March 17, 2026
Gunnison County Board of Commissioners - 1 -
Minutes of March 17, 2026 Regular Meeting
Approved by BOCC April 7, 2026
GUNNISON COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
March 17, 2026
The March 17, 2026 meeting was held in the Board of County Commissioners’ meeting room located at 200
E. Virginia Avenue, Gunnison, Colorado. Present, either in person or via Zoom, were:
Laura Puckett Daniels, Chairperson Matthew Birnie, County Manager
Elizabeth Smith, Vice-Chairperson (ABSENT) Holly Perry, Deputy County Clerk
Jonathan Houck, Commissioner Others Present as Listed in Text
Matthew Hoyt, County Attorney
GUNNISON COUNTY LOCAL LIQUOR LICENSING AUTHORITY MEETING:
CALL TO ORDER: Commissioner Puckett Daniels called the meeting to order at 8:31 am.
CONSENT AGENDA: Moved by Commissioner Houck, seconded by Commissioner Puckett Daniels to
approve the consent agenda as presented this morning. Motion carried unanimously.
- Alcohol Beverage License #03-06291; Three Rivers Smokehouse dba Three Rivers Smokehouse;
4/17/2026 to 4/17/2027 - Alcohol Beverage License #03-11784; Birdsey Enterprises LLC Dba Taylor Park Marina; 6/11/2026
to 6/11/2027
ADJOURN: Commissioner Puckett Daniels adjourned the meeting of the Gunnison County Local Liquor
Licensing Authority at 8:31 am.
GUNNISON COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY MEETING:
CALL TO ORDER: Commissioner Puckett Daniels called the meeting to order at 8:31 am.
A RESOLUTION AMENDING THE GUNNISON COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY BUDGET FOR
FISCAL YEAR 2026 AND AMENDING THE APPROPRIATION RESOLUTION:
CFO LaMonica relayed they will be presenting budget amendments quarterly as new grants or changes
come in. This amendment is mainly bringing in the GV-HEAT budget. Moved by Commissioner Houck,
seconded by Commissioner Puckett Daniels to approve Resolution 2026-003 a Resolution Amending the
Gunnison County Housing Authority Budget for Fiscal Year 2026 and Amending the Appropriation
Resolution as presented this morning. Motion carried unanimously.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S SIGNATURE; TEMPORARY CONTRACT FOR
SERVICES; CITY OF GUNNISON; GUNNISON COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY; 3/5/2026 TO
4/19/2026; $25,000:
CFO LaMonica relayed they are working on a more formal contract with the City of Gunnison to monitor
the deed restrictions for Lazy K and assist in resales, but because a couple of resales have come up, this
is to fill the gap in the meantime. Moved by Commissioner Houck, seconded by Commissioner Puckett
Daniels to recognize the acknowledgment of the Executive Director’s signature on the temporary contract
for service with the City of Gunnison and the Gunnison County Housing Authority from March 5
th
until
April 19
th
, 2026 in the amount of $25,000. Motion carried unanimously.
ADJOURN: Commissioner Puckett Daniels adjourned the meeting of the Gunnison County Housing
Authority at 8:35 am.
PULLED FROM AGENDA: GUNNISON RIVER VALLEY LOCAL MARKETING DISTRICT MEETING:
This meeting was pulled from the agenda.
GUNNISON COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING:
CALL TO ORDER: Commissioner Puckett Daniels called the meeting to order at 8:35 am.
2026 BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING TOPICS: Assistant County Manager for Health, Human and Safety
Services Joni Reynolds and Deputy Health and Human Services Director Brad Wheaton were present for
discussion.
ACM Reynolds explained that the meeting topics document is a roadmap for 2026 that has also been
discussed with Medical Health Officer Dr. Annamarie Meeuwsen, but it can be adjusted if needed.
VITAL RECORDS OVERVIEW AND UPDATE: Administrative Services Supervisor Blair Burgess and
Administrative Generalist Molly McDowell were present for discussion.
March 17, 2026
Gunnison County Board of Commissioners - 2 -
Minutes of March 17, 2026 Regular Meeting
Approved by BOCC April 7, 2026
Admin McDowell explained what vital records are and why they are important for documentation, identity
verification, family lineage tracking, and public health data collection. Health and Human Services (HHS)
maintains a pattern of excellence with 100% Perfect Application Audit and 100% Perfect Site Visit Audit,
and they also received a Five Star Annual Performance Award for 2023 and 2024. Commissioner Puckett
Daniels expressed gratitude for the team for their thoroughness.
Admin McDowell explained the number of births from the past five years, the maternal ages of births from
2025, deaths from 2010-2025, and noted 2024 being the year with the highest births and deaths.
