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Home My WebLink About20222701.tiffMINUTES WELD COUNTY COUNCIL August 15, 2022 The Weld County Council met in regular session in full conformity with the Weld County Home Rule Charter at 6:30 p.m., Monday, August 15, 2022, at the Weld County Administration Building, 1150 0 Street, Greeley, CO. ROLL CALL: The meeting was called to order by Vice -President Rupert Parchment. Councilmembers James Welch and Cindy Beemer were present, constituting a quorum of members. Councilmembers Tonya L Van Bober and Nancy Teksten had excused absences. Also present was Council Secretary Linda Kane. APPROVAL OF AGENDA : Councilmember Beemer made a motion to approve the agenda, seconded by Councilmember Welch and the motion carried. APPROVAL OF DOCUMENTATION: Approval July 18, 2022, Minutes Councilmember Welch made a motion to approve the July 18 minutes, seconded by Councilmember Beemer, and the motion carried. Approval of 2n° quarter Report to the People Councilmember Welch made a motion to approve the 2. quarter RTTP, it was seconded by Councilmember Beemer, and the motion carried. REVIEW PROGRAM: Esther Gesick, Clerk to the Board of County Commissioners Ms. Gesick has worked for the county 25 years. She has a team of six employees. She described her department as "behind the scenes," but said business from public -facing offices funnel through the clerk's office. Some of the business includes contracts, budgets, grants, communications and state business. The clerk's office main role is to prepare agendas and meeting minutes from the Board of County Commissioners. Members of her team handle land use issues, business from the assessor's office and mineral interests owned by the county. Her office processes liquor licenses, road right-of-way petitions, publishing of legal notices and preparing county ordinances. Ms. Gesick described the clerk's office as a hub the county uses to feed the commissioners, then feed back out to the public. The clerk's office is also the county's record keepers. Their files date back to the 1850s. PUBLIC COMMENT: Members of the public spoke on behalf of salary increases for several elected officials. Rudy Santos, of Greeley, the chief deputy of the clerk and recorder's office, spoke on behalf of Clerk and Recorder Carly Koppes. He said he has worked with her 7 1/2 years and believes a pay increase is justified. He noted that Ms. Koppes is among the most influential clerks in the state and nation and that CoMN1,Uf1;Co,+;ons 41/2.6 42.2 2022-2701 she is the president of the Colorado clerk's association. She has been on the front-line, battling mis/dis/mal information since 2020. He said Ms. Koppes was asked by the Tennessee legislature to explain the Colorado election process so they could mimic it. Matt Turner, Captain of the Sheriff's Department, also voiced support for a salary increase for Sheriff Steve Reams. He said the sheriff works around the clock for the county. Mr. Turner said Sheriff Reams tries to make sure his staff is well taken care of. He advocates for them to the county commissioners. He said the sheriff has been with the department for 25 years and beginning January 1, Mr. Turner will be paid more than the sheriff under the current salary guidelines. Mr. Turner said the sheriff works hard to serve the Weld County community to make sure streets are safer, and he does his best to look after the inmates and staff. Mary Farr, of Weld County, and a Colorado native said she has known the sheriffs for the past 50 years. She advocates for the sheriff to get a salary increase. She said it isn't right the sheriff makes less than the Greeley Police Chief and soon, his own undersheriff. She asked that Council think about what the sheriff's salary should be four years from now, after other county employees see raises and he doesn't. Ms. Farr said she believes Sheriff Reams is the finest sheriff the county has ever had. She said he cares about his people and stands up for what he believes in. Ms. Farr said she also had a letter from resident Lia Faulkner in support of a salary increase. Betty Hall, a Greeley resident for 63 years, also spoke on behalf of a salary increase for the sheriff. She said Sheriff Reams is one of the best