Elbert County meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

Elbert County boards schedule PUD, solar and tower hearings; minutes not yet posted

Elbert County's Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners scheduled public hearings over the past two weeks on a planned unit development amendment, a solar project's water use and a communications tower, and met with the Elizabeth Stampede about possible future use of county property. Agendas for all three meetings are posted, but minutes have not been published, so the record available this week does not establish what, if anything, was decided at any of them.

Blue Sky Ranch PUD amendment

The Planning Commission met Oct. 6 at 6:00 PM at the Agriculture Building, 95 Ute Ave. in Kiowa, with a quasi-judicial public hearing on the Blue Sky Ranch PUD Amendment, case PUD-2024-1542, as its main substantive item. The agenda listed a staff presentation, an applicant presentation, public testimony and a roll call vote. The remaining agenda items were routine: staff report, citizen comments, approval of the minutes from Sept. 22, 2026, and announcements. Under Resolution 00-01, the meeting had to adjourn no later than 10:00 PM. No vote tally from the hearing appears in the materials available.

Elizabeth Stampede work session

Commissioners held a work session Oct. 7 at 10:30 AM in the BOCC Meeting Room with the Elizabeth Stampede to discuss potential future usage of county property. The agenda states that no decisions would be made and that no public comment would be heard.

Solar, tower hearings and traffic study policy

At the Oct. 14 County Commission meeting, the agenda listed a reopening of the public hearing for Shepherd Solar LLC (1041-2026-0001 and SUR-2026-0002) regarding water usage, and a public hearing for the Silver Buckle Ranch Tower (SUR-2026-0004). The board also listed continued consideration of Solar and Battery Energy Storage Systems Regulations and discussion of a policy for Traffic Study Requirements. The agenda does not state what action, if any, was taken on any of these items.

Coming up

Planning Commission, Oct. 20: quasi-judicial public hearings on three land use requests — the Phantom Creek Final Plat (FP-2025-0006), the Maciunskas Margaret Trust Rezone (RZ-2026-0003) and the Open Sky Rezone (RZ-2025-0011). The commission says it will base its decisions on adopted regulation standards and on evidence presented during the hearings.

County Commission, Oct. 26: a work session with staff for an initial discussion of land use regulations for data centers and similar tech operations. No decisions will be made and no public comment will be heard.

About this roundup

This summary is drawn from posted agendas for the listed meetings. Where minutes are not yet available, it describes what was scheduled rather than what was decided. Readers seeking outcomes should consult the official minutes and records published by Elbert County.

Elbert County roundup: Blue Sky Ranch hearing, solar and tower items on agendas; no outcomes yet confirmed

Elbert County's three most recent government meetings produced no confirmed decisions in the records available as of Oct. 13. Agendas were published for each meeting, but minutes have not yet been released for any of them, so no votes, dollar amounts, or outcomes can be reported. The most consequential item on those agendas was a scheduled quasi-judicial public hearing and roll call vote on the Blue Sky Ranch PUD Amendment.

Blue Sky Ranch PUD Amendment hearing (Oct. 6)

The Planning Commission was scheduled to meet Oct. 6, 2026 at 6:00 PM at the Agriculture Building, 95 Ute Ave., Kiowa. The main substantive item was a quasi-judicial public hearing on the Blue Sky Ranch PUD Amendment, case PUD-2024-1542. A quasi-judicial hearing is one in which the commission acts as the decision-maker on a specific application, taking testimony before voting.

The agenda called for a staff presentation, an applicant presentation, public testimony, and a roll call vote. The remaining items were routine: a staff report on Board of County Commissioners actions related to the Planning Commission, citizen comments, approval of the Sept. 22, 2026 minutes, and announcements. The agenda states the meeting must adjourn no later than 10:00 PM per Resolution 00-01.

Because minutes have not been published, the outcome of the hearing — including whether the Commission voted, and how — is not established by the available record.

Comprehensive Plan and Future Land Use Map (Sept. 29)

The Planning Commission held a work session to discuss the Comprehensive Plan and the Future Land Use Map. The agenda states that no decisions would be made and that no public comment would be heard. Both items were listed as discussion only.

Elizabeth Stampede and county property (Oct. 7)

The Board of County Commissioners scheduled a work session for Oct. 7, 2026 at 10:30 AM in the BOCC Meeting Room to meet with the Elizabeth Stampede about potential future usage of county property. The agenda states that no decisions would be made and that no public comment would be heard.

Coming up

The Board of County Commissioners meets Oct. 14 with a land use-heavy agenda. Scheduled items include:

• Reopening of the public hearing for Shepherd Solar LLC (1041-2026-0001 and SUR-2026-0002) regarding water usage
• A public hearing for Silver Buckle Ranch Tower (SUR-2026-0004)
• Continued consideration of Solar and Battery Energy Storage Systems Regulations
• Discussion of a policy for Traffic Study Requirements

The board is also scheduled to receive a grant program update.

