HomeMy WebLinkAbout820874 MINUTES
WELD COUNTY COUNCIL
February 4, 1982
Tape 82/109-110
The Weld County Council met in regular session in full conformity with
the Weld County Home Rule Charter at 915 Tenth Street, Greeley, Colorado,
February 4, 1982, at 1:30 p.m.
ROLL CALL
The following members were present in person: President DeAnn Emerson,
Vice President Howard Foster, Robert P. Martin, and Ralph E. Waldo. Patricia
Anderson was absent. Also present were Commissioner Chairman John Martin,
former commissioner Roy Moser, two members of the press, and council secretary,
Susan Elton.
MINUTES APPROVED
Ralph Waldo made a motion to approve the minutes as written of the County
Council ' s meeting of January 7, 1982. Howard Foster seconded the motion and it
carried unanimously.
ADDITIONS AND DELETIONS TO AGENDA
Added to the agenda: a council member is scheduled to attend the
Commissioners' Board meeting 3-3-82; approve payment to Holiday Inn for meals,
$57.73. Deleted from the agenda and to be put on the agenda for 2-18-82:
assignment of interest areas and setting elected officials' salaries; also,
presentation of plaque and signing resolution for out-going president, Pat
Anderson.
CORRESPONDENCE
The council discussed a letter it received from Edith Phillips of Briggs-
dale. Ralph Waldo made a motion that the council write a letter to Mrs. Phillips
stating that council sympathizes with her problem of dirt blowing off her
neighbor's land and suggests she go to the County Commissioners, as the enforcement
body of the county, to do something to make the neighbor take care of his land
and keep it from blowing. Motion seconded by Howard Foster and carried unanimously,
with Bob Martin abstaining from the vote.
REPORTS
DeAnn Emerson reported that Bob Ray would remain the council 's attorney.
During 1982 the council and its attorney will study the Home Rule Charter, the
five per cent limitation provided for in the Charter, and various state statutes.
OLD BUSINESS
President DeAnn Emerson read the Report To The People. Robert Martin made
a motion that the council submit the Report to the local newspapers and also that
the council will pay for publication, if necessary, in order to have it published
verbatim. Motion seconded by Ralph Waldo and carried unanimously.
The Elected Officials' meetings are held on the second Monday of the month.
The council will continue to attempt to attend these meetings if a member is avail-
able for that particular day each month.
NEW BUSINESS
Ralph Waldo made a motion, seconded by Bob Martin to approve payment of the
following bills: Holiday Inn, $57.73; January mileage to Pat Anderson, $38.40, and
Howard Foster, $52.00; Greeley Plaque & Trophy, $33.00; Greeley Tribune, $51.00.
Motion carried unanimously.
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MINUTES, WELD COUNTY COUNCIL Page 2 2-4-82
The remainder of the meeting consisted of conversation with Mr. John
Martin and Mr. Roy Moser.
ADJOURNMENT
There was no further business. Upon motion made and seconded, the meeting
was adjourned. The time of adjournment was 3:17 p.m. , February 4, 1982.
The next scheduled meeting will be a work session followed by a special
meeting on February 18, 1982, 1:30 p.m.
DeAen rson, Pr6r.,Yetse- 2"----
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Date Approved Su an Elton, Secretary
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WELD COUNTY COUNCIL 1`322. 11`}
REPORT TO THE PEOPLE F�8 J
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February 4, 1982 aiken-cu
The Weld County Council , in compliance with the Home Rule Charter, is
making the following report to the people of Weld County:
The Council would like to report to the people of the county that Weld
County Government as a whole is functioning well . There has been a marked
improvement in the Road and Bridge Department. The Weld County Commissioners
have made a concentrated effort to cooperate with the newly established Road
and Bridge Advisory Committee which has resulted in an increase in the
efficiency of both the employees and their use of county supplies.
Further, a reduction of county employees through natural attrition has
led to the lowering of county operating expenses without sacrificing the
quality of service.
Members of the Council were not satisfied that there was a need for an
additional $57,000 for the 1982 budget, which was requested by the Board of
County Commissioners. The $57,000 was reflective of the growth in Weld County
in 1981 that exceeded the five per cent limitation. The denial of this amount
by the Council lowered the tax mill levy for the year 1982.
The wiseness of this decision by the Council was confirmed the end of
November when the Board of Commissioners approved supplemental appropriations
totaling $1.3 million. These monies came from revenue sources such as larger
amounts of interest and royalties from oil and gas production on county-owned
land.
Weld County was the first county in Colorado to establish and implement
a Home Rule Charter. The people of Weld County should be commended for the
foresight to establish this type of government. Being a bench mark county has
brought problems that there is no precedent in solving.
The major problem encountered over the last year was in the interpretation
of powers granted the County Council in the Charter. Conflicting interpretations
of the Home Rule Charter have resulted in a stifling of the Council 's effective-.
ness by the County Commissioners. The problem is further compounded by the
additional conflicting interpretations of when the Home Rule Charter or the
State Statutes have precedence.
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WELD COUNTY COUNCIL Page 2 2-4-82
REPORT TO THE PEOPLE
Upon the conclusion of the year 1981, the Council felt that in order to
carry out its audits as stipulated in the Charter, there must be clarification
of authority. It is the intention of the Council to work towards this clari-
fication in order to perform the responsibilities that the Home Rule Charter
calls for. This past year the Commissioners, on occasion, have thwarted the
attempts of the Council to perform certain audits. This appeared to the Council
that the Commissioners used the Home Rule Charter or the State Statutes to their
best advantage in halting various audits.
This year the Council plans to hold several intense study sessions as
a Council with its attorney to ascertain the areas of conflict within the Charter.
Upon the completion of this study, if necessary, a suit may be filed by the
Council asking for a declaratory judgment on questionable issues.
The County Council is committed individually and as a Council to serving
the people in Weld County to the best of its ability, and in making this Home
Rule Charter for now and in the future a very workable document. In clearing
up the differences of interpretation, the Council will then be able to better
perform its functions as set forth in the Charter.
The County Council believes any group receiving tax money from the
county under any and all circumstances should be subject to audit by some agency
of the county. The County Council has been delegated that duty. At present
appropriations of significant tax monies are being made to agencies that claim
exemption from audit by the County Council . The airport is one such agency.
The Weld County General Hospital is another entity that may claim exemption,
and there may be more.
County Council believes all tax consuming bodies or departments should
be subject to audit. 44 461--e-3------/
DeAnn me�, President
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Howard Foster, Vice President
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