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Home My WebLink About720561.tiff • • miner A PRELIMISARY STUDY or RESOURCES FOR GO!lPI = • r A COUttn BROM= P r � - ` 444, PHEPARED BY Daryl Vaas Stanley Gengler • SPONSORAID BY • WELD COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Glenn K. Billings, Chairman Marshall H. Andersen Harry S. Ashley Betty Jo Schulte, Administrative Asst. (Now( CF WELD • ,a with erte C.:1 •$;* of B.,4 I Barton Buds, Finance Officer ccurty Cann,. .i rs h+lAR 1 !`..172 March 14, 1972 v sFk Lp J.ACC:::OSc 720561 FOREWARD In 1861 , Congress approved the application for the organization of Colorado territory; and Weld County was established as one of the first seventeen original counties. Named for Lucius L. Field, the first territorial secretary , the county has reduced in size from its original 10, 500 square miles to its present 4,032 square miles. Its pop- ulation, however, has increased steadily to••the estimated 94,000 that now reside in Weld County. This is not the end of its growth, as projected figures show the 2000 population to be 157 , 000 people. It originally was and will continue to be one of the largest and richest counties in the United States. This report is designed as an informal but formative Fuide to the services of Weld County government. Although we have not completely covered all services , we hope that this report will give some insight into local , county .. Fovernment. We wish to acknowledge the assistance and guidance of the people who helped us with this report : to sirs. Betty Schulte who gave us. the background on the project and who was a1ww s there to answer any questions or give timely su'xc 2stions ; to the three commissioners , Mr. Billings , Fr. Anderson , and Mr. Ashley , who shaped with us much of their time and experience which will not appear in this report but proves that these guys are ' okay ' ; to Dr. J. Max Shirley for giving us the opportunity to see county government ; and to the countless number of people who were talked with in order to get this information. Daryl L. Naas Stanley C. Cengler TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Foreward 1 History 3 Geography 5 Economy 6 Population 6 Map of Weld County 7 Table of Organization g Commissioners 9 Elected Officials County Attorney 10 County Clerk . 11 County Surveyor 12 County Treasurer 12 County Assessor , 13 Accounting Officer 13 Weld County Services 15 Weld County Library , to Superintendent of Schools , 18 Health Department , 19 • Public Welfare , 21 Weld County General Hospital , 22 Veterans Service , 23 Planning; and Zoning, , 24 County Engineer , 25 Road and Bridge Department , 25 Traffic Engineer 25 WELD CC Around ;:a.jO,e' Stephen r. Long reported that t a area which ].3 now Wald County . . ."- oald never be fit for },.,Iran habitation other than by the nomad races." In 183,5, a year after traveling through Weld County on a Government expedition, Lt. Lancaster Lupton estab- lished a, trading post just north of the present torn of Fort Lupton. About 1837, Colonel Ceran St. Vrain built Fort St. Vrain south of the present town of Platteville. In 1361, the conception of 'Meld County took place and the first county seat was at St. Vrain. The county was named after Lucius L. Meld, the first Territorial Secretary. In 1863, the county seat was moved to Latham, which is three miles east of Greeley. The following year the county seat was moved to Evans because it 'nad a branch railroad terminal connected to Chey- - enne. Greeley was chosen in 1377 to be the county seat and here the game of musical chairs, which the county seat had been playing for 15 years, settled. The idea of the city of Greeley came in the summer of 1859, when _. Horace Greeley, visiting Colorado on his way to the Pacific Coast, became impressed by the natural resources of Colorado. Horace Greeley, editor and publisher of the New York Tribune, had the idea of sponsoring a city in the West and he mentioned the idea to Nathan C. Meeker. Meeker, the agriculture editor of the Tribune, was very interested in the idea and 10 years later he came with a group of -3- "- friends to check out the area. Meeker and Greeley then started a newspaper campaign hailing the merits of Colorado Territory, asking for volunteers to start a colony here. In late December of 1'69, a meeting with large attendance was held in New York and the Union Colony was organized. Meeker was president, General Robert A. Cameron was vice-president, and Horace Greeley was treasurer of the newly formed group. Union Colony was like a stock company with a membership fee of X155.00. Meeker, Cam- eron, and