Ouray County Newsletter

Connecting Ouray County Government with Ouray County

County Suspends Universal Indoor Masking Requirement but Remains Mask Friendly

At their regular meeting on Tuesday, March 8, the Board of Health, with guidance and recommendations from Ouray County Public Health Director Tanner Kingery, Ouray County Medical Director Dr. Drew Yeowell, County Administrator Connie Hunt, and County Attorney Leo Caselli voted to rescind the indoor masking requirements for Ouray County buildings, effective immediately.

Ouray County buildings will continue to be mask friendly, and anyone, patrons and staff, are encouraged to continue wearing a mask if they wish to or need to. Ouray County Public Health will follow CDC guidance for masking in clinical settings. Additionally, the Ouray County Courthouse is subject to any orders or requirements that are specific to the 7^th Judicial District and Court, which occupies the Ouray County Courthouse. We will continue to keep our patrons and employees informed of any changes to indoor masking, and we will continue to make masks available at facility entrances. We will continue to support community institutions like our schools and libraries to have free home test kits and high-quality KN95 or N95 masks to hand out for those who need them. Ouray County will continue to support our employees to work from home if they need to isolate or quarantine.

Ouray County extends its appreciation to our patrons and staff for their cooperation as we continue to adjust and adapt to changing state and federal COVID-19 guidance and Community Levels. We encourage everyone to do their part to help keep Ouray County at the Low Community Level per the CDC Community Levels Map.

1. Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines. Get a booster when you are eligible .

2. Get tested if you have symptoms. Take advantage of rapid, at-home test kits. Please report home test kit results at https://covidrapidtests.colorado.gov.

3. Stay home if you or your kids are sick except to seek medical care. Isolate when you are sick or when you have COVID-19, even if you don’t have symptoms.

4. Quarantine and stay away from others when you have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19.

5. Stay informed with reliable sources of information and share accurate information.

6. Prevent the spread : Wear a high-quality, well-fitting, and comfortable mask when in large groups or public indoor spaces.

7. Stay 6 feet away from others, especially indoors in public, if you aren’t fully vaccinated or if you are at a higher risk of getting very sick.

8. Avoid poorly ventilated spaces and crowds, especially if you aren’t fully vaccinated.

9. Wash your hands often with soap and water or use hand sanitizer.

10. Follow CDC’s recommendations for domestic and international travel .

Special Message from Commissioner Padgett

Dear County Staff and Ouray County Citizens,

Ouray County employees have been extremely tenacious, creative, and nimble in relentlessly providing high-quality COVID-19 services and regular county services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Change is always difficult, and with the high stakes and extraordinary high volume of rapid situational changes, I am extremely proud of Ouray County. I’m grateful to our medical community, our schools, businesses, non-profits, citizens, and visitors for persevering together as a team. We have officially passed the 2-year mark since the first COVID-19 positive case appeared in Colorado and the onset of the pandemic. For the first time since the onsets of the Delta and Omicron variants, it now feels like we are in a position to admire our hard work and cheer our accomplishments without letting our guard down.

At our regular meeting as the Board of Health on Tuesday, March 8, 2022, the Commissioners were presented with updated COVID-19 data and recommendations by our Ouray County Medical Director, Dr. Drew Yeowell, and Ouray County Public Health Director Tanner Kingery. Ouray County Board of Health and Public Health have been using a science-based approach throughout the pandemic with a strong reliance on guidance from our local medical community, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reduce community spread, serious illness, and deaths to keep our community, our schools and institutions, and businesses open.

Between our meeting on February 22 and March 8, there were many changes in state and federal guidelines that informed updated recommendations given to the Board of Health coupled with strong trends showing dramatically decreasing infections and positivity rates in Ouray County and across Colorado, with reduced COVID-19 stress on our regional hospitals and ICUs. Guidance changes included Governor Polis’ announcement on February 25 of “Colorado’s Next Chapter: Our Roadmap to Moving Forward” emphasizing establishing hospital readiness standards, surge planning, and normalizing COVID patient care in traditional medical settings.

