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OPINION: Mijares takes the wheel. Hold on for the ride.
Sean Pond's first meeting as County Commissioner wasn't uneventful. Pond has been the West End's face when it came to stopping the NGOs and the feds from designating the Dolores Canyons as a national monument. He gained notoriety, which garnered him the open District 3 county commissioner seat after the unfortunate death of Rick Dunlap.
At the meeting, Pond and the other new commissioner, Scott Mijares, voted each other into the positions of chair and vice chair. Mijares landed the chair position and then he led his first meeting — let's just say he has a different approach. After running through a series of agenda items that appeared to be agreed upon in their work session, but that they chose to rehash in front of an audience anyway — use your tools in your toolbox kids, someone hand them a consent-agenda wrench — the commissioners turned to a resolution titled, "The Montrose County Board of Commissioners Opposing the Designation of the Dolores National Conservation Area." There is no proposal for an NCA in congress that I could find. The last bills introduced in congress were companion bills sponsored by Sen. Michael Bennett and Rep. Lauren Boebert in 2022. Both died on the vine. There was concern that President Biden would designate the Dolores as a national monument under the Antiquities Act before he left office, but that didn't happen; to imagine President Trump now doing so would be surprising. The discussion at the commissioners' meeting turned to whether or not this resolution was needed. Commissioner Sue Hansen proposed a discussion between the commissioners on working out the wording for the resolution and coming back to a vote on the resolution at a later date. "We would most assuredly have a monument if this passes." Hansen stated, noting that there is currently no proposal for an NCA, but there are conversations. Her concern is that a strongly worded resolution could effectively poke the bear, provoking movement on that front. She acknowledged Pond's efforts on the 'Halt' movement, but noted that she and Mesa County Commissioner Cody Davis, amongst others, including various industries an NCA would impact, are currently having talks about the best approach if there is an NCA push in the future. Montrose County Natural Resources Director Justin Musser joined the conversation and reiterated what Hanson stated: that he's not against the resolution but would like to have a conversation first then have the commissioners come back and vote at a later date. If you're keeping score at home, you have Pond for, Hanson opposed until a discussion and Musser advising further discussion. Mijares hadn't weighed in yet. I understand Pond being dug in on his position, it's how he made his political bones. I'm just hoping he's not a one-trick pony. I also understand Hanson being dug in on her position — she's put in the work, too. Then things became bothersome. Mijares asked the audience if anyone had any input. Jim Anderson may have pulled a hamstring jumping out of his chair. He stated he's been watching the climate in Washington D.C. and the executive orders coming out and the threat is imminent. Huh? Does he not know the man who's signing those executive orders? Is Donald J Trump an environmentalist? Former BLM employee Dennis Murphy plus Ralph Files and another gentleman whose name I didn't catch spoke in favor of holding off until a conversation could happen. But then someone summoned the Ghosts of Commissioners Past and rattled Ron Henderson and David White's chains. As the kids say, it's about to get lit! Henderson and White, not surprisingly, advised to pass the resolution, for the enemy is at the gate. The ghosts are seeing ghosts. As chair, Mijares needs to be careful. White and Henderson are like a one-acre control burn, give them any oxygen and they'll be a raging forest fire with 80 mph winds at their backs. If you read the Mirror, you already know that David White loves him some David White. I can't get through his diatribes, it's hard to see the forest through the me-isms. He's like the 40-year-old former high school pitcher who remembers himself as the strikeout king — unfortunately those who watched him pitch know he gave up more walks and dingers than you can count. Where would the hospital be if White's plans for a county takeover would have taken hold? Let's bring back Steve Stuhmer for a second FBO at the airport. Ah yes, good times for sure. If Mijares is going to rely on Henderson and White as advisors, then he should use his 'phone a friend' play and get Gary Ellis on the phone from Sheridan. Is anyone's PTSD being triggered yet? If Mijares is going to disregard staff input — like he did Musser's — over the advice of relics, he may look up some day and wonder where county staff went. I understand his wanting to include people in the conversation, but there's a time and a place, including constituent time. But if he opens the floor for every agenda item for discussion then 90 minute meetings will turn into five-hour marathons. The examples are out there. I'm looking at you Paonia Town Council pre-Stefan Wynn, and you, current Cedaredge trustees. But I'll keep this in perspective, it was one meeting, a very small sample size. The resolution passed by a 2-1 vote. Mijares believes a strongly worded resolution puts the county at a strong start to negotiate. Sounds like a Trumpism approach, but tactics like this tend to only work for Trump. He's the master who can't be duplicated. To me, this would be like planting your flag at the fifty yard line only to be pushed back into your own territory. Hopefully, for Pond, it will have its desired effect. Time will tell. The resolution being passed doesn't bother me. There are times in which I'm going to agree with the board decisions and other times I will disagree. Unlike White, I'm not going to write a two page rebuttal each week. I just think the Roberts Rule of Order doesn't need to be retooled to accommodate some people who can't let go of their past powers. Dennis Anderson is publisher of the Montrose Daily Press and Delta County Independent.
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