Commissioner Houck confirmed this data was reflective of Gunnison County residents and not all
occurrences. She then explained that with the birth rate, some mothers need to give birth outside of
Gunnison County but they are still counted since they are Gunnison residents. Admin McDowell lastly gave
statistics on 2025 death demographics, sex, and manners of death.
CONSUMER PROTECTION OVERVIEW AND UPDATE: Wellness/Enforcement Services Manager Betsy
Holena was present for discussion.
WESM Holena relayed that there is a team of two for consumer protection and noted the statistics for 2025
including inspections completed, preoperational inspections completed, and active licensed establishments.
She explained the time frames that are typical with each step and then expressed that the impressive
relationship Consumer Protection Specialists Jenn Chavez and Nicole Stone have with the operators help
establish long- and short-term goals with a balance of their authority and collaboration.
WESM Holena stated they have a National Environmental Health Association Grant for $63,000 in a three-
year cycle where they are currently meeting four of the nine standards. Standard nine is the most robust,
which is routine inspections to determine food-borne illness trends and identify interventions. With that
standard, they are currently in year three of collecting data.
ADJOURN: Commissioner Puckett Daniels adjourned the meeting of the Gunnison County Board of Health
at 8:54 am.
GUNNISON COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MEETING:
CALL TO ORDER: Commissioner Puckett Daniels called the meeting to order at 8:54 am.
AGENDA REVIEW: There were no changes made to the agenda.
SCHEDULING: The Upcoming Meetings Schedule was discussed and updated.
CONSENT AGENDA: Moved by Commissioner Houck, seconded by Commissioner Puckett Daniels to
approve the consent agenda as presented this morning. Motion carried unanimously.
- Acknowledgment of County Manager’s Signature; Second Amendment to Professional Services
Agreement Between Gunnison County and Sarah Elzay; Extension to 4/30/2026 - Airline Operating Agreement and Lease of Airport Facilities; United Airlines; Gunnison-Crested Butte
Regional Airport; 1/1/2026 to 12/31/2030 - Energy Smart Colorado, Inc. Work Agreement with Building Analysts; Sawatch Home Efficiency
LLC; GV-HEAT; 2026
- Contract Amendment #4; 24 IBEH 182014; Behavior Health Administration; Health and Human
Services; Ending contract on 3/17/2026 - Colorado Department of Transportation Grant Application; Gunnison County Youth Impaired
Driving Prevention; Juvenile Services; 2026; $176,909.70 - Public Service Grant Agreement; City of Gunnison; Gunnison County Substance Abuse Prevention
Project (GCSAPP); 1/1/2026 to 12/31/2026; $6,200 - Acknowledgment of County Manager’s Signature; Professional Services Agreement; Mountains to
Plains Sustainability Solutions LLC; Public Works; 3/17/2026 to 12/31/2026 - Energy Smart Colorado, Inc. Work Agreement with Building Analysts; Little Foot Building LLC; GV-
HEAT; 2026
- Memorandum of Understanding; Gunnison County and National Forest Foundation for Gunnison
County Stewardship Coordinator Position; Two Years; $125,000 - ConsensusDocs 495; Design-Build Change Order 1, 2, & 3; Facilities; 3/31/2026; $632,796.73
- Professional Services Agreement; Next Level Driving Academy; Juvenile Services; 5/1/2026 to
4/30/2027; $15,000 - Acknowledgment of County Manager’s Approval; Grant Application; Parents as Teachers; Health
and Human Services; 2026; $50,000 - ESC Partner (Gunnison County/GV-HEAT) – Reimbursement Schedule and Processes – 2026 Tri-
State and Atmos Energy Contracts and EECBG Awards with Energy Smart Colorado; GV-HEAT;
12/31/2026 - 2026 Partnership Agreement with Gunnison County/GV-HEAT; Energy Smart Colorado; GV-HEAT;
2026; $4,000
March 17, 2026
Gunnison County Board of Commissioners - 3 -
Minutes of March 17, 2026 Regular Meeting
Approved by BOCC April 7, 2026
15. Acknowledgment of County Manager’s Signature; Gunnison County Assistant County Manager for
Community and Economic Development Employment Agreement; April Kroner; 2/26/2026
16. A Resolution Adjusting Ground Rent for Use of Premises at the Gold Basin Industrial Park
17. A Resolution Authorizing Temporary Weight Restriction for a Portion of County Road 734 also
Known as Slate River Road
18. Acknowledgment of County Manager’s Approval; Grant Application; 2026 Gunnison Rotary
Community Grant; Health and Human Services; $5,000
19. Professional Services Agreement; Sawatch Home Efficiency LLC; GV-HEAT; 1/1/2026 to
12/31/2026; $60,000
20. Quote Q-813-232-46079AP; Axon Enterprise, Inc; Sheriff’s Office; 6/1/2026 to 5/31/2031;
$215,159.07
COUNTY MANAGER’S REPORTS:
- Magellan Strategies – CM Birnie reminded the Board that there was a contract with Magellan
Strategies for a poll regarding roads and bridges, and he did receive some preliminary numbers
back yesterday but has yet to get the full report. However, the initial look was encouraging. - Whetstone – CM Birnie stated they are ahead of schedule with the abnormally warm weather and
he is o ptimistic some units may be able to be delivered earlier than planned. - Corridor Plan – CM Birnie explained that 12 firms submitted proposals and there were interviews
with four last Friday. It was a robust process for all the municipalities and they all seemed to
coalesce on one firm standing out that was aligned with what they were looking for, which was
HDR. Commissioner Puckett Daniels asked about next steps which included contracting and
timeline.
