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Home My WebLink About20180183.tiffEducate O Advocate O Empower Our Mission Colorado Counties, Inc. is a non-profit membership association of and for county commissioners and consolidated "city and county" councilmembers and mayors. Each CCI affiliate is designed to represent and enhance the organizations' ability to provide the best services and solutions available for county government, including legislative and regulatory representation, education and research, as well as venues for facilitations and the exchange of ideas. CCI is governed by a board of directors consisting of eight county commissioners from across the state, who also serve on the boards of CCI's affiliate organizations. CCI's legislative policies are determined by nine subject matter -based steering committees. CCI also has five geographically -determined districts that provide opportunities for regional discussions and cooperation. Moffat Jackson Routt Rio Blanco Garfield Mesa Delta Grand Gunnison Chaffee Montrose San Miguel Dolores Ouray Hinsdale San Juan Mineral Montezuma La Plata Saguache I _ Rio Grande Archuleta Conejos. Larimer Weld Morgan Broomfield Denver Adams Arapahoe Logan Washington Douglas Et Paso Elbert Lincoln Sedgwick Phillips Yuma Kit Carson Cheyenne Pueblo Crowley Otero Bent Kiowa Prowers acca:;. Table of Contents President's Message Executive Director's Message CCI Year In Review......••....• ............. CCI Public Lands CCI Foundation Photos CCI Board of Directors CCI Staff o • v e • • • • • • • e • e . e • a • . • • e s • o e • • • • • e 3 4 5-9 10 11-13 14 15 16 2 I CCI 12017 Annual Report ! wwwccionline.org nesfenfs Message As CCI President, Lew Gaiter met with U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and the Colorado congressional delegation on federal priorities, led the CCI delegation to NACo conferences, and engaged with CCI steering committee leaders such as Arapahoe County Commissioner Nancy Sharpe. Commissioners Walk Common Ground, Comin ibether to Set, Achieve Goals 2017 has been an incredible year! A year filled with new challenges, opportunities, and friendships. New commissioners joined our group and new relationships and ideas were fostered as we had the opportunity to work together and learn to respect each other a little bit more. As county commissioners, we are clearly "political" creatures especially in that most of us have an official party affiliation. What I have found most interesting is that the thing we tend to identify with as commissioners is most often our community demographics: population, geography, location. Yet even more than those things which might "separate" us, I find we have a great common understanding of local government and especially how counties interact with state government. As commissioners, we understand what it means to actually build a road or feed a hungry family or conduct a restaurant inspection. Our challenge as CCI members is to focus on those things we have in common. Sure, we are going to disagree and sometimes those disagreements are going to be rather spirited. Yet, even when that happens we can be civil and respectful. We had a great Summer Conference with NACo president Bryan Desloge discussing how we can be leaders in civility and work together not only as elected leaders, but in our communities as well. yt has been my honor to meet so many dedicated public servants and I greatly appreciate my time serving as president of CCI. We have an absolutely fantastic staff who go above and beyond to ensure counties are "at the table" and not "on the menu." Looking forward, we should continue on our path of working together while understanding and respecting our differences. CCI is one of the best organizations in the state and it is my hope we continue to get stronger in the future! Thanks again for the privilege of being your president for 2017. Lew Gaiter / CCI President / Larimer County Commissioner CCI J 2017 Annual Report I www.ccionline.org I 3 � k� �� xecu-tive erector s CCI Executive Director Chip Taylor (photo on left) welcomes Commissioner Mark Arndt (Morgan) to the New Commissioner Orientation. He joined (center photo) NACo President Bryan Desloge and CCI President Lew Gaiter (Latimer) to honor former county commissioner Sallie Clark (El Paso) for her year serving as NACo President in 2016; and (right), he greeted 2013 CCI President and Commissioner Thomas Davidson (Summit) at the Winter Conference. In Uniquely Challenging Times, CCI Heiss Keep bounties ,Strong CCI is once again finishing the year in a strong position. Our successful pursuit of commissioners' goals and other activities in the past year took place amid a variety of political dynamics. For Americans who actively participate in government and public affairs, the election of a new U.S. president always presents a new round of uncertainty, tinged with either hope or concern, about the direction the new president's administration will take and its likelihood of success. 