We are on the record. Welcome, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for attending our meeting today. I would like to call to order the Board of County Commissioners, a park county for a Wednesday, May 14, 2025 to order. If you are so inclined, we'd like you to rise and join us in invocation and then the pledge of allegiance. Thank you. Our Father and our Creator, we thank you so much for the blessings of your moisture in our recent times. We ask you for more as you see fit. We want to thank all of the people who have traveled here to be with us today. We ask for your guidance and your wisdom in our decision-making process. We ask you to bless our workers, our citizens and all of our travelers. We ask you to protect all of us from evil and to help us get through these trying times. We ask you to help those that are in your need who are in bad times or hard times and please give them the blessings that they deserve. In your name we ask amen amen. I pledge allegiance to the broad name of the United States of America and to the God that we respect, like the nation under God in the next world with the Christian Catholicism of God. Thank you all ladies and gentlemen. Turn on the microphone when I was trying to move it. Welcome everybody. We're going to start our meeting today. We're going to then look at our proposed agenda. With that, we have some amendments to that and I would accept those now. Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that we amend the agenda to postpone items 429 to May 21st, and that we postpone items 10 through 10 and 11 to a future date uncertain. That's a proper motion. I'll second that proper second. So what we're doing is that we're taking Basically is it three through 11 commissioner or I can do four through 11. Excuse me. Four through 11 or three 11. Thank you. So that's what we will amend that out. So with that proper motion and second, we will call the question, those in favor vote by saying aye. Aye. I, those same sign, the motion carries 3-0. So with that, we have an adjusted amendment to our agenda. So the first thing on our agenda is our consent items. We have approval of the minutes and approval of the vouchers. I move that we approve the consent items, the minutes from May 7th meeting and approval of the vouchers for this week. Seconded. Our promotion is second and if you're in discussion. We'll call the question those in favor vote by saying aye. Aye. Aye. That motion carries 3 to 0 for our consent items. Next on ours is the consideration and our decision on the following items. Approved or denied, intergovernmental agreement with Jefferson County, Colorado for pit access and disposal of surplus asphalt material. We heard this last week, I believe, what this is, those of you who live in Pine Junction, the big Jeff Co. pit that's right on the south side of 285, with all of the material that they've been removing for the last two decades, of three decades. And so we've been entered into an agreement with Jefferson County in a help and be beneficial to both parties, both us and Jeff Co. And they've been very gracious to allow us the use of that pit pretty much unlimited, as as all that asphalt that you see set stockpiled there. There's about 38,000 tons or so of recycled asphalt that they're going to allow us to use as well as we were able to hire their trucking tandem trucks for $85 an hour. So it's really going to impact and improve our ability on the plaque engine side for material road base recycled asphalt those kinds of things. So that's the setup for this comments. The only comment I had is when this was presented it's going to be a very good intergovernmental agreement with Jefferson County and utilizing that pit to really help out material wise for road and bridge and cost savings to the county. So Mr. Chair, I move that we approve the intergovernmental agreement. I move that we approve the intergovernmental agreement with Jefferson County, Colorado for pit access and disposal of surplus asphalt material. Proper motion. I'll second that. I'll second any further discussion. No, I just want to thank Commissioner Leslie Del Comper. She was on the other side of the facilitating this negotiation for Park County and Jefferson County to work together. She was very helpful and we are grateful that they have material that they do not want and we are grateful to have access to their material because we want it. So that's all I have to say. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yeah, I would just follow up to say that we've established a new relationship with Jeff Goe on our common roads that we share. So on our border with Jeff Goe, it's going to be, I think a better benefit for both of us going forward. And we have these intergovernmental agreements with other counties on roads that perhaps I'll give you an example in the southern southern and the county and ranch of the Rancho de Rockies Buck rake is actually a chafee county road, but it's the main access into park County So we have an IGA with them to help make tain that road because it's where they're they're not so this that kind of arrangement is what we're talking about Any further discussion? Yeah, I'd like to just add that I think Nick and Jared need to get applause for this. So I really appreciate their efforts. Call the question. There's a favor vote by saying aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Opposed? Same sign. The motion carries 3-0. Next thing we have, we have an agreement. Our proof of July, at least agreement between Hooper Corporation and the Board of County Commissioners of Park, County of Park, Colorado. Basically what this is, this is down at our shop at County Road 16 and those of you in the plaque canyon area which are most in our audience today but over here we're having some repair issues with our electrical provider is Excel. Whereas Excel handles this little tiny nine core highway nine corridor from some county to fair play in their service area ends here in Fair Play. Core handles 95 or greater percent of all of our county for your electrical service, but we're having a repair issue on May 28th here in Fair Play where they're going to shut the power off to the greater Fair Play area for approximately eight to nine hours. So in doing so, they've been staging equipment and we have extra room in our public works area. So this agreement is to allow them to store equipment to be used in that May 28th fix. They're going to replace several power poles because Excel is on a very aggressive mission to replace perhaps faulty power poles. So there's no wild and fire danger. So that's the purpose of this. Mr. Chair, I move that we approve the lease agreement between Hooper Corporation and the Board of County commissioners of County of Park, Colorado, for equipment storage. I'll say about motion and second, any further discussion. And we had this bark to lesser in our work session today. So if not, we'll call the question. Those in favor vote by saying aye. Aye. Aye. Opposed? Motion carries 3-0. So we still have number three on our list, which would be a Proof or deny construction agreement with A&M renovations for the Paris Mill project. This is again something we've had before us in the past. I believe it was either last week or the week before, last week. And what it is is we've been doing lots of renovations at the Paris Mill up above Alma. And so with that, Cindy, you can help us fill that in. It actually came a close in the audience too. But last week Andy Spencer at the work session, he reviewed with you the professional services of one of our consultants on the documents portion. This is Paris Mill Phase 8 and it's with a name renovations for the construction portion of the project. I don't have the dollar amount in front of me but it's like $206,000. $206,000, $618. Yes. And the document was the template for the construction agreement was reviewed by a legal council. Yes, so this is basically crossing the T's and dotting the eyes. Any further discussion? No. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that we approve the construction agreement with ANM renovations for Paris Mill Project Phase 8. It's a proper motion. I'll say about proper motion and second and for the discussion. No, it's just they are making great progress. It is nice to see that this money is being funded through his Colorado history grant and through the South Park National Heritage funding that we get from the federal government. And none of this money is coming out of Park County coffers. And it will be open for limited tours in the near future, and it is quite remarkable. So thank you guys for your hard work, Kate and Andy. It is a history treasure. Yeah Yeah it is truly it is the last intact ball mill left in the state of Colorado and so it is truly a treasure to our past of those who preceded us. Anything else? No comments from you, thank you guys for that. We'll call the question, those in favor of what we're saying aye saying aye. Aye. Opposed? Motion carries 3-0. Okay, with that, we are to probably the meeting potatoes of our meeting today and why most of you are here. Before we start on that, I'm going to ask legal counsel. She has any remarks that you want to make before I make my opening statement. I've added all of my remarks into your opening statement. So that's what I just wanted you to say that. So we can know that this is her reading or her writing that I'm going to read. So with that, we are at 312 PM. The Board of County Commissioners will now conduct a public hearing on the service plan for the proposed Placanian Health Service District. Submitted by petitioners, the Placanian Health District Committee. This statement I am reading shall be incorporated into and made a part of the record on those proceedings. Notice of this hearing has been given as required by State statute in the Park County Republican and Fair Play Flume on April 25th, 2025, and May 2nd, 2025. A copy of such notice is hereby made a part of the record of this proceeding. This hearing is being conducted in accordance with Colorado revised statutes 32-1-204-3. The purpose of this hearing is to consider whether the service plan should be approved in considering that matter the board will address the criteria set forth in Colorado revised statutes 32-1-203-2 and PURN 2.5. Section 32-1-302-2 requires that the board shall disapprove a special district service plan unless evident satisfactory to the board of each of the following criteria is presented. A, there is sufficient existing and projected, projecting need for the organized services in the area to be serviced by the proposed special district. The existing service in the area to be served by the proposed special district is inadequate for present and projected needs. C. The proposed special district is capable of providing economical and sufficient services to the area within its proposed boundaries and D. The area to be included in the proposed special district has or will have the financial ability to discharge the proposed indebtedness on a reasonable basis. Persuant to section 32-203 per 2.5, the board may disapprove the service plan if evidence satisfactory to the board of any of the following at the discretion of the board is not presented. A, adequate service is not or will not be available to the area through