The CDC announced around February 28 that schools and communities could use a new “COVID-19 Community Level” tool that measures COVID-19 illness impacts on health and healthcare systems. The new tool helps communities and individuals to decide what prevention steps to take based on the latest data, local context, and unique needs. Levels can be low, medium, or high and are determined by hospital beds in-use, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area. Ouray County has remained at the Low Community Level for the last two weeks.

Both the Ridgway and Ouray School Districts made plans between our February 22 and March 8 Board of Health meetings to cease universal masking at local schools in alignment with CDC guidance and Community Levels. Ouray and Ridgway School Districts are commended for providing in-person learning for local students from the Fall of 2020 to the present during the pandemic.

Effective February 28, the 7^th Judicial District rescinded mask requirements at 7^th Judicial District court facilities but retained the ability of the presiding judicial officer to order face masks for specific proceedings. Jury Trials within the 7^th Judicial District will now proceed. Administrative Orders of the 7^th Judicial District affect masking requirements at the Ouray County Courthouse.

As of March 10, more than 81% of all eligible Coloradans have received at least one COVID-19 vaccination dose, and more than 90% of the population is estimated to have a high level of immunity. In Ouray County, 66.7% of our population >5 years old is fully vaccinated, and 61.9% is fully vaccinated and boosted. An amazing 81.6% of our population >65 years old is fully vaccinated. Ouray County and every adjacent county but San Juan County are currently at the new Low Community Level.

Let’s take this moment to recharge our collective energy, appreciate our exceptional community, share some unmasked smiles, and continue the good habits that protect all of us. Ouray County will continue to be diligent while building capacity and readiness for what comes next. County facility policies may be revised if new information or recommendations from our Medical Director, Public Health Director, County Administrator, or state or federal health organizations deem it necessary.

With Gratitude,

Lynn Padgett

Ouray County Commissioner, District 1

Administrator's Corner

Financial Transparency Program

OpenGov platform engages the community

with instant access to financial data

In December, 2015, Ouray County rolled out its financial transparency program powered by OpenGov. The financial transparency program provides community members, visitors, elected officials, staff and interested parties access to the County’s Budget information. The powerful web-based platform transforms complex financial data into an interactive, digital format that enables better analysis and understanding of the County’s Budget. The intuitive design makes it easier to explore how taxpayer money is collected and spent. The platform may be accessed at https://ouraycountyco.opengov.com/.

The OpenGov platform displays government spending and revenue details in a user-friendly portal. Users can view historical revenue and expenditure trends over time and explore multiple views of financial data, including by Fund, Department, Revenue and Expense by Category, Property Tax Revenue and Capital Expenditures. Users can easily compare quarterly spending against historical data. Monthly and quarterly revenue and expense data is available from 2013 to the present. For example, visitors to the platform may find answers to frequently asked questions such as, “What was the total Property Tax amount collected in 2020?” or “What are the total Budgeted Revenues for 2022?” This information can then be printed or downloaded directly from the platform via a data table or chart.

View 2022 Budget Revenues

View 2022 Budget Expenditures

WENS is designed to instantly reach cell phones, landline numbers, email addresses, pagers and desktop alerts when an urgent County alert needs to

be communicated.

Recipients can choose to receive notification of Avalanche Notifications, Road Maintenance updates, and general notices.

In the event of an emergency, a text message, voice call, or email will be sent to the contact information you registered with the system.

You must register to take advantage of this important notification service.

Learn more HERE

Code Red is a high-speed mass notification system designed to notify residents in the event of an emergency.

This service allows us to deliver emergency or time-sensitive

messages to you via SMS/text, email, landline, cell phone, TTY, or a mobile

application push. Code Red alerts will display as originating from 866-419-5000 or 855-969-4636 on your caller ID.

If you missed any of the message details, you can also dial the number back to hear the complete message.

We might use Code Red in situations such as wildfires, evacuation notices, floods, boil water notices, criminal activity, and missing persons/children.

Learn more HERE

Sign-up today!

