Click here to view a message that was sent on February 13th to the 312 local governments primary contacts. Since there is a new settlement with five additional companies, each local government must submit a new participation form to receive the additional funds.

The participation form must be completed by April 7th.

If you have questions, please reach out to Katie First.

Pursuant to SB22-230, collective bargaining by county employees is permitted beginning July 1, 2023, in counties with a population greater than 7,500.  The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) has announced a rulemaking hearing on Tuesday, April 18, at 3 p.m. to discuss draft rules on county collective bargaining.  The rulemaking announcement from CDLE (which includes a link to the draft rules and a Google Meet link) is provided below.

On March 15 the CDLE Division of Labor Standards and Statistics (DLSS) filed two sets of proposed rules. Below is a summary of each. For details on the rulemaking process, for the full text of all proposed rules, and for the form to submit comments on these rules, visit the DLSS Rulemaking page (at cdle.colorado.gov/LaborRules), and select “Proposed Rules & Rulemaking Events Calendar.”

County Collective Bargaining Rules (“COBCA Rules”), 7 CCR 1103-16. Pursuant to C.R.S. § 24-4-103(6), the Director finds as follows. The “County Collective Bargaining Rules” or “COBCA Rules” is a new rule set implementing the requirements of the Collective Bargaining by County Employees Act (“COBCA” or “the Act”), (Ch. 260, sec. 2, § 8-3.3-101 et seq., 2022 Colo. Sess. Laws 1900, 1900–1920, enacted May 27, 2022 and effective July 1, 2023, also known as S.B. 22-230).

COBCA requires Division rulemaking to create a regulatory framework that: (a) promotes harmonious, peaceful, and cooperative relationships between counties and county employees in the state of Colorado; and (b) recognizes the rights of county employees to join organizations of their own choosing, to be represented by those organizations, and to collectively bargain with their employer over wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of their employment thereby improving the delivery of public services in the state of Colorado.

COBCA requires the Division to promulgate rules as may be necessary for its enforcement, interpretation, application, and administration. More specifically, COBCA requires Division rulemaking to establish procedures for (1) designating appropriate bargaining units under C.R.S. § 8-3.3-110; (2) selecting, certifying, and decertifying exclusive representatives under C.R.S. §§ 8-3.3-108, -109, and -111.; and (3) filing, hearing, and determining complaints of unfair labor practices under C.R.S. § 8-3.3-115.

These Rules detail procedures, rights, and responsibilities for those three key aspects of COBCA.  First, with respect to appropriate bargaining units, the Rules largely follow the procedure detailed by COBCA, but also make explicit overarching policy considerations which inform any bargaining unit determination in addition to the factors expressly outlined in C.R.S. § 8-3.3-110(2). Second, with respect to the certification and decertification process for county employees, these Rules detail how the Division will receive petitions, resolve bargaining unit disputes, evaluate the sufficiency of a showing of interest, conduct representation elections, and determine any disputes or other complications, such as runoff elections or ties, that may arise in the election process. Third, with respect to unfair labor practice charges, which may be filed by county employees, their labor organizations, or the county, these Rules detail how the Division will receive, investigate, and adjudicate such charges. Where appropriate, these Rules follow the general labor law implementation and enforcement authority of the Industrial Relations Act and implementing rules, providing consistency and transparency in the Division’s labor relations processes.

Public Hearing Information:
Date and Time of Hearing:   Tuesday, April 18, 2023, at 3:00 p.m.
Written Comment Deadline for the above rules: Friday, April 28, 2023, at 12:00 p.m.

The Division is administering this public hearing, and all interested persons are free to offer oral testimony and to listen to part or all of the hearing. Participation for this hearing will be by remote means only. A recording of the public hearing will be publicly posted afterwards on our rulemaking page.

Written comments may be submitted: 1) online in the rulemaking comment form; 2) by mail to the  Division’s address below; 3) by fax to 303-318-8400; or 4) by email to michael.primo@state.co.us. Because written comments become part of the same record as oral testimony, and are reviewed by the same officials, you may submit written comments in lieu of oral testimony, but are free to participate by both means.