'Ihe 2017 legislative session (like the 2018 session just ahead) saw the Colorado General Assembly under split control with Republicans holding a majority in the Senate and Democrats holding a majority in the House. ?ursuit of legislation is especially challenging under these conditions. And we entered the year with a large freshman class — 59 freshman commissioners, including both those who were newly -elected, as well as those appointed in 2016. '.they enthusiastically embraced their roles, running for offices in CCI and taking on major county initiatives from urban renewal projects in Adams, Delta, and Montrose to a long overdue `T'A OR question in Las Animas; from major interstate expansions south of the Denver metro area to launching rural county broadband efforts. CCI staff members have learned about many of these in our outreach to counties and communities in all directions from I _ )enver. Included among CCI's travels to counties, we met with the entire senior management staff in Adams County, fielded questions from staff and other elected officials in I ,as Animas, learned about landfill operations from a variety of local officials in Prowers and Lincoln, met in Montrose to discuss the hurdles to dep_oying broadband in rural areas on the western slope, and were schooled on the challenges of rural health care in Alamosa by the San 1 uis Valley Commissioners Association. CCI staff has also been active in presenting county messages in a variety of venues and at meetings hosted by other groups. Much more on these activities is included in the subsequent pages of this report. The CCI Foundation's 2017 conferences, focused on county leadership and finances, were timely and topical and enjoyed strong attendance among county elected officials, appointed department directors and other individuals and companies who work with counties. Through both CC: and the CC- Foundation, we have tried to ramp up the opportunities for commissioners to participate from outside of Denver by initiating legislative update conference calls in between steering committees, enhancing the office audio visual system to accommodate all callers for an unlimited amount of time and increasing the number of CCI webinars on county topics. The year ahead presents :Further challenges and opportunities for progress. Many issues of concern to counties will be at the forefront for others, too. Regulation of oil and gas operations, deployment of rural broadband, funding the needs of our state's transportation network and the costs of health care will be among the issues that are likely to have an impact on counties but be brought to the statehouse by others. With a divided legislature, the Governor's term coming to an end, and the usual election -year politics, it is as important as ever to be engaged with CCI as your strong county voice and to hang on tight! John (Chip) Taylor I CCI Executive Director 4 I CCI ( 2017 Annual Report I www.ccionline.org I Year in Review: CCI maintained consistent contact with members of the General Assembly including (photo on left) Mesa County Commissioner Rose Pugliese with Rep. Dan Zhurlow; Chaffee County Commissioner Greg Felt (center photo) with Rep. J. Paul Brown; and Weld County Commissioner Barbara Kirkmeyer (photo on right) with Rep. Susan Beckman. Success Rate on Legislative Priorities Just One Aspect of Effective Advocacy As the cornerstone of CCI's mission, advocacy once again played a prominent role in the success of the association in 2017. The lobbying effort began with a clear, member -driven agenda of legislative priorities, including transportation funding, broadband expansion into rural Colorado, county taxing authority, viability of public lands, local regulation of oil and gas development, access to health care for all Coloradans, and civil forfeiture reform. During the legislative session, CCI tracked 85 bills that had a potential fiscal or policy impact on counties. CCI initiated nine bills covering topics related to child welfare, broadband, tax -increment financing, and restaurant inspection fees. A number of CCI members came to Denver to testify on key issues and their efforts clearly helped the CCI cause. In addition, CCI hosted its annual Legislative Breakfast where members connected with legislators from their respective areas to present and promote CCI legislative priorities. When the session ended in May, the CCI success rate on its legislative priorities was an impressive 69 percent but the full story of lobbying effectiveness includes the CCI-proposed amendments and actions that rendered a number of bills revenue -neutral to counties and influenced the defeat of measures that would have violated CCI's guiding principles of local control and no unfunded mandates. 