the county or other existing municipal or quasi-municipal corporations, including existing special districts within a reasonable time and on a comparable basis. B, the facility and service standards of the proposed special district are compatible with the facility and service standards of each county within which the proposed special district is to be located. And each municipality which is an interested party under section 32-1-204 per 1. See, the proposal is in substantial compliance with a master plan adopted pursuant to section 30-28-106 Colorado River Statutes. The proposal lists in compliance with any duly adopted county, regional, or state, long range water quality management plan for the area. And E, the creation of the proposed special district will be in the best interest of the area proposed to be served. The procedure to be followed in this hearing will be as follows. Number one, petitioners or the legal council may give an opening statement. Number two, following the opening statement, if any, the petitioners and any other person supporting the approval of the service plan may present any evidence supporting the commissioners may please. I ask the commissioners may please. I ask the commissioners may please. I ask the commissioners may please. I ask the commissioners may please. I ask the commissioners may please. I ask the commissioners may please present any rebuttal evidence. Five, the commissioners may then ask any questions. The following documents have been submitted by petitioners and the public prior to this meeting. Are available to the public in today's packet and are here by me to part of the record of this proceeding. Number one, the proposed service plan submitted by the petitioners and their exhibits. Number two, public comments received by the county through today. The board asked that the parties and witnesses not submit redundant irrelevant or cumulative evidence. If someone has already made the point that you wish to make, simply say so. The chair will also require that all comments be made to the board and there be no dialogue between the applicant and members of the audience. In order to ensure strict compliance with Colorado Ruralist statute 32-19- 108, at the conclusion of the hearing, the board will continue this hearing to June 4th, 2025 at 3 p.m. At that meeting, the board will allow for public comment but will not permit additional public comment by a member of the public who has testified at today's hearing. Are there any objections to the jurisdiction of the Board or in the form or substance of these proceedings? Hearing none, we will allow the petition to make their openings presentation. Welcome. Thank you. Can we get the version that doesn't show our notes? Do you know? Okay, thank you. Thank you. You're ready to make sure that you're ready to the next slide. I'm going to go to the next slide. I'm going to go to the next slide. I'm going to go to the next slide. I'm going to go to the next slide. I'm going to go to the next slide. I'm going to go to the next slide. I'm going to go to the next slide. I'm going to go to the next slide. I'm going to go to the next slide. Up at the very top where it says slideshow, I think that's. Up at the very top where it says slideshow. I think that's. Yeah, I just can't be on this screen. Oh, okay. Yeah. whatever version you're looking at on your computer is the version that will show up through Zoom Because it is just sharing your screen that you it. Technology works really well when it works until it doesn't. And we've had Grimmlands in this room to be sure of our Zoom capacity. And I know we have varying degrees of likability of Zoom. I'm not on the upper part of that. I'm on the lower part of that scenario. So we're gonna let these guys get hooked up and then we'll get going here. Thank you, Mr. President. I wonder if you said it when you were talking about the way for CQA going to go. That once somebody speaks, they don't speak again. Now, if someone comes up and says something very reputable, that that person actually needs to respond to, that person may not respond. What we're doing is we're going to allow three minutes of public comment on this and we have Joe Keats right down here from our staff with our Public Relations Department, our Public Information Services Department. That's where you are. Joe is going to be our timer and she has got cards for 30 seconds and then stop and so that we can normally I would use my timer instead of Joe normal circumstances, but I want to make sure I hear with my hearing disability Everything so we've asked Joe to do that so she can be seen by people at the podium Point of point of when then we get to public comment. We're going to let the district give their Presentation first. We're gonna go through that then we're gonna take public comment Well, well, somebody be able to refute another person's college. No, we're not going to get into a dialogue. We're going to go through that, then we're going to take public comment. Well, most of them will be able to refute another person's comment. No, we're not going to get into a dialogue, we're going to give public comment. Hopefully it's clear. And we'll clarify if we need to. Can you clarify the question so that the people in the Zoom world can hear what was asked? The question was, are they going to be able to have a rebuttal of a particular comment under their time. And we don't really want to get into a dialogue. So if they have already spoken, they won't be able to speak again as a member of the public. And so the process just so we all understand is we have the opposition, which will be later. After that, there will be time for a rebuttal. That's a gut, Jason. That's possibly the applicants. By the applicants. Yeah, the applicants will have the applicant. Yeah, correct that, okay. Not public comment, that's the applicant's ability to rebuttal. Thank you. No problem, thank you. Can you just talk, just the virgin going to slide this. What was I totally showing? I need to cross my motion to get back to your system. So, we're going to do the motion to get back to your system. I think it's really good to be able to talk about this topic. It's a very interesting topic. The only thing that's really interesting is it's only a problem. This is a very interesting topic. And I think this is just very interesting. I know I'm not so you're ahead of me. Thank you, Christie. I think we're ready to see this, those in Zuneland, as well as in the room. So do you think it won't hit well, a gentleman, don't hopefully, well, I'm not going to get any of your questions. I'll just talk to you. I don't want to get any of your questions. Okay. Thank you for your patience, everybody, for our check. Thank you for your patience for our tech difficulties. My previous job, I had a tech person assigned, so I always just went help. Thank you so much. And that is the first slide. Thank you. Would you just tell us who you are. I'm about to. Thank you. So good afternoon. I am Mary Ann Walshlawski, and I will give a more formal introduction in just a minute. We are here today to ask the Board of County Commissioners to approve the proposed health service district plan. So the voters of Black Canyon area can decide for themselves whether they want to create a health service district. We are the Black Canyon Health Service Committee, an all volunteer group with our neighbors and collectively, We work daily with our neighbors and collectively contribute thousands of hours each year in service to our community. Before we introduce ourselves, I wish to clarify our role for our public. A health service district plan is not a clinic business plan. Under Colorado statute, a citizen-led committee, like ours, can submit a basic plan showing a need and feasibility for a health district. That's what we are here for. That's been done the first step. And it's just like any fire or school or water district. If voters approve the formation of the district, then an elected unpaid board, not this committee, will be responsible for the full operational plan, funding, staffing, providers, services, and clinic location. We are not proposing those final decisions. Our job is simply to bring this forward so the people of our community can choose whether or not they want to help service district. So now I'd like to introduce our members of our committee. Charlotte Wittias is an RN with a Master's in Nursing, she's a Veteran of the Army Nurse Corps, a nurse practitioner, and former faculty member at two family medicine residency programs in Colorado. Colorado. Pettie Lucy retired from telecommunications and law enforcement victim advocacy. She sees firsthand how a lack of local healthcare services leads to a downward spiral in people's lives. Jim Peterson, a disabled veteran and father to his son with special needs covered by Medicare and TriCare. And Deb Alzner, a former plaque in school board member and past president serving for 10 years on the board, on the school board, a long time community champion who guided this team through the House Service District submission process. Kim Nicholson, a Bayley business owner, a Chamber Board member, and retired CEO of a National Marketing Communications firm. And I am Mary Ann Wislasky, a retired pediatric nurse who understands deeply the long-term impact of adequate healthcare access on families and communities. We are also grateful for the guidance of our advisors. Dick Alzener, a former Parkour Commissioner, who was on the B.O.C.C. when the South Park Health District Service plan was approved. and then Rob Green, a retired corporate executive informer president of the Pletkin and Chamber of Commerce, in our attorney here today, Dylan Woods of Caudian Woods. Thank you. Before I begin our presentation, I wanted to add two more things to the record because they came in fairly soon today via email to you guys. The first is from the plaque Canyon Chamber of Commerce and their board has submitted a letter in support of the placement of a House Service District proposal on the November ballot. And the second one is from the House of Representatives Office of Speaker of the House, Julie McCluskey, who also has given us a letter of support for the Placcanon District Committee proposal after reviewing our plan. And so she has also sent one. These came to you through email, but I have hard copies for you today that you can look at. Charlotte, if you don't mind. Thank you so much. Next slide, Patty. Yeah, thanks. So this service plan is prepared and submitted by the PlacKin and Health District Committee. It's dedicated to meeting the healthcare needs of Park County residents. This plan follows a previous plan submitted on April 4th of 2024 and June 20th of 2024. It expands information to address concerns expressed during the May 14th, 2024 public comments, the May 14th, 2024, BCC discussion, and the June 4th, 2024 Board of County Commissioners written reasons for denial. It addresses the concerns raised by the park County BOTC in 2024. Why are we here today? There are no primary care providers in the plaque can in area. The most recent healthcare provider left the district 16 years ago due to a lack of funding. It is important to note that they close due to funding and not to a lack of patients. We are 10,000 people. The population of Placyanian