sheriffs the county has ever seen. She is appalled to see other salaries higher than his. NEW BUSINESS: Coordinator Reports/Councilman Reports There were none. Bills Councilmember Beemer made a motion to approve bills, it was seconded by Councilmember Welch and carried. The bills were paid as follows: Weld County Phone Bill for July $25.06 Consider salary changes for Commissioners, Clerk's Office, Sheriff and Assessor The current salaries are: commissioners earn $105,000 through 2024. Through the end of 2022 - Clerk and Recorder earns $120,000 Sheriff $160,000 Assessor $120,000 Council discussed state salaries set for non -chartered counties and noted Weld County officials are paid less. Councilmember Parchment pointed out the price of homes in Weld County and said you have to make at least $120,000 to buy a home here. He said if the county wants the best people, they have to be paid competitively. Councilmembers said they could see where raises were justified, it was just a matter of how much. They discussed being fair to the elected officials, while being mindful of taxpayer dollars. Councilmember Beemer said it's hard to compare other counties to what Weld commissioners do because many of those other counties have county managers. Kevin Ross, of Eaton, who is currently running for commissioner At -Large, said a lot of other commissioners don't work full-time like those in Weld County. They have 26 departments to manage and 1,900 employees. He said the commissioners have a long-standing reputation of being mindful of the budget and staying within their means. He said the cost of living is a big factor and the county needs to set salaries so they can recruit and maintain top -tier talent. Councilmember Beemer pointed out the assistant county manager in nearby Larimer County is paid $215,000, while the three commissioners receive $125,000. Councilmember Welch mentioned again Council is trying to be good stewards of the public's money. Councilmember Beemer made a motion to write a resolution to pay commissioners $160,000 for years 2025 and 2026, it was seconded by Councilmember Welch, and carried. The resolution will be considered at the next Council meeting September 19 and could be modified after hearing public input. If the proposed salary is modified, it will be voted on at the October 17 meeting. County Clerk and Recorder Carly Koppes said the reality of elections at this time needs to be considered because of unprecedented hostility. Ms. Koppes oversees three departments - elections, motor vehicle and records. She said with the current political environment, her elections department and herself personally are undergoing unprecedented threats of violence and death and she's had to take precautions she expects will be warranted for several years due to the country's current political environment. Ms. Koppes noted that city and town clerks and managers in Weld County average a salary between $155,000 and $214,000. She also noted elected officials do not receive cost of living wage increases like the rest of county employees, typically about 4 percent on average. She noted Weld County continues to see a dramatic increase in population, increasing the workload and responsibilities of her departments. She also noted that nationally, there has been a mass exit of election officials due to the level of harassment and threats against their lives, family, friends and staff. She suggested Council consider a raise to incite potential future clerks to run for the position. She asked who is going to step up to the plate and endure the current political environment? Ms. Koppes stated she believes $170,000 to $190,000 is a fair salary compared to other counties. Council discussed the struggle with deciding where that salary should fall. They noted attracting quality candidates to this job could prove challenging in the future. Councilmember Welch moved Council write a resolution to pay the Clerk and Recorder $185,000 for years 2023-2026, it was seconded by Councilmember Beemer, and carried. The resolution will be considered at the next Council meeting September 19 and could be modified after hearing public input. If the proposed salary is modified, it will be voted on at the October 17 meeting. See