2017 annual report - colorado counties, inc....

1CCI | 2017 Annual Report | www.ccionline.org |

2017 Annual Report

2 | CCI | 2017 Annual Report | www.ccionline.org

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.

Table of Contents

Our Mission

President’s Message…………………………………………………………………………………………… 3

Executive Director’s Message.………………………………………………………………………………… 4

CCI Year In Review.…………………………………………………………………..……………………… 5-9

CCI Public Lands…………………………………………………………….……………………………… 10

CCI Foundation……………………………………………………………………………………………… 11-13

Photos………………………………………………………………...……………...…..………………… 14

CCI Board of Directors………………………………………………………………………………….…. . 15

CCI Staff…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 16

Denver

BroomfieldBoulder

Gilpin

Grand

Summit

Park

Chaee

Lake

Saguache

Rio Grande

Archuleta

Montezuma

Dolores

San Miguel

Montrose

Delta

Mesa

GarfieldEagle

Rio Blanco

Moat

Routt

JacksonLarimer

La Plata

ClearCreek

SanJuan

Ouray

Hinsdale

Gunnison

Pitkin

Mineral

Weld

Morgan

LoganSedgwick

Phillips

Yuma

Washington

Kit Carson

Cheyenne

Kiowa

Bent ProwersOtero

Crowley

Lincoln

Elbert

El Paso

Pueblo

Huerfano

CostillaConejos

Alamosa

Custer

Fremont

Teller

DouglasJe

er

son Arapahoe

Adams

BacaLas Animas


Commissioners Walk Common Ground,Coming Together 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.

It 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

President’s 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.


In Uniquely Challenging Times,CCI Helps Keep Counties StrongCCI 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. The 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. Pursuit 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 TABOR 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 Denver. 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 Las Animas, learned about landfill operations from a variety of local officials in Prowers and Lincoln, met in Montrose to discuss the hurdles to deploying broadband in rural areas on the western slope, and were schooled on the challenges of rural health care in Alamosa by the San Luis 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 CCI and the CCI 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!

Executive Director’s Message

John (Chip) Taylor | CCI Executive Director

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 (Larimer) 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.


2017 Legislative Box Score

CCI Year in Review:

85 65 6945BILLS BILLS PERCENTBILLS

During the 2017 legislative

session, CCI monitored

CCI took a “support” position or “oppose” position on

A successrate of

Of those bills, CCI was on the prevailing

side of Of those

bills Achieved&

The complete 2018 legislative agenda adopted in October, 2017, is available on the CCI website at ccionline.org.

CCI maintained consistent contact with members of the General Assembly, including (photo on left) Mesa County Commissioner Rose Pugliese with Rep. Dan Thurlow; 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 PrioritiesJust 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.


Legislative Team Connects the DotsIn Pursuit of Legislative Priorities

CCI Legislative and Policy Advocate Allison Daley (right) worked on human services issues with Rep. Susan Beckman (left) and Sen. Rhonda Fields.

Advocacy/Outreach

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

CCI Year in Review:• 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

• 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

• Participated in the governor-appointed HB17-1313 task force to work on the implementation of civil forfeiture reforms

• 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.

Communications/Education

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


• 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.

Coalitions/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

Formal Presentations

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)• Maine Association of Counties on the impact of

marijuana legalization in Colorado• Webinar on Status of Industrial Hemp for 23 counties

around the state• 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 Year in Review:

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.

Strong Partnership with NACoAttracts Member Participation CCI values 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.

NACo’s annual legislative conference in Washington, DC in February provided the opportunity for CCI members to meet with the Colorado 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 medical help they need.

NACo’s annual conference was held in Franklin County, Ohio, in July and CCI 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; and Larimer County commissioner Lew Gaiter chaired the 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, CCI Executive Director John (Chip) Taylor attended the annual meeting of the National Council of County Association Executives (NCCAE) where he networked with his counterparts from other state county associations across the 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.


District Meetings Hit the MarkIn 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).

Revenue - 86 percent of CCI’s annual revenues are received from county member dues. Additionally, CCI receives administration fees from CCI Public Lands and the CCI Foundation, as well as NACo services payments and interest 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 allocations below.

6% Conferences, Training and Education

18% Communications

21% General and Administrative

3% Depreciation

37% Legislative/Policy Development

9% Research/Technical and Legal

5% Building

1% UBIT taxes

86% Dues and Assessments

2% Public Lands Administration

7% Foundation Administration

4% NACo Service Income

1% Other Income

CCI Year in Review:

Colorado Counties by the Numbers


CCI Public LandsReauthorizing PILT, SRS PrioritiesFor 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 MemoryFormer 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.