Instructions for Hearing Participation: Either of the below options will work to participate, but for orderly administration of participation, and to avoid possible audio feedback, please do not use both simultaneously. (You do not need to have a Google account to access any of the below means.)

(A)   To Participate by Internet, Including Testifying:
visit this “Meet” webpage: meet.google.com/oge-pbob-kbf
(B)   To Participate by Phone, Whether to Listen or to Testify:
call (US) +1 478-419-3251, and then enter this pin: ‪‪911 993 408#
Please contact michael.primo@state.co.us if you need assistance or anticipate difficulty appearing by phone or internet, or if you have any questions about how to access either the public hearing or its recording, or if you need accommodations or translation services to attend or participate. This public hearing is held in accordance with the Colorado Administrative Procedure Act, C.R.S. § 24-4-101 et seq., and Colorado Open Meetings Law, C.R.S. § 24-6-401 (2023), to receive any testimony, written, views, or arguments that interested parties wish to submit regarding the proposed rules.

Copies of proposed rules, including redlined copies showing changes from prior versions, are available at www.ColoradoLaborLaw.gov or by request to: Division of Labor Standards and Statistics, 633 17th Street, Denver, Colorado 80202

Many initiatives have been filed on Property Taxes. To see what initiatives have been filed please look here.

Please note that some entities (like the Bell Policy) filed initiatives that are intended to mitigate other property tax measures that have been filed. This document captures some of those ‘defensive’ measures.

With any questions or concerns please email Brittney Becerra at bbecerra@ccionline.org.

With wildfires, floods and other natural disasters remaining an ongoing risk, Colorado counties have led the way in developing innovative solutions for emergency management. But, sometimes even the most robust emergency plans leave out an important member of our communities – our pets. County commissioners and administrators play a critical role in ensuring that pet owners in their community have the tools needed to protect their furry family members in an emergency.

A national survey showed that more than 90 percent of pet owners said they would bring their pet with them during an emergency evacuation, yet only 46 percent reported having a disaster preparedness plan in place and only 16 percent have emergency housing secured. From sharing information on disaster preparedness for pet owners, to creating co-sheltering opportunities, to incorporating humane societies and animal control agencies in emergency communications and coordination, county officials can implement policies that increase the safety and effectiveness of an emergency response for people and their pets.

One simple step County Commissioners can take to protect pets in their community is share the ASPCA’s disaster preparedness checklist with their constituents. This checklist is a way for pet owners to make sure they have a comprehensive plan in place for every member of their family if, or when, disaster strikes.

The ASPCA works to provide resources and support for counties and other agencies to help enhance their disaster planning and response for animals. If you are interested in learning more about how counties in Colorado and across the nation are incorporating pets in their disaster plans, please reach out to the ASPCA’s Colorado legislative director, Ali Mickelson, at ali.mickelson@aspca.org.

The State of Colorado is seeking comment from the general public, producers and other members of land management and agricultural communities on the draft Strategic Plan for Climate-Smart Natural and Working Lands. The Strategic Plan was developed by the Colorado Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Department of Agriculture (CDA), Colorado State Forest Service, Colorado Natural Heritage Program, and stakeholders across the state.

As directed by the Colorado Greenhouse Gas Pollution Reduction Roadmap, the Strategic Plan identifies priority actions across Colorado’s landscapes to create a climate resilient Colorado.

To learn more, please click here.

The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing is asking for county help to communicate these time-limited training opportunities to the public. Both opportunities are intended to help grow the health care and child care workforce and to help those on Medicaid.

Specifically, please print and display these time-limited training opportunity communications in public facing and reception areas. This link includes a poster that can be printed and a digital display that can go on TV screens in public or staff areas: hfcgo.com/assistance.

The first poster communicates free, short-term training for in-demand health care professions and also communicates free early childhood education courses to become a certified child care professional. The second version addresses the free health care training as well as other programs to help low income individuals generally.

Both of the free education opportunities herein are essential to revitalizing the health care workforce, while offering upward mobility for low income Coloradans seeking new, sustainable career paths. If these communications get to the right people – specifically Medicaid members – they can be life-changing, giving people a once-in-a-life-time opportunity for free certifications that create a meaningfully different income trajectory, while helping grow the workforce.