A. C. Fisk were appointed to select a location for the new -' organization. In 1370 they purchased or filed claim to nearly 72,000 acres for a cost of about $60,000. In May of 1870, the first group of Union Colony settlers arrived at the site. :about 50 in number, they .immediately started building 100 foot wide streets, planning a ten acre public square, and digging irrigation ditches. Within a ,year Greeley had 1,000 residents with several houses, a bind, a few stores and a newsna.p.er. The first printing of the Greeley. Tribune was November 16, 1870. Greeley be- - came i ncornora.ted in 1385. amlw amY ..l�- . . GEOGRAPHY 'veld County is located at the northern right center of the state. The climate is dry and generally mild with long warm summers, open winters and a growing reason of 142 dads. The surface is level or rolling prairie with lour hills on t e western border and ranges in elevations from 4,'- 00 feet to 5,000 feet. The South Platte giver and its tributaries, the Cache la. Poudre, Rig Thompson, Little Thompson, Boulder and St. Vrain and other small streams run through the county. Communities in the county are conveniently located within an hour's drive of scenic mountain country, including the Big Thompson Canyon., Estes Park and the Rocky Mountain National Park. The county -- has great areas for hunting grounds which are blessed with upland game birds, including pheasants and quail. The county is served by U.a, Highways 6, 34, 85, and 87. Major .� State Highways that run through the county are 14, 60, and 257. The county is a leading agricultural area of the country. There are 4,004 square miles in Weld County and the majority of this land is used for agricultural means. The average growing season will last approximately 142 days. The annual mean temperature is Wx.4 degrees and with the aid of 11.96 inches of rainfall and 32.3 inches of snow- " fall per year, the area is suitable for many agricultural products. A breakdown of land ownership is as follows: --5- w Private 1,706,573 acres Federal 211,343 acres State 168,152 acres County & Municipal 8,973 acres ECONOMY '- The major source of income in Weld County is agriculture and industry. The county's principal crops are wheat, sugar beets, al- falfa, corn, barley, potatoes, dry beans, onions, and oats. The county is one of the largest area producers of livestock. Cattle and sheep feedlots blot the entire area of the county. Industry throughout the county is varied in nature, but some examples of industry include sugar beet refining, vegetable canning, feed and flour milling, farm machinery manufacturers, food, clothing, and other items. Petroleum is another important industry that has spurred the economy of the county. POPULATION The population of Weld County was 89,086 in the 1970 census. This was an increase of 17,x'00 from the previous census of 1960. The rural population is 47,114 in comparison to an urban population of 41,972. .6 ... li G P 1.�. V =In E p o s CJ is 1 nolN CI a F, -+> tl .--I C4 r,_-.\\ -._. \i 1 \ --� „' O n -7- • Cn . H • Milo • K i CJ CA H 3 � -_.__ ----- �......- --_ _— -- . '..jai .. :77o I-; >i r : CA.- • rJ E�1 ''. FZ -.4 1 Li U V) ►•1 �. .� a; ±-•I 1.4 1 :. H Q 1. r ..i � U) •�' i . O I OPA I O Q i `1' ..+ J1 >. N i,f ffj1 0) ! � � ! /: a I rn a ,-1 f -- _i J f / f / . /• . / ... o j ' " � l { f. E_, �� ... ; :El H , ti • U F711 � / rY Ar F \ L + ' f U \ A tr? / i ` G H 1 11•-4 01 CI .-a P4 </I I , a. � ' O f'I i l w, tY? / , H 1•• LI ;r1 cr rn < , a o r+-'� r=1 c..,) i / � � 1 H oE, a / U _ 0 t /. —_.-..._-�__. f i H / G i-1 i G7 �'-- P. l 1 14 61 �Ei� O j Ca Pc !i �7 M r1 i G�,-3 « = , � E . t� :mil Cr) H % to ! I r c.) N >a / / • 14 ! a.. • o• � i ao t / ' ° f--> � c.) a .C3 i ;" CI) O 0 ra Cr. ry r` I 'r] ! i :. . � U 1 w 1 a M i rt, r-1 D7 I o `i ` a>: �....._! 4 CC O o V r-1 ,. -1 r ((^ e > r--! 4-1 >•4O f- * a1 •rat ::I4 Cl.) x' r; NA I.1 • t.-C‘. n C7 U CY [!� '.r) i' .9 +5 Q:, c: (91.- •,-i r4: C' s.. C; " � AJ f �i �c Cn E O I C•l A C) ..--I'C'G EA h•+ r-1 t r-I C O CJ O cy 4) I-1 frl a e+' co � C-1 pJ Gl H :.-1; +:; Q' U 4•, Cli C) -t C4 O CYl : }_n -I I I I 1 I I 0 0 7 J _.. - .._.._.._ THE GOVERNMENT ELECTED OFFICIALS Commissioners Weld County operates under general law with a body of three com- -- missioners. Districts are divided by means of equal distribution of population and the commissioners are elected for four years on a staggered basis. Powers: The commissioners are constitutional officers who have admin- istrative powers and a policy responsibility to the county, which have been established by the general assembly. The duties of the com- missioners are those duties conferred by the state and the commissioners have the implied powers necessary to carry out their assigned funetons. The members of the governing board must fill all vacancies in the IMO county offices except the commissioner which is appointed by the cover- - nor. The commissioners have the right to establish reasonable maxi- mum rates for water whether supplied by individuals or corporations. General Duties: In addition to specific powers given to the governing board other duties are: 1. to make such orders concerning county powers as it deems necessary. 