Commissioners assign officers for 2018, discuss road project

DEL NORTE— Rio Grande County Commissioners turned the floor over to County Administrator Roni Wisdom during their meeting on Jan. 17, who opened the floor for nominations of officers for the year. Commissioner Karla Shriver nominated Gene Glover for the chairman position, which Commissioner Suzanne Bothell seconded. The vote passed unanimously and Glover took his seat as the chairman of the board.
Glover then asked for nominations for co-chairman, which opened a discussion between Shriver and Bothell. Once it was clear that both Bothell and Shriver were interested in the vice-chairman office, Glover made a statement that it was in the best interest of the county to seek change and be unified in their efforts for 2018. Shriver said that she felt her guidance would be beneficial to Glover and nominated herself for the vice-chairman position.
Bothell expressed her opinion on the idea, then nominated herself, stating that she thinks change is good and that she would be the better candidate for the office. Glover then nominated Bothell for vice-chairman, which Shriver seconded. The motion carried and Bothell was named vice-chairman of the board for 2018.
Prior to adopting new officers of the board, the commissioners opened the meeting by reviewing the minutes from December. Due to a policy change, commissioners decided to have other department managers review minutes from previous meetings to make sure information contained within the minutes is correct. Road and Bridge Director Patrick Sullivan will be helping to review the minutes and correct any errors from this point forward.
Sullivan helped go through the minutes from December meetings, correcting phrases used to describe work being done by his department throughout the county. The commissioners spent a large portion of time reviewing the minutes with Sullivan and Clerk of the Board Mona Syring, before approving the documents for publication on the county’s website. Sullivan asked commissioners if he would be reviewing the minutes for the remainder of the year, to which commissioners stated that he would be.
After the minutes were approved, Sullivan gave his monthly report on projects throughout the county beginning with a conversation about work being done on County Road 13, San Francisco Creek. The department was approved to begin paving the road about a mile past the Del Norte Cemetery where the pavement ends and the road turns to dirt. Sullivan reported that most of the base work has been complete; his department is taking advantage of the nicer weather to have the work finished by spring.
The project will pave up to Wagon Wheel Road, which is about five miles from where the dirt road begins. Sullivan stated that the department will not be changing the layout of the road, only paving the surface and widening it in some places, where curves tighten. “We just need people driving up there to know we are out there working and to be cautious of my team being on the road,” stated Sullivan. Home owner and local resident Neal Walters was in attendance to hear the conversation and to state that he was spreading the word to people to beware of work being done on the road.
In addition to the work being done on County Road 13, Sullivan finished his report stating that a portion of the gravel inventory for 2018 has been crushed.
Sullivan also noted that the board and himself need to plan a work session with the Del Norte School Board to begin discussing the road to the new school. Walters, who is also serving the school board president, joined the conversation to state that he agrees a work session with commissioners and Sullivan needs to take place. Commissioners set a tentative date for Jan. 31 to meet with the school board to discuss details about the road and who would be financing it.