[5:58] Good morning and welcome to the Board of County Commissioners meeting.

[6:02] Today is Tuesday, September 8th.

[6:04] We do begin each of our meetings with an invocation, and this morning, um,

[6:08] we have someone from Citywide Prayer and Decision Point Ministries,

[6:12] and I would invite you to come and introduce yourselves,

[6:16] and I'll invite everyone here to stand and join us.

[6:19] Good morning.

[6:20] I have a wonderful Korean name, Daisap Han.

[6:24] So let's pray.

[6:25] So Father, what a blessing it is to be here at El Paso, um,

[6:30] County Commissioners meeting.

[6:32] Father, thank you, Lord, for these, uh,

[6:35] wonderful servant leaders that you have chosen to serve not only our county,

[6:41] but their decisions will impact our state in this 150th anniversary year,

[6:46] as well as our nation and even beyond. Lord, I ask that you would bless them.

[6:52] You would also, um, Bless our county, uh, county clerk, Father,

[6:57] and their families and their staff, Lord.

[7:00] And I pray that you would provide them with wisdom and guidance, uh, this hour,

[7:06] this morning, as they will make some important decisions on behalf of El Paso

[7:12] County. Thank you, Lord, for being with us this morning. In Jesus' name, amen.

[7:18] Commissioner

[7:23] Williams,

[7:26] if you'd lead us

[7:33] in the pledge.

[7:39] Item 3.

[7:42] Item number 3 is staff emergency items,

[7:45] and I'm unaware of any staff emergency items today.

[7:49] Item 4.

[7:50] Item number 4 is changes, postponements, and notice of the next meeting.

[7:54] I'm unaware of any changes or postponements to today's agenda,

[7:57] and the next meeting will be Thursday,

[7:59] September 10th at 9 o'clock for land use and then the Board of Adjustment.

[8:03] Item 5.

[8:05] Item number 5 is the consent calendar including items 5A through 5N4.

[8:11] Okay, is there anyone here who wishes to speak on an item on the consent calendar

[8:18] today? Okay, seeing none,

[8:20] I'll bring it up here for any comments or a motion from commissioners.

[8:25] I move approval of the consent calendar.

[8:27] Second.

[8:29] Okay, it's been moved and seconded. One more opportunity for any comments.

[8:33] Seeing none, we'll call the roll beginning with Commissioner Wysong.

[8:37] Aye.

[8:37] Vice Chair Nelson.

[8:40] Aye.

[8:40] Commissioner Applegate.

[8:42] Aye. Commissioner Williams?

[8:43] Aye.

[8:43] And the chair votes aye. That passes 5-0. Item 6.

[8:50] Item number 6 is the proclamation recognizing September 11th as Patriot Day

[8:55] recognizing September 11th as Patriot Day and

[8:55] National Day of Service and Remembrance 2026.

[8:58] Bill Wysong, Commissioner, Board of County Commissioners.

[9:02] Commissioner Wysong.

[9:03] Thank you, Madam Chair.

[9:05] Need a motion for the proclamation recognizing September 11th As Patriot Day

[9:11] recognizing September 11th As Patriot Day and

[9:12] National Day of Service and Remembrance 2026.

[9:15] Whereas our nation made an unbreakable promise never to forget the nearly 3,000

[9:21] souls who were senselessly killed on September 11th, 2001.

[9:26] On this sacred day, Patriot Day,

[9:29] we in El Paso County honor that commitment and Whereas,

[9:33] we remember the tremendous bravery of our first responders who rushed without

[9:39] hesitation into the void of debris and smoke to rescue those in despair.

[9:45] In the heroism of the passengers aboard Flight 93 who summoned the courage to

[9:51] Flight 93 who summoned the courage to charge

[9:52] the terrorists in a counterattack that saved countless lives.

[9:56] And whereas, Americans had a shared sense of anguish on September 11th,

[10:02] followed by a profound spirit of unity.

[10:05] People of different ages, backgrounds,

[10:08] and abilities found meaning in public service after the 9/11 attacks.

[10:14] Many people channeled their emotions by enlisting in the military,

[10:19] founding charities, contributing to philanthropic causes, Flying the American

[10:25] philanthropic causes, Flying the American flag,

[10:25] donating blood, and helping those in need in other ways.

[10:30] And whereas, in late 2001, as part of Operation Enduring Freedom,

[10:35] thousands of servicemen and women from our local military installations were

[10:41] deployed to support the counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan and other

[10:47] countries. And whereas,

[10:49] the men and women Serving in Cheyenne Mountain on September 11th were involved

[10:55] Mountain on September 11th were involved in a

[10:56] critical role. The airmen, soldiers, sailors stationed at Peterson Space Force

[11:02] sailors stationed at Peterson Space Force Base,

[11:02] Fort Carson, Schriever Space Force Base,

[11:05] and Cheyenne Mountain continue to maintain an integral role in our national

[11:11] security. And whereas the United States is unified in our purpose to prevent further

[11:18] tragedies like those experienced on September 11th, 2001,

[11:23] and we honor the men and women of our armed forces in our region who have fought

[11:29] tirelessly to keep us safe from further attacks on the U.S. soil.

[11:34] Whereas, we recall the images of the American flag from the ashes from Ground

[11:40] American flag from the ashes from Ground Zero

[11:40] and the Pentagon in a reminder that good triumphs over evil.

[11:45] We recommit ourselves to fortifying our cherished American values so that future

[11:52] generations will know the United States is the land of the free and home of the

[11:58] brave. Now therefore,

[12:00] the Board of El Paso County Commissioners supports all the efforts to keep a

[12:06] vigilant spirit of freedom, commitment to service, and pride in our country.

[12:12] And be it further resolved that the Board of County Commissioners of El Paso County

[12:18] hereby proclaim Friday, September 11th, 2026,

[12:22] a day of remembrance so that we may never forget those who lost their lives 25 years

[12:29] ago, honor the heroic actions taken by our first responders,

[12:33] and express our gratitude to the members of our military for their continued

[12:39] of our military for their continued service

[12:40] and sacrifice. Done this 8th day of September, 2026, Colorado Springs,

[12:46] September, 2026, Colorado Springs, Colorado.

[12:46] By the Board of County Commissioners of El Paso County, Colorado.

[12:51] Chair Commissioner Geitner, Vice Chair Commissioner Nelson,

[12:56] members Commissioners Williams, Wysong, and Applegate.

[13:00] Attested by Steve Schleicher, County Clerk and Recorder.

[13:05] Second.

[13:07] Okay, that's been moved and seconded,

[13:09] and we do have a couple of special guests this morning,

[13:13] so I'm going to start with Colonel Bartholomew.

[13:15] Please, if you would come on up, introduce yourself at the microphone.

[13:20] We'd love to hear your comments.

[13:22] Good morning, commissioners, distinguished guests, members of the community.

[13:26] I'm Colonel Donald Bartholomew, the Deputy Commander of Space Base Delta One,

[13:31] headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base.

[13:33] On behalf of the Guardians, airmen,

[13:35] and civilian professionals across Peterson and Cheyenne Mountain,

[13:39] thank you for inviting me to join you today, and thank you for this meaningful,

[13:44] meaningful proclamation recognizing Patriot Day and the National Day of

[13:48] Patriot Day and the National Day of Service and

[13:48] Remembrance. We are 25 years after the attacks on September 11th, 2001,

[13:53] and yet the significance of that day is not lost.

[13:55] We honor the nearly 3,000 innocent lives lost in New York City, Shanksville,

[14:00] and at the Pentagon, including the passengers of Flight 77,

[14:03] employees and service members,

[14:05] and the selfless first responders who ran straight toward danger.

[14:09] We also recognize that the sacrifice did not end on September 11th.