2. to examine and settle all expenses and receipts of the county. 3. to provide, build and insure county buildings. 4. to levy and apportion taxes. 5. establish and change precinct boundaries. 6. to establish voting places. 7. to build, change or discontinue any road that runs through the county. -9- �- 8. to grant licenses. 9. to contract for and maintain air strips. 10. to provide for county dumping grounds. 11. furnish agriculture extension services. 12. organize and train rural fire-fighting groups. 13. to provide for county ambulance services. qualifications: A candidate for county commissioner must be a quail- ^ fied elector, a resident of the county for one year and a resident of the district he wishes to represent. Salary: The state sets the standards for the salaries of elected officials and these salaries are based on the county population. The salary received by the commissioners of Weld County is S'10,000 per year. County Attorney The constitution provides for either appointment or election of a county attorney. The statutes only provide for the appointment of a county attorney to protect the interests of the county commissioners in legal decisions. -- Duties: The duties of the county attorney are to offer general legal assistance to the county commissioners and county offices. The county attornery will also perform all legal work reimbursed by the -- county in treasurer's action to collect unpaid taxes. Qualifications: A person appointed or elected as county attorney must be twenty-five years of age and be a member of the bar of the supreme court of Colorado. The candidate must be a qualified elector -1.0- and a resident of the county for one year prior to the election. County Clerk General Duties: In a broad outline the duties of a county clerk can be broken down into three major categories; (1) clerk to the board of county commissioners, (2) recorder of various legal instruments, and (3) administrative officer of the state in carrying out laws of responsibility of the county. Other duties of the clerk is that he or she must attend all sessions of the board of commissioners in person or by proxy. The �. clerk must keep the county seal, records, papers and letters of the county commissioners. The clerk must also keep a record of the board proceedings. Snecific Duties: The statutes provide for certain basic duties of the county clerk: ti 1. to record in a book all the proceedings of the board. 2. to make entries of resolutions and decisions made by the board. 3. to record the vote of each commissioner on questions or resolutions made by the board. 4. sign all orders made by the board for payment of money. 5. must make a report to the commissioners each month on the collection of money. qualifications: A candidate for the county clerk position must be a qualified elector and a resident of the county for one year. Salary: $10,000 per year. -11- -- County Surveyor The county surveyor is a constitutional county officer, who is elected for a term of four years. General Duties: The general duties of a county surveyor is to execute surveys. Specific Duties: The county surveyor has several duties which are outlined below: 1. to represent the county in boundary disputes. 2. to notify the county attorney of any unsettled boundary disputes; 3. to file reports of all surveys, field notes, maps, calculations, ^ and other information pertaining to the county. 4. county surveyor may appoint deputies to assist him but the salary and fees for the deputy surveyors are up to the board. r. `��,ualifications: The candidate must be a registered land surveyor, that is a qualified elector of the county. The candidate must have had residence in the county for a period of one year prior to the election_. Salary: The county surveyor is not on a salary basis but works for a fee. County Treasurer General Duties: The county treasurer has one fundamental duty - he is in charge of the funds. The county treasurer is the key official in tax sales. Specific Duties: The specific duties of a county treasurer are as follows: -12- 1. keeps accounts of the county. 