2017 Legislative ox Scar Of those bills CCI too a "support" position .or CA • • • position on BILLS 4chieverci success rate of The c m fists 201 legislative agenda a t pted n ctober, 2 17, is available a the CCI website t ccionlineaor CCI 12017 annual Report i www.ccioniine.org I 5 V I,.; W7- O© Legislative Team Connects the Dots In Pursuit of Legislative Priorities CCI Legislative and Policy Advocate Allison Daley (right) worked on human services issues with Rep. Susan Beckman (left) and Se -n. Rhonda Fields. yecacy0 utreac Directed to the governor's office, state agencies, legislative committees and task forces • Assisted the governor's office in identifying county commissioners for state boards and commissions, and supported nominated commissioners in their Senate confirmation hearings for governor -appointed positions • Held regular meetings with state officials and department executive directors to discuss issues of county concern Held quarterly meetings with the Colorado Department of Revenue (CDOR) help counties deal with sales tax issues Provided input to the statutory revision committee to identify and modify obsolete statutes in a manner that streamlines government without impacting counties • Coordinated a meeting between the Las Animas county commissioners and Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) to learn more about CDHS's human services budgetary flexibility • Coordinated and arranged tours — with the help of Larimer County — to highlight county work in workforce development, landfills, jails and emergency management to state policy staff. • Met with Joint Budget Committee (JBC) and Office of State Planning and Budgeting staff to discuss and inform their views of county human services funding needs — from child care to child welfare to county administration • Advocated and influenced interim committee legislation through the statutory revision committee, sales tax interim committee, the wildfire matters interim committee and the jail and courthouse interim committee Organized a commissioner/local elected official stakeholder group with Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) regarding small landfill closure and compliance issues and convened initially at the 2017 Winter Conference Brought together representatives of the JBC and CDPHE to tour the Lincoln County landfill and meet with its operators o Organized meetings with the executive director and other staff of the CDHS and Commissioners Nancy Sharpe (Arapahoe) and Wendy Buxton -Andrade (Prowers) to discuss legislation and opportunities for a better partnership o Participated in the governor -appointed HB17-1313 task force to work on the implementation of civil forfeiture reforms o Monitored the work of the commission on criminal and juvenile justice, including task forces on mental health in jails and pretrial services As Policy Director at CCI, Eric Bergman (far right) testifies before a legislative committee on the impacts of marijuana legalization. ommunIlcationsiEduc 4 den Directed to county commissioners, administrators and county staff Legislative Report provided members the status of bills every week during the legislative session Summaries of legislative and budget decisions help county leaders with decision -making 6 I CCI 2017 Annual Report I www.ccionline.org o Annual prioritization of human service budgetary requests • Arranged meetings between various county commissioners and state leaders to discuss issues related to human services • Hosted Governor Hickenlooper's senior policy advisor John Swartout for a tour of the Prowers County landfill • Visited Broomfield County to learn about the its citizen -initiated Oil and Gas Comprehensive Plan • Toured the Child Welfare Hotline in Prowers County CCI Legislative Director Gini Pingenot (left) is a source of information and insight for new commissioners such as Pueblo's Garrison Ortiz. Coaliti ns/Collaboration Work with allied associations and organizations • Arranged for the county voice to be heard at the "Children's Caucus," a legislative body focused on child welfare issues • Engaged with the strategic planning committee for the Colorado Association for Recycling • Participated in the Mountain Connect Conference to enlist support for broadband expansion into rural Colorado • Partnered with Colorado Municipal League (CML) to produce a new publication entitled SB 152 Opt -Out Kit: A Local Government Blueprint for Improving Broadband Service in Your Community. Helped coordinate a Small Communities Workshop with the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) CML, and the Special District Association (SDA) and participated on a panel on marijuana legalization Form a Prese:tati