[14:13] Over the past 25 years,

[14:14] tens of thousands of brave first responders rescue and recover workers and

[14:18] responders rescue and recover workers and survivors

[14:19] have battled life-altering illnesses,

[14:21] and many have lost their lives to toxic exposures in the aftermath.

[14:25] We honor their enduring courage and memory alongside those that we lost that day.

[14:30] 25 years ago, the watchstanders inside Cheyenne Mountain played a vital role as

[14:34] events unfolded across our skies.

[14:36] Today, our personnel maintain the vigilance required to defend our nation

[14:40] vigilance required to defend our nation and

[14:41] preserve the freedoms we hold dear. September 11th brought profound loss.

[14:45] As we mark 25 years,

[14:46] it is the responsibility of the survivors and the nation to help the right

[14:50] generation learn about the attacks, to tell the stories of the people we lost,

[14:55] and to share the response and resilience of our country.

[14:58] On behalf of our airmen and guardians,

[15:00] we are deeply grateful to the citizens of El Paso County for your steadfast

[15:05] partnership and unwavering support to our military families.

[15:08] Thank you for keeping the promise to never forget.

[15:11] Thank you. Now we'll hear from Colonel James Stultz.

[15:17] Please come on up, introduce yourself,

[15:21] and we are excited to hear from you.

[15:25] Yeah, thanks. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for having me here today.

[15:30] On behalf of Fort Carson and the soldiers there in the 4th Infantry Division,

[15:35] as well as the tenant units, this proclamation is incredibly important.

[15:40] I say it's important because much like you all, I'm sure you can remember,

[15:45] I can remember exactly where I was on 9/11. And in the impact it had on me.

[15:50] But I can also tell you that 100 million Americans weren't born yet as of today,

[15:55] the 25th anniversary. That's about a third of America.

[15:59] So proclamations like this allow us to truly never forget,

[16:03] and it causes us to pause once a year to remember those who died on September 11th

[16:08] and then those that died in subsequent wars. in the Global War on Terrorism.

[16:13] So again, on behalf of the 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson,

[16:18] I appreciate you today establishing this proclamation. Thank you.

[16:22] Thank you so much for being here.

[16:26] And we also have retired U.S.

[16:29] Army Colonel Fitch.

[16:31] Good morning. On behalf of the Pikes Peak Military Affairs Council,

[16:35] as El Paso County marks This 25th anniversary of September 11th, 2001,

[16:39] we still remember where we were at 25 years later, what we saw,

[16:42] and how our nation changed.

[16:44] We remember the nearly 3,000 lives lost, the families forever changed,

[16:48] and the first responders who ran toward danger with courage and purpose.

[16:52] Here in El Paso County, that remembrance is especially personal.

[16:55] This is a community of service. And for me, it is personal as well.

[16:59] I had the honor of serving 24 years as a Green Beret,

[17:02] and I spent much of my adult life in Afghanistan.

[17:05] Alongside Americans and allies whose lives were shaped by the mission that followed

[17:10] 9/11. From Fort Carson to Peterson and Schriever Space Force Bases,

[17:13] Cheyenne Mountain, the Air Force Academy,

[17:16] and the many public safety agencies that protect our communities,

[17:19] El Paso County has carried a special responsibility in the defense of our

[17:23] responsibility in the defense of our nation and

[17:24] the care of our people. After 9/11, many from this region deployed.

[17:28] Many more served at home, standing watch, supporting military families,

[17:32] staffing our emergency rooms, answering calls, protecting neighborhoods,

[17:36] and making sure those who served were never serving alone.

[17:39] That's the spirit of El Paso County— military and civilians side by side,

[17:43] first responders and families side by side, remembering the fallen,

[17:47] honoring the sacrifice, and recommitting ourselves to unity, vigilance, and

[17:51] ourselves to unity, vigilance, and service.

[17:52] On behalf of the Pikes Peak Military Affairs Council,

[17:55] thank you for this proclamation and for helping ensure that in El Paso County we

[17:59] always remember September 11th and honor those who served. Thank you.

[18:03] Thank you so much for those words and for being here today.

[18:07] I'm going to now bring it up here to the dais and, uh,

[18:11] for comments from commissioners. Commissioner Williams.

[18:15] Uh, yes, this is my last year doing this proclamation.

[18:20] Um, I just wanted to again remember Catherine, uh, Laborie Yancey—

[18:26] Catherine Yancey Laborie.

[18:28] Um, She—

[18:30] my neighbors, Jean and Flo Yancey, she is— was their daughter.

[18:34] She was one of the flight attendants on United Flight 175.

[18:38] Looking up about her this morning,

[18:40] they say the deliberate collision was replayed on television hundreds of times,

[18:46] and they tried not to watch it because they know that was the moment that their

[18:51] daughter died. And she— her plane crashed into the South Tower. Just amazing person.

[18:56] Her mother Flo was able to join her in heaven last year, and unfortunately,

[19:01] I'm not so sure Jean's not very far behind.

[19:04] But every year we go over to Mitchell High School where she graduated as a

[19:09] neighborhood, and we celebrate her life with a select group of high school

[19:14] with a select group of high school students

[19:14] who really have the opportunity to learn what sacrifice is for our country on that

[19:20] day. And so I just wanted to honor her and just remind everybody to never forget of

[19:25] the so many people who sacrificed their lives on that day to help rescue others

[19:31] lives on that day to help rescue others that

[19:31] they couldn't, running,

[19:32] especially the firefighters and police officers running towards burning

[19:37] officers running towards burning buildings,

[19:38] knowing that they would not come back out alive. Thank you.

[19:42] Commissioner Nelson.

[19:47] Well, thank you for coming and sharing today. Appreciate the comments.

[19:53] It really is important that we take time to remember not only the innocent lives

[20:00] that were lost, but also the reason, because it's still the case today.

[20:07] There are people who hate the United States of America and the principles that

[20:14] States of America and the principles that we

[20:14] stand for. We represent freedom, the ability to pursue the American dream,

[20:21] and that is something that does not come free.

[20:25] There is a cost, and we are so grateful to the men and women that are willing to

[20:32] serve in our military and our first responders who put their lives on the line

[20:39] responders who put their lives on the line and

[20:39] dedicate their careers to protecting our nation.

[20:44] And I'm a big believer in strong defense being the best offense,

[20:49] and that we are able to have peace through strength.

[20:54] And so I just want to really express my gratitude for those who are willing to

[21:01] gratitude for those who are willing to step

[21:01] in and help protect the freedoms that we enjoy in this country.

[21:08] Thank you.

[21:11] Thank you. I think Alan Jackson put it well,

[21:14] where were you when the world stopped turning?

[21:16] Um, we remember today,

[21:17] we're going to remember on the 11th where we were 25 years ago when that tragedy

[21:21] happened, and we're never going to forget. We're never going to forget.

[21:25] And there was sacrifice, a lot of first responders.

[21:28] I mean, gosh, I mean, My hearts go out to them. My hearts go out to their families.

[21:32] I mean, we pray for them, and we thank the ones we have now too,

[21:36] just not only in that community, but in our community as well.

[21:39] And man, I mean, that was such an altering, such a before and after event.

[21:43] But I think the biggest thing we can take away from this is overall,

[21:47] we got stronger as a nation because people woke up September 12th,

[21:50] and there was no lines that were drawn.

[21:52] We were unified because we were all Americans that day.

[21:55] And it's our tradition to let the reader of the proclamation finish with comments

[22:01] last, so I'll go ahead and make a few comments now as well.

[22:05] Um, I want to thank all of you for taking the time to be here today and for your

[22:11] service. Um, to hear that a third of Americans were not alive, um,

[22:16] that's a really important thing, I think, to say and,

[22:20] and realize that we all have this duty.