2. pa,,-s out funds collected for the county, state, municipalities and special districts. 3. collects taxes. Qualifications: A candidate for the office of county treasurer must be a qualified elector of the state and he must have resided in the county one year proceeding his election. Salary: $10,000 per year. �. County Assessor The county assessor is a constitutional officer. He has the authority only within the county of his jurisdiction. General Duties: The assessor's duty is to assess or evaluate real and ... personal prorerty. Srecif is Duties: 1, computes individual taxes on the mill levy system of assessed evaluation. 2. certifies the tax role to the treasurer for tax collections. Qualifications: One year residence in the county and a qualified elector of the state. Salary: 310,000 per year. _. Accounting Officer The chief accounting officer is responsible for purchasing. Each department submits its request for purchasing supplies and equipment to the chief accounting; officer. The accounting officer will open for bids and on approval of the county commissioners will purchase -13- .-N the equipment needed. -- Below is a breakdown of county expenditures of the tax dollar according to departments of the county. General (operation of county departments, Library, Mental Health, Main- tenance of Buildings, Nursing Home, ect 40 60 Road and Bridge 21 30 Public Welfare 13 30 Public Works 10 30 Bond Redemption fc Interest 4 8¢ Hospital. Building 2 6¢ Retirement . . . . 1 54 Transportation Dist 0 6¢ TOTAL $1.00 -14- In the reporting of my portion of the project, what '- I was exposed to and what I saw is hard to put down on paper. During this quarter, I was able to witness first hand the dealings of the commissioners as it Pertained to a small portion of their lives. I observed the weekly meetings :that are each Wednesday and satin• the magnitude of their decision making; duty. The meetings can be likened to a basketball dame, that is the easiest part of their job ,just as the game is the easiest part of a season. The job of commissioner is not an 8 to 5 job. Xany of us become critical of someone ' s job performance until we see first hand the responsibilities that go with that job. w If more people would take the time to see the commissioners in action, they would be more respectful of these three men and less critical of their performance. In the compiling of the information, I have drawn-up a basic outline so that reporting of information will be uniform. The outline consisted of the following: I. Title of Department II . .Legal basis and/or function of department III . Type of board responsible for the department a. Number of members b. How selected and number of .years they serve IV. Director or person in charge of department a. Qualifications b. How selected and his duties V. Organization of the department a. Sections and services within the department b. ?dumber of employees -15- WELD COUNTY LIBRARY The county library got its start in 1934 when a group of concerned women felt the need to start a library. It started with a $75 budget that was designed to help the one-room schools. By 1937, a bookmobile service was offered jointly with Larimer County. The library was housed in various buildings until 1960 when the county library -� moved into its present facility at 2227 23rd Avenue. Its purpose is to service the needs of its patrons. This r would include cultural as well as reading needs. The library board is a five member board which is appointed by the commissioners. Each member serves a five ,year term with a new member being appointed each year to replace a retiring member. The director, Mrs. Elizabeth Adcock, is a library school graduate which is a five year college program. This is one of the requirements plus it is recommended that an individual have some administrative experience. The director is selected by the board with final acceptance by the commissioners. Other employees are interviewed by the director with final acceptance of each hired individual coming from the library board. The present staff numbers 23 full and part-time personnel. -16- n The duties of the director include being; a representative and laison between program and patron. The county library has a number of sections to service the many needs of its patrons. Presently they have the standard circulation and reference library services. Additional services include the youth library , bookmobile, micro-film .r service, filmstrips and slides , 8mm films , framed pictures , recordings and cassettes, and photo copy service. The Weld County Library is also a member of the high Plains