"Even though flood recovery may no longer be at the forefront of the general public's mind, our staff continues to work tirelessly on this issue," Commissioner Cindy Domenico said.
Flood-related issues were just part of a package of topics that Domenico and Commissioners Elise Jones and Deb Gardner covered in their "State of the County" review of what they identified as Boulder County's accomplishments in 2015 — and what residents can expect from their county government in 2016.
They led off their annual report by noting that it may take another couple of years to complete flood recovery efforts and get more of Boulder County's flood victims permanently resettled.
Last year, Boulder County spent about $11 million on flood-related road and bridge work. This year, repairs and replacements of county government's transportation infrastructure are expected to cost another $41 million.
This year's flood recovery projects on county parks and open space lands are to include work at Pella Ponds south of Hygiene and the Walden Ponds Wildlife Habitat southwest of North 75th Street and Jay Road, as well as continuing repairs to the Anne U. White Trail that runs through the Fourmile Creek Canyon.
Boulder County will be continue providing flood-survivor case management services to connect residents with available funding toward their still-unmet needs after the 2013 devastation. The commissioners said the county expects to be responsible for trying to close about 235 of those still-open cases.
The commissioners also highlighted numerous non-flood-related projects and services planned for the coming year. Among them:
The Parks and Open Space Department will continue working toward a goal of having at least 20 percent of the croplands it leases to private farmers be certified as organic, or in transition to organic, by the year 2020.
The Housing and Human Services Department is working toward a goal of enrolling every county resident in health insurance coverage.
The Administrative Services, Transportation and Parks and Open Space departments will begin implementing the county's emerald ash borer management plan, removing ash trees from county road rights of way and the grounds of county-owned buildings.
Nor did the commissioners limit Tuesday's review to the county departments that report directly to them. Their presentation, and an expanded report that's to be posted online, noted several other elected officeholders' plans for 2016, including:
• District Attorney Stan Garnett is preparing to expand a juvenile-diversion restorative-justice program to adults, with the adult program eventually expected to handle 400 cases a year outside the conventional court system.
• Sheriff Joe Pelle plans to buy body cameras for as many as 90 deputies, a step the commissioners said "is intended to enhance deputy safety, improve accountability, reduce liability and help public and media perceptions after a critical incident."
• Coroner Emma Hall will begin a family liaison pilot program "to make more direct contact, and continued follow-up, with individuals and families" throughout a death investigation.
• Clerk Hillary Hall's Recording Division expects to have completed the digital "e-recording" of all the paper documents ever filed with that office — such items as marriage and civil-union licenses, deeds, covenants, mining claims, plats and maps — by the end of 2016.
"Thanks to everyone for continuing to work so hard for our residents, and we look forward to hearing about future innovations and having a great year going forward in 2016," Gardner said.
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