[22:23] This picture that's up on the screen now, this Never Forget,

[22:28] is so familiar to many of us,

[22:30] but not forgetting truly does mean passing this on to the next generation who does

[22:36] not have their own memories of this.

[22:39] Obviously, this day was impactful in my life as well as I was in college,

[22:44] and even more so that I didn't know inspired my husband also to join the

[22:49] inspired my husband also to join the military

[22:50] and which has had lifelong impacts to our family as well as he deployed.

[22:55] But it was worth it, and it still is today as he continues to serve.

[23:01] We came here by way of Fort Carson, decided to stay,

[23:04] and there are so many important things about remembering in my mind.

[23:10] I appreciate the spirit of unity that has been mentioned,

[23:14] remembering that spirit of unity that there is more that unites us than divides

[23:20] there is more that unites us than divides us,

[23:20] I think, is more important than ever.

[23:23] Also, as the proclamation was being read, the word— the words American values,

[23:28] I hear those and I hear them a lot.

[23:31] And I think we are at a reckoning point where we have to decide what those words

[23:37] mean. And I think we knew a lot more at that time period, unfortunately,

[23:42] Tragedy can sometimes cause us to reflect and cause us to,

[23:47] to really move forward in a way that, unfortunately,

[23:51] without tragedy doesn't always happen.

[23:53] But we can see the good that comes out of that.

[23:57] And so those words, American values, what does that mean to us?

[24:02] And this is about remembering, but I think when I see these words, never forget,

[24:08] what this means to me, is remembering those American values,

[24:12] is remembering that there are still people who dislike the United States out there,

[24:18] and those people aren't all outside of the United States either.

[24:23] Um, there are individuals that have been really prominent lately that have said

[24:29] things like, America deserved 9/11.

[24:32] And today, while I don't want to dwell on those negative pieces,

[24:36] It is a part of not forgetting.

[24:39] It is a part of not forgetting to remember that there are still people,

[24:44] even within our own nation today,

[24:47] who do not care for America and who would not protect her. And we all have a duty.

[24:53] Reagan once said, freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction,

[24:59] that it's not passed down through the bloodstream.

[25:02] It's got to be fought for and protected so that we can hand it to our next

[25:08] generation. Those words have been an inspiration to me as I've taken on a role

[25:14] inspiration to me as I've taken on a role as a

[25:14] commissioner, and I absolutely believe it to be true that we all have a

[25:19] responsibility in that.

[25:21] While we are super grateful for our military and the things that have

[25:26] military and the things that have happened,

[25:27] there's also a huge responsibility as citizens for us to continue to remember

[25:33] citizens for us to continue to remember those

[25:33] American values, reflect on them, reflect on our founding,

[25:37] reflect on what it means to be an American and what we are here to protect.

[25:43] Because I think when we do that,

[25:45] we will truly honor the sacrifice that has been made by many of the members of our

[25:52] military, as well as the firefighters, police officers,

[25:56] and all of the civilians who were killed on 9/11.

[25:59] And so with that, I'll just say again, thank you. Thank you for being here today.

[26:05] Thank you for helping us remember this date.

[26:09] Though it brings a lot of sadness,

[26:11] we can look to the positive things that we were able to come out, like that unity,

[26:17] and try to carry that forward.

[26:20] And I hope that— it's good to do this here today,

[26:23] but I hope we will all carry that out with us and have a conversation with one of

[26:29] those 100 million people who maybe were not here.

[26:33] I know I talk about it with my kids every year.

[26:36] It's hard for them to understand,

[26:39] But we have to keep reminding and telling people about what happened if we are to

[26:45] continue to protect our nation.

[26:47] Thank you, and I will turn it over to Commissioner Wysong.

[26:52] Thank you, Madam Chair.

[26:54] 25 years ago, it seems like yesterday, and then in, in some ways, um,

[27:01] longer than that because so much has transpired.

[27:06] A special thank you again to Colonel Bartholomew Marthau and Colonel Schultz

[27:13] and retired Colonel Fitch.

[27:16] I was in Connecticut attending a class on September 11th,

[27:21] and it was very interesting that you always— at least for me,

[27:28] will remember it very clear.

[27:30] And the thing that really kind of started it was 35-plus Motorola SkyPagers

[27:38] going off. Um, in, in a conference room, um, not once, but twice, uh,

[27:45] before leadership pulled in a TV and we sat just absolutely, uh,

[27:51] spellbound knowing that this was going on like 50 miles or less away.

[27:58] Um, and some of the people had actually been in the,

[28:03] the Twin Towers the day before, um, for work.

[28:08] Yeah.

[28:09] And it was just kind of an overwhelming— but as it says,

[28:14] we want to honor and remember and never forget.

[28:19] So again, many thanks to our first responders and to our—

[28:24] all of our military services, two which are represented here.

[28:30] And I think it's so important to remember that even 25 years ago,

[28:37] And to date, anyone that serves in the military are volunteers.

[28:43] And that says a tremendous amount,

[28:46] amount about those that volunteer and are willing,

[28:51] just like our first responders,

[28:54] to run towards danger while everyone else is running away.

[29:00] So thank you very much. And appreciate you being here.

[29:06] Okay, we've had, uh, our motion and our second and comments from commissioners.

[29:11] So if there are no additional comments, I'm going to proceed with the vote.

[29:16] And just to let everyone know, as soon as we do that, we will, um,

[29:20] take a brief recess to do a photograph together.

[29:23] So I will begin with Commissioner Wysong.

[29:26] Aye.

[29:27] Vice Chair Nelson.

[29:28] Aye.

[29:29] Commissioner Applegate.

[29:30] Aye. Commissioner Williams?

[29:31] Aye.

[29:32] And

[29:37] the

[29:41] chair

[29:50] votes

[29:58] aye.

[30:04] That

[30:11] passes

[30:21] 5-0.

[30:27] We are

[30:37] in

[30:40] recess.

[30:52] I'll

[30:58] call

[31:05] this

[31:11] meeting

[31:23] back

[31:29] to

[31:32] order,

[31:42] and we

[31:52] are on

[32:02] item

[32:08] 7.

[32:13] Item number 7 is comments by elected officials and commissioner liaison

[32:18] reports. 7A, Coroner Annual Report. Dr. Emily Russell-Kinsley, Coroner.

[32:22] Good morning.

[32:25] Good morning. Thanks so much for having me.

[32:29] Yeah, and I'm eager to, uh, present the information from our 2025 annual report.

[32:36] Um, at the end of it, or what would be the end of it, um,

[32:42] I have some additional new information.

[32:46] So, um, hopefully this will be helpful for folks.

[32:50] Just a reminder, so my jurisdiction, um,

[32:54] is defined under Colorado Statute 3010-606 It mandates that my office investigate

[33:02] deaths which are sudden, unexpected, and non-natural.

[33:07] Anytime there's not a physician available to certify the death,

[33:13] any type of industrial accident,

[33:16] any death in custody of law enforcement or in the care of a public institution,

[33:24] deaths due to public health threats, and anything that's unexplained.

[33:31] So in 2025, Our office investigated 6,739 deaths,

[33:35] which represents a 7% increase from 2024.

[33:39] And we performed 1,431 autopsies, which represented an 18% increase from 2024.

[33:47] And that includes all counties, not just El Paso County.

[33:52] This line graph shows the increase in deaths investigated by our office Over

[34:00] deaths investigated by our office Over time

[34:00] starting in 2013 to 2025.

[34:02] And then this line graph shows the increase in autopsies performed.

[34:09] El Paso County is represented by the light orange line.

[34:14] I have an arrow at 2021, and that was just a year nationwide high death count.

[34:22] High death rate. Then the out-of-county autopsies that we perform is the darker

[34:29] orange line, and I have arrows there for 2023 and 2025,

[34:35] which represent the return to nature event in 2023,

[34:39] and then in Davis Mortuary down in in Pueblo, we. Took care of that event as

[34:47] Pueblo, we. Took care of that event as well.

