The Meadows served as the site of the Great Colorado vs. Texas Tomato War in 2025. Photo by Carly Winchell.
The Buena Vista (BV) Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) met briefly on Thursday, December 4th. Commissioners formally approved the permit for The Meadow's August concert with some clarifications.
Chaffee Board of County Commissioners left to right: Dave Armstrong, PT Wood, Gina Lucrezi. Photo by Jan Wondra
The resolution was originally included in the consent agenda, but Commissioner Dave Armstrong asked that it be moved to regular discussion.
Permits for concerts at The Meadows were discussed by the board on November 18th. They offered permission for the August concert at the time, and the vote on December 4th confirmed that decision. The approval covers events for the next three years.
Armstrong said the only remaining concern is clarifying that annual approval is not automatic.
“The possibility that if for some reason the county encounters a glitch or capacity issue in supporting the event, that was not automatically the case for each of the three years.” Essentially, Armstrong wanted to ensure the county had the opportunity to back out as part of the agreement.
Planner Nick Gomer confirmed staff had worked to “build a few more teeth” during the annual review.
Armstrong made it clear that he wasn't looking for a reason to say no, but rather wanted to ensure that both sides had the opportunity to pause when unexpected problems arose.
Commissioner PT Wood responded: “I think that's built in. There's enough in the permit to allow that and I think we as BoCC actually have enough power to do that, even though it wasn't as detailed in the permit as it is.”
As a message to the public, Armstrong stated, “I want to support the music and the venue and do this thing, but I want to do it responsibly and I have to find a way to make that change if we come across something that puts the county, the community or someone at risk.”
Regarding finances, Commissioner Gina Lucrezi asked: “Is there a way to provide a check and balance and ensure that this is the case?” [the vendors] actually file that these sales took place in Chaffee County and make sure they don't file a report [them] in Denver?”
Gomer responded that points in the permit made it clear that they were responsible for paying applicable taxes.
Armstrong added this comment to emphasize his interest in how the Meadows group will measure the economic impact on Buena Vista and the county.
The permit was approved unanimously.
Video of the meeting is available on the Chaffee County website.
The Chaffee Gives Day proclamation, the change in Sanborn Head's responsibilities and the appointment to the Early Childhood Council were all approved.
Wood read the proclamation declaring Tuesday, Dec. 9, and the second Tuesday in December as ChaffeeGIVES Day.
Commissioners also approved a change to the scope of work for Sanborn Head at the Chaffee County landfill. The change amounted to an increase of $13,800. Interim County Administrator Beth Helmke said the state requirements are non-negotiable, so approval of the change order is not optional. Helmke said the scope and resources would be reviewed again in 2026.
In related business, commissioners directed Helmke to move forward with a service provider's request for reimbursement under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) bill. State funding could help fund landfill improvements such as the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), curbside collection, public drop-off sites and other measures.
Commissioners approved the designation of the Chaffee County Early Childhood Council (CCECC) as the county's official early childhood council. This is largely a matter of formality as CCECC is the only early childhood education council in Chaffee.
The commissioners praised the work of the CCECC and emphasized its importance to the county. Armstrong and Lucrezi expressed support for anything the county can do to provide assistance in a difficult financial environment.
The BOCC then adjourned and reconvened as the Chaffee County Board of Health.
Chad Chadwick has taken gray water installation courses and is now certified in the subject. Chadwick said he added more information about using gray water for sustainable landscapes to the regulations after attending the courses.
Chadwick added that an important aspect of greywater utilization is ensuring the right plants are used to purify the water.
In addition, gray water systems are not allowed to be installed in flood areas.
Overall, Chadwick said he is comfortable with the use of gray water systems and will be reaching out to municipalities on the issue. The exit is left to the individual municipalities. Buena Vista plans to do so, at least temporarily, at its next trustee meeting.
“I’m excited to get it going in the unincorporated county,” Chadwick said. “Hopefully we can get some systems up and running and then hopefully in a year or so we can get some of that data back to municipalities.”
Commissioner Wood commented, “I'm pleased about that. I think that in my opinion, especially in a desert, it makes a lot of sense to use our water more than once and really utilize that resource as much as possible.”
Armstrong added that he is also a supporter of gray water systems.
The regulations were approved with unanimous consent.