Library System which greatly enhances the services just mentioned. At present, the library has 120 , 827 volumes with many more at its disposal through the nine county nigh Plains System. r -17- SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS ^ The office of county superintendent of schools has been --- in existence since Colorado became a state in 1876. Its main function is to coordinate the educational services within the county . The system has changed much from over 200 small school districts at one time to the present seventeen that serve Weld County. There is no board attached to the department. The de- - oartment makes budget requests which totaled ;20 ,170 this past year, to the commissioners. ` The position of superintendent is an elected position. The qualifications to fill the position are a state teaching certificate and at least eight months of teaching experience. The other people on the superintendent ' s staff, a deputy and -- a secretary , are approved by the commissioners. The county is served by seventeen school districts r which, in ;general , serve the following commt4nities and their -- surrounding unincorporated areas : Re-1 , Gilcrest, Lasalle, and Platteville; Re-1J (Longmont ) , Erie , Dacona, Frederick, Firestone , and Mead; Re-2 , Lucerne, Eaton, and Galeton; Re2J, (Berthoud) ; ?fie-3J, Keensburg, and Roggen; Re-4, Windsor; Re-5J, Johnstown, and M,lliken; District 6 , Greeley ; Re-7 , Kersey, Gill , and Barnsville ; `Re-8 , Fort Lupton; Re-q , Aolt, -- Pierce , and Nunn; Re-10J, Briggsdale ; Re-11J, P.aymer ; Re-12 Keota and Grover ; Re-50J, Wiggins ; and Pe-27J, Brighton. -19- HEALTH DEPARTMENT The health department is dedicated to the prevention of diseases , from any source. It does not function for curing purposes. The department is controlled by a five member board which was formed in December , 1970. The prospective members are suggested by the health department with appointment coming from the county commissioners. The position of doctor requires a certified doctor and this position is filled by appointment. Dr. Weaver, the present director_ , and his staff of thirty full--time personnel function on a budget of 50 . 000 providing services in eight crucial areas. They are : environmental health, laboratory , Public health nursing, home health care services , community nurse coordinator, family planning, health education and r vital statistics. Providing a healthful , clean environment is the general charEre o£ the environmental health service. It is responsible for the sanitation activities of the department. Sanitation inspections are made of milk and meat , bars and restaurants, swimming pools , and housing. Problems of industrial health and hygiene handled by this service include afire pollution Problems relating to health. -19- e•-'• Public health nursing provides nursing services and health instruction in homes , child health clinics , and the schools. The public health nurse is a teacher. She in- forms and educates on matters such as communicable disease, maternity service , family planning, and child and adult health. It is an organized part-time nursing care program pro- - vided to the sick persons in their homes. This is the basic duty of home health care. Home health care is given by a registered nurse and is available to all economic levels. Home health care allows the patient to return hone where recovery is more rapid and complete ; and it is a great savings in cost to the patient plus the occupied facilities of this person are now available to other more urgent patients. The general aim of public health education is one of interpretation and information. Interpretation of the activities of the health department and accurate informing of the public concerning health matters. The public health education program will assist in the school health education program as well as that of the community. -20- PUBLIC WELFARE • The Weld County Department of Welfare is a public agency responsible for the administration of assistance and case work service to needy county residents , and it operates under the supervision of the Colorado State Department of Public Welfare. The Colorado State Depart- ment of Public ;welfare was created by the Welfare Organ- ization act passed by the Ligislature in 1930. This act established a State Board of Public Welfare and a State Department of Public Welfare that set standards and form- ulated rules and .regulations for assistance programs in all Colorado counties. The department is under the supervision of the director of the Department of Welfare who administers the services and assistance programs. This