[34:47] And then our total autopsies over time are represented by the top brown line.

[34:55] As I mentioned, as you all know,

[34:58] we perform autopsies for a third of the state of Colorado.

[35:03] And that's exemplified in this map.

[35:07] But getting back to El Paso County, so when we're looking at the manner of death,

[35:15] which is the circumstances surrounding the death, in El Paso County,

[35:21] 38% of our cases autopsied were natural. Folks died from natural causes.

[35:28] 36% died from accidental causes. 19% died from suicide. 5% the result of homicide.

[35:36] 2% of the cases fell into the manner that's called undetermined.

[35:42] And that's when we don't have enough investigative information in order to

[35:49] investigative information in order to place it

[35:50] into the previous 4 categories. And then the last category we call unclassified.

[35:58] And that represents fetuses, because fetuses don't have the 5 Manners of death.

[36:05] They just don't have one.

[36:08] So we autopsied 378 individuals who died from natural causes.

[36:14] About half of those folks died as a result of cardiovascular disease,

[36:20] and that's consistent with what we see across our country.

[36:26] I have a star next to the 72 who died as a result of chronic alcohol abuse.

[36:33] That doesn't necessarily mean— that's an increased number from the year before,

[36:41] but it doesn't necessarily mean that we have had an increase in folks dying from

[36:48] chronic alcohol abuse in our community.

[36:52] I had an interest in bringing more of those folks in,

[36:57] in order to identify or rule out trauma,

[37:01] because it's a very vulnerable population to trauma.

[37:06] And if they died as a result of trauma, that would change the manner of their

[37:14] that would change the manner of their death.

[37:14] It would be an accidental, most likely.

[37:18] For accidental deaths, we autopsied 359 individuals in 2025,

[37:24] and that represented a 14% increase from 2024.

[37:28] Motor vehicle fatalities remained steady between '24 and '25, Unfortunately,

[37:35] drug overdoses increased 16%. Hypothermia deaths, however, decreased from 16 to 12.

[37:43] Commissioner Williams, on that slide that you were just on,

[37:48] I just wanted to thank you for adding the e-scooters and the mopeds.

[37:53] Those, you know, represent a new safety standard for drivers to be aware of.

[37:59] And I see a lot of teenagers out on the electric ones.

[38:04] And so it's a little bit nerve-wracking for me.

[38:07] But whether or not the state legislature or anyone decides to regulate it,

[38:13] it's not up to me. It's just that they have a little bit more freedom than they

[38:19] would have were they on bikes. So thanks for adding that in.

[38:24] Absolutely. So I started tracking that about 3 years ago.

[38:29] I noticed it was a an issue in our community,

[38:34] and I wanted to make sure that we had data readily available when it,

[38:40] when it dealt with our office. So we've been keeping track of that for a while.

[38:48] When we look at blunt force injury accidents,

[38:52] there were 35 deaths from passenger and commercial vehicle accidents.

[38:59] 27 motor vehicle fatalities involved motorcycles, and 12 involved pedestrians.

[39:06] There are 14 simple falls in this group.

[39:10] That does not represent all of the simple falls in our community.

[39:16] We have many, many more.

[39:18] Most of those get released for the clinician to sign out if they're fully

[39:25] clinician to sign out if they're fully diagnosed

[39:26] and if there's no issues or concerns with that case. And then 11 falls downstairs.

[39:34] And as you mentioned, One e-scooter, one moped.

[39:38] So there were 88 motor vehicle fatalities in total.

[39:43] 32% involved motorcycles and 16% involved pedestrians.

[39:48] When we look at the pedestrian accidents,

[39:52] for the ones where at the time of the autopsy we had an idea of who was at

[39:59] autopsy we had an idea of who was at fault,

[40:00] that's split evenly between pedestrians and drivers.

[40:05] When we look at the type of vehicle for the motor vehicle fatalities excluding

[40:12] pedestrians, 39% involved motorcycles and 28% involved SUVs, which is, you know,

[40:20] a very common vehicle in our community.

[40:24] When we look at the suspected primary cause of the crash,

[40:29] 39% of those were due to reckless driving and excessive speed, again,

[40:36] at the time of autopsy. And 30% involved an impaired driver.

[40:41] In fatalities where the driver was considered at fault,

[40:47] you guys know we run toxicology on just about every Every individual that comes

[40:54] through our office. 68% of those individuals had intoxicating substances in

[41:01] individuals had intoxicating substances in their

[41:02] system at the time of the accident, including alcohol, THC, or other drugs.

[41:09] 24% of the collisions were a front collision or rollover collision,

[41:15] and 37% were a side impact collision.

[41:19] And then when we're looking at the use of seatbelts,

[41:24] we know that at least 51% of the folks who died in motor vehicle collisions were not

[41:32] wearing a seatbelt in our community. I don't know if y'all saw this headline.

[41:39] So for the United States as a whole,

[41:42] this was the 3rd year that the United States had a decrease in overdose deaths.

[41:50] Unfortunately, 3 states did not fall into that number: New Mexico, Arizona,

[41:57] and unfortunately the state of Colorado. So let's see how our community fared.

[42:04] As I mentioned, we had a 16% increase in overdose deaths in our community.

[42:12] Fentanyl deaths increased by 17% and methamphetamine deaths increased by 18%.

[42:19] There were, of the overdose deaths,

[42:22] 100 people of the 178 had methamphetamine in their system and 80 had fentanyl and

[42:30] its analogs in their system.

[42:33] When we look at accidental drug deaths over time in El Paso County, again,

[42:40] you can see that peak in 2021. Which we've talked about every year.

[42:46] And methamphetamine is signified by the lighter orange line,

[42:52] and fentanyl is the darker orange line.

[42:55] So you can see in 2023, fentanyl overtook methamphetamine, but that was short-lived.

[43:03] We all celebrated that decrease in 2024, But unfortunately, in 2025,

[43:10] we do have an increase in accidental deaths, and later in my presentation,

[43:17] we will talk more about that.

[43:20] Our annual report, which is available on our website now, has so much information,

[43:27] so much more information than we really want to get into today.

[43:33] But it includes things like on this slide.

[43:37] The thing I want to point out on this slide is in the upper left-hand corner,

[43:45] 12% of overdose deaths involved prescribed drugs.

[43:49] We had 46 homicides in our community last year, which represented a 9.8% decrease.

[43:57] So there's some good news.

[44:00] However, homicides involving domestic violence Increased from 9 to 17 last year.

[44:07] Um, 9 were due to an altercation, 6 were officer-involved,

[44:13] 5 occurred during the commission of another crime,

[44:18] 7 we did not know at the time of autopsy, and then 2 fall in the other category.

[44:25] Firearms were used in 33 of these homicides.

[44:32] Um, yeah.

[44:32] So suicides for our community, we had a 23% increase, um, in suicides.

[44:39] We had 190, um, in our community last year.

[44:43] Um, firearms were means in, um, 101, uh,

[44:47] followed by ligature and drugs at 33 and 32.

[44:51] And again, like I said,

[44:53] we have so much information in this in this report for those who are interested

[45:01] this report for those who are interested in

[45:01] in diving in. One of the things that I'm really grateful for is the fact that when

[45:09] when we have suicides, we will interview the family,

[45:14] those closest to the individual, and they.

[45:18] They are willing to take the time and talk to us and go over some of this

[45:25] information. So in the box on the bottom,

[45:29] you can see that 82% of the individuals had preexisting mental health issues.

[45:36] 41% were suffering from substance or alcohol abuse.

[45:41] 33% had significant health problems.

[45:44] 33% had a history of abuse or domestic violence.