area has grown to more than 10,000 people almost 11 now and healthcare access for the residents in the district falls on the individual and their ability to travel long distances to the Denver Metro area to get care. Geographically, the only route to access health care is Highway 285, a mountain road through a twisting canyon that can be treacherous during winter months and is often closed to to vehicle accidents. When residents cannot access health care with their own resources, the plaque can fire an ambulance district becomes their gateway to health care. Treating and transporting patients one at a time to a Denver Hospital Emergency Department is the most expensive way to deliver health care and is a waste of our taxpayer money. Transportation challenges mean people sometimes skip needed care resulting in poor health outcomes. Excuse me? Or even death? We are here to change that. In rural underserved populations, our health service district is an essential step in providing the most cost efficient healthcare delivery system that of local access to a community-based primary healthcare center. Formation of the district will benefit all citizens of the proposed district as the district will be focused on returning quality primary health care services and facilities in the Plac Canyon area. This plan solves our current barriers of distance funding and access. It will bring much needed mental health care to the area. It will reduce the strain on our EMS. If the voters approve a health service district, a full- retired family nurse practitioner, So the former veteran service officer here in park county. The proposed service area for the Plac Canyon Health Services District is basically the same area as the Plac Canyon school district RE1. Looking at our changes in population, first of all, in the circle, you will see that over 60% of the entire population of the county is in our district of Plac Canyon. Population is nearly 11,000 people and is four times the size of the whole couple of other things. Some changes that we are anticipating by 2030 is that the number of 85-year-olds will increase 1911% those that are 75 to 85 years old will be up 108%. And 65 to 75 year olds up 7% which pretends a very sharp increase in Medicare and Medicaid insurance needs. At this time, almost 50% of households with 60-year-olds, as well as almost 20% of households with children, are on food stamps. 14 and a half percent of households are on Medicaid. 9% of households in the county have no health insurance. This data indicates probable difficulties in the future with accessing health care for those who to address some of the health care in adequacies in our area. So we have no full time health care providers including we don't have a clinic, we don't have a pharmacy, we don't have a full time grocery store. The closest health care services available to the residents in theac Canyon area are the Conifer family medical clinic and the stride clinic that operates out of Conifer. The stride clinic is also operating a mobile van that comes to Bayley one day a week for four hours and the Coniferifer Medical Center has a satellite clinic in Evergreen, however that is slated to close in September. Our veterans have to access their health care at a clinic in Golden, or for a more complete pallet of services they need to go to the VA hospital or the clinic that are located on the An Shoot CU Medical campus and that is in Aurora. So the next available health care that we can access from our area is that in the Denver Metro area. We do have limited mental health services in our county. Those include diversis, which is the provider of last resort basically, and they have a clinic in Bailey two days a week that they have hours at. And then we have some private providers also. And then additionally, we have two dentists that have full-time offices. But that does not make health care. For the international definition of a health care desert, medical deserts are areas where population health care needs are on met. Partially or totally due to the lack of adequate access or improper quality of health care. These can be caused by number one is insufficient human resources. Number two is a lack of adequate facilities. Number three is long waiting times. Four is a disproportionately high cost for services. And five is in all other socio-cultural barriers. Okay, so we have, I don't know, one second. So the emergency service, can we back up one slide? Thank you. So our nearest clinics to talk about those in a little more detail. The Conifer Family Medical Clinic is at capacity currently. They do not take Medicaid. They have taken limited Medicare patients and they're currently not taking private insurance patients because they don't have the resources. They do have a full-time clinic, they have a lab, they have X-ray services, and they can do emergency services. But if they're not taking any patients, that doesn't help. especially because a large number of the people in the Bailey area are either on Medicaid, Medicare, or both, and they might also have additional insurance. As far as stride goes, they're open two days a week at their Mountain Resource Center location in Conifer. They can provide, they have a philbotomy clinic and a tech who can run the centrifuge. So they can do blood draws for STDs, STIs, and like bloodshedder. Anything beyond that, they have to have quest diagnostics, pick it up, take it down to their labs and process the work. They also have telehealth, but as we're all aware, telehealth may not be allowable by Medicare come September. So that's a concern. They do not provide urgent care or emergency services. Those kinds of services, they recommend that their clients go down to wheat rich, to their nearest emergency urgent care clinic, or you can go to Lutheran Hospital or to the University of Colorado Health Center in Aurora because both of those are on the epic network and the stride organization can share electronic records through that network. They also don't have X-ray services at either conifer or Bailey and so if you need X-rays they recommend that you go down to either their their Belmar or their Peoria Street locations or to one of the two hospitals mentioned previously. They do, let me think. Oh, and so then the other thing is the Bayley Clinic is only open one day a week for four hours. So if you're fortunate enough to get ill on Monday evening and you can go there on Tuesday, that's great. If you get sick on Wednesday, you've got to wait a whole week to see them because the stride clinic and conifers also at capacity and they can't see new patients. Our veterans have to go all the way down as mentioned previously to either Golden or to Aurora. So emergency services do not equal primary care. More than 20% of our EMS calls result in decline transport. Sometimes that's even because an individual says, gee, I'd know I need to go down, but what sign there? How am I going to get home? I don't have the resources, I don't have the money, I don't have the connections. In addition to that, one of our fire department's spokesperson shared that most of these people are seeking care that's unavailable in the Bayley area, and that the ambulance service ends up being a substitute for primary or urgent care. The EMS finds that to be very high cost in terms of staff and vehicle strain. And their patients needs have to be addressed. There's no two ways about it. And they need a medical provider, but because there's no one in Bailey, they end up using the 911 services. The patient can be transported then down to Denver to an emergency department. That might end up in them incurring or their insurance incurring up to $1,000 more just because of the transport and going to an ED department versus the local clinic. And then the other concern is that it takes our EMS services out of the district for extended periods of time, minimum four hours usually per transport. And then that also adds to extra fuel cost, extra strain on the vehicles, and then a lack of local skilled resources and EMS people when we might need them. So 9-1-1 is the most expensive and the least efficient delivery system of healthcare there is. Transportation also should not be a barrier to healthcare, but it is in the Plank Canyon area. We have no local transit. We have one regional route that is served, but not in Bailey. They go right through Bailey. Don't even stop there. We all know how hazardous highway 285 can be. Whether it's in the winter when we're having storms and accidents close the highway, or the highway becomes impassable, can be in the summer anytime from Thursday evening to Monday afternoon when we have all of the tourists and people heading to recreational opportunities drive right up to 85 through Bayley and they cause traffic jams, the traffic goes slow, there's accidents. So 285 is always a concern, especially in an emergency. Additional transportation barriers are that we have people with unreliable vehicles. They don't have the money for gas. Or they have difficulty driving, maybe due to age, maybe due to health concerns, perhaps vision concerns. So they end up asking their neighbors and friends to take them to medical appointments in the Denver area. That requires a commitment of minimum of four hours from their neighbor of friends. And that can be difficult to find people with that much time to share. So once again, they use the ambulance. Also, we do have a ride share. We're very fortunate to have one. However, they charge $90 minimum each way, and they face the same hazards on 285 that any other vehicle would face. And our seniors and veterans have a particularly challenging time, especially when we talked earlier about health concerns and the inability to drive, but a lot of our veterans suffer from PTSD and being in a large metro area exacerbates that and that is not something that they like to do is going to town. So as we're talking about the distances and the barriers to transportation, consider that from county road 43A and 285 to get to the Conifer Medical Center takes 15 minutes on a good day to get to the Evergreen Family Medical Center's 34 minutes and to get to US 285 and C470 and there's not a facility there takes another 29 minutes. If you want urgent care, the closest urgent care is 37 minutes away down in the Wheat Ridge area. And then finally, as you think about the time that it takes to access care, we all know nobody lives at 43a and 285. So people have to get out of their subdivisions before they even get to the point where we started counting minutes and miles previously. The least might be five minutes, some can be up to a half an hour. That's a lot of extra time to add to your need for healthcare, especially in an emergency. So why is a local clinic essential? First of all, as we already said, codenfer is at capacity and cannot expand any further. Stride has limited hours and services in space and they are not looking at expanding any further. We have 10,000 residents who are underserved and need medical care. And having medical care in our community improves the quality of life. It reduces the stress on our 911 services. And it supports our community and the needs that we have for adequate healthcare. My name is Kim Michelson and I appreciate being here today. So let's talk a little bit more about the