Emergency Manager keeps Ouray County prepared

In Ouray County, the public, private, and non-profit sectors, as well as individual citizens, must work together to protect against, mitigate, respond to, recover from, and, to the extent possible, prevent threats and hazards that pose a risk to Ouray County. The management of emergencies begins well before the emergency strikes.

The Ouray County Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), recently updated in December 2021, provides an outline of general guidelines on how Ouray County, Colorado manages operations related to the five phases of emergency management: preventing, preparing, mitigation, response, and recover. Ouray County manages events from natural, technological, biological, and man-made disasters and emergencies within Ouray County. The purpose of the EOP is to outline general concepts related to both the day-to-day management of incidents in the County but also major emergencies and disaster incidents that present extraordinary problems and challenges for local government, emergency responders and the citizens of Ouray County; that cannot be adequately addressed within the routine operations of local government. It is impossible to plan for every scenario, disaster, or contingency, therefore this plan omits highly detailed operational procedures which become out of date and change based upon agency policies, procedures and the circumstances of the event.

This plan serves as an emergency management link between local municipalities, the county and the State of Colorado via the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) and State Emergency Operations Center.

Ouray County Emergency Manager, Glenn Boyd, was recently awarded Emergency Manager of the Year for 2021 for Colorado's West Region.

Help Combat Disinformation_Halfsheet.png

Baldy Mountain Landscape Resiliency and Habitat Improvement Project

In January the BOCC met with USFS and BLM representatives to discuss the Baldy Mountain Landscape Resiliency and Habitat Improvement Project that may begin as early as this year. It is a wildfire mitigation project that blends a mix of hand crew thinning, machine mastication, and prescribed fire to be carried out across multiple years. It will chip away at the century-old fuel buildup caused by the past policy of suppressing all wildfires, and represents an overdue shift in policy toward allowing “good fire” back onto the landscape. This “fuels treatment” will lower the risk of out of control wildfire in an area that is a Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) identified as “very high risk” in the Ouray Count Community Wildfire Protection Plan.

Read the BOCC’s full letter of support

This video is a good summary of “good fire:” https://vimeo.com/640038078

USFS map, plan, environmental impact studies

February 3, 2022 Press Release: Baldy Mountain Project Decision Signed

Personal Property Declaration Schedules

Due April 15

The County Assessor reminds all persons owning, possessing, or controlling taxable personal property (furnishings, equipment and other movable personal property) that the deadline for filing a Personal Property Declaration Schedule is April 15. All persons who own, possess, or control taxable personal property with a total actual value greater than $50,000 per owner, per county, are required to report the personal property to the county assessor. Failure to declare your personal property each year by the deadline will result in the assessor valuing your property using the "best information available" and attaching a penalty to your tax bill. If you did not receive a declaration schedule, please contact Marie at the Assessor’s office at 970-325-4371.

All personal property with a total actual value in excess of $50,000 (per owner, per county) is taxable unless specifically exempt by law. Taxable personal property includes:

· All residential household furnishings used to produce income

· Equipment, furniture, and machinery used by commercial, industrial, and natural resource

· operations

· Property used in an agribusiness that does not qualify as agricultural pursuant to § 39-1-102(1.6)(a), C.R.S.

· Expensed assets with a life greater than one year

· Fully depreciated assets still in use

· Personal property in storage that is subject to IRS depreciation

· Leasehold improvements

Equipment that is licensed as a motor vehicle (SMM plate or Z-Tab) is not reported on the Personal Property Declaration Schedule. It is, instead, registered with the Ouray County Clerk & Recorder’s motor vehicle department.

If you have questions about the Personal Property Declaration Schedule, please contact Marie at the Ouray County Assessor’s office at 970-325-4371.

Changes with Ouray County

Fair Board

The Ouray County Fair Board, an appointed board under the guidance of the County Commissioners, has had some major changes in the last 45 days. There have been 5 NEW faces added to the Board. The only remaining member from the 2021 Board is Ashlee Briggs.