Made by CCI staff members to inform and educate • Joint Budget Committee on issues of importance to counties (such as county administration funding and child welfare policy) House and senate leadership and the governor's office to highlight county legislative and budget priorities for 2017 • Association of Colorado County Administrators on bills and budget items that passed in 2017 Legislature's sales tax interim committee to provide background for members on the county/state relationship on sales taxes • Big Ten Budget Conference on the impacts of Gallagher and how those impacts differ around the state • Colorado County Attorney's Conference • Colorado Association of Regional Organizations on the impact of Gallagher • Adams County senior staff meeting • Action 22 Conference (presented on landfill closure and compliance) o Maine Association of Counties on the impact of marijuana legalization in Colorado • Webinar on Status of Industrial Hemp for 23 counties around the state o SDA Conference on Marijuana Legalization and Impacts on Local Government, and conducted a follow-up webinar at SDA on same topic ® Marijuana Enforcement Division forum on local government licensing and enforcement, presented with CML staff Brandy DeLange, CCI Legislative and Policy Advocate, had the ear of Donna Lynn when the Lt. Governor addressed members at steering committee meetings. CCI 2017 Annual Report I wvs .ccionline.org I 7 O Stron' Partnersh4p with NACo Attracts Member Particiation CCvalues its affiliation with the National Association of Counties (NACo) and many CCI members participate through leadership and service on NACo steering committees and attendance at two NACo conferences each year. NATIONAL ASSOCIATION �fCOUNTIES 1 ACo's annual legislative conference in Washington, S C in February provided the opportunity for CCI members to meet with the Coloraco congressional delegation (photo above). Each year, by survey, CCI members establish federal priorities, which become the basis for discussions with our U.S. senators and representatives. In 2017, CCI's federal priorities were broadband expansion, full funding of PILT, rural infrastructure, childhood development programs, and initiatives that help incarcerated individuals suffering from mental illness get the medic help they need. NACo's annual conference was held in Franklin County, Ohio, in July and CC was well -represented. Morgan County commissioner Jim Zwetzig served as a NACo board member; Arapahoe County commissioner Nancy Sharpe served as chair of the Human Services and Education Steering Committee; ant_ Larimer County commissioner Lew Gaiter chaired tree Information Technology Committee. One of the conference highlights was Adams County being honored with a prestigious NACo 2017 Achievement Award, Best in Category, for its collaborative planning effort with the city of Brighton that encourages smart growth, sustainability, innovative economic development, agritourism, and farmland preservation. In a NACo-related activity, CC Council of County Association Executives (NCCAE) where he networked with his counterparts from other state county associations across tie country. In addition to organizational issues such as governance and membership models, discussions included policy matters ranging from state efforts to undermine home rule authority to coping with the opioid crisis. Executive Director John (Chip) Taylor attended the annual meeting of the National CCI president-elect Dave Paul (Teller) (photo on left) welcomes Rep. Doug Lamborn to the meeting with the Colorado congressional delegation. Senators Michael Bennet and Cory Gardner (center photo) address CCI's federal priorities. Weld County Commissioner Sean Conway (photo on right) chats with Sen. Bennet. 8 I CCI 12017 Annual Report I www.ccionline.org CCI Year in '' eview: District Meetings lift the Mark In Addressing Regional Issues To address issues of regional concern and report on how counties were impacted by the results of the 2017 legislative session, CCI held district meetings around the state in August and September. The lunches at each meeting were sponsored by the Colorado State University Office of Engagement, which connects communities around shared solutions through education, research and leadership. Special thanks to the counties that hosted each of the meetings, including Eastern District (Washington); Front Range District (Broomfield), Mountain District (Summit), Southern District (Huerfano), and Western District (Montrose) . OFFICE ai ENGAGEMENT Colorado Colorado Counties by the Numbers Revenue - 86 percent of CCI's annual revenues are received from county member dues. Additionarly, CCI receives administration fees from CCI Public Lands and the CCI Foundation, as well as NACo services payments and interest income. ■ 86% Dues and Assessments 2% Public Lands Administration 7% Foundation Administration 4% NACo Service Income 1% Other Income Expenses - CCI's commitment to legislative policy development that best fits counties' needs and priorities, as well as education and communications, is reflected in CCI's expense a'locations below. 