need for proposed services. The reality is I want to talk a little bit more about the poor health outcomes as a result of this. We've hit on the fact that Park County is designated as both a medically underserved population in a health professional shortage area. That means you, my state and federal standards, we simply don't have enough providers for our population. That's our reality. Access to healthcare has consistently ranked in every single survey that has been done in this county as one of the top five concerns for our residents. From even around the table, all these discussions come up over and over again. Without local options, again, our residents are left with two choices. We've heard that very clearly. It's either delay care or EMS, which, as we know, is a very expensive way to do that. So it puts that burden on EMS, and more importantly, it puts lives at risk. Next slide. The aspect of this, though, that I think is most critical is the outcome and as a result of our lack of health care. One of the most heartbreaking examples to me, as I was reading through this data, was that our suicide death rate is 2.5 times higher than the state average and only 31% of those who died of suicide ever received mental health care. That's significantly lower than both our region and the state and they are just statistics. These are lives lost. But it's not just mental health. And we all know mental health is a big issue. Only 26% of female Medicare and rallies in park county receive mammogram screenings. For all of us women, we know that's a critical in life-saving test, and three out of four older women aren't getting it. Broughter data point is shocking and applies nationally for rural America. The mortality rate for rural adult working adults is 43% higher than in urban areas. We're more likely to die of heart disease cancer, respiratory illness and stroke. Part of this is obviously due to our lack of healthcare access. So this isn't just about convenience, it's about survival. We need local care because our lives literally depend on it. Again, I think this is a critical point of stressing the EMS impact here. Because EMS, we all look to them for fire protection and all kinds of things as well. And we see a strain in Bailey because we don't have to guess whether there's a lack of health care. The data from EMS that they've provided points it out clearly. They had 1,278 calls in 2024. And they've reported that 80% of those were EMS incidents. And about 20% of those patients declined to transport, just like Patty talked about. That means that people called an ambulance because they had nowhere else to go. And in many cases, they maybe couldn't have good transportation. They couldn't afford to get down the hill or even really require an ear visit. They just needed basic care that just wasn't available. The fire department also found that 70% of all of the calls that involved behavioral and mental health calls were in Park County came from the Platkanian District. Now that's kind of frightening and on top of that the fire district's call volume has increased 25% last year and doubled since 2015. That's not sustainable for them and it's not safe for our community. Even at a Board of County Commissioners meeting, you passed the health service also reported that 58% of their behavioral health calls in a certain period of time came from Bailey. So, and even then they said the numbers probably would have been higher, but there's weather, distance, lack of providers made it harder to respond. So that just isn't about system strain. It's about lives delayed and declined care due to a broken patchwork of access and two few providers. We can and must do better for our residents. We talked about 285. We all live at the day. It's a tough one. Based on our geography, these barriers are very real for our people. Just one organization, the St. Jersey Landscape County had more than 60 medical ride requests last year. And it's not just them. HOA leaders routinely send out emails to our different groups saying, senior needs a ride. And as Patty mentioned, it is a very big ask because it's multiple hours per day. And we step up and we try and do what we can. Also, we just don't have services. When COVID made in-person visits, basically impossible. The local nine health fairs that came up, they really stepped up. They did screenings, blood work, you know, flu shots in our community. And in both 2021, over 120 people showed up. But most importantly, each of those years, eight or nine people were flagged for serious health issues like diabetes and cancer. Conditions that may not have been caught without these local screenings. But now the health fairs are gone and the lifeline doesn't exist anymore. Our train or weather or isolation makes healthcare harder to reach and emergencies more dangerous. When you live on a mountain road that might not be plowed or drive an hour to see a provider, these risks do add up and they take a toll. You know, we've all acknowledged this, the 2023 Health Assessment Plan approved by the Board of Commissioners, identified mental health, access to care and transportation as top priorities for the next five years. But here's what I think is very important. Did I slip this? Yeah. Okay, again, I hit this point. It's come up in every survey. This happens to be one from the most recent strategic master plan. As you can see there, it's number three. Okay, next slide. Beyond the numbers, what truly tells this story and I think really what motivated this effort is what our neighbors are saying and asking loud and clear. In surveys, in meetings, in one-on-one discussions, at book clubs, bridge games, around the table at a coffee shopper and restaurants. We need a doctor. We don't have one. It's not a common, it's a call for help. Parents with children with special needs are really in a bind. There's very limited care, which forces families to either leave the community or drive hours on an ongoing basis for basic services. One resident said, really want to get my parents up here, but they won't retire here. There's just no services. People want to stay in Bailey and age in Bailey. I think we all do. But the lack of healthcare is pushing us out. And maybe most telling of all, it goes back to the MS. Ambulance is the only crisis. That's not real access. That's an emergency system being stretched beyond the purpose. We've listened to these stories. We've taped them to heart. The proposed health service district is a direct response to what our community has told us it needs. We all are very active in the community and talk to a lot of people. They want access, dignity, and the ability to care for ourselves and our families without leaving our homes. Their voices matter, and we've listened, and they've shaped this effort from the very beginning. Okay. I have my slides out of order. Okay. The need for healthcare is clear. We've made that point point and these points have been emphasized time and time again. It's undeniable, but still is a solution. A local clinic is not just an idea. It's a proven sustainable model. You know, we looked at the South Park Health District where a similar clinic is thriving today with a much smaller population base than in the Black County area. Before, back, I think it was a Charlotte that mentioned previous clinic, before they closed down, one of the previous clinics had a patient base of more than 7,000 patients. We had a lot of data on that. And it didn't close because of lack of demand. It closed because of lack of sustainable funding. With a stable health service district behind it, the new clinic is projected to see between 11 and 20 patients a day on average as it gets fully ramped up. That's real consistent need. It is difficult to make everybody in the Black Canyon area aware of services. We found that to be very difficult, so it does take some time. By offering full service primary care close to home, we'll finally meet the everyday health care of our neighbors in a way that's sustainable for the long term. I'm Tim Peterson, a long time resident of Bayley, Colorado. The next couple of slides are discussing the high-level financial aspects of this proposal. What you see here on this first slide is three primary avenues of funding. The most obvious, of course, is patient billing. Most of the revenue would come from insurance plans, including government plans. I myself, I'm on tri-care and Medicare, I have a disabled son who is also on Medicare, we can't get any services in Conifer currently. But this proposal, this district would be required to accept patients from all aspects of the economic spectrum. So most of the revenue would come from those insurance plans. The probably the most famous insurance or revenue stream would be from the 1% sales tax. This is very similar to the current land, water, and trust fund sales tax act. But I would like to highlight here that we have included a 10-year sunset clause. This would not be a tax imperfectuity. Then probably not the most obvious, but another significant source of funding would be grants from existing organizations and avenues. We know there are already some state type of organizations such as the Delta Healthcare Services or the Rural Provider Access Program, those organizations would be able to give us grants. Most of us have heard of the Gates Foundation and shoots and Betcher also have similar organizations that provide grants to community service organizations and these would be significant sources of revenue for upfront expenses such as renovating the proposed property that we're looking at and getting in some of the initial equipment up front. And significant in that respect is that we have already been contacted by an experienced grant writer who has heard of this proposal and is very interested in supporting us and they are willing to donate their time and energy on a volunteer basis. So none of the money raised through this proposal would be required to go after those grants. The next slide is just looking at what our proposed expenses would be. And significant in the first year of course is facility setup, renovating and existing space, and then getting the initial equipment, what you see here, telehealth equipment, X-ray machine, that type of thing. Initial office supplies, labs supplies, all of that of course would be an expense in the first year. The sales tax revenue, as I mentioned, is very similar to the Lanham Water Trust Fund. So we have a pretty good idea of what the income would be from that. We estimate over a million dollars in the first year just from that sales tax. And that would cover quite a bit of the expense that can get in this setup. The next year's expenses would probably be a little less because we don't have the upfront costs involved in that. Then the next thing I would like to just talk about briefly is the Board of Directors and what's pertinent here is that under state law they have to be elected by the people in this district. The citizens of the district would choose five members. The most significant thing in my mind is that these are unpaid directors who are not looking at thousands of dollars in salary for a board of directors to run this district once the district is created. They will be on four year terms and once we get the initial five members on board those terms would then be staggered to keep us running forward without a wholesale change at any given point. The last thing I would like to just address briefly is probably the most common question we get from the community around us is why don't we have more specific financial data? Do we have a pending lease on the property? Do we have a handshake agreement with a provider that is willing to come? Under state statute, none of that is possible for this committee to do. This committee's sole purpose, as was mentioned in our introduction, is to get this on the ballot and have the voters say, yes, we want this or no, we don't. And if they want it, then the district itself is formed. And as a legal entity, they are the ones that would have the legal authority to then pursue operational agreements for those specific expenses. That's nothing that we can address as a committee. Thank you. I I guess. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Currently, the final developments of the facility will be the purview of the elected board of directors. That That is not in our purview as was just mentioned. However, at this time we do have a commitment from an owner of space that has previously been used as a healthcare facility. So the basic requirements for medical clinic are in place. It would be over 2,000 square feet, includes three exam rooms, lab space offices, a break room, potential expansion to an additional over 1,000 square feet. It already has 400 amps of electricity to support radiological equipment and a high speed Broadband for Telehealth, which would expand the ability for the practitioners to reach other and a high speed broadband for telehealth, which would expand the ability for the practitioners to reach other healthcare providers outside of our area. At this time, looking at that particular property, if we are able to get it, the ranch would include heat, water, and electricity. So, very doable. I'm not sure this was my slide, but I can do it. Okay, thank you. So security for district obligations is one of the statute requirements that is required for this and we are very happy and pleased to say that no county property or revenue is pledged as collateral for this plan. We are relying solely if it passes and that the citizens and the voters pass the 1% sales tax. There will be no property tax addition to your property tax. There will be none. And there will be no indebtedness. So there will be no obligations, so we don't need to guarantee ours because we don't propose any. We're proposing a sales tax, not a property tax, not taking out loans for any kind of indebtedness for this program. So we're very pleased to be able to say that and that the approval of the service plan will have no county liability and that the district is going to be solely responsible for its debts going forward. If at any point in the future a future board would decide that they wanted to expand or build out or something like that they would not be able to do so without going back to the voters. The voters have full control of this, not a board. Obviously not the committee was, as we said, we're not that group that's going to be doing this. And so please know that in the future, if there were going to be any indebtedness that the board, that board would have to go the people just like they do for a school, I'm never a noomer, you know, the fire department, anybody who needs to go to the voters for additional funding? This is exactly like those. The voters would have to approve. The voters have full control. Okay, thank you. So my name's backwards the nearest okay conclusion. So why do we need this district? I hope that what you've heard today has offered you compelling reasons also the, the plan is over 30 pages long and has a lot more to it. And we tried not to read the plan to you today because we'd be here till 10. So in the interest of time, we just see the highlights, but quality care is not sustainable without public support in rural areas. We hear this everywhere. We see this everywhere. You hear about rural health care. They need help because Medicare and Medicaid do not reimburse enough for a provider to make to keep the lights on. So we need public support. That's why we haven't had a clinic for over 15 years. The district closes the funding gap with that tax and with grants. We'd be able to go after these grants with the district. The sales tax ensures a stable consistent funding. When we have grants only, the grants come and go. They get rescinded. We only get them for a year or they expire after two years. The tax would ensure the consistent funding we need to attract providers to come up here and establish a clinic. And the service plan made all the statutory requirements for criteria under CRS 32-1-203. So, the requirement A was, is there a clear community need? We believe there is in the plan and what you've heard here today. We have documented from multiple sources how a lack that we have a lack of providers in access were designated as a dead healthcare desert. We've we've come back sorry we've talked about how it impacts our families our seniors the burden on our EMS and our well-being and a local primary care clinic would save time it would save our taxpayer money and it would save lives. Recurrent B is there existing services inadequate? We don't have any. We have zero doctors for 10,000 people in our area. Our closest doctors, as you saw in the maps. If you're lucky enough to go to conifer, great, but if you're not a patient there, and even when you are, I'm a patient there, I can't get in. I call in the like, sorry, go to urgent care down the hill. So even if you could go to conifer and get in, that would be remarkable, but we know we can't, so it's an hour down the hill, to Denver. The most close clinics are at capacity and not accepting new patients. When we have 23 percent on Medicaid or uninsured, they can't access local care because none of the kind of clinic won't take them. We need a clinic up in our area that will accept all these insurances. And we know that babies are going to grow. I mean, we continue to grow. So the demand is only going to get bigger. So we do project an unmet demand. Thank you. Next one. C, requirement C and D in the state statute is the district capable. We have an economical proven model that we see in Salt Park. They were able to do this with a 1% tax. We feel like we can do so as well with four times the population of fair play Alma and the entire dispersed fair play Alma area put together. So with four times their population, there will be no property tax or debt proposed again. Really want to make that clear, your property taxes will not be affected. And that we are capable of funding the clinic as revenues grow, as the clients and patients increase, we would be able to grow with them. Next slide. And then that requirement 2.5A through E that was right at the beginning here, the statutory compliance. There are no other entity plans to deliver care in a timely manner. Nobody's raising their hands to plop a clinic in our plaque canning area. Our standards align with park county expectations. We're part of your strategic plan. It's all over the earlier plan, and the one you guys just adopted, the 2020, is it the 2026 now, Mr. Plan? I think they were writing it, or 25 years you're saying it today, right? So the 2025 Mr. Plan and it's also woven throughout the whole entire 2023 Chaps Community Health Assessment Plan for Park County. It is in the best interest of our area. It serves all age groups, not just seniors. It addresses 43% higher row mortality rates. We believe we can save lives. We can bring down those mortality rates with access to local care so people can get what they need to work and with a provider that will help them maintain their best health. It promotes the health, safety and prosperity of our people, which is the mission of the B.O.C.C. So it's time for a change. We expect the B.O.C.C. to approve this plan and that we, the people, decide. Thank you. And I would like to ask our, did you want to come up at this point to do any kind of follow-up? I'd like to respond later after. Later. Okay. I'm directing that. Good for those on Zoom. Sorry to our lawyer. So that concludes. We would like to have we the people decide. Thank you, ma'am. Thank you, Marianne. We appreciate it. Mr. Wood, you'll have an opportunity to respond as we go through this process if you see it necessary. So thank you for, I was going to ask the same question, but we've got that question answered. Thank you. So with that procedurally, Ms. Fitz will just go into public comment. Okay, those of you we had set up over on the table over there a sign-up sheet. If we could get a copy of that or whoever wants to, if you haven't signed up yet, do so, we'll take the first page off of it, and then we'll put it back. You don't. You're the proponent. Mel's going to need it for the record, but I would thought I would use it just to call names. Great. So we have one through eight people who signed up. We appreciate that. This is generally something that's done in a large public meeting like this so that we don't lose anyone in this process. And if you haven't signed up and you still want to, we will make available for you to do so. So I will take. I don't have a second sheet. Yeah, just, just put this another one and we'll put it. So I've got the sheet here. So we will start with Gene Betcher. Gene, would you come up to the podium please and what we're gonna ask you to do since I have the sheet with your name on it. We're going to ask you to say your name, and then we're going to show you Joe over here. We are giving everyone three minutes and she's your timer. So she'll give you a nod at 30 seconds and then end. Okay. But I want into wait at this time. Okay, if you don't want to speak now. I'll become that time. Okay, if you don't wish to speak at this point, we'll come back to you. Thank you. You're very welcome. Next on our sheet is Melanie Brown. Welcome. And if you all can make sure that you speak into the mic so we can get us on the recovery. I'm Melanie Brown and I'd first really, really, really appreciate what you said and done already here today. So true and so relevant to me and to my family and all the residents, especially I just want to give you one example of what they said we need. I was called by a friend to take her to an appointment down the hill because she's blind. On the day of the appointment, the weather was terrible. Snowed like, you know how it stones. My husband offered to drive us, was good because he drives better and that's up his stuff. Took us two hours to get down the hill. We made it to the pointment half hour late. It continued to snow and it took us until five o'clock that evening to get home for a simple appointment. This is not right. It's not fair to her. It's not fair to us. We risk literally our lives. We saw I met oh puppy 15 cars off the road that day. So That's just one example. I could give you many, but I won't. Thank you, ma'am. Thank you, ma'am. We appreciate your comments. Okay. Next on our list, we have 10 Peterson. Welcome. 