[45:49] 29% had relationship issues, and 23% had financial issues.

[45:55] And we wouldn't have that information if those individuals weren't willing to

[46:02] speak about their loved one.

[46:05] Can I just ask a question?

[46:06] I know how meticulous you are about data,

[46:09] and so I'm looking forward to diving into that annual report.

[46:14] But because we're looking at raw numbers, and I obviously—

[46:18] the increases that you're reporting,

[46:21] I don't think are only attributable to population growth.

[46:25] But because we are a growing community, do you have in any of those slides,

[46:30] or is that in your annual report,

[46:33] where we can see what the percentages are compared to population growth?

[46:38] Compared to population growth for El Paso County?

[46:42] Yes, ma'am.

[46:44] Well, I do not have that here,

[46:46] but we're going to dive more into suicide in a minute,

[46:51] and that will be something that we can definitely look at.

[46:56] But as you know, it is incredibly complex, and I agree with you,

[47:01] this likely is not just a result of population growth.

[47:05] Yep. Thank you.

[47:06] Absolutely. So we autopsied 44 children last year.

[47:11] And let's see, unfortunately, youth suicides increased as well.

[47:16] There were 4 in 2024, and we had 9 in 2025.

[47:20] And I want to point out, for the 9 in 2025, 7 of those were girls.

[47:26] 11 kiddos, the cause of death, the manner of death ended up being natural.

[47:33] 6 died in motor vehicle collisions, and 5 died as a result of unsafe sleep.

[47:40] When we look at the kids who died from unsafe sleep,

[47:44] 4 of the 5 were due to co-sleeping with adults.

[47:48] Typically, Those are situations where the adults are in— excuse me, intoxicated.

[47:56] We autopsied 87 homeless individuals in 2025.

[48:00] That's pretty steady with the data from 2024 when we autopsied 86.

[48:05] Homicides decreased from 7 to 3,

[48:08] but unfortunately the drug-related deaths increased 29%.

[48:13] When we look at the 40 drug intoxications,

[48:17] 19 individuals had methamphetamine plus or minus other drugs that resulted in their

[48:24] death, and then 13 had fentanyl with methamphetamine,

[48:29] and then had other drugs possibly present as well. So this is the new part.

[48:36] I think I had spoken with you all about how I wanted to start looking at the data

[48:43] more frequently. And we finally got to a point where we could start combing through

[48:51] this. I will tell you, just as I told my staff,

[48:55] we are building the plane while we're flying it.

[48:59] We are trying to figure out how to do this What is useful.

[49:04] And so we appreciate everyone's patience with this.

[49:09] But what do I mean by we're going to start releasing quarterly data?

[49:15] Probably looking at quarters 1 through 3.

[49:18] By the time we get to quarter 4,

[49:21] we're really going to be working on next year's annual report.

[49:27] So anything that's important, we'll make sure and let folks know,

[49:33] but we may not do a big announcement.

[49:36] Also, something to keep in mind is there is a 2-month lag time with this work.

[49:43] So it takes time for toxicology to be completed,

[49:47] for us to get additional information.

[49:51] The vast majority of our, our cases are completed within 60 days,

[49:56] but we can't look at, say, quarter 1 data January, February,

[50:02] March until late May or early June.

[50:05] And when we look at that data, we're only going to be looking at closed cases.

[50:12] So could there be something that's in the news or something that you know about

[50:19] that's not represented in this data?

[50:22] That's definitely possible if that case is not completed.

[50:27] Unfortunately, some cases just take, you know,

[50:31] longer when we're looking at getting additional testing done,

[50:37] additional information.

[50:39] I know I have a case from the first quarter that I'm, I'm still waiting on,

[50:45] on outside studies. So not all the cases will be represented in the quarterly data,

[50:53] which is not true with the annual report.

[50:57] We make sure and get every case closed for the annual report before we publish that

[51:04] data. Also, I'm not going to be reporting on everything that's in the annual report.

[51:11] We're just going to look for anything that's significant, any any changes,

[51:18] anything maybe that we want to keep close tabs on.

[51:23] But I'm really excited about it because looking at data more than once a year is

[51:30] really giving us an opportunity to break it down and go in deeper and look at

[51:37] it down and go in deeper and look at what's

[51:37] unique to our community. So just like we I presented.

[51:42] about how the United States had a decrease in overdose deaths. We didn't.

[51:48] And so I think being able to look at what's impacting our community, and it is,

[51:55] you know, special to our community,

[51:59] my hope is that it's going to help folks like you,

[52:03] folks like the not-for-profits who are making big decisions.

[52:08] And if you can have you know, more up-to-date data, more timely data,

[52:15] more thoughtful data,

[52:16] then it can really help with the big decisions that are getting made across

[52:23] decisions that are getting made across our,

[52:23] our community. We will be posting this on our website and social media when we get,

[52:31] get the numbers ready.

[52:33] So let's dive into— it's not going to be the first quarter because we're in

[52:40] September, so We're looking at the first half of the year,

[52:45] January through June 2026.

[52:47] We investigated 3,209 cases by the end of June this year,

[52:52] and we performed 509 El Paso County autopsies by the end of June.

[52:58] Our peak caseload so far was January.

[53:01] For motor vehicle fatalities, we're at 45 right now. We're holding steady.

[53:08] Um, 11, uh, uh, fatalities involved motorcycles.

[53:12] In 2025, there were a total of, of 28. We have 5 pedestrian deaths so far.

[53:19] In 2025, there were 13. So those numbers are looking promising, hopeful.

[53:25] Um, we don't have any, um, e-whatevers— e-bikes, e-scooters, e-whatever it is— um,

[53:33] so far completed for 2026.

[53:35] Our peaks for motor vehicle fatalities were January and March.

[53:40] Each of those had 9 deaths.

[53:43] And our trough was in June with 5,

[53:46] which kind of surprised me because June's such a nice month to be out.

[53:52] And we have so many tourists. Moving on to homicides.

[53:57] I don't want to give the number. Homicides take a little longer.

[54:03] We may not get those out just in within those 60 days.

[54:07] But half of the completed cases appear to involve DV.

[54:12] So this is a recurring theme that we keep seeing.

[54:16] And so I just want to bring everyone's attention to that.

[54:22] For hypothermia cases, where, you know,

[54:25] folks are outside in the cold and die as a result of that, we have 4.

[54:31] We had a very mild winter. There were 12 total last year.

[54:36] And as you'll recall from what I just said, in 2024,

[54:41] we had 6 So if we can keep coming down with that, that would be really great.

[54:48] This is— and this is where things get really bad here.

[54:53] So with the drug-related deaths, we've had 124 through the end of June.

[54:59] There were 178 total in 2025. So this is very, you know, somber information.

[55:06] Wow.

[55:08] So far, 79 cases involved methamphetamine, and 100— there were only—

[55:14] there were 100 in all of last year that involved methamphetamine.

[55:21] 58 cases through June involved fentanyl. There was a total of 80 for 2025.

[55:28] And we had 21 cases with cocaine, which seems to be making a resurgence.

[55:35] There were 29 total last year. So more things for us to dive in.

[55:42] Just so you know, we're also keeping an eye on the emerging drugs.

[55:48] Xylazine, we've seen that 5 times.

[55:52] That's if you've heard of Tranq, the veterinary drug.

[55:57] The xylazine, bromazolam, phenazolam, these,

[56:01] we see these in combination with fentanyl.

[56:05] And so we're just keeping tabs on those. They seem to be increasing from 2025.

[56:13] And then there was recent discussion about kratom or mitragynine. Excuse me.

[56:21] So we plotted or did this line graph showing mitragynine cases in El Paso

[56:28] County. We've been dealing with mitragynine for years.

[56:33] And like I said, we perform autopsies for a third of the state.