One limitation applies to this roundup: the recent meetings are documented here by agenda only. The linked official agendas and minutes are the authoritative record, and readers should check them for any outcomes that are published after this writing.

Elbert County boards review data center, solar rules; no decisions yet

In the past two weeks, Elbert County boards held work sessions and hearings on potential land-use rules for data centers and solar energy storage, but no final decisions have been made. The Board of County Commissioners also reviewed the county's 2025 audit and a liquor permit request. Upcoming meetings will address a metro district service plan and the district attorney's budget.

Recent meetings

County Commission work session on data centers (Aug. 10)

The Board of County Commissioners held a work session to begin reviewing possible land-use regulations for data centers and similar technology operations. No decisions were made, and the public was not allowed to comment.

County Commission regular meeting (Aug. 12)

The commission's regular meeting included a public hearing for a special event liquor permit for Levi's Legacy, two land-use hearings at 1:00 PM — TPLO2GO SUR (SUR-2025-0002) and Vail Rezone (RZ-2026-0002) — and discussions on the 2025 audit of county finances and an update on CTSI and county pools. Minutes have not yet been published, so no outcomes are reported.

Planning Commission public hearing on solar and battery storage (Aug. 18)

The Planning Commission held a public hearing on proposed solar and battery energy storage regulations, followed by a work session on the county's Comprehensive Plan. The agenda also included approval of the August 4, 2026 minutes and a citizen comments period. Minutes have not yet been published.

Coming up

County Commission regular meeting (Aug. 26)

The commission will hold a public hearing at 1:00 PM on the Coyote Ridge Metropolitan District service plan. The agenda also includes consideration of an amendment to the CDS development review fee schedule, a resolution certifying costs of prosecuting crimes by DOC inmates, setting a public hearing date for The Ridge at Spring Valley Metro District (Sept. 9, 2026), and a presentation of the Elbert County Chronic Disease Needs Assessment findings.

County Commission work session on district attorney's budget (Aug. 31)

The commission will hold a work session with the Office of the District Attorney for the 23rd Judicial District to discuss the district's budget. No decisions will be made and no public comment will be heard.

Elbert County boards weigh solar fees, wildfire code, and land use applications; minutes pending

Elbert County's Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners held or scheduled several meetings in the past two weeks covering development applications, a solar fee agreement, wildfire code discussions, and a Justice Center needs assessment. Minutes have not yet been published for any of the recent meetings, so no recorded decisions or vote tallies are available from the agendas reviewed.

Planning Commission public hearings (July 7)

The Planning Commission agenda listed quasi-judicial public hearings on four development applications:

• Coyote Ridge Metro District Service Plan (SD-2026-0001)
• Vigil Final Plat (FP-2026-0003)
• Freedom Valley Ranch rezoning (RZ-2025-0008)
• Freedom Valley Ranch preliminary/final plat (FP-2025-0005)

The agenda also included a training presentation by Lori Ellefson, GIS Specialist/Appraiser with the Elbert County Assessor's Office, and routine approval of minutes. Because only the agenda is available, the outcomes of the public hearings are not yet on record.

County Commission agenda items (July 8)

The Board of County Commissioners was scheduled to consider:

• A proposed fee agreement for Shepherd Solar
• A resolution on the applicability of the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code in unincorporated fire districts
• A resolution on the Abandoned Property Policy
• A public hearing for a Special Event Liquor Permit for the Elizabeth Celtic Festival
• The appointment of H. Benjamin Duke III to the Noxious Weed Advisory Board

No minutes have been published, so it is not yet known which items were approved, tabled, or continued.

Work sessions: wildfire code, Justice Center, solar regulations (July 15–16)

The commissioners held three work sessions where no decisions were made and no public comment was taken:

• A July 15 session with county fire districts to discuss the Wildfire Resiliency Code.
• A July 15 meeting with Willdan, the Elbert County Sheriff's Office, and the County Facilities Director to discuss the ongoing needs assessment for the Justice Center.
• A July 16 session to continue discussing potential regulations for solar energy facilities and battery energy storage systems.

These were discussion-only meetings per the agendas.

Coming up

• **July 21 — Planning Commission work session:** Discussion of the Comprehensive Plan. No decisions or public comment.
• **July 22 — County Commission:** Land use hearings on the Freedom Valley Ranch rezone (RZ-2025-0008), Freedom Valley Ranch preliminary/final plat (FP-2025-0005), and the Vigil Final Plat (FP-2026-0003) with a fee reduction request. The board will also review the county investment policy, consider a resolution for the Abandoned Property Policy, and set a public hearing date for the Coyote Ridge Metro District Service Plan.

Residents who want to follow the outcomes of the July 7 and July 8 meetings should watch for published minutes on the county's official website, as the agendas reviewed here do not include recorded votes or decisions.