10 Peterson, again, from Bailey. Just speaking as a citizen, a user of this service, I mentioned my son earlier who is on Colorado State Medical Programs, Medicaid, Medicare, those types of things. Twice each winter he gets a sore throat. He's very susceptible to the ENT infections. When that happens, when I see that he's not feeling well, I have to drive for an hour to littleton to sit with a nurse for five minutes to get a throat culture or a nose culture, hour back. Two and a half hours out of my day, a hundred miles on my car for a five minute visit with a nurse and a district here that would accept government insurance plans would just be wonderful. Thank you. Thank you. Next on our list, we have Jack Roberts. Jack Roberts. Welcome, Mr. Roberts. Thank you, Jack Roberts. I'm here in support of this proposal. I've lived in Bailey for over 20 years now. I have a daughter that has a traumatic brain injury that we're having to go up and down the mountain to appointments and what have you in the city. She's not currently living with me, she's down in the city, but we're having to travel clear down there. We need services up in our part of the county that we can go to easily. So please, please, please consider allowing this to be placed onto the ballot. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Three soft niggle. Three soft niggle from Bailey. I lived here almost 50 years. I came in 1976. And when I came, we had Dr. Rastusha. And he was here for several years. After his practice, he retired Dr. Reed came. Dr. Reed served in Bailey probably eight or nine years, and then he realized that he couldn't support his practice there. So he set up what eventually has become Conifer Family Mountain. Conifer Mountain, family medicine down in Conifer, and several other doctors and practitioners have rotated through there and it's become a very large business. We also had in the time that I've lived here two different clinics that were set up by grants. One of them was from the Pike Speak area I remember that. They both set up in the building that was referred to, which is at the top of of it's about 43A, which we've been talking about. It's a good location and it is all set up ready to go for a clinic. I use those clinics in the past for my kids' sports physicals. At PLAT you have to have a physical every year if you want to participate in any of the sports, except for speech team, you don't need one. And so that was very handy to have that. My kids also would occasionally get strep throat as well as eye, and that was handy to be able to go over there as well. We run a contracting business, we occasionally have an injured employee or my son would get injured or my husband, and we could actually run down and have something checked out without having to call the ambulance. We've got a great ambulance service, but we overuse them for things that could be better handled in a clinic situation. I am so proud of this committee. They have worked so hard for two years to get this onto the ballot. I'm also grateful to the commissioners for hearing this again. And one thing I want to point out, and I know this is a political point, but this is an offseason. And if this could be on this falls ballot, we will have people coming who are higher educated voters. I don't mean educated higher information voters, people that are paying attention that are interested in this. I'm so concerned to see my county, whenever one of my fellow citizens sees the word tax, they vote no. And that's not the way it should be. We shouldn't limit ourselves because of the word tax. We need to really consider what we are asking our fellow citizens to pay for. And I think as we've all seen here, this is really an important issue and an important cause and a good cause. think as we've all seen here, this is really an important issue and an important cause and a good cause. And we should have a tax to help pay for this. So I would encourage the commissioners to approve it so we can get on this fall's ballot and get our higher information voters out to support it. Because that's going to be the big fight is to serve us on the Bayley side. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Huffingle. Next, Kim Michelson. Welcome. Mike Kim, I was on this committee for very personal reason. I am, my household represents two of those decline transports. And I have experienced both personally and in my business the need for healthcare. I have twin grandsons that the one they're about two and a half, we were trying to get ready to go to Bailey Days. I'm putting shoes on one. The other one I turn around for 30 seconds and he managed to open up the child-proofed hop of toilet bowl cleaner and got into it. I turned around to see it on his skin, on his clothes, in his hands, and I panicked as a grandmother. I threw him underwater, I got him to a poison control, they didn't answer. And I will tell you the dispatcher couldn't get him either. I called the MS, Austin and another, I will never forget them, came to my house. They checked him over and said it didn't look like any had gotten into his mouth or his eyes, but they recommended that he be watched for down in childrens. And so I was shaken. My husband closed the store and took one grandson down while I watched the other. And he spent six hours watching TV and even popsicles. But nonetheless, it was terrifying. Recently, I had an episode. After a stressful situation in my life, I went haywire. My blood pressure went. My heart rate went up. Didn't know what was happening. I felt very weird. My husband called the MS. They came over and checked me out. They talked to me. They checked my heart. We did a lot of conversations. They said we can take you, transport you or you could go down. We sat and talked about it and we said it'll be an hour and a half down. We probably sit there four hours in the emergency room and then we'd have another couple hours back to probably be told the same thing. So we did not transport. As a business, I've seen lots of scary things. We own a business on Wellington Road. So we are just off the Colorado Trail, a lot of people fishing down there about two years ago, a very scary situation happened. A woman came walking down Wellington barefoot with a long t-shirt. She asked me to walk into my store, she asked to use a phone. It was very clear for me and one of my customers who I know very well and was very perceptive. Something bad had happened. She was not very communicative at first but she finally told us that she had met a guy at a party down in the city. He had gotten a car with him. He brought her up here. He lived left her. She had no clothes, no shoes, no phone, no anything. So she was trying to get help. Anyway, we called the sheriff. Deputy came out. She didn't want to do anything. We needed some help. We have had a gentleman who went over his bike on the Colorado Trail broke a collarbone We waited for his eye waited for his grandparents to come from be a point of instant to help him so we've seen People short of oxygen. We've seen dehydration. We've seen people with fishing hooks through their hands I mean anything and everything at our store. So I'm passionate about this I'm right about this. I'm right at time. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, ma'am. Thanks, too. Stuart Adams. Welcome, Mr. Adams. Thank you. So you asked. Sorry. You asked that we not come up and repeat everything. You asked that we not come up and repeat everything and so what I mean to do is to provide some emphasis. Need is evident. It seems to me a lot of good words have been put out. A lot of good information has been offered. It makes it pretty clear that there is a need here. I was shocked by the number 10,000 residents, zero doctors. That's not just a little out of skew, that's wrong. There's something wrong there. Over dependence on EMS. That's not what they're there for. And so, sooner or later, we're going to get caught. They're going to get caught in an untenable situation if there are no alternatives. And this should be the primary alternative. 285? I'm going to say, you know, thank heavens, they're doing some work on it, but it's all I'm going to say. And it occurs to me this wasn't mentioned, but there isn't impact on property values to not having a clinic nearby. Real estate agents figure this out quick. And okay, I said I was only going to do emphasis. That was a new one. So the need is evident, the response is appropriate. A clinic is what's needed if we could clone what's down in conifer and drop it in Bailey, that'd be nice. I mean, for a model, that's nice. So we have a sense of what needs to be done. Financing, the administrative approach to this that's been laid out is sensible. Insofar as they can go in laying anything out. Obviously, they've got their limitations for what they can and can't treat for you. But it seems sensible. Follows the rules. My head starts to spin when we get CR101-3-OK fine. I believe you, you know. But clearly they followed and have been careful and thoughtful and meticulous about following the rules in presenting this request and proposal to you. So I say give it to the voters. You know let the voters decide. I don't consider it a shoe in. I wish it was. But let the voters decide. That's kind of the American way, isn't it? Thank you. Thank you, sir. I asked on my list, but not least, Chris Dinnon, I think if I put your name, I apologize. I know what happens to my last name, so I can appreciate it. Well any name that ends in an A-N and sounds like an I-N, like Brennan, Flanagan, and the Erigan, it's Italian. No, I really want to thank the work. The committee has done on this, it's unbelievable. hours and hours and hours. And, you know, Commissioner Whistle, you read the statute in advance of the meeting, which was a good thing to do. And it was really the Board of County commissioners and you emphasized, shall disapprove unless. Well, I think that they've really responded to the unless. And it seems to me I'm not a lawyer. I don't know of legal implications but certainly seems like they've met the requirements of the statute. Just on a personal note, I mean my wife and I have lived here at nine years I guess and when we first got here we were like okay we've got to figure out health care and Conifer was a no-go and we're taking any new patients so we ended up she now goes to Evergreen for her primary care and I go down the hill and when there is I mean recently for instance she fell in the ice and broke her shoulder I had to go go down the hill. I probably a couple of few years ago, I had a seizure when they determined I'm not an epileptic, but it was a grandmile seizure and I was unconscious and came to down the hill. I mean, I think of, for instance, stroke victims. And how important it is to get that shot within, well, it was quickly as you can. And if you don't get it as quickly as you can or should, you're in a totally different situation than if you get it earlier than later. So it just seems absolutely clear to me that the need is there. And again, kind of echoing what Stuart just said, put it to the people. I mean, it's not, it's obviously a political situation. Here we are in front of the Board of County commissioners. We're asking for a vote and a politics all the way. And yet it's not going to be that it's not only a Republican versus Democrat, you know, progressive versus conservative, you know, there's gonna be people who vote, because I'm expecting this vote will happen, there's gonna be Republicans and Democrats and independents