The new members include:

Oakley Kelly

Dale Earixson

Tate Rogers

Helene “H” Discoe

Lee Tainter

The excitement and energy of the new board is invigorating. They are all very interested in bringing a fresh, lively spark back to the Ouray County Fair in 2022. The Fair is one of few opportunities for the County youth and agriculture to “show off”. The children are invited to raise cattle, pigs, chickens and all other forms of livestock, as well as, display Lego creations, model rockets, shooting sports and a wide variety of other categories at the Fair. The community will, once again, be invited to register in the Open Class events that include (but not limited to) photography, floral displays, sewing items, jewelry design, pie & cookie baking, cake decorating…to only name a few. All are welcome at the Ouray County Fair in 2022.

The single most newsworthy item of the 2022 Ouray County Fair is the date - it has been changed. The Fair will take place the second week in August (9-13). It is a change, but change can be great! This change will allow qualified fair participants the opportunity to “show off” at the Colorado State Fair in September, for the first time in over 10 years.

The Fair Board is seeking volunteers to help with planning and “day of” activities at the Fair… Mark your calendars and get your canned veggies ready…call Erin at the fairgrounds, if you have any questions.

Got Child Care? Ouray County & Bright Futures

wants to hear from you!

If you live in Ouray County and have children aged 0-5 or are planning to have children in the future, please complete this assessment.

Click the image below to complete the assessment.

Ouray County Child Care Needs Assessment.png

COVID-19 by County

Know Your COVID-19 Community Level

COVID-19 Community Levels are a new tool to help communities decide what prevention steps to take based on the latest data.

Levels can be low, medium, or high and are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area.

People who live in GREEN Counties with low COVID levels do not need to wear masks.

People who are at high risk and live in YELLOW Counties where there’s a medium COVID level should consult with their doctor about wearing a mask.

People who live in RED Counties with high COVID levels should wear masks in indoor public places and schools.

Take precautions to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 based on the COVID-19 Community Level in your area.

If you are immunocompromised, learn more about how to protect yourself.

(Click the image below for more information)

Need a COVID-19 Vaccine or Booster?

Vaccines are the safest, most effective way to slow the spread of COVID-19 and its variants, and to help avoid the worst outcomes (severe illness, hospitalization, and death) among those who do become infected.

State health officials stress that all Coloradans ages 5 and older should get vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible. Fully vaccinated individuals who qualify for boosters or additional vaccine doses should get those as soon as possible. If you are symptomatic or have been exposed, please stay home and get tested right away.

Ouray County Public Health offers free COVID vaccines each week. Please log-on to our website at ouraycountyco.gov to schedule your vaccine. COVID testing is also available Mon-Thurs 9am-11am and 1pm-3pm at the public health office in Ouray at 302 2nd Street.

Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order 4 (four) free at-⁠home COVID-⁠19 tests. The tests are completely free. Orders will usually ship in 7-12 days. - View COVIDtests.gov to order yours.

To report your At-Home COVID-19 test results - complete this form.

Vegetation Management

Weed of the Month

-Hoary Cress-

See the Ouray County Vegetation Management website for an identification tool, to help you identify all weeds of concern in the county.

(How to Identify)

·Perennial

·Reproduces by seed and spreading roots

·Plants are up to 2 feet tall

·Flowers April thru June

·White flowers, also known as “white top”

·White flowers, ¼ inch wide, 4 petals, in clusters at ends of branches

·Seeds develop within heart shaped seed capsules, up to 4,800 seeds per plant and seeds remain viable for up to 3 years.

·Spreading roots can spread 12-30 feet per year

·Found in pastures, disturbed sites, and right of ways.

·Likes moist soil

Ouray County Vegetation Management urges all county residents to manage any Hoary Cress infestations, with elimination in mind. Weed control is a community effort! Please do your part. In the environment, Hoary Cress causes these effects:

·Displaces desirable vegetation, as it forms dense monocultures.

·Reduces production of deep rooted, native perennial species

·Reduces soil moisture

·Causes substantial losses on agricultural land

·Ingestion disruption problems for livestock as it’s toxic to cattle

·Boosts populations of insect pests

To reach our Vegetation Management Office, please call

970-626-9775