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Chamber and CNCC address council after beers left at special event; town hears safeguards
Summary
At a public hearing, Chamber representative Emma Varas acknowledged beer and an open can were left in a locked room after a Chamber special event but said the room was secured and no unauthorized persons accessed it; CNCC officials and the Park Ranger Academy raised concerns about student access and future participation. Council made no immediate enforcement decision.
The Rangely Town Council held a public hearing focused solely on the impact of a special-event liquor permit after photos and a complaint showed alcoholic beverages left on college premises after the Chamber’s Crab Crack event.
Emma Varas, identified by the council as the event organizer, said organizers found “a half-open can” and “a tote containing approximately 20 unopened beer cans” left in a cooler after the event but that the room was locked and “no unauthorized individuals accessed it.” Varas told the council the organizers have implemented a designated post-event “liquor czar” and will reinstate wristbands and a final sweep procedure to prevent a recurrence.
Charles Hike, director of the Park Ranger Law Enforcement Academy, told the council he was “not happy to be here” and said the academy will no longer participate in future events because of concerns about students being used for security and the potential exposure of trainees to alcohol-related controversy. “They have no peace officer authority,” Hike said, arguing students should not be placed in situations that could jeopardize their status in the program.
Angie Miller, executive director of human resources at CNCC, said she did not personally see the alcohol and that Jennifer Barker (a senior assistant) was the cabinet member who encountered the photo; Miller said the college is concerned that students may have had access to the area and that the college is taking the matter seriously.
Jessica Olivos, president of the Chamber, defended the Chamber’s conduct and said the organizers had planned staffing and procedures in advance and will take extra steps at the next large event, including carding or wristbanding at check-in. “At our next event, we will absolutely make sure… we could even card there if needed just to make sure that wristband before they even enter the event gets on their wrist,” Olivos said.
Council members pressed for clarity on ID procedures and enforcement. One councilor noted Colorado law requires IDing individuals who appear under a certain age and asked how organizers could be sure no minors were served without a systematic ID process. Varas and Chamber representatives said no minors were served to their knowledge, but acknowledged that a full, documented ID process was not consistently implemented the night in question.
The council did not take an enforcement vote at the meeting; members said they would follow up with the police chief and request any additional documentation before deliberating enforcement options.
The hearing was limited to liquor-license issues; council members emphasized that other disputes between the Chamber and the college were outside the scope of the council’s review at this hearing.
