Elbert County meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

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.