El Paso County Volunteer Boards & Commissions Handbook

WE ARE EXCITED TO WORK WITH YOU

Welcome

On behalf of the Board of County Commissioners, the County Administrator, and the staff, welcome to your Board, and thank you for volunteering Every citizen board or commission serves an important role in our organization, and we look forward to you sharing your experience, insight, and opinions on the topics you’ll address.

How to Use this Handbook

Please use this handbook as a companion to the more detailed materials you’ll receive from the department that works with your volunteer board or commission. This will serve as a reference for you in your interactions with staff and the organization and outline what you can expect during your service. It will also serve as a guide for what Colorado laws, El Paso County policies, and other best practices you must follow.

Where to Begin

Each volunteer serving on a board or commission (hereafter referred to as “volunteers”) must complete the video orientation and read this handbook before you attend your first meeting. The videos will cover much of the information in this handbook, but this will serve as a permanent reference for questions you may have.

The topics of those videos include an in-depth examination of how the county is structured, the role of various elected officials, the services the county offers, and how the county is funded.

Another video discusses the county’s strategic plan in greater detail.

And the County’s attorneys explain more about the laws and regulations you need to know before you begin your service.

The department that supports your board or commission may have additional materials for you, including discussing your specific role, bylaws, and other helpful job aids.

Key Concepts

This handbook and the orientation videos will help you understand how the organization is structured, the Strategic Plan, and what laws and regulations will be important to your volunteer service.

The staff that works with your volunteer board or commission will have additional details and materials for you. Contact them if you have questions or need assistance

e c t i o n 1 . T h e B a s i c s

El Paso County Structure

El Paso is the most populous county in the State of Colorado It also covers a large geographic area roughly the size of the State of Rhode Island

As a government entity, El Paso County exists to provide services to citizens and residents. Some of those services – such as running elections for President, administering assistance programs, seeking justice for victims of crimes, or running the jail – are provided to people who live in the County regardless of whether they live in a city or an unincorporated area. Other services – such as road maintenance or planning for future development – are provided only to people who live outside of the boundaries of a city (normally referred to as “unincorporated areas”).

Citizens elect five County Commissioners to provide strategic guidance to the organization and represent voters’ interests regardless of whether someone lives in a city or an unincorporated area. The Board of County Commissioners (“the BOCC” or “the Board”) appoints two executive level staff members: a county administrator and a county attorney. The county administrator is responsible for implementing the direction received by the Board, including running the day-to-day operations of the organization. The county attorney provides the Board with legal advice and legal services to county departments.

Directing Staff

Due to this structure, the department that works with your board or commission is accountable only to the county administrator. It is important that staff and volunteers alike understand the role your volunteer board or commission plays within the broader organization. Do not give staff members assignments or directives without proper coordination with the county administrator or their designee.

Contact the county administrator or the department executive director if you observe any unethical or inappropriate behavior on the part of any staff member that works with your volunteer board or commission

Key Concepts

El Paso County provides crucial services to citizens and residents whether they live within a city or in the unincorporated areas of the jurisdiction.

The Board of County Commissioners hire a county administrator, who carries out the Board’s direction and runs day-to-day operations.

The staff that supports your volunteer board or commission reports only to the county administrator. You are not permitted to give staff members assignments or directives.

e g i c P l a n

S e c t i o n 2 . S t r a t

El Paso County works off a regularly updated and detailed Strategic Plan. That plan outlines the organization’s core values, mission statement, and expectations for all employees.

It also includes annual objectives, key results, action plans, monthly monitoring, and department plans

Your volunteer experience is driven by the strategic plan. Every action, activity, or endeavor your group undertakes must fulfill one of the plan’s objectives. Your conduct should also be compatible with the guiding value, principles, vision, and purpose of the plan. Please review and familiarize yourself with the Strategic Plan and let it guide you through your service. Contact county staff immediately if you have concerns about upholding the Strategic Plan.

Core Values

SERVICE FOCUSED

Wemakeadifferenceinour communitybyservingthe residentsofElPasoCounty.

Weareresponsiveto communityneeds Wearegood stewardsofCountyresources.

Weareopen,honest,and respectfulinourworkand communication.

COLLABORATIVE

Wefosteracountygovernmentthat worksforall Weinspireemployeesto passionatelygivetheirbestwhile leveragingcommunitypartnershipsfor themeaningfulbenefitofourresidents

TRUSTWORTHY

Welistentoourcommunityandact withhonestyandrespectinour interactionswithco-workersandthose weserve. Weadheretolaws,policies, procedures,andprofessionalstandards

To learn more about the El Paso County Strategic Plan, please visit: www.elpasoco.com/strategic-plan/

Key Concepts

The work you do on your volunteer board or commission must focus on achieving the specific goals and directives of the Strategic Plan.

