Weld County
Weld commissioners advance code changes on foster-care signatures and tax abatements
The proposed rewrite would clarify tax-abatement procedures after legislation raised the base petition amount to $20,000 and route public-comment correspondence to the board or relevant departments.
Weld County commissioners approved on first reading a rewrite of the county code's administration and finance chapters that would let the Human Services director or a designee sign certain foster-care agreements, respite-care matters and funding notices.
The proposed changes would let the Department of Human Services director or a designee sign certain foster-care agreements, respite-care matters and Notices of Funding Allocations. Esther Giesecke, who identified herself as clerk to the board, said the delegated-signature process would keep sensitive records out of the public record while they remain public records in the department's keeping. Chapter 5 changes address fees related to the agreements, which the county attorney's office considered, Giesecke said.
Giesecke described the changes as "basically housekeeping in nature" meant to bring the code in line with administrative and legislative changes. She recommended approval of the ordinance.
Giesecke said legislation increased the base petition amount in the tax-abatement process to $20,000, and the ordinance clarifies the related procedures.
The proposed changes would route public-comment correspondence directly to the board or relevant departments instead of through agenda correspondence. They also update the code's public-comment language to reflect administrative changes already made to it.
Giesecke listed other changes in the ordinance:
- the commissioners' earlier-year restructuring of the housing authority, with twice-yearly rather than monthly meetings considered
- the former process for veterans service reports, which no longer go to the board
- deputy DA appointments, placed under consent
- the oil and gas unit's move under the Department of Planning Services and the board's authorization of an external third-party auction process for leases
- a policy on managing board meeting rooms and county facilities
Giesecke said another category of delegated signatures might be brought forward later for board consideration, if authorized. She also offered to discuss the changes in more detail at a work session if the commissioners wanted one.