6% 18% 21% 3% 37% 9% 5% 1% Conferences, Training and Education Communications General and Administrative Depreciation Legislative/Policy Development Research/Technical and Legal Building UBIT taxes CCI 12017 Annual Report I www.ccionline.org I 9 ctireCs CCI Public Lands Reauthorizing PILT, SRS Priorities For Counties with Federal Lands Public Lands functions within CCI as a steering committee and an affiliated 501(c)4 non-profit association. As a steering committee, Public Lands determines CCI positions on state legislation and regulatory issues. Public Lands maintains a strong presence at NACo and the NACo-affiliated Western Interstate Region (WIR). In 2017, WIR held its annual meeting in Deschutes County, Oregon, and participation by CCI members was strong. Legislative and Policy Advocate Brandy DeLange represented the CCI staff at the meeting. WIR is comprised of county officials in the 15 western states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawai'i, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Key issues for the WIR include reauthorizing Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) and the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) programs, forest health management and wildfire suppression, endangered species, and transportation funding. The 2017 conference also included mobile workshops on the Oregon model for marijuana regulation, issues related to pipeline infrastructure and the transportation of energy resources, and the role of freight rail in western communities. In 2017, the Public Lands steering committee made available a variety of resources to assist counties, including Garfield County's Draft Resolution supporting Historic Rights of Way Legislation, and San Miguel County's two resolutions, one supporting the designation of the Bears Ears National Monument and a second opposing H.R. 5780, the Utah Public Lands Initiative Act. CCI Public Lands continues to work with NACo and WIR to urge Congress to fully fund PILT and the SRS program that benefits both counties and school districts in areas with federal forest lands. In Memory Former Logan Commissioner Gene Meisner The CCI family lost a cherished member on July 24, 2017 with the passing of former Logan County commissioner Gene Meisner. As a three -term commissioner, his leadership made a positive difference in a northeastern Colorado county with a population of 22,112. He played key roles in a wide range of county projects, including a shooting sports complex, development of alternative energy sources (wind and solar), improved waste management facilities, and courthouse enhancements. Former CCI Executive Director Harry Bowes Harry Bowes, a former executive director of CCI and former president of the University of Southern Colorado, passed away on June 20, 2017 at the age of 82. CCI is grateful for his many years of service to CCI, county leaders, and the state of Colorado. 10 CCI 12017 Annual Report www.ccionline.org I[ Foundation Cultivating County Summer, minter Conferences ich in Education, Networking z., C I C 1 iri j un atIon An affiliate of Colorado Countia, Inc. umm e.i.. conference June 5-7, 2017 Keystone Resort, Keystone CO In addition to its Associate Member program (see Page 13) and communications tools such as the eCounty Lines newsletter, the County Lines publication, and the CCI website, the CCI Foundation presents two conferences each year for commissioners, county staff, and state agency personnel. The Summer Conference was held in early June at the beautiful Keystone Resort with Summit County commissioners as the hosts. The theme was "Cultivating County Leaders" and featured sessions on civility and positive public engagement on potentially divisive issues. The keynote speaker was NACo president Bryan Desloge, a Leon County (FL) commissioner (pictured above with CCI President and Larimer County Commissioner Lew Gaiter). Hotel Elegante I El Paso County I CO The Winter Conference was held in late November at the Hotel Elegante in Colorado Springs, where the hosts were El Paso county commissioners. Themed "Funding Your County's Future," the conference included keynote remarks by Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper (pictured above) and an opening session address by Dr. Rich Wobbekl.nd of the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado on the future of the state's economy. The CCI Winter Conference featured the association's annual individual awards of excellence, which went to (left to right) Commissioner of the Year Larry