The organization expects all employees and volunteers to know and understand our core values, core principles, vision, and purpose.

Contact county staff immediately if you have concerns about upholding the Strategic Plan.

LOW TAXES - LOW COSTS

Our community prefers low taxes and limited government that focuses on providing essential and cost-effective public services.

WHAT WE STAND FOR

QUALITY PUBLIC SERVICES

To consistently deliver highquality services, we standardize, innovate, measure, remove waste, continually improve, collaborate, and tell our story.

PURPOSE VISION

El Paso County will be a trusted regional leader known for excellence in county service delivery.

TRUST THROUGH TRANSPARENCY

We build trust by transparently publishing data and analytics on our finances, the condition of our infrastructure, and our progress towards our strategic objectives.

We provide essential public services to the Pikes Peak Region in support of our residents, businesses, and communities, enhancing the freedom for all to thrive.

o n 3 . L a w s a n d P o l i c i e s Political Activity

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Volunteers are allowed to engage in regular lawful political activities, including, but not limited to attending rallies, voting, donating to campaign or issue committees, or volunteering for a campaign. However, volunteers on a county board or commission are not permitted to seek county political office while serving. A volunteer must resign from any county volunteer boards or commissions if they publicly announce their intention to run for County Commissioner, Assessor, Clerk and Recorder, Coroner, District Attorney, Sheriff, Surveyor, or Treasurer.

Open Meeting Laws & Sunshine Notices

Open Meeting Laws and Sunshine Notices are in place to enhance transparency and accountability by giving residents access to meetings in which decisions are made. Colorado law requires volunteer boards and commissions to publicly notice all meetings where two or more members discuss business. This is an important concept to remember and one where you could easily violate the law unintentionally.

You cannot discuss your board or commission business with any other member –except for questions about scheduling – without going through the proper channels to notice that discussion to the public.

You must discuss any desire to discuss board business outside of your regularly scheduled meetings with the staff member who works with your board or commission. If the extra meeting is within the scope of the business of the board or commission and sanctioned by your chair, then staff will generate something called a “Sunshine Notice” which alerts the public to your intention to meet and invites them to attend. Never schedule meetings at a location the public cannot readily attend or where you or they are not comfortable. For instance, never schedule a public meeting at your private residence unless you are comfortable with the prospect of unfamiliar people entering your home. You also cannot schedule a meeting at a location where someone must pay a fee or maintain a membership to enter

Please consult your supporting staff members if you have questions.

CORA

Colorado also has laws that govern a person’s ability to retrieve documents and other records from governments. This portion of the law is known as the Colorado Open Records Act, or “CORA” As a volunteer, documents, notes, e-mails, text messages, and other records related to your service is subject to CORA.

Residents must file a CORA request to county staff, who subsequently process the request in accordance with Colorado law and El Paso County policies. Contact your supporting staff members if a member of the public reaches out to you directly and asks for records under CORA. (Someone may also use the phrase “Freedom of Information Act” or “FOIA”).

A county employee who works with CORA will contact you if your volunteer board or commission is the subject of a CORA request. They will discuss the scope of the request with you to determine if you have any records that may be subject to public inspection. The CORA specialist will vet any records you give them and consult with the county’s attorneys before anything is released You must never conceal any records you have that may be responsive to a CORA request, though you may freely discuss any concerns about privacy or other sensitivities you have about any records you supply to county staff. Never respond directly to the individual that filed the CORA request.

El Paso County believes in transparency at every level of government. It’s your responsibility to make a reasonable effort to keep records associated with your volunteer experience with the County.

Bylaws

Every volunteer board or commission has a governing document called “bylaws” that is specific to your board. This document discusses how board leadership is elected, how meetings are conducted, term-limits, and other responsibilities you must fulfill. Please reach out to the supporting department’s staff if you do not receive a copy of your board or commission’s bylaws.

Amendment 41

Colorado voters passed a constitutional amendment in 2006 called “Amendment 41”. This amendment serves the public interest by limiting, among other things, the amount of money or gifts a government official can receive from people other than close friends and family. As a volunteer, you are not permitted to accept gifts such as free meals or tickets to events valued above $65. Additionally, you cannot accept gifts from vendors that provide contract services to the county or who may have business before your volunteer board or commission.