who vote against it, and there's gonna be Republicans and Democrats and independents who vote for it. So just put it to the people, democracy in action. Thank you. Thank you, sir. We have one more. And then we have some people on Zoom. So Catherine Fitting. Welcome, Catherine. Scott, you want to sign up? Just hit the one right there. Hi, I'm Catherine Fitting. I have been practicing primary care medicine in Park County on this side of the past since 2004 until my semi-retirement in 2024. I also am the president of the South Park Health Service District, and I'm here to speak to the feasibility of a district doing what has been proposed before I dive into that. I do want to say my experience here providing primary care in this very rural area, this healthcare desert, would certainly endorse everything that has been proposed by the Bayley side. Our district has been in place for almost eight years now. We have been successful in getting a clinic, up and going, providing broad spectrum primary care. We've seen between 8,000 and 10,000 people this last year. And that's with a population that is much smaller than it is on the Bayouin side. So I think certainly there is sufficient number of people. Can I have a point of privilege? Would you mind speaking in the microphone? Several people cannot hear you online. Gotcha. Thank you. Okay, certainly there's sufficient demand to support the services provided by a health service district on the Bayley side. The 1% sales tax has been more than sufficient for us to provide the financial cushion that is needed to keep the clinic on a sound financial footing. And it also has allowed us to look at providing additional health-related services for this area. And now that we have the clinic firmly entrenched and clearly sustainable, They are also expanding to provide pharmacy services as well as physical therapy services. So the 1% sales tax is more than sufficient to provide support for a clinic and then additional services as may become apparently needed over time. So I fully endorse the proposal and I would encourage the commissioners to support putting it on a ballot. Thank you. Thank you, ma'am. And I know the gentleman, Scott Dodge, he had signed up on the sheet. Welcome, Scott. Thank you. Scott Dodge, 1, 3, 1, 7, Meadow Drive, Fair Play. I just want to just reiterate for the record that the strategic master plan that was adopted was the 2025 strategic master plan. And goal number four of that plan is strengthen and community health and essential services. Many park county residents lack access to medical care, groceries, childcare and essential services. The county's rugged terrain and dispersed population create challenges for infrastructure, transportation, and healthcare access. Addressing these gaps in critical, it's critical to improving livability, supporting families. The aging population further highlights the necessity of enhanced senior healthcare, transportation and in-home support services. And strategy 4.2 is strengthening healthcare and pharmacy access through land use tools to support healthcare infrastructure, expansion and improvements, and encouraging localized healthcare district initiatives, which is exactly what this program is. I just want to mention as well too, the town of Fairplay, we also went through this back in 2016-17, I believe, and we also met with the same opposition that will probably be meet on this go-around as well too. And we put it to the voters. And the voters decided whether they wanted it or not. And obviously they overwhelmingly did. And it's been quite successful for our community since it's a inception. So, you know, I'm in favor of that. And I would really hope that you guys put this on the ballot in November. Thank you. Thank you. Jean, did you want to try and speak again? Or do you want to pass? I'll wait until June. Okay, that's fine. You can have, we're going to try, since we have the second hearing, because of the notice issue and then we'll have other people that haven't spoken today have that opportunity. Okay, I just wanted to ask you. Okay, now we have what I see on our Zoom screen that's here. We do have three individuals right now on the Zoom call that have raised their hand and I'm going to notice and recognize Robin Davis. Commissioner Mitchell is our Zoom guru because I don't do Zoom. Joe Walsh, the great part of the Eagles, had a great album and said, I'm an analog man in the digital world. That's me. So she's our zoom person. And if I may just before Robin, you get started. Joe Keats is in the front row. When you see a red piece of paper being put up in the air, you'll be able to see it from the screen. That means your time is up. So thank you very much. Okay. I'll make this short. This is from the perspective of fire adapted Bailey and when you're a hammer, everything's a nail. I got to thinking about what would happen in our community if there was a fire event and we had people who were overcome by smoke or burnt or harmed in anyway by the fire. The first people that showed up would be the ones who would be transported away and then everyone else would be without any kind of medical care, any kind of way to triage, who needed to go, and who could be handled right there at the clinic if we had a clinic. So I just wanted to sort of put that out there from my perspective, how having a clinic would be invaluable in the event of any kind of wildfire event or really any kind of natural disaster. Thank you very much. Thank you Robin we appreciate it. Next I see Olivia and I can't I live you from Colorado. Live you what your last name if I may ask? My last name is Loria. L-OORIA. I am. And I just like to say that I endorse this proposal and hope that you will go ahead and pass it. I support all that's been said and it really is striking to think about, you know, what if we have a big event up here and no one to help out. So, years, I started out about the Bayley Clinic. I don't know if everyone that ended. But there are so many people that need help. And I don't see how you could not put this up for a vote. I do urge you to allow the community to vote on it. Thank you, Lydia. Thank you, Lydia. We appreciate your comments. Next, we have Audrey Krebs. Audrey Krebs. Hi. Can you all hear me? Yes, ma'am. Welcome. Okay. Thank you. First of all, thank you, commissioners. Thank you for allowing the committee to deliver the plan. Also, thank you to the volunteers that have completed this research and developed the health care plan. I know you spent years doing it hours and hours of work. Thank you. I served as a county commissioner for 10 years in Minnesota and I understand how important it is to listen to your constituents. The majority, the 1% sales tax will be fulfilled by people that live outside of the Bailey area that are traveling through. I love Bailey. I am a resident of Bailey. I need health care. I have cancer. I've had to drive myself in the middle of the night a couple times to the ER myself. And that's just not right. So commissioners, I ask you why would you not allow? Why wouldn't you allow the people that voted you in to vote for a proposed healthcare system system. It may or may not pass, but yet your constituents can make that determination. Please, please put us on the ballot for all of us that live here in the Bailey area to make that determination whether or not we should have a health care system here. Thank you so much for allowing us to come before you today to visit and give our opinions on what's needed here. We really, really need some health care. I have to go to Denver just for a simple blood test. I can't even get it in confer. Thank you. Thank you, I do appreciate your comments. Heather Lynn is next on the list here and then Mr. Winter. Hello. Good afternoon. Welcome Heather. You can hear me okay? Yes, ma'am we can. Can you hear me? Yes ma'am. Okay good I'm on the news net, so whoever knows. But anyway, I have something a little different in terms of an emergency situation to offer that could occur. One time we had a commissioner meeting, it's been in the last year, I believe, where even And you, Mr. Wessel, talked about the full service hospital that was, well, this full service as you could get, but full service hospital that was available at Fair Play in the early 1970s. And I just wanted to say that I think this is a very solid plan for these people put a lot of work into this, but it makes a lot of sense. The process makes sense. Their methods, the way they've gotten to this makes sense. I'd like to say that my father was killed on Highway 9 at the Yerrow Curve. When we hit head on, the whole family, mother, father, me, brother, sister, at the Garrow Curve, we were heading back towards Colorado Springs after looking at leaves in October 17, 1971. And my mother was bleeding to death. And the only reason that my mother is still here today is because at that time the hunters who came along and found us were able to radio to the EMTs in the hospital happen to have the blood. So she was stabilized in fair play. Before she was sent down and she was horribly injured. that was a big truck that had a little dot in. So I just wanted to say 285 is a busy highway. It's dangerous. None of us likes it. And I think that the possibility that people die there is high. I see articles about it. And I think that maybe even the clinic can give people a little more chance to survive something like that. Like it didn't my mother. My father, that was impossible. But I'd like you to consider the emergency nature of things also. Thank you very much for your time and thanks for considering this and I hope you'll support it. Full fled support it. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Lynn. We appreciate your comments. Mr. Winter, you're next. You're still muted, Mr. Winter. There you go. I think you're good. I have both. Oh, okay. Hopefully we're set. Yeah, I can't add much more to, I think it's been pretty eloquent, but when I was in a previous county commissioner board meeting there, I remember the objections that the previous set of commissioners had. And I hope that for the new member as well as the two there were there before we went through this We'll just really listen to what's been proposed and why And I remember some of the objections you all had voiced previously And I think we as a community have done about everything we can to To satisfy you and hope that you'll just let us vote and decide. And that's it. