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Chaffee County commissioners consider revoking Monarch Lodge certificate of occupancy, move to executive session
Summary
At a special Aug. 10 meeting the Chaffee County Board of Commissioners voted to enter executive session to receive legal advice about Monarch Lodge building safety and environmental compliance and discussed revoking the lodge's certificate of occupancy and preparing noncompliance fines until state compliance is achieved.
On Aug. 10 the Chaffee County Board of Commissioners voted to enter an executive session to receive legal advice regarding the Monarch Lodge's building safety and environmental health compliance and discussed revoking the facility's certificate of occupancy.
A committee member proposed specific enforcement steps, saying, "we revoke their CO, prepare noncompliance fines, and require them to be in compliance with all state and federal agencies before the CO is redissued." The motion referenced pursuing enforcement based on building defects that the mover described as making the structure unoccupiable and tied the CO reissuance to compliance with Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) requirements for water and wastewater systems.
Before moving into executive session the mover also cited the statutory basis for the closed discussion, proposing the session pursuant to CRS 24-6-402(4)(b) to "receive legal advice and specific legal questions regarding Monarch Lodge building safety and environmental health compliance." The mover listed county staff who may attend the executive session, including the county attorney, administrator Beth Helmke, finance director Dan Short, chief building official Chad Chadwick, and public health deputy director Emily Anderson; the county attorney Kathleen Sullivan was also named as a possible attendee.
A fellow committee member asked whether revoking the CO would ensure the neighborhood received water. The mover answered that the board likely did not have authority to operate the supply valve and that the county's enforcement powers appear limited to the facility itself. The chair said the board would "do everything within our power and jurisdiction to enforce what we can," and the motion to pursue revocation and fines was seconded and approved by voice vote.
The board recorded the motion and voted to proceed into the executive session; minutes show multiple "aye" responses. The commission did not give a public timetable for next steps on enforcement or for when the executive session would conclude.