position is under the Colorado merit system, which establishes the minimum qualifications , salary , and duties of the director. The department is advised by a, nine member board that has just been formed. The department administers the state and federal programs which include Aid to the Blind., Aid to Dependent Children, Aid to the Needy Disabled, Child Welfare, Tuberculosis Hospitalization, Old Age Pension, Medical Aid to the Aged, and other services as designated by law. -21- : RLD COUNTY GENERAL HOSPITAL The Weld County General Hospital located in Greeley _. serves a population of more than 80,000. It is governed by a five member board composed of business men of the area. w Each Member is appointed by the commissioners for a period of five years. The hospital is a member of American Hospital Association, Colorado Hospital Association, and the Colorado hospital Service. In addition, the hospital is fully approved and accredited by the State of Colorado Department of Public Health and the Joint Commission on the — Accreditation of Hospitals. Mr. Richard Stenner is the director of the hospital. Qualifications for the position requires a masters decree in hospital administration. His present staff of 607 -- full time staff members and 96 attached practicing; physicians makes for a well-qualified and versatile staff. The Weld County General hospital serves the community and the health field by providing training programs to help fulfill the growing requirements for trained professional and technical personnel. The hospital participates in the intern training; program, the resident affiliation program, the school of nursing, the school of medical technology program and the school .for x-ray technicians. -22- VETERANS SERVICE Mr. Joe Skarda, the director, was the most outgoing of the individuals I talked with concerning county services. His duty is to service all veterans of all wars and their dependents: ° There are no specified qualifications for the job but age and experience are vital. An average of 65 contacts are made each day in this office with a total of. 13,429 contacts made in 19?1 . In closing, Mr. Skarda left me with this comment, "I have more work going in and out of this office than any other office in Colorado with the exception of some in Netropolitan Denver. " Mr. Skarda is a dedicated person, who, when he retires will be a loss to the courthouse atmosphere but a greater loss to the fortunate veterans he has serviced. t -23- PLANNING AND ZONING The duty of the planning; and zoning department is one _. of protection, protection for the county as well as the patrons of the county. A nine member board establishes the policies of the department. How long these people serve is not known but they are appointed by the commissioners. The planning office is charged with the preparation and maintenance of a comprehensive plan of the county and the development of a capital improvements program. It advises cities and city councils on zoning: amendments , annexations, -. subdivisions , and fringe area water extension; it develops new standards and ordinances for these when requested by City Council or the administration. The zoning department on the other hand supplies in- formation as the zones of property, use possibilities, and locations and size of structures and signs. Other areas that fall within their jurisdiction are enforcement, and issuance of permits. -24- ` CO FTY ENGINEER The position of county engineer which is an appointed position, is responsible to see that all construction within the county meet county , state, and federal specifications. _ As engineer, Bryon Ewing works closely with all agencies , particularly the road and bridge department , planning de-- partment , and the utilities board of which he is a member. ROAD AND BRID:;E DEPARTMENT The road and bridge department is one of the most important and most often over-looked departments when re- - porting county services. It is the department ' s responsibility to continually ^ maintain the county roads , build and service all bridges and repair or re-surface any and all county roads. Each of the three districts are the responsibility of a road oversear who is appointed and is directly respons-- ible to the district commissioner. The road and bridge department totals 155 personnel. -- TRAFFIC ENGINEER ^ This department works closely with the county engineer and road and bridge department. The traffic division makes sure that all roads and bridges are properly posted with signs. Another service the traffic engineer is responsible for in- volves the proper traffic markings on all paved roads. -25- Hello