[56:40] So we see a lot more than just this. So we had 4 through June, 2 in July.

[56:47] As you can see, it peaked in 2021.

[56:50] We were really coming down in '25, and '26 is changing course.

[56:56] So we will see where we land with that.

[57:00] For suicides, hopefully we're in a better place this year.

[57:06] We have 75 suicides through the end of June. There were 190 total last year.

[57:14] And again, one of the things that I mentioned that I really like about this is

[57:21] being able to dive in and see what's unique for us.

[57:27] And so in the black graph,

[57:29] we took the number of suicides every month and for the past 5 years and averaged

[57:37] it. And so what we found was, you know, a trough in April,

[57:43] a trough in September, high numbers in January, August, December.

[57:49] And when we are looking at 2026, We're seeing that same trend.

[57:55] January's high, April is our trough.

[57:59] And I find that interesting because if you look at the graph on the bottom

[58:06] right, that shows the blue dots represent suicides nationally by month.

[58:13] Okay.

[58:15] The blue dots are November, December, January.

[58:20] So those are supposed to be nationally speaking; those are low months.

[58:26] But what we're seeing here in for our December and our January for the past five

[58:33] years is it's higher.

[58:35] Another thing that's interesting is in the graph on the upper right,

[58:41] this group they divided. Folks into 2 different age groups.

[58:47] So, and what they found was that in June, for the younger individuals,

[58:53] there was a trough. Yet in July, for the older individuals— and I mean,

[59:00] older is relative because in this instance, older means over 25—

[59:06] but for the older individuals in this group, there was a peak in July.

[59:12] And so we have a lot more diving into the information to do, like you mentioned.

[59:19] And like I said, we're building the plane as we're flying it.

[59:25] But I'm eager, and my staff is eager,

[59:28] to dive into this more and share the relevant information.

[59:38] So could I just ask one more question on that? Yeah, absolutely.

[59:41] And I—

[59:42] it is very complex. And though we want to see these numbers much, much lower,

[59:46] I also think, you know,

[59:47] when you're dealing with a relatively small number of people, you know,

[59:51] trying to actually find, is there a trend or is this, you know, that's difficult.

[59:55] But you mentioned doing some of those, you know,

[59:58] Asking some of those questions of family members around those.

[1:00:01] So is that a question that you will be asking around, you know, those?

[1:00:05] It's like, was this—

[1:00:06] was there something happening during this particular type of year?

[1:00:10] Is that how you will try to get to finding those,

[1:00:13] or is there some other method that you are looking at to try to identify if there's

[1:00:17] something happening at that time of year? I mean, I know the days are short.

[1:00:21] I, as much as I don't want to trivialize it, you know, less sunshine,

[1:00:25] all of those things can be really impactful to people who are experiencing

[1:00:29] depression, but—

[1:00:30] Yeah.

[1:00:30] How are you going to—

[1:00:31] are those things already in place that we'll start to see some of that?

[1:00:35] I know you're building the plane while you're flying it,

[1:00:38] but do you have ways that you are starting to look at those trends or ask some of

[1:00:42] those questions to decipher that?

[1:00:44] I don't foresee us going back and reinterviewing families,

[1:00:49] but we've been doing these questionnaires for years.

[1:00:53] If we need to refer back to the questionnaire, we can certainly do that.

[1:00:59] You know, we keep all that information, of course.

[1:01:04] And so I don't think that we'll be doing that.

[1:01:07] And I may not have the answers, right? I won't.

[1:01:11] I'll just tell you, I'm not going to have the answers.

[1:01:16] I'm not going to know the why because it's so complex.

[1:01:21] But I feel like if we can identify maybe some trends or some peaks and some troughs

[1:01:28] then perhaps that can help individuals who are making decisions in prevention or

[1:01:35] things like that. But I will not solve this.

[1:01:39] I—

[1:01:39] and I fully recognize that.

[1:01:41] But if I can provide my little piece of data to the puzzle,

[1:01:46] then I hope that that can help people.

[1:01:49] So the takeaways: 2025,

[1:01:51] we had a 7% increase in the cases investigated and an 18% Increase in

[1:01:57] investigated and an 18% Increase in examinations,

[1:01:58] with a 14% increase in accidental deaths.

[1:02:02] Motor vehicle collisions are stable in 2025 and the first half of 26.

[1:02:08] 51% of individuals were not wearing a seatbelt—at least 51%—and the at-fault

[1:02:14] drivers, 68%, had intoxicating drugs in their system. So I think.

[1:02:19] You know, I'm not faulting people, but it's—

[1:02:23] I think that's good information for us to take with us when we are choosing to get

[1:02:30] behind the wheel or choosing to get into a vehicle moving forward.

[1:02:36] There's a 16% increase in overdose deaths.

[1:02:39] Again, methamphetamine and fentanyl are what we're really looking at here.

[1:02:45] A 29% increase in overdoses in the unhoused.

[1:02:49] population, but we are continuing to have, for now 2 and a half years,

[1:02:55] decreasing hypothermia deaths. So that's great news.

[1:02:59] We have a decrease in our total homicides,

[1:03:03] but we want to keep an eye on domestic violence in our community.

[1:03:08] A 23% increase in suicides in 2025, including increases in our youth

[1:03:14] including increases in our youth population.

[1:03:15] And the annual report will be on our website, and as I mentioned,

[1:03:20] the quarterly data will be on our social media, which is also new.

[1:03:26] Any further questions?

[1:03:28] Thank you for the, the report.

[1:03:31] What was the 3rd state that was not nationally on a decrease?

[1:03:38] You had New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona.

[1:03:42] All on the major kind of corridor right there. Yeah.

[1:03:47] Is that something that, you know, working with state police, sheriffs,

[1:03:55] federal agencies, is that anything that your information kind of gets

[1:04:02] passed down to them to help evaluate?

[1:04:06] We work closely with Um, law— local law enforcement particularly.

[1:04:11] I'm happy to release this information to any, you know, anyone who,

[1:04:16] who wants it, but we do work closely, um, with our,

[1:04:19] our local law enforcement on these cases.

[1:04:22] Great, thank you.

[1:04:24] Yeah.

[1:04:25] Commissioner Applegate.

[1:04:28] I had a question, um, on the motorcycle deaths.

[1:04:31] I know that last year there was an increase.

[1:04:33] Um, were those numbers— were they holding steady,

[1:04:36] or was it A slight decrease or a slight increase from our previous year?

[1:04:41] I'm sorry, I missed what our topic is.

[1:04:43] Motorcycle deaths. Oh, motorcycle deaths,

[1:04:45] because they'd gone up significantly last year.

[1:04:47] But yeah, where are those numbers at now, like compared to last year?

[1:04:50] Right now, I believe it's holding steady. Yeah. Okay, thank you.

[1:04:55] Or no, no, for the motorcycles,

[1:04:57] we were at 11 through June and then 28 for all of 2025.

[1:05:02] So through June, so we're— if We'll have to see how— I mean,

[1:05:06] we've got summer and fall, you know, that still have to be counted, right?

[1:05:12] Haven't happened yet.

[1:05:14] Thank you.

[1:05:14] Yeah.

[1:05:15] Commissioner Williams? Uh, yes. So I might have 2 comments.

[1:05:19] I know, um, thankful that there are fewer hypothermia deaths.

[1:05:24] I do know that Mountain Metro on very, very cold nights If you wait at a bus

[1:05:30] very cold nights If you wait at a bus stop,

[1:05:30] they will take you to a warming shelter for free.

[1:05:34] And that started, I think, last summer.

[1:05:37] And so I hope that we see this continued trend on cold nights of the homeless

[1:05:43] population waiting at a bus stop to get on a bus.