Don Suckla (Montezuma), co - Freshman Commissioners of the Year Mark Waller (El Paso) and Byron Pelton (Logan), and Distinguished Service Award winner John Martin (Garfield). Both conferences drew strong attendance and sponsor support as well as the participation of four CCI-affiliated organizations: the Association of Colorado County Administrators (ACCA), the Colorado Association of Road Supervisors and Engineers (CARSE), the Colorado Human Services Directors Association (CHSDA), and the Colorado Association of Public Health Officials. CCI 12017 Annual Report 1 w-ww.ccionline.org 111 CCI Foundation New Commissioner Orientation Equips 54 County Leaders for Challenges Ahead One of CCI's most important activities took place in early 2017 with a two-day orientation of 54 newly -elected county commissioners from around the state. Meeting at a downtown Denver hotel and the CCI headquarters building, the freshman commissioners hit the ground running with an enlightening presentation on county commissioner responsibilities by CCI Executive Director John (Chip) Taylor. From there, knowledgeable speakers facilitated the various chapters in the CCI New Commissioner Handbook, followed by time for commissioners to ask questions and interact. At the Summer Conference in Keystone, the new commissioners (then with six months of experience under their belts) gathered again to reflect on their challenges and ask questions of a panel of veteran commissioners. CCI Foundation Financials Moffat County Commissioners Ray Beck (left) and Don Cook (center) enjoyed the New Commissioner Orientation and the welcome reception sponsored by Drew Kramer and Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association. Revenue - 82 percent of the CCI Foundation's annual revenue is derived from the two annual conferences held in the summer and winter each year. Additionally, the CCI Foundation also receives dues from associate members who wish to support the enhancement of county government in Colorado. rrl-ttAt:"." 33% Summer Conference 49% Winter Conference 16% Associate Dues 2% New Commissioner Orientation Expenses - Foundation expenses for the 2016 year are largely devoted to educational programs, including conferences, training sessions, and workshops, but also include expenses for administration, as well as research, technical and legal assistance. 68% Conference, Training & Education 10% Communications 15% General & Administrative 5% Research/Technical & Legal 2% Building 12 CCI 12017 Annual Report I www.ccionline.org osQiica, CCI An affiliate of Colorado Counties, Inc. Associate Members Fourteener Level flnadarl�u Petroleum Corporation (Oil c& Gas) • sat • a Nationwide® Retirement Solutions (Retirement Benefits for County Employees) 0)0 WAGNER�R CAI (Construction 6' Forestry Equipment) Trailblazer Level Ace/Eaton Metals (Drainage/Culverts/Culvert Pipes) Ameresco (Engineering, Consulting, and Sustainability for Buildings) Bohannan Huston (Architecture/Engineering) Bulldogger Services (Road Construction, Repair, Maintenance) Butler Snow (Legal Services/Public Finance) CCOERA (Retirement Benefits for County Employees) Center for Relationship Education (Education/Nonprofit Association) Colorado Oil and Gas Association (Allied Association) Colorado Petroleum Council (Energy) CPS HR Consulting (Human Resources for the Public Sector) CSU Office of Engagement (Economic Information, Resources 6' Research) CTSI (Insurance, Healthcare, Financial Services, County Administration, Budgeting and Human Resources) Developmental Pathways (Community Service/Disabled People and "Their Families) Founder Level American Fidelity (Employee Benefits for Counties) XTO Energy (Energy) Pioneer Level Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield (Health Care for County Employees) Beam, Longest, Neff, L.L.C. (Engineering Services) CEBT (Employee Benefits for Counties) Colorado Barricade (Road Construction Infrastructure and Signs) Great Outdoors Colorado (Natural Amenity Preservation and Enhancement) DLR Group (Architecture, Engineering, Planning, Interior Design) eCivis (Grant Management System 6' Database) Economic & Planning Systems, Inc. (.and Economics Consulting) Ride Bailly (CPAs and Business Advisors) First Southwest (Municipal Finance) 4 Rivers Equipment (Construction and Forestry Equipment) George K. Baum & Company (Municipal Finance) Hall and Evans (Legal Services/Public Entities and Their Employees) 0 Honnen Equipment (Construction and Forestry Equipment) InnovAge (Services for Aging Adults) International Assurance (Medical Insurance for Jail Inmates) Jviation, Inc. (Transportation Planning, Design, Construction Management) Istonish (IT Infrastructure Support) Intermountain Rural Electric Association (Energy) Multi -Bank Securities (Fixed -Income Investments for Counties) Union Pacific