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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 10/06/20 PUBLIC HEARING October 6, 2020 Present: Kathy Chandler-Henry Chairman Matt Scherr Commissioner Jeanne McQueeney Commissioner Kelley Collier Deputy County Manager Regina O'Brien Clerk to the Board This being a scheduled Public Hearing,the following items were presented to the Board of County Commissioners for their consideration: Commissioner Updates 1. Fernando Almanza-International Association of Chiefs of Police"40 under 40"Award Recognition Executive Summary(from Town of Vail press release): Vail Public Safety Communications Center Dispatcher Fernando Almanza has been selected as one of the International Association of Chiefs of Police prestigious "40 under 40"awards. The award will be presented to Almanza during the IACP's virtual international conference in October. The annual IACP 40 Under 40 award recognizes 40 law enforcement professionals under the age of 40 from around the world who demonstrate leadership, exemplify commitment to their profession and have a positive impact on their communities. Communications Center Director Marc Wentworth was compelled to nominate Almanza for the 40 under 40 award based on his dedication to duty and to the community they serve. "Fernando was the first bilingual dispatcher to Join the SWAT/SOU team, becoming a Level III Hostage Negotiator for Eagle County,"he said. "He also joined the Incident Dispatch Team in order to learn the ins and outs of their Mobile Communications Unit."Almanza has since been deployed with the Mobile Communications Unit to a variety of incidents and used his Incident Dispatch Team experiences to help reduce stigma and fear during emergencies. Vail Police Chief Dwight Henninger says Almanza exemplifies an impactful and thoughtful leader through his words,his actions and his beliefs. "He works selflessly and tirelessly to improve the law enforcement profession, the quality of life of our immigrant community, and has just recently joined Hearts Reign, an organization whose focus is to promote mental health in our non-English community,"said Henninger. "He has made an immeasurable impact over an exemplary career as a passionate advocate for the county's extensive Spanish-speaking community." Almanza's passion for change is rooted in his vision to bring the communications center,the police and the community together. After taking a 20-week course with Family Leadership Training Institute, Almanza created a project called"First Responders: Heroes in the Shadows,"an educational program about the process one goes through when experiencing an emergency and the importance of reporting it to the authorities. Since its inception he has taught over 1,100 people across multiple presentations. This project helped earn him the 2019 Colorado Dispatcher of the Year award and was profiled in the Police Executive Research Forum publication. 1 10/06/2020 In addition to his duties as a 911 emergency dispatcher and his work with emergency response teams, Almanza is a certified Spanish translator, a member of the Mountain Youth Coalition, a board member of Communities that Care, a Special Olympics fundraiser, a volunteer of the Eagle County Crisis Hotline and an elected Eagle County School Board Member. To top off these activities,he works with the Bright Future Foundation's Buddy/Mentor Program. Wentworth added, "His story is even more impressive when you consider he came from humble beginnings. Originally from northern Mexico,Almanza crossed into New Mexico at the age of 11, fleeing a past of domestic violence in his own family. His will and determination to enrich the lives of others,particularly the vulnerable and underserved, inspire his co-workers and supervisors to work together for a cause greater than themselves and deliver lasting results." In Almanza's words, "It has always been my passion to help people,especially those who believe they do not have a voice. I give special consideration to the LatinX community where English is the second language of 52%of Eagle County students. I entered into a law enforcement career in order to do the most good for them. In law enforcement, I can promote the equality of opportunity and advocate the values of a diverse community. Growing up in the valley for the last 17 years has given me the tools to understand what my community needs and has led me to find ways to give them exactly the support they require." Commissioner Chandler-Henry turned it over to Commissioner McQueeney. Commissioner McQueeey stated that she met Frenando Almanza a few years ago at the Family Leadership program. Mr. Almanza was an individual who was in the community to make the community better. He instituted training on 911 and continued to find gaps in the community needing to be filled;he made sure those gaps were filled. Chief Dwight Henninger spoke about the award. Vail ran the 911 Communications Center for the valley. The award was for people under 40 and there are 40 around the world. He stated that this was one of the more important awards that the IAC gave out. The first thing he noticed about Mr.Almanza was that he jumped in when there was a need. He was one of those employees who you were excited to be around and proud of. Commissioner Scherr spoke about the pathways to leadership in this community, and he recognized that Mr.Almanza had found pathways to lead and serve in his community. Mr.Almaza thanked everyone for the opportunities