Prowers County Commissioners meeting of January 28, 2025

At the morning work session on January 28, 2025, Commissioners met with Tallie Harmon, Executive Director of Prowers Economic Prosperity.  She said there are several projects in the works, including the possibility of bringing a textile company to our area.  The company, who makes clothing, is hoping to open a pop-up site here to get an idea of how well such a business would do in Prowers County.  The owner of the business is planning to do 5-day workshops here as well that would see if talent for sewing was available here. PEP is continuing their visits to local businesses.  PEP was on hand at the recent Arby’s Grand Opening as well as an Open House for Pipeline.  Judy Wittman, Prowers County Treasurer, gave the commissioners copies of the monthly December report as well as the 2024 4^th quarter Public Trustee Report, the 2024 year end Public Trustee Report of fees earned, the 2024 Semi-annual Report and a report on tax lien sales.

Joining the meeting via Zoom call was John McKown and Christine Potter with EvoGov, the company who is designing the county’s new website.  Mr. McKown showed the commissioners a new county seal that they developed.  The seal utilizes the same design as the current one but has higher resolution and color, black on white and white on black versions.  The color version utilizes the same blue as the State of Colorado seal as the background color with a gold braided edging and black plow design which more detail than the current one.  He said the company did these at no extra cost to the county as they felt it was necessary to have a new design.  The website will have a totally new look which, in addition to being more visually appealing, is much easier for people to navigate while looking for county information.  The company has enabled the county to access the site so that each department can give feedback as to whether information is complete and correct.  Further meetings with each department will be done before the website is officially launched to the public.

Thomas Dunagan, Prowers County Coroner, gave the commissioners an update on his department.  He told them that in 2024 the county had 113 deaths, 16 of which required autopsies.  Of those 16, 13 needed full autopsies while the other 3 were done via lab results.  Six of the 2024 deaths were from overdose. In 2023, the county had 110 deaths.  He reported that he now has only 3 volunteer deputies for the department.  He told them that he has 4 grants for the department; a workforce resiliency grant, a suicide prevent grant, a toxicology grant and a Narcan grant. The Narcan grant has allowed for his office to be able to distribute Narcan to schools and citizens in order to prevent more overdose deaths.  When Commissioner Ron Cook asked him about the grants and that his understanding was that they were paying for the recent staff training for deputies, Dunagan told him that he has not yet received money from the work force resiliency grant to cover this but states that the other 3 grants funds have been received. Cook explained that the county had budgeted to include these amounts and that further discussion would be needed for clarification on the grants.  Interim County Administrator Don Wilson said he has not received any paperwork on the grants either.  Dunagan also has gotten his  legal death investigator certification and is working towards having his deputies receive same. The van his department recently received from the county is almost ready to be put into service after having modifications made.

By Barbara Crimond