[1:05:47] And hopefully it's just not due to the fact that we haven't had a lot of snow or

[1:05:53] rain, that we're actually making a dent in the real cause of the hypothermia deaths.

[1:05:59] And then just a little advertisement.

[1:06:02] So I know that sometimes you get a collection of drugs at home,

[1:06:07] especially if you had a surgery or something.

[1:06:10] And I know that as my granddaughter gets older,

[1:06:14] I cannot get my prescription bottles up high enough.

[1:06:18] She just climbs up on the ladder or whatever to get them.

[1:06:22] But— and not the drugs, actually. Usually it's more the icing for the Cupcakes.

[1:06:28] Um, you can order free at-home drug disposal kits, usually at your pharmacy,

[1:06:34] and so you can get rid of those drugs safely and throw them away.

[1:06:39] Or on October 24th, you can go to a DEA Drug Take-Back Day.

[1:06:44] I know that you can call our household hazardous waste facility at 719-520-7878 I

[1:06:50] looked up the number and they'll give you a location, usually Memorial Hospital,

[1:06:56] the police station. The DEA will be there to take those back,

[1:07:01] and it's a good time to get rid of things such as oxycodone and stuff that you may

[1:07:07] have in your house that you're not using and you don't want to throw in the trash,

[1:07:14] and you certainly don't want to put it down the drain.

[1:07:18] So that's just my Public service announcement for the day. Thanks.

[1:07:23] I, I want to add on that. I think that that's great. Thank you for sharing that.

[1:07:28] I will add, my grocery store, I noticed they have a place,

[1:07:32] a receptacle where you can bring your old meds,

[1:07:36] and that was something that was new to me. But yes, I, I think that's great.

[1:07:41] Thank you.

[1:07:42] Vice Chair Nelson.

[1:07:46] I have 2, I guess, questions or comments.

[1:07:49] It's really interesting to see this data around drug use.

[1:07:53] And I'm just thinking in terms of Carrie Geitner, myself,

[1:07:58] and you serve on the Opioid Abatement Council.

[1:08:01] And are you going to be presenting this at any time to that council?

[1:08:07] Because I think it would be really valuable.

[1:08:10] I would be happy to. Yeah. Absolutely.

[1:08:14] Yeah, I'm— we talk a lot in terms of what organizations are doing and kind of at a

[1:08:21] higher level, but to drill down and see methamphetamine is really making an impact

[1:08:28] in our community. And so I know we're doing some targeted information on THC and

[1:08:35] doing some targeted information on THC and the

[1:08:35] risks of, you know, high— what's the verbiage— high potency THC messaging,

[1:08:42] especially with families and parents understanding with their youth and helping

[1:08:49] educate folks. But so just would be interesting to, I think,

[1:08:54] share this out of that level of detail on certain drugs that you're seeing prevalent

[1:09:02] in the community too. And then my other question Actually, 2 more questions.

[1:09:09] Is— can you send us this presentation?

[1:09:12] Because I would like to go back and look again at some of the data and remind

[1:09:19] again at some of the data and remind myself

[1:09:19] on some of the statistics.

[1:09:22] And then with the suicides, very concerning to see the increase in youth

[1:09:28] concerning to see the increase in youth suicide.

[1:09:29] And also, I can't remember if it was on previous slides, Overall suicide,

[1:09:35] has that also trended up or not for just all ages?

[1:09:40] But we did see an increase in youth.

[1:09:43] Yes, that was a 23% increase from 2024 to 2025.

[1:09:48] So far through June in 2026, it's looking better.

[1:09:53] We're at 75 through the end of June,

[1:09:56] so that it is looking better.

[1:10:03] Okay, I'm just also thinking about—

[1:10:05] Commissioner Geithner and I serve on El Paso County Public Health Board,

[1:10:11] and they had a suicide intervention team and were looking at adjusting how that

[1:10:17] department serves the community with suicide and seeing that there are other

[1:10:23] organizations who have sort of stepped in,

[1:10:26] and over the years we've seen an increase in supports in, you know,

[1:10:31] nonprofits or faith partners,

[1:10:33] different organizations sort of taking the lead on that.

[1:10:38] But, um, it— I think it is worth the health department having that conversation

[1:10:44] health department having that conversation and

[1:10:44] just understanding, um,

[1:10:46] over years how we're trending and So I'm just kind of thinking out loud here.

[1:10:51] I don't want to task you with anything, but I am curious if—

[1:10:56] I hope they're talking with you and getting some data from you as we make this

[1:11:02] decision on, hey, over the last 5 years,

[1:11:05] this is the trend we're seeing with suicide, and not just overall,

[1:11:10] but also with our youth, and what really are the needs for our community.

[1:11:16] And should public health be playing a part in that,

[1:11:20] or do our partners in the community have it and have it covered?

[1:11:25] So, um, yes, this information will all be available

[1:11:29] and we will share it with groups and organizations.

[1:11:34] Great, thanks so much.

[1:11:35] You bet.

[1:11:36] Thanks for coming today too. Oh, I love all this data.

[1:11:38] Fantastic. Thank you. Thanks for having me.

[1:11:42] Yeah, I'll also just echo that. Thank you so much.

[1:11:45] And because of the work that we do, obviously, all together on the Opioid

[1:11:49] obviously, all together on the Opioid Council,

[1:11:50] um, and then on Board of Health.

[1:11:52] There's some, some important pieces from this, and I think there's so many factors,

[1:11:57] as we all know, and all of these things, and,

[1:12:00] and trying to take this data and then try to turn it into policies that have some

[1:12:05] sort of impact is not easy at all, especially when, again,

[1:12:09] we don't want to see increases, but they're still very relatively small

[1:12:13] they're still very relatively small numbers.

[1:12:14] So trying to, you know,

[1:12:15] blanket an entire community of Hundreds of thousands of people when you're trying to

[1:12:21] get to a subset of 50, for example, obviously is—

[1:12:24] we start to think about how do we affect those things from a policy perspective.

[1:12:29] But there are a few things that I just feel are interesting in this in

[1:12:33] feel are interesting in this in particular.

[1:12:34] And you kind of got to that corridor, which is a thing that we are dealing with.

[1:12:39] But Most of the deaths that I think are preventable in here are related to drug

[1:12:44] preventable in here are related to drug use

[1:12:44] and alcohol use, substance use of some sort.

[1:12:47] And so I do think to our prevention work, and we did,

[1:12:50] and I'm gonna connect the dots here for myself and also for the public when we

[1:12:55] myself and also for the public when we talk

[1:12:56] about the fact that Opioid Council has a huge THC prevention campaign aimed at

[1:13:01] huge THC prevention campaign aimed at youth

[1:13:01] right now. While we don't see a lot of overdose deaths, right,

[1:13:05] tied to that specifically.

[1:13:06] There are huge impacts that we're hearing from our hospitals.

[1:13:10] This is one component, is the death,

[1:13:13] but we're also hearing about those other components.

[1:13:16] And in addition to that,

[1:13:17] the reports that we have seen at the Opioid Council which connect high-potency

[1:13:22] Opioid Council which connect high-potency THC

[1:13:23] use to later use of some of these drugs that are more dangerous and are leading to

[1:13:28] more overdoses. So it's a very complicated picture, as we all know.

[1:13:32] Wearing a seatbelt is another one for me that I just go, that's an easy one, right?

[1:13:37] Everyone in our community, it's a personal choice,

[1:13:41] but it is something that everyone in our community can make the personal choice to

[1:13:46] do and limit their own risk, right?

[1:13:48] And so some of these things are just definitely ones that we've had a lot of

[1:13:53] awareness campaigns over the years.

[1:13:55] And again, it's always going to be difficult to target that subset of people

[1:14:00] difficult to target that subset of people for

[1:14:00] whatever reason that are just resistant to taking those precautions.

