The Archuleta County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) unanimously approved multiple agenda items during its July 1 meeting, including a letter of support for broadband funding, the first reading of an ordinance limiting camping on county property and an Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) emergency evacuation plan.
During a work session held earlier that day, co-broadband services manager Eric Hittle briefed the BoCC on the matter, explaining that the request for the letter was due to something that had been changed with the Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).
According to the letter that was approved by the BoCC, “Archuleta County has been highly engaged in expanding broadband access to our citizens and businesses for more than six years.”
The letter goes on to explain that in partnership with the state of Colorado, the county has invested more than $5 million to construct a “robust middle-mile fiber-optic network, linking carrier-neutral locations across our major cities and towns.”
The letter notes that in a recent turn of events, the NTIA is rolling back and restructuring the BEAD program, which is “detrimental to Archuleta County and rural Colorado.”
Hittle explained during the work session that a letter was originally presented to the Garfield County commissioners, with that being the “framework” used for Archuleta County’s letter.
Hittle also mentioned that with the original structure of the BEAD program, “We have provisional approval for pretty much all of Aspen Springs to get fiber to the homes.”
He noted the difficulties in getting any permanent infrastructure installed in the area.
Hittle also noted that addresses in San Juan River Village were also provisionally approved to be serviced.
“Both of those are definitely at risk,” he said.
Commissioner Warren Brown commented that the county has put “a lot of time, effort and taxpayer money towards broadband,” noting a large chunk of American Rescue Plan Act funding was designated for broadband projects.
“Maybe more than we should,” he said, “but changing the rules of the game mid-stream is incredibly deceptive.”
Brown noted he is in support of sending the letter and telling Archuleta County’s side of the story and “how detrimental it would be to our community not to move forward.”
Hittle noted that by the end of the BEAD program, potentially more than 3,000 addresses in the county could be serviced with fiber-optic infrastructure.
Camping ordinance
During the same meeting, the BoCC unanimously approved the first reading of Ordinance 25-2025, which limits public camping and prohibits temporary structures on public property within Archuleta County.
The ordinance was presented by Archuleta County Sheriff Mike Le Roux, who had previously briefed the board on the matter during a work session held on June 24.
“This is a follow-up to some of the instances we’ve had recently with the influx of people in town … and the camping that has been occurring on public property, primarily county property,” Le Roux said during the July 1 meeting.
He added “it looks to protect public safety” and noted there are caveats in the ordinance of certain situations in which camping may be permitted.
“There’s discretion in this,” he said.
According to the ordinance, “the purpose and intent of this Ordinance is to ensure the safe use of public property, to protect those lawfully using public property, preserve public property, promote the safe and lawful use of public property, and promote the public health, safety, and welfare of the citizens, including the residents of Archuleta County.”
Evacuation plan
The BoCC also unanimously adopted the ACSO’s evacuation plan, which was presented by Emergency Management Coordinator Roy Vega.
Vega explained the evacuation plan sits under the emergency operations plan and is now “new and improved.”
He explained the evacuation plan covers roles and responsibilities, an overview of evacuation functions, alerting the public and activating an emergency operations center.
Commissioner Veronica Medina asked what specific revisions were made, with Vega explaining the plan was updated with current plans “with more ability to get the alerts out.”
Le Roux also noted that over the past few years the ACSO has incorporated some form of the evacuation plan and that this “just formalizes it.”
Le Roux also noted that the evacuation plan increased the number of emergency sheltering locations.
“I think it’s an update to what we were already doing well,” Le Roux added.
The entire ACSO evacuation plan is attached in the BoCC’s July 1 meeting agenda at https://www.archuletacounty.gov/archuleta-county-co-official-website/agendas-and-minutes/.
clayton@pagosasun.com
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