We all get to adopt our own New Year’s resolutions at this time of year… if we’re so inclined. But as a community, we typically leave decisions about community-wide ‘goals’ up to elected, appointed, and self-appointed leaders.
Commissioners. Council members. Business owners. Board members. Club presidents. Superintendents. Executive Directors.
The Archuleta Board of County Commissioners, for example, will be appointing people to a transition task force within the next few weeks… following a decision by the La Plata Board of County Commissioners, with the reluctant agreement of the Archuleta BOCC, to dissolve the joint ‘San Juan Basin Public Health’ district that has been serving the two counties for the past 70 years or so.
La Plata and Archuleta counties are not the only Colorado counties dissolving a joint public health district these days. Similar disagreements over COVID policies has led to the dissolution of the Tri-County Health Department, which had been serving Douglas, Adams and Arapahoe counties. The Tri-County organization was formally dissolved on December 31, 2022. Each county began operating its own independent health department starting on January 1.
Archuleta County and La Plata counties will continue to be served by San Juan Basin Public Health for the coming year, until December 31, 2023. Here in Pagosa, the Archuleta BOCC is soliciting applicants to serve on a ‘Transition Advisory Committee’.
Colorado law requires each county to provide public health services, although the exact menu of services provided may vary somewhat.
What services will Archuleta County residents be requesting, as the new health department gets developed? We don’t yet know. Presumably, the transition task force and the future Board of Health will have their fingers on the community’s pulse.
What other public services is a county government required to provide, in Colorado?
A county government is authorized to oversee the “health, safety and welfare” of its citizens. But which services and amenities, besides a public health department, are required by law?
Let us count the ways.
According to what I can find in Title 30 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, every county must:
- Collect property taxes and distribute them to various local entities
- Assess property values according to law, and hear citizen appeals
- Approve an annual budget and keep accounts for county departments
- Conduct elections for state and county offices, and for home rule charter initiatives
- Provide a suitable courthouse, a sufficient jail, and other necessary county buildings and keep them in repair
- Through the Sheriff’s office, enforce Colorado and county laws from time to time
- Maintain a coroner’s office
- Make and adopt a ‘master plan’ for the physical development of the unincorporated county
- Oversee lot consolidations and subdivision processes
- Adopt standards governing the use of safety glazing materials for hazardous locations
- Conduct licensing for any “public dance hall, booth, pavilion, or other place where public dances are held”
- Provide for the decent burial of any person who dies within the county who does not leave sufficient funds for such burial
County governments are allowed to provide various other services, but the above list summarizes the services that Colorado counties are required to provide. (There may be other requirements in other CRS sections that I don’t know about.)
From what I can tell, a county government is not required to establish county roads. Of course, all counties do, and once established, the county must maintain those roads.
Counties are not required to operate a county-run landfill. But once they do, they must meet all state requirements.
Counties are not required to operate a department of human services. But once they do, they must meet all state requirements.
Counties are not required to adopt building codes or zoning regulations. But once they do, they must meet all state requirements.
Counties are not required to hire a county attorney. But once they do… well, then they have one. For better or worse.
Counties are not required to collect lodging taxes. But once they do, they must spend at least 10 percent of the revenues on tourism marketing and promotion. Lodging tax revenues can also be spent on housing programs.
Counties can form a ‘recreation district’. But they are not required to.
There are other things a county government can choose to do. What makes sense, in 2023, for the Archuleta County government to focus its time and money on, for the benefit of the community?
Pickleball courts, perhaps?
I mention pickleball courts because the County government and the Town government, last year, funneled a considerable amount of money into new $450,000 pickleball courts near the Pagosa Springs High School. The project also received significant funding from the Pagosa Pickleball Club.
The new outdoor courts are currently under construction. Well, not currently, because they’re covered in snow. But come spring, work will resume.
The Pagosa Pickleball Club began 2010 with a group of 30 or so individuals introducing the sport to the area. Since then, the club has grown to over 270 members — according to the club website – and reportedly attracts a significant number of visiting pickleball enthusiasts to the area to enjoy playing in our beautiful Pagosa surroundings.
In the December 29 issue of the weekly Pagosa Springs SUN newspaper, editor Terri House shared a boatload of Facebook responses.
The new year is upon us, and in the tradition of a fresh start with the fresh year, we asked readers and Facebook fans to share their ideas for the changes they want to see in Pagosa Springs during 2023.
I’m not sure how Ms. House picked the responses she shared, but it might be meaningful that 30 of the 33 responses mentioned roads or highways. None of the responses mentioned pickleball. Maybe that issue has been sufficient solved, locally?
But two responses did mention affordable housing.
Which brings us back to two of the Town’s Council’s priority ‘Goals & Objectives for 2022-2023’… and the Number Two, and Number Three, priority concerns:
2. Workforce Housing*
Address current and projected needs by supporting efforts to add more deed-restricted units to local inventory through the public and private sectors.
3. Explore Recreation District*
Engage the support of the wider community beyond the town in providing and managing parks, trails, open spaces, and recreational amenities in a coordinated and thoughtful way.
Some people have argued, in recent discussions, that it’s ‘not the job of government’ to make sure workers have decent housing. Supposedly, “the market” should be responsible for solving Pagosa’s housing crisis.
I don’t recall anyone making the argument — over the 18 years I’ve been editing the Pagosa Daily Post — that “the market” should be responsible for the community’s “recreation”.
Certainly, “the market” has been taking care of certain aspects of our recreation industry. Wolf Creek Ski Area, for example. The swimming pools at our local hot springs resorts, for another example. The local ski and bike rental shops. The local raft and tube rental shops.
Given the condition of the Archuleta County economy… all the problems we’re concerned about… is a tax-funded ‘Recreation District’ something we should be putting up on a pedestal, as one of our highest priorities?
Given that we have only so much money to spend?