A RESOLUTION AMENDING THE GUNNISON COUNTY BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 AND
AMENDING THE APPROPRIATION RESOLUTION:
CFO LaMonica stated this amendment is largely as a result of grants that were not budgeted for, such as
the change in the fleet budget was to replace the sheriff vehicle that was totaled, and the sales tax was a
final payment on a construction in progress project due to a missed final payment. Moved by
Commissioner Houck, seconded by Commissioner Puckett Daniels to approve Resolution 2026-14 a
Resolution Amending the Gunnison County Budget for Fiscal Year 2026 and Amending the Appropriation
Resolution as presented this morning. Motion carried unanimously.
HARTMAN ROCKS CLEANUP FUNDING REQUEST:
Commissioner Houck noted that the Hartman Rocks Users Group has strong representation from
Gunnison County and the City of Gunnison, and the Hartman Rocks cleanup has historically turned out
100 to 200 volunteers from the community. For volunteers, the City of Gunnison usually provides funding
for lunch and then additional funding provides a hat that cannot be purchased elsewhere. This year, that
funding source for the hat is not available, so he wanted to discuss the Board appropriating up to $2,000
from their discretionary fund to provide the purchase of the hats. Commissioner Puckett Daniels stated
she feels comfortable with allocating the funding due to this group’s work being closely aligned with the
County’s strategic priorities. Moved by Commissioner Puckett Daniels, seconded by Commissioner Houck
to allocate up to $2,000 to the Hartman Rocks Cleanup Coalition to purchasing hats for the cleanup day
this spring. The motion was amended to include from their discretionary funds. Motion carried
unanimously.
TOWNHOME PLAT; LUC-25-00035; MAMMOTH VIEW PROPERTIES LLC: Planning Technician Aidan
McComas was present for discussion.
Planning Technician McComas stated this is to memorialize a townhome that was already built in Crested
Butte South. Moved by Commissioner Houck, seconded by Commissioner Puckett Daniels to approve the
townhome plat, LUC-25-00035 for Mammoth View Properties LLC and authorize the Chair’s signatures on
the pair of plat maps.
LETTER OF SUPPORT; GUNNISON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE; T-MOBILE HOMETOWN GRANTS
PROGRAM: Gunnison Chamber Executive Director Leora Wallace was present for discussion.
CM Birnie explained this came from Commissioner Smith late last week. Commissioner Puckett Daniels
thought this was a terrific initiative to modernize the visitor’s center. Commissioner Houck noted the ties
to the abundance of educational opportunities with Western Colorado University (WCU) was beneficial.
Moved by Commissioner Houck, seconded by Commissioner Puckett Daniels to approve the letter of
support for the Gunnison Chamber’s T-Mobile Hometown Grant Program and authorize the full signature
of the Board and we can utilize Commissioner Smith’s stamp in her absence. ED Wallace entered the
room and since the Board meeting was running ahead of schedule, the Board elected to allow her to give
some additional information before voting on the motion. ED Wallace explained that the grantors weigh
community support and stakeholders very heavily so she would appreciate the letter of support. The plan
would be to take out the brochure racks and insert more interactive displays. Commissioner Puckett
March 17, 2026
Gunnison County Board of Commissioners - 4 -
Minutes of March 17, 2026 Regular Meeting
Approved by BOCC April 7, 2026
Daniels expressed an idea of micro events or partnering with other entities on certain things. After the
brief discussion, the motion was carried unanimously.
VOUCHERS AND TRANSFERS APPROVAL: Chief Finance Officer Melissa LaMonica was present for
discussion.
- February 2026 Voucher Report – Moved by Commissioner Houck, seconded by Commissioner
Puckett Daniels to approve the vouchers in the amount of $5,177,320.28 as presented. The motion
was amended to say 38 cents. Motion carried unanimously. - February 2026 Cash Transfer Report – Moved by Commissioner Houck, seconded by Commissioner
Puckett Daniels to approve the cash transfer in the amount of $7,785,832.41. Motion carried
unanimously. - February 2026 Purchase Card Report – The Board did not pose any questions about this report.
