, and reported the county’s KCW allocation in recent years at about $41,000–$44,000 per year. "We get about 44,000 a year from that," the presenter said, describing a two-year carryover window for KCW end-of-year funds and program rules that limit what the county may purchase with the money. The presenter also said they had been appointed to the statewide Incident Search and Rescue (ISAR) council and that role informs how state search-and-rescue funds are allocated.

Board members pressed for operational details. The presenter described limitations of the current vehicle — older engine, poor handling on washboarded access roads, and exposure to cold weather — and said the proposed side-by-side would have higher ground clearance, heating and mounting for equipment such as Stokes baskets, axles and chainsaws. A committee member asked about price; the presenter cited an approximate cost of $57,000 for a new, outfitted vehicle.

On procurement and reimbursement, the presenter said KCW/Colorado Parks and Wildlife requires an approved budget and then a purchase order with a copy of the check, invoice and a photo of the purchased item before funds are released. The presenter said funds typically arrive about two weeks after submitting the required documentation.

Following the presentation, a motion and second were made to authorize the expenditure. The board approved the expenditure by voice vote; the transcript does not record individual roll-call votes. Members discussed timing for the vendor to accept the payment and noted the need for a signature before funds could be processed.

The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn; members voted in favor and the special expenditure meeting ended. The board briefly discussed scheduling for July utility-related items before adjourning.