CCI Foundation

Summer Conference

Keystone Resort, Keystone CO

June 5-7, 2017Leaders

CultivatingCounty

WINTER CONFERENCE

Hotel Eleganté | El Paso County | CO

November 27-29, 2017

Denver

BroomfieldBoulder

Gilpin

Grand

Summit

Park

Chaee

Lake

Saguache

Rio Grande

Archuleta

Montezuma

Dolores

San Miguel

Montrose

Delta

Mesa

GarfieldEagle

Rio Blanco

Moat

Routt

JacksonLarimer

La Plata

ClearCreek

SanJuan

Ouray

Hinsdale

Gunnison

Pitkin

Mineral

Weld

Morgan

LoganSedgwick

Phillips

Yuma

Washington

Kit Carson

Cheyenne

Kiowa

Bent ProwersOtero

Crowley

Lincoln

Elbert

El Paso

Pueblo

Huerfano

CostillaConejos

Alamosa

Custer

Fremont

Teller

Douglas

Je

erso

n Arapahoe

Adams

BacaLas Animas

Funding Your County’s Future

Summer, Winter Conferences Rich in Education, Networking

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).

The Winter Conference was held in late November at the Hotel Eleganté 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 Wobbekind 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.


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.

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.

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

33% Summer Conference

49% Winter Conference

16% Associate Dues

2% New Commissioner Orientation

CCI Foundation Financials

CCI Foundation

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.


Associate MembersFourteener Level Founder Level

American Fidelity(Employee Benefits for Counties)

Pioneer LevelAnthem 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)

Trailblazer LevelAce/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 & Research)

CTSI(Insurance, Healthcare, Financial Services, County Administration, Budgeting and Human Resources)

Developmental Pathways(Community Service/Disabled People and Their Families)

DLR Group(Architecture, Engineering, Planning, Interior Design)

eCivis(Grant Management System & Database)

Economic & PlanningSystems, Inc.(Land Economics Consulting)

Eide 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)

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 RuralElectric 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 Associationof 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)

(Oil & Gas)

(Retirement Benefits for County Employees)

(Construction & Forestry Equipment)

XTO Energy(Energy)

For more on CCI’s Associate Members, visit www.ccionline.org


Photos: CCI Members and Staff Making a Difference

Commissioner Nancy Sharpe (Arapahoe) (far right) participates in a NACo workshop on human services. Sharpe chairs the CCI Health & Human Services Steering Committee.

Commissioners Karla Shriver (Rio Grande) (left) and Cindy Dozier (Hinsdale) enjoy the CCI Winter Conference in El Paso County.

CCI president and Larimer County commissioner Lew Gaiter (left) with Ryan Headley of Wagner Equipment, CCI Foundation Board member and Winter Conference President’s Reception sponsor.

Polar opposites politically, commissioners Jason Anderson (Saguache) (left) and Larry Dan Suckla (Montezuma) found common ground as CCI leaders and friends.

Commissioners Darius Allen (Alamosa) (left) and Mark Glenn (Lake) were winners at the CTSI-sponsored drawing at the Summer Conference in Summit County.

Cheyenne County commissioner Rod Pelton (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.

San Miguel County commissioners Kris Holstrom (left) and Hilary Cooper (right) soaked up the quality education at the CCI Summer Conference in Keystone.

Freshman Arapahoe County commissioners Kathleen Conti (left) and Jeff Baker participated in the CCI New Commissioner Orientation in January.

Teller County commissioner Norm Steen shared his thoughts on election procedures during the lightning round of the Summer Conference Business Meeting.

Rep. Polly Lawrence (left) was welcomed to the CCI Legislative Breakfast by Mineral County Commissioner Ramona Weber (right) and CCI Policy Director Eric Bergman.

Preparing to participate in the Winter Conference auction to support student scholarships are commissioners Shawn Bolton (Rio Blanco), Roger Partridge (Douglas), and Lew Gaiter (Larimer).

Yuma County commissioner Trent Bushner taught newly-elected commissioners how to run meetings according to Roberts Rules of Order.


CCI 2017 Board of Directors:Larimer Commissioner Lew GaiterServed 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 Headley (Wagner Equipment Co.), and on the CCI Public Lands board by chair Shawn Bolton (Rio Blanco) and vice chair Larry Don Suckla (Montezuma).


CCI Staff Dedicated to Colorado Counties

John (Chip) TaylorExecutive Director

Kristin DunnDeputy Director

Paul ThompsonOutreach and Education Manager

Eric BergmanPolicy Director

Allison DaleyLegislative and Policy Advocate

Jeanne DeHavenAdministrative Associate

Brandy DeLangeLegislative and Policy Advocate

Linda TiehenAdministrative Associate

Gini PingenotLegislative Director

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.

Colorado Counties, Inc. | 800 Grant Street, Suite 500 | Denver, CO 80203 | 303.861.4076

www.ccionline.org

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