CREEDE— The Mineral County Board of County Commissioners talked about health during their meeting on Dec. 3. A healthy budget requires careful planning. Maintaining healthy equipment helps manage infrastructure. Offering health services in the county was a charge from a previous Mineral County board, and the current commissioners share the same philosophy.
Reporting for the Road and Bridge department, Supervisor Danny Rogers said they’ve mounted new tires, and their equipment is healthy and ready for winter. Plowing with new personnel has been successful, and Rogers reported researching replacement equipment.
County Administrator Janelle Kukuk suggested automated notices from Purple Wave Auction, a huge inventory of construction and agricultural equipment.
During her budget report later in the meeting, Kukuk noted plans for a new sand shed, office, truck and a dozer.
Chairman Scott Lamb devoted most of the commissioners’ report to the health of county residents who seek services at the Creede Family Practice of Rio Grande Hospital. Considering the remuneration rate for Medicaid and Medicare, the clinic reports losing money every month because many patients receive health coverage from these programs. Previous commissioners pushed for having basic health service in the county, and the current board expressed the same goals. They tabled parts of the discussion for future meetings and mentioned a few guests who can help provide information for managing health costs at the county level.
Closing his report, Lamb noted how the county can access certain funds for fire mitigation, and the state forestry administrators will match the allocation.
Commissioner Jesse Albright presented a courthouse project update, and he proposed a more thorough insulation process combining soft and hard foam. The board approved the change order for using the airtight foam for insulation and soundproofing instead, helping keep the building warm in winter and cool in summer.
Kukuk delved into budget details based on recent board member recommendations and said she plans to present the final budget at a special meeting on Dec. 13. Airport improvements, for example, require moving money from the general fund. Line by line, the board examined each department and funding source.
Addressing legal issues for Mineral County, attorney Randy Nicholson provided details regarding overtime payments to county employees and the legal options for personal property maintenance complaints. Many small counties use zoning laws to control unsightly properties, particularly in areas that don’t have an ordinance for property appearance.
The board scheduled a special meeting for Dec. 13 to finalize the budget. They’ll meet again on Dec. 18, and the first monthly meeting of 2019 will take place on Jan. 7.