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Winner. Are we appreciated? That's the totality of people that have got their hand raised in Zoom. Are there anyone else in the room that would like to make comments? Just a brief comment. Come on up and we'll let you... We're going to have the-in sheet after you speak but we need to know who you are if you would be so kind. I am Brenda Allen. Thank you. I just want to add there are 42 special health districts in Colorado. So this is not new this is all over Colorado where they have many many of of these districts. Well, I just wanted to add that comment. Thank you, man. We appreciate it. Is there anyone else in the room who would like to make public comment on this particular application? I don't see anyone in the room. Is there anyone online who would like to make public comment specific to this application? There is one more hand, Sandra Horax. Sandra, welcome. Sorry, it's always hard for me to get unmuted. I'm from a small town in Michigan originally. We have about 5,000 people. We happen to be in the county seat, so we had a hospital. And while I was growing up, we always had between six and seven doctors in the town. I look at this and I don't understand why there couldn't be a vote for this. This is ridiculous. It's backwards. You've got 10,000 people that have no services. What is that about? My hometown now is about the size of the area in terms of population that you have in the Bailey area. They still have the county hospital and they still have several doctors. So I think you should go ahead and make sure that these people can vote for those. There's no reason not to. Thank you. Thank you, ma'am. Okay, just to make sure we don't miss anybody. We're going to meet again on June 4th to continue this hearing for other people that may not have had an opportunity through the dates and whatnot to appear before us or on Zoom. So are there any other comments of the public nature for this application? I think the proper move at this point, and I'm gonna check with our legal counsel is to continue this until June 4th. Correct, you can continue it, or you can take this opportunity to ask questions, but I would not close the public hearing. So those are your two options. Correct, are there any questions that you to ask at this time? None for me at this time, I'd like to wait until after the closure and the fourth. Yeah, and question, question for Christy. Christy, if we don't ask questions now, once the public comment period is closed, then we will have a chance to question the applicants. Correct. So the procedure that you all set out today, the petitioners put their case, we get public comment. You all can ask questions, they can provide a rebuttal of any of those comments and then obviously deliberation after the hearing is closed. I'd prefer to wait till we've heard from all the people who may not have been able to plan this time because of our one day late on the notice. I think some people are planning on waiting till June. Sometimes it's easier to just put something off. And so I'll just wait for questions till then. And we have motion to take. I move that we. Let me just say there's one hand up online. There's a hand on zoom. Thank you. We will certainly we can we can entertain that Beth and I'm going to master in a in gal. Hello. Can I please? Okay. Okay, I would like to offer a dissenting opinion, but I would like to wait until June to do that. Is that still going to be allowed? Yeah, yeah, we're we're allowing one bite at the apple for the comments on this. If you want to wait to June 4th, we can do that. Okay, I wasn't sure because it sounded like rebuttals was maybe dissenting. I don't know. I guess I got kind of confused if they've done this before. So just to help clarify for the audience and for people on Zoom, basically how we set this up is what the opening statement was knowing that we had two hearings already scheduled for this particular issue. We were separating, if you will, allowing the more additional time or additional time for any public comment. So that's the purpose of having the two dates specific to the 20 day notice. It's regarding law. So if that, I'll move that we extend to June 4th the public comments. That's proper motion. Second. Okay, further discussion. Just to be clear, I ask Christy just to mention the fact that procedurally we're fine. Yes, so Understreet Statute Board of County Commissioners is permitted to continue this hearing for up to 30 days. June 4th is within that time frame. So that is a proper motion to continue this matter until June 4th. Okay. Any further discussion? If not, we'll call the question. Those in favor of the motion vote was saying aye. Aye. Aye. Opposed, same sign? That motion carries 3-0. We are continuing this hearing on this matter until June 4th. We find my ending agenda. We have now come to any public comments. Anyone would like to make comments to us not specific to this application we just dealt with. You're welcome to come up to the podium and then or someone on Zoom. Sandy's hand is still up so I don't know if she has another comment. Okay. Thank you, sir. Well, again, my name is Chris Dessania. Chris Denon from Shawnee. I didn't know that I'd be able to make a separate comment, but that I came with these just in case. This is actually the third time that I've come to the board about this particular issue. Roosters. Roosters in a residential area. I've also appeared before the Planning Commission. That was the process that recently happened to get public comment on the Strategic Master Plan and the land use regulations. I thought it was great. Unfortunately, and understandably, the Strategic Master Plan took higher precedent or higher importance. And so that has been and is being dealt with. So that's great. I just want to make sure that the land use regulations and my understanding from the consultants was that it was a massive overall. So maybe not a massive overall, but I can only imagine that there's six or eight or ten things that really should be changed in the land use regulations. And this is one of them. To allow roosters in a one acre residential area, for me it's multiple roosters right next to me and a rooster across the street. It's like, you know, my granddaughter woke up one morning at five o'clock and they just keep going and going and she's right. I mean, it's really a big problem and so I and a number of neighbors separately filed complaints years ago because that was a violation of the noise ordinance, which it is. But enforcement is obviously an issue and I understand that as well. There's only so many people and et cetera, et cetera. So the land use regulations simply, there's 10, I list 10 counties that prohibit roosters, one of which actually doesn't totally prohibit them, but allows them in residential lots of 10 acres or more. Very reasonable actually the county to a south of us, to South Lake George. They came up with that. If you've got 10 acres and it's residential, yeah, you can have a rooster. But one acre, come on. There's like 150 feet away from us. And it's not just how good it'll do. At sunrise, it's from sunrise to sunset, they could just be going for it. They're at each other or whatever, and it's one rooster's not acceptable. Three or four or six, which it used to be, grazing us. So please just as the process unfolds to upgrade the land use regulations, please support us and just change that little bit of language that I've suggested. We'll take care of the problem. Thank you. Thank you, sir. We appreciate the chicken story because we have heard it before. And from the gentleman when we appreciate it, we appreciate it bringing it up to us again. Any other public comment on anything else? Yes, ma'am, please come up. I'm keeping track, Mel. I am. Okay, good. I'm Melanie Brown, and I live fairly close to Chris. I'm one of his neighbors that's complained. I have had a couple of parties at my house where I have a nice back deck where we've had to take people inside. We can't even hear because of the, it's not cock-a-doodle-doing. It's yelling know and they go at it this morning I heard four roosters and he said how did you know those four us because they all have a different voice I mean it's driving us crazy and we've been asking her very nicely but she doesn't care and it's you know if I was a mean person I'd poison the roosters. But I love animals. And I don't even have anything against roosters. But in my backyard, and we bought the home for the piece that we have. And every day, it's white and roosters. The law says, while people that raise roosters tell you that one is all you really should have, because they fight each other, and I'm proof of that. That's all, thank you. Thank you, ma'am. We appreciate it, Melanie. We have two more. We have Sandra. Do you want to speak to something besides the application? You're welcome to This is just an informational thing for you Dave. Thank you. I know Ranch the Rockies is a bit confusing with the roads, but The road at the front where you enter is only 50 yards long. After that it becomes windmill. And the way they did this, I don't know why they do that, but windmill by the mailboxes curves around and goes downhill. And then what's the name of that road? I always forget because we never use it up here. But it's only 50 yards long. So the road that you've been talking about all of the time is windmill. So just information for you. Okay. I appreciate that. I was out there on the 16th and spend four hours with one of the board of directors and another person we were looking all over the place. So we drove the whole bunch in Ranch Road. Thank you. Last next time we have is Heather Lynn Heather. You have public comment not related to the health service district. Yes, I do. I was in the meeting earlier by Zoom in the work session. I wanted to give an opinion that you might not think of. I believe you guys might be negligent in your oath to serve the citizens of Park County in that, in your own letter to Donald Trump, you talked about protecting certain rights, but you didn't talk anything about protecting the rights that are important to me. And I have a funny feeling important to a lot of people in Park County. Whether veterans, whether disabled, whether elderly, whether parents of autistic kids, I don't care what it is. But you forgot to talk anything in that letter about protecting, about having healthcare, protecting healthcare, about protecting social security, about protecting our rights to Medicare, about protecting our right to Medicaid, or to snap benefits that I get all these things. I've been disabled since 2007 with a genetic condition that makes us all my body tears, ribs, falls out of place. I've had 70 surgeries. I'm 61. So never been able to get that luxury life you guys live. No, but I get grant funded services like free wood and leap and food. You didn't say anything about any of that. And don't understand that. If you'd like to put it in the name of to me because I'm just made, I thought I was anxious and nervous and upset about the national landscape of all these things that made me be able to live in my home right now. And then I heard you. And now I'm shaking. And I'm very upset. And I'm angry. So I have to go out and walk the roads when I'm a disabled person or find a freaking wheelchair to get you guys to pay attention to what's needed. That is all. Thank you ma ma'am. I see no further hands. Nobody rushing to the podium to get up there to the microphone. Mr. Chair, I move we close public comment. I have a promotion. I'll second any further discussion. Call the question. Those in favor vote by saying aye. Aye both same sign that motion carries through to zero and With that we have reached the end of our agenda. I move we adjourn a promotion. I'll second it It is 459 p.m. We will be in adjournment call the question those in favor of what we say aye I I the post same sign. Thank you all ladies and gentlemen. Thank you all for coming to do I appreciate it a very near future Thank you travel safe. Thank you all ladies and gentlemen. Thank you all for coming to do. I appreciate it. Very near future. Thank you. Travel safe. Thank you guys.