Railroad (Rail Transportation) Xcel Energy (Energy Resources) Kaiser Permanente (Health Care for County Employees) Lombard & Clayton, Inc. (Lobbying, Governmental Relations, Consulting) Motorola Solutions, Inc. (Mobile Communications) Purple Wave Auction (Online Auction Company) Rocky Mountain Microfilm & Imaging (Digital Solutions) Special District Association of Colorado (Partner Associations) Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association (Energy) United Power (Electric Cooperative) Vicente Sederberg, LLC (Legal Services/Marijuana) Waste Management, Inc. (Waste Management) For more on CCI's Associate Members, visit wwwccionline.org CCI 12017 Annual Report I www.ccionline.org i 13 a. Freshman Arapahoe County commissioners Kathleen Conti (left)`.".. and Jeff Baker participated in the CCI New Commissioner Orientation in January. San Miguel County commissioners. Kris Hoistrom (left) and Hilary Cooper (right) soaked up the quality education at the CCI Summer Conference in Keystone. Cheyenne County commissioner Rod Felton (center) spoke on landfill compliance and closures at the Action 22 Conference along with Walsh mayor Kris George (left). CCI Legislative and Policy Advocate Brandy DeLange moderated the session. Commissioners Darius AIten (A . ' osa) (left) % rid Mark G n (Lake) were winners at the C7SI-sponsoreddrawing at the Summer Conference in Summit County. Photos: CCI Members and Staff Making a Difference Polar opposites politically, commissioners Jason Anderson (Saguache) (left) and Larry Dan Suckla (Montezuma) found common ground as CCI leaders and friend€. CCI president and Larirner County commissioner Lew Gaiter (left) with Ryan Headley of Wagner Equipment CCI Foundation Board member and'inter Confrence .Presidents Reception sponsor orirrriissiorters '' "rlrt Shriver (Rio Grande) (left) an%' in Dozier (Hinsdale) enjoy the CCI Winter Conference in El Paso - County. '\T{ONAL CtATION )UNTIES I r \ r -'-rte woe --geore Yuma County commissioner Trent Bushner taught newly -elected commissioners how to run meetings according to -Roberts Rules of Order. Preparing to participate in' 'e "u ter Conerence auction to support student scholarships are commissioners Shawn Balton (Rio Blanco), Roger Partridge (Douglas), and Lew Gaiter (Larimer). Polly Lrence (left) was welcomed to the C Breakfast by Mineral County Commissioner Ramona Weber (right) and CC1 Policy Director Eric Bergman. Miler County commissioner Norm Steen shared his thoughts on election procedures during the lightning round of the Summer Conference Business Meeting. NAG Commissioner Nancy Sharpe (Arapahoe) (far right) participates' n a 1 ACo workshop as. Sharpechairs the CCI Health &Human Services Steering Committee 14 i CCI 12017 Annual Report I www.ccionline.org CCI 2017 Board of Directors: Larimer Commissioner Lew Gaiter Served with Distinction as President The CCI board of directors in 2017 included (top row, left to right): president Lew Gaiter (Larimer), president- elect Dave Paul (Teller), Jason Anderson (Saguache), and past president Keith Goodwin (Otero), (second row, left to right): secretary Terry A. Hart (Pueblo), treasurer Barbara Kirkmeyer (Weld), Mark Roeber (Delta), and Jim Zwetzig (Morgan) . During the Winter Conference, Gaiter's strong leadership was recognized, including his work on important legislative successes giving counties more local control; a comprehensive orientation program for 54 newly - elected commissioners; improved communications and information; two successful CCI conferences; and strong participation at NACo including his own leadership role on the Information Technology Committee. the eight CCI board members also served on the boards of the CCI Foundation and CCI Public Lands. They were joined on the CCI Foundation board by Chris Castilian (Great Outdoors Colorado), Scott "Hutch" Hutchings (Waste Management Co.) and Ryan Head'ey (Wagner Equipment Co.), and on the CCI Public Lands board by chair Shawn Bolton (Rio Blanco) and vice chair Larry Don Suckla (Montezuma) . CCI 12017 Annual Report I www.ccioniine.org 115 CCI Staff Dedicated to Colorado Counties The CCI staff, led by executive director John (Chip) Taylor and deputy director Kristin Dunn, is dedicated to the success of the association and Colorado's counties. Collectively, they bring a wealth of association experience to their respective roles in management, advocacy, and communications. John C "ip) Taylor Executive Director Eric Bergman Policy Director .bison: Daley Legislative and Policy Advocate Gini Pingenot Legislative Director Colorado Counties, Inc. Kristin. Dunn Deputy Director Paul Thompson Outreach and Education Manager Brandy DeLange Legislative and Policy Advocate Linda Tiehen Administrative Associate 800 Grant Street, Suite 500 Denver, CO 80203 www.ccionlinesorg 303.861.4076 Hello