Addendum 1. Sheriff Reams was the next to present to Council. On average, between the jail and employees, the sheriff is responsible for about 1,200 people daily. Sheriff Reams oversees a budget of more than $54 million and has a staff of nearly 600 full-time and contracted employees. The Greeley Police, Chief currently makes $196,000 and the sheriff's second in command, the undersheriff, will make more than the sheriff next year at the current salary rates. Councilmember Beemer moved Council write a resolution to pay the Sheriff $250,000 for years 2023-2026, it was seconded by Colancilmember Welch, and carried. The resolution will be considered at the next Council meeting September 19 and could be modified after hearing public input. If the proposed salary is modified, it will be voted on at the October 17 meeting. See Addendum 2. Weld County Assessor Brenda Dones currently makes $120,000 annually. Council is considering increasing her salary to $175,000 through 2026. Ms. Dones provided information to Council showing the anticipated revenue for the 500 -plus taxing authorities in 2022 is more than $1.47 billion. Weld County revenue could potentially see an 18 percent increase compared to 2019, bringing it to $279 million. By comparison, the state proposed salary for assessor is $131,000; while the treasurer's salary range is $138,000-$175,000. Councilmember Welch moved Council write a resolution to pay the Assessor $175,000 for years 2023-2026, it was seconded by Councilmember Beemer, and carried. The resolution will be considered at the next Council meeting September 19 and could be modified after hearing public input. If the proposed salary is modified, it will be voted on at the October 17 meeting. See Addendum 3. Councilmember Welch encouraged the public to provide input by emailing countvcouncil@weldctov.com or calling the council secretary at 970-400-4780. OLD BUSINESS: There was no old business, ADJOURNMENT: By acclamation, the meeting was adjourned at 7:59 p.m. /.? (,)acA September 19, 2022 Council President, Nancy Teksten uncil Secrets Linda -Kane CARLY KOPPES WELD COUNTY CLERK & RECORDER 1250 H ST P.O. BOX 459 GREELEY, COLORADO 80632 WEBSITE: www.weldvotes.com PHONE: (970) 304-6525 Clerk and Recorder Salary information Current: $120,000 Requesting: $170,000 - $190,000 Factors to consider: • The Clerk and Recorder is the only Elected official that has three departments, Only one other person in the county has three plus departments and that is Ryan Rose with a salary of $301,669.00. Two Department heads have two departments and that is Cheryl Pattelli with a salary of $233,460.00 and Toby Taylor with a salary of $170,160.00. All other Elected officials and Department heads have one department to administer. • The three departments the Clerk and Recorder have are Elections, Motor Vehicle, and Recording. ft should be noted the three departments do not correlate with each other unlike the other department heads stated above do correlate between the multiple departments they administer. Only six departments have more FTEs than the Clerk and Recorder — Sheriff, District Attorney, Dispatch, Human Services, Health, and Public Works. Two of the Clerk and Recorders departments are multi -million dollar revenue generating for the county - Motor Vehicle and Recording. • The Motor Vehicle department is the most public -facing department in the county. The Election Department is the most high -risk department historically and even more in today's environment with the mis/dis/mal information. City and Town Clerks and Managers in Weld County average a salary between $155,000-$214,00() The Weld County Elected officials do not receive Cost of Living increases — which results in no pay increase for a four-year timeframe. This should be considered a factor when setting the salary to account for Cost of Living increases of around 4% a year on average. • Weld County continues to increase its population at an accelerated rate and the Clerk and Recorder offices see the most impact with work volume. • National over the last 22 months there has been a mass exit of Election officials due to the level of harassment and threats against our lives, family, friends, and staff Scope of duties: Keeper of the Jail (statute 