- January 2026 Sales and Local Marketing Tax Report – Commissioner Houck noted there was not
much of a wave for this winter compared to other ski areas. Deputy Chief Finance Officer Mark
Rozman mentioned that they are working to figure out a way to show a normalized kind of view
for comparison purposes.
TREASURER’S MONTHLY REPORT: County Treasurer Teresa Brown presented the February 2026
Treasurer’s report and investment report for discussion and acceptance. Moved by Commissioner Houck,
seconded by Commissioner Puckett Daniels to accept the Treasurer's Report as presented this morning and
authorize the Chair’s signature. Motion carried unanimously.
UNSCHEDULED PUBLIC COMMENT: There were no persons present for discussion.
COMMISSIONER ITEMS:
Commissioner Houck:
- Spruce Beetle Epidemic & Aspen Decline Management Response (SBEADMR) – Commissioner
Houck explained this is the forestry management tool for the long-term adaptive management
across Gunnison Mesa Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forest (GMUG) largely taking
place in Gunnison County. They are currently in year nine of ten of a large-scale environmental
analysis on forestry projects, and they are seeing significant opportunities for projects that
support forest health. Commissioner Houck mentioned that Dr. Jonathan Coop from Western
Colorado University (WCU) is working with students, and other research organizations are
doing innovative projects on Trail Creek regarding advanced data collection and timber
projects. There has also been a proposed project on Kebler Pass to create a fire break. - State Land Board – Commissioner Houck attended a meeting on March 5
th
and noted there is
a draft piece going to the state as legislation dictated. However, the advocacy for Gunnison
County has been around the topic of how does the state find multiple uses for the State Land
Board parcels, especially those used for housing. - Hartman Rock Users Group – Commissioner Houck attended the meeting and relayed the City
of Gunnison was able to find some additional funding in their parks and recreation budget to
fund the dirt jump areas at the base area. Also, as a reminder to the community, the wildlife
closure in the Signal Peak area will continue as scheduled until May 1
st
, however, Hartman
Rocks is open. - River Map Workshop – Commissioner Houck reiterated that the State has an effort through
Trout Unlimited and some other partners on mapping and river access. There will be a
community-based meeting coming up for people on the Upper Gunnison River Watershed area
around river access and recreational opportunities. - Tourism and Prosperity Partnership Board (TAPP) – Commissioner Houck has been helping
TAPP with their Gravel Adventure Field Guide which is a mapping product that will show where
routes are with a launch date of June 13
th
. - ICELab The Hub – Commissioner Houck attended the ribbon cutting of The Hub.
Commissioner Puckett Daniels:
- Colorado Counties, Inc. Steering Committees (CCI) & Counties & Commissioners Acting
Together (CCAT) Steering Committees – Commissioner Puckett Daniels attended both
meetings and stated there is continued debate on data center regulations and where they
encouraged or not. There is also a bill to reauthorize the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) with
buried provisions such as allowing an appeal of local land use decision by utilities to the PUC.
The State also continues to run bills for immigration enforcement and detention centers and
while they may be well intentioned, they have provisions that are not fully thought out such as
anyone that has worked for immigration enforcement is not allowed to be a Colorado POST-
certified police officer. - Colorado Communities for Climate Action (CC4CA) – Commissioner Puckett Daniels has not yet
attended a meeting, but relayed there needs to be a designation of a primary voter and
alternate and they will go to CM Birnie on an ad hoc basis for additional information as needed. - Joint Budget Committee (JBC) – Commissioner Puckett Daniels relayed that the JBC drafted
and approved a bill to reduce the Multimodal Options Fund (MMOF) funding. Historically there
was $75M in it, but was last year reduced to $25M and then opted to put $1M instead of $10M
March 17, 2026
Gunnison County Board of Commissioners - 5 -
Minutes of March 17, 2026 Regular Meeting
Approved by BOCC April 7, 2026
of general fund monies into it. This then takes back the monies that have been promised,
which include the roundabout underpass dollars.
4. Sustainable CB – Commissioner Puckett Daniels relayed they closed out their recycling
operations and donated money and some hard goods to Public Works. She was also able to
attend a handoff with the folks from Sustainable CB at Public Works last week. She thanked
Assistant County Manager for Public Works Martin Schmidt and his team for continuing their
work.
5. Colorado POST Board Meeting – Commissioner Puckett Daniels attended the meeting last week
in person and sat on a panel at the POST conference. She commented it went well and the
community showed excitement for the work they’re doing and the opportunities for better
learning experiences for new officers.
POTENTIAL UPCOMING LEGISLATION DISCUSSION:
There was no upcoming legislation that the Board chose to discuss today.
ADJOURN: Commissioner Puckett Daniels adjourned the meeting at 9:48 a m.
Laura Puckett Daniels, Chairperson
Elizabeth Smith, Vice-Chairpe