Accepting a gift may be inadvisable even if it complies with Amendment 41 if it erodes the public’s trust or casts suspicion on your work

The dollar valuation limit outlined by Amendment 41 is adjusted for inflation each year. The limit is a cumulative total over the course of a calendar year from either an organization or an individual. For instance, you could accept a water bottle valued at $20 dollars and a lunch valued at $44 from the same entity in a single year. However, you would violate Amendment 41 if you subsequently accepted a keychain from the same entity valued at $5 dollars during the same calendar year.

Amendment 41 restrictions do not apply to gifts, tickets, food, or other items supplied to you by El Paso County in connection with your volunteer service

There are certain exceptions to these rules based on narrow circumstances. Please contact the staff of your supporting department if you have questions about accepting a gift from anyone in connection with your volunteer service to El Paso County.

o n 3 . L a w s a n d P o l i c i e s Attendance

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Regular attendance to your board or commission meetings is imperative Many boards and commissions cannot hold a meeting unless more than 50% of members are in attendance. Inconsistent attendance means boards cannot conduct their business and staff and taxpayer resources are wasted. Please consult your board or commission bylaws for meeting attendance options and the process you are required to follow if you cannot attend a meeting.

In some circumstances, poor attendance may result in the removal of a volunteer board or commission member.

Anti-Discrimination & Anti-Harassment

In alignment with the values of our citizens and our organization, El Paso County does not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind. Neither you or any employee can discriminate against any person based on race, color, ancestry, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity expression, or any other category protected by federal or state law Likewise, any harassing behavior based on the same criteria outlined above will not be tolerated. Please report any discrimination or harassment directed at you in connection to your volunteer service immediately.

The County may remove you from your volunteer position if you engage in any discrimination or harassment towards a colleague, staff member, or member of the public.

Conflict of Interest

No volunteer board or commission member is immune from a potential conflict of interest. Considering the trust the public must have in El Paso County, it is imperative that you understand and follow guidelines related to conflicts of interest. The community cannot afford otherwise.

A conflict of interest is defined as an action taken in a person’s official capacity that may result in a direct or indirect financial benefit to you, your family, or your partner You may also have a conflict of interest if you are a corporate officer in certain companies, own a business regulated by the county, or are the owner of property impacted by county policies.

Please contact the executive director of the department you work with if you believe you have a conflict of interest related to your volunteer service. The executive director will work with legal counsel to determine whether a conflict exists and what steps you should take to protect yourself and the organization.

Examples of a conflict of interest may include:

A member of the planning commission that has a financial holding in a development company seeking a zoning change from the commission.

A member of a parks advisory board pushing an organization to acquire land owned by a relative.

A member of the fairgrounds corporation approving a special use contract for a business owned by a business partner.

S e c t i o n

Public trust is eroded when any volunteer or employee uses county-owned property for improper personal gain It is inappropriate for you to use equipment or supplies for improper purposes. Additionally, you may not direct or use county staff for your personal benefit or to advance your individual objectives.

County Organization Chart

CITIZENS

ELECTEDOFFICIALS

OFFICEOFTHE ASSESSOR

OFFICEOFTHE DISTRICTATTORNEY

OFFICEOFTHE SURVEYOR

OFFICEOFTHE CLERK&RECORDER

OFFICEOFTHE SHERIFF

OFFICEOFTHE CORONER

OFFICEOFTHE TREASURER&PUBLICTRUSTEE

BOARDOFCOUNTY COMMISSIONERS

3 . L a w s a n d P o l i c i e s Using County Resources

COMMUNICATIONS

DIGITALSTRATEGY

&TECHNOLOGY

ECONOMICDEVELOPMENT

FINANCIALSERVICES

HUMANRESOURCES& RISKMANAGEMENT

HUMANSERVICES

GOVERNMENTAFFAIRS

PLANNING& COMMUNITYDEVELOPMENT

PUBLICWORKS

ELPASOCOUNTY ATTORNEY ELPASOCOUNTY ADMINISTRATOR

Key Concepts

COMMUNITYSERVICES

ECONOMICDEVELOPMENT

FACILITES& STRATEGICINFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT

JUSTICESERVICES

PIKESPEAKREGIONALOFFICE OFEMERGENCYMANAGEMENT

PIKESPEAK

WORKFORCECENTER

ASSISTANTCOUNTY ADMINISTRATOR

Understanding and adhering to the laws and policies above are crucial to maintaining public trust and having a rewarding volunteer experience.

Contact the appropriate staff immediately if you see a colleague or staff member violate one of these policies.