30-10-511) Keeper of the Peace (statute 30-10-516) Fire Warden (statute 30-10-512) Serve the 19 Judicial (statute 13-1-114) Prisoner transports (statute 30-10-514) Concealed carry permits (statute 18-12-206) Victim notification (when an offender is released from custody) (statute 24-a. I -.5u,.0) Assist municipalities with special units (SWAT, Investigations, STRIKE, DTF) (statute 30-10- 516) Political voice for law enforcement (inherent in the position, elected not appointed) 4,000 square mile county 340,000 citizens Full time Employees Administration -49 Patrol Division -105 Detentions Division -316 Total -470 (466 FTE) 2 Contracted/Volunteer Employees: Medical — 47 Medical care comparable to what a person would have access to in the community. Food Services — 8 3 meals a day for BOO people — 736,436 meals served in 2021 (that is over 2 times the number of people in Weld County) Courthouse Security — 9 Screen every member of the public entering the courts Reserve/Posse/volunteers — 67 Supplemental staffing that is vital to many yearly operations Total contracted employees: 131 Inmate ADP (Average Daily Population) historical data: ADP YTD for 2022 — 575 ADP 2021 — 603 ADP 2020 — 570 ADP 2019 — 752 ADP 2018-759 5 year average — 652 Total: 470+652+131 = 1,254 Page I 1 Sheriff Salary; 2023-2026 Other Police Officials t;� of I vans_ i Police Chief Town of Firestone Police Chief ohestown Vincisor ld County Sheriffs Office lied ounty Sheriffs Office Patrol Captain Weld County Sheriff's Office Admin Captain Weld County Sheriffs Office Jail Captain 2015-2018 2019-2022 2023-2026 recommended 140,000 $ 160,000 $ 220,0©0 to 270,000 466 R 153,200 82,334 (avg 4% yearly COLA, will trap at appms $125,788 in 4 yearn. 164,482 (avg 4% yearly COLA, will top at approx $203,681 in 4 years) 174,498 (avg 4% yearly COLA, will top at approx $216,084 in 4 years) 154,988 (avg 4% yearly COLA, will tap at approx $191,923 in 4 years) her Weld Department H Chief Infornmation Officer Public Health Administration 'Entry Top :Director ct Administration $ 215,752 t $ 273,255 enter $ 177,071 $ 224,3341 At tt4tltr ,Controller Public Works Director Planning Services Director Public Safety Communications ;Director Human Resources ,Director Facilities Director Justice Services Director Coroner/Medical Exarniner Dir Emergency Fleet Services agent i Director Director 195.,435 5 195,435 I $ ,,,7 156,531 $ 247,679 • 247,679 r 198,357 148,983 i $ 1.8$.825 148,9 131713 138,394 125,346 175,266 05,079 S 136,8 579' $ 13 Weld County Assessed Value Trends 57,1300,011,21 o $6,008;000,000 $5,010,000,000 ,00uu2r,cc$2,982,564, 300 $3,000,M1,000 12,008,080,0e0 $1,(100,000, 000 Total Taxable without Oil and Gas $3,218,324,290 $3,913,623,680 $4,789,886,550 $7,009 924 $6,373,291,36 $5,807,484,96 2.011 2112 2113 2014 2015 2016 2017 201E 2019 2020 7,021 2022 Rate of increase in last 4 years is 44% $20,000,000,000 $15,000,000,000 Total Taxable Value $11,583,103,260 $11,764,028,9 510,000;000,000 $9,130,082,37 9,151,948,370 $5,421,862,840 $7,118,834,51 $5,000,000,000 S- 13 14 15 16 $15,732,447,240 $15,280,801,860 12,438,200,6 $18,586,470,620 18 19 20 21 22 Weld County is the 2"d largest county in terms of assessed value. Denver is the 1St 3 1 Total Revenue Ali Authorities $1;477,930,502 $849,774,029' $716,835,379 SFi88,653,939 s'oo,ox,ii 7568,©'tB,354 •,a .m. r1r?v;'.:, 44,255,294' Anticipated revenue for the 500+ taxing authorities in 2022 is aver $1.47 billion Weld County revenue could potentially be $279 million, an 18% increase compared to 2019 — the last highest year Averaging the last 3 years, Weld County revenue could potentially be 30% higher The Assessor and Treasurer are responsible two halves of a whole process. Responsibilities of the Planning Director are similar to the responsibilities of the Assessor. County Revenue $236;584,547 ter 5183,113426 5176,90 $148,575,480' 5279,500,345 2 Salary Comparison Current Assessor Salary $120, State Proposed Salary $131,701 Treasurer Salary Range $138,©00 - $175,000 Planning Director Salary Range $152,©0© - $193,000 3 NAME PLEASE PRINT ATTENDANCELIST ofCG -t =ZZ. ADDRESS (CITY, STATE ZIP) EMAIL each f ; -& �.jcc�n r,2)(d SU vS1eld�(7c/, t14�a j tr,,eld�� Gb, L COUNTY OF SPEAKING RESIDENCE (YIN)? a Hello