to serve the community. He had been in the community for over 17 years and planned to stay to serve. He thanked everyone who had given him the opportunity to grow. County Manager Updates Kelley Collier,Assistant County Manager,reminded voters that ballots would be mailed on October 9th, the same day 24-drop boxes would be opened. She encouraged people not to wait until Election Day to get their ballots in. COVID-19 Update Birch Barron,Emergency Operations Director,provided the weekly update. Eagle County was still in the Safer At Home level,Level II. The incident rate looked solid and had leveled off. The average test positivity rate was less than 3% and hospitalization levels were solid. However, 60%of cases still could not recall where they were exposed which put the county in a fragile state. In the last week or two,more people were in quarantine. Many of those in quarantine had been tied back to people who had engaged in unsafe activity such as gathering in large groups,gathering indoors,not using safety measures. The other concern was those who had tested positive and who were not being upfront with contact tracing. As much as there was good news,there were concerning trends. He encouraged everyone to play their part to reduce the disease spread,to keep kids in school,and to keep our winter business on track. 2 10/06/2020 Commissioner Chandler-Henry asked if we were still under Public Health orders. Mr. Barron confirmed. Commissioner McQueeney stated that the county would be so much better off going into winter if it could get into and sustain the green phase. Businesses could open and kids could stay in school. Everyone needed to rally to reduce the cases and not to go in the other direction. Consent Agenda 1. First Amendment to Amended and Restated Lease Agreement Between Eagle County, State of Colorado and Crown Mountain Park Recreation District- Storage Facility Update Jan Miller,Facilities 2. Contract between Eagle County Public Health and Environment and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment for Healthy Housing Grant(HDGP) Danielle Lettice/Emma Sloan,Public Health 3. Final Settlement of Contract between FCI Constructors Inc. for the Coroner's Buildout Kristin Degenhardt,Project Management Commissioner Scherr moved to approve the Consent Agenda for October 6,2020,as presented. Commissioner McQueeney seconded the motion. The vote was declared unanimous. Constituent Input Chairman Chandler-Henry opened and closed constituent input, as there was none. Business Items 1. Resolution 2020-079 to Approve the Eagle County Affordable Housing Guidelines and Administrative Procedures,update as Phase 2 Toni Frank,Housing Executive Summary: After 10 months of public comment, input and consideration on Phase 2, the Eagle County Affordable Housing Guidelines and Administrative Procedures are ready for approval. The Administrative Procedures shall include the annual update to data surrounding wages and the real estate market. As a reminder, Phase I was approved as the annual update on October 1,2019. The future focus of the Housing Guideline Phase 3 update will align with the Land Use and Comprehensive plans re-write over the next 18 months. Phase 3 is a reconciliation and alignment of county goals. Tori Franks,Real Estate&Development Manager with the Eagle County Housing Department stated that these guidelines modernized the document, communicated the county's priorities, and provided more flexibility. This was Phase 2. Phase 3 was planned after the Eagle County Land Use Regulations and Comprehensive Plan were updated in a year to 18-months. 3 10/06/2020 Commissioner Chandler-Henry expressed her thanks for all the work and partnerships that were established though the process. Commissioner Scherr thanked all of those individuals in the community who helped. Commissioner McQueeney moved to approve the resolution approving the Eagle County Affordable Housing Guidelines and Administrative Procedures,update as Phase 2. Commissioner Scherr seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous. 2. The Board of County Commissioners will meet as necessary to review and take action on any issues related to the COVID-19 Local Disaster Emergency. There was nothing in front of the Board on this topic. Commissioner McQueeney moved to adjourn as the Board of County Commissioners and reconvene as the Eagle County Board of Equalization. Commissioner Scherr seconded the motion. The vote was declared unanimous. County Board of Equalization 1. 2020 Abstract of Assessment Mary Kessler, Assessor's Office Executive Summary: Mark Chapin, Assessor, and Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners to sign the 2020 Abstract of Assessment for submittal to the State of Colorado Property Tax Administrator. Mark Chapin, Eagle County Assessor,provided an overview of the assessment. Commissioner Chandler-Henry stated that this was interesting reading and showed the diversity of the community. • Commissioner Mc Queeney made a motion to accept the 2020 Abstract of Assessment. Commissioner Scherr seconded the motion. The vote was declared unanimous. Commissioner McQueeney moved to adjourn as the Board Board of Equalization and reconvene as the Eagle County Board of County Commissioners. Commissioner Scherr seconded the motion. The vote was declared unanimous. 0.0.E coot'` There bei no further business b o. d the meeting was adjourned until October 13,2020. N Attest. cO1.o?- Clerk to the Board Chairman 4 10/06/2020