[1:14:04] But the drug use, I think, is the big one for me when I look at our state.

[1:14:09] When I look at— and we had the, again, the fortunate experience, I guess,

[1:14:14] of seeing One Chance to Grow Up's presentation just at our last meeting

[1:14:18] presentation just at our last meeting where they

[1:14:19] went shopping at local gas stations and different things to see what can kids,

[1:14:24] especially kids, get their hands on, but really anybody,

[1:14:27] and the amount of things that are sold and are far more accessible than they should

[1:14:33] be and are packaged as candies and all kinds of things.

[1:14:36] So I think it's a great thought just about how do we reduce drug use, period,

[1:14:41] in our community. If we could reduce drug use and do those things,

[1:14:45] I think it would affect a lot of these numbers. Very significantly.

[1:14:49] So lots of nuance and detail, but to me, that's the one thing that stood out.

[1:14:54] And I just thank you for taking the time and working on that.

[1:14:58] I know it's not easy to get those quarterly numbers.

[1:15:02] That's a huge undertaking for you all.

[1:15:04] But I do think, especially for Opioid Council Public Health,

[1:15:08] that's going to be significant.

[1:15:10] And we also know that, you know, again,

[1:15:12] there's just so many factors involved in this.

[1:15:15] So when we think about programming,

[1:15:17] we've spent more and more in the last several years already on suicide

[1:15:22] several years already on suicide prevention,

[1:15:22] but We still have numbers that are that are trending upward.

[1:15:26] So, you know, it's about evaluating too again if you're blanketing an entire

[1:15:31] populations of hundreds of thousands of people with prevention,

[1:15:35] but you really just need to get to those fifty to a hundred or two hundred and

[1:15:40] fifty to a hundred or two hundred and fifty

[1:15:40] people that are really in the danger zone.

[1:15:43] You know, what is the best way to spend those dollars?

[1:15:47] So I appreciate you taking the time to work through that those quarterly numbers

[1:15:52] work through that those quarterly numbers and

[1:15:52] appreciate you being here and all the work that you do across all of these agencies

[1:15:57] because we know. You contribute greatly.

[1:16:00] Thank you so much. I really appreciate your kind words.

[1:16:04] And I agree with you entirely.

[1:16:07] You know, the, the intoxication,

[1:16:10] it weaves its way through this report again and again and again.

[1:16:15] And I think, you know, substance abuse is a major issue impacting us today. Yeah.

[1:16:22] But thank you all so much for having me.

[1:16:26] And I will send you A copy of the PowerPoint. Okay, thank you.

[1:16:31] Mr. Wysong, I think, has just another quick question.

[1:16:34] Yeah, I noticed that you did have veterans, uh, in active duty on—

[1:16:40] I'm not sure if it was suicide or if it was another.

[1:16:44] Have you looked at that based on, all right, accidents, especially motorcycles,

[1:16:51] active duty versus veteran?

[1:16:53] Um, if there's some kind of drugs or alcohol that caused—

[1:16:58] it would be interesting to, to see where they fit with, you know,

[1:17:03] close to 100,000 veterans in the county and with 5 bases, installations,

[1:17:09] whether or not, what kind of correlations,

[1:17:12] and does deployment factor into any of that, you know,

[1:17:17] potentially seasonal or monthly rises?

[1:17:20] Yes. So, you know, all of the information in this report, I mean,

[1:17:25] A lot of it's a requirement by the National Association of Medical Examiners.

[1:17:32] But we've really tweaked this report in our community to reflect the questions

[1:17:39] our community to reflect the questions that

[1:17:39] our community has had.

[1:17:41] And so years ago, questions about folks who are active duty or have a history of

[1:17:48] military work, those questions have come up. And so we've been tracking that.

[1:17:54] For years. The numbers weren't very high because I actually looked at that with the

[1:18:01] motorcycles and things before coming here today,

[1:18:05] and there wasn't anything that showed a significant change,

[1:18:10] so I didn't represent that in today's presentation.

[1:18:15] But I want you to know we are— we absolutely have been keeping track of

[1:18:21] absolutely have been keeping track of that.

[1:18:21] Yeah, you bet.

[1:18:22] Thank you.

[1:18:24] You're very welcome. Y'all have a great day.

[1:18:27] Okay, with that, we will move on to other comments by elected officials.

[1:18:32] I don't see any other countywide elected officials in the room today.

[1:18:36] Just going to give a minute for anyone to jump up and to prove me wrong,

[1:18:41] but I don't see anybody, so we will begin with Commissioner Wysong.

[1:18:49] Um, last week was, um, kind of a, a catch-up.

[1:18:54] Um, this week is going to be, um, kind of loaded with, um, BPACG,

[1:19:01] Parks Board, um, Fountain Creek, uh, Watershed District, um,

[1:19:08] issues. Um, and pretty much, um,

[1:19:12] we'll be attending the 9/11 ceremony at Cheyenne Mountain,

[1:19:18] and then Mount Carmel has their Patriot Day celebration also,

[1:19:25] and then the Veterans Court has their graduation at 1 o'clock on

[1:19:32] Friday.

[1:19:33] Yeah, it's a busy week this week.

[1:19:35] Um, tomorrow we have El Paso County Housing Authority meeting,

[1:19:40] then Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority.

[1:19:44] Thursday morning we have the Land Use and Board of Adjustment,

[1:19:49] and then Friday afternoon is Community Services Block Grant.

[1:19:53] And we are currently in the process of putting together our community action plan

[1:20:00] and strategic plan. This is federal funding that comes to help combat poverty

[1:20:06] funding that comes to help combat poverty and

[1:20:06] helping individuals get on their feet and reach self-sustainability.

[1:20:11] And we're looking for organizations that help with skills training or just

[1:20:17] presenting economic opportunity and financial coaching, those sorts of things.

[1:20:23] So we are— we already have received applications,

[1:20:27] and now that board is reviewing the subrecipients and figuring out where we

[1:20:33] subrecipients and figuring out where we want to

[1:20:34] distribute this federal funding into our community.

[1:20:38] And So that meeting is going to be very full Friday afternoon as we approve our

[1:20:44] community action plan and our strategic plan and then have to send it up to the

[1:20:50] state and get approval from the state that we are, you know,

[1:20:55] intending to distribute this funding appropriately.

[1:20:59] And then it's a 3-year period where we will be distributing those funds to

[1:21:05] will be distributing those funds to different

[1:21:06] organizations throughout the community.

[1:21:09] So.

[1:21:09] Thank you. Lots going on this week.

[1:21:11] I have a lot of reading that I still need to do by tomorrow afternoon, and then, uh,

[1:21:16] continuing to read through some of these applications even today, hopefully.

[1:21:21] So thanks.

[1:21:21] Commissioner Applegate.

[1:21:23] Thank you so much. Um, had a wonderful Labor Day weekend.

[1:21:27] Saturday was our Labor Day liftoff,

[1:21:29] and that was a special year because it was the 50th anniversary of our Labor Day

[1:21:34] liftoff. Started in 1976. out in Black Forest area.

[1:21:37] And now, they do it downtown at Ernett Memorial Park.

[1:21:40] So, I got to speak in the morning and I got to see the balloons take off first

[1:21:45] got to see the balloons take off first thing

[1:21:45] in the morning. And man, just so much fun, just such a good atmosphere out there.

[1:21:50] And then Monday, I was at the Fountain Fall Festival.

[1:21:53] I was in the parade that year and it was really awesome.

[1:21:56] And I got to see a lot of familiar faces,

[1:21:59] got to see some people I just hadn't seen in a while. And it was fun.

[1:22:03] It was enjoyable. My volunteers enjoyed it. And the People around us enjoyed it.

[1:22:08] So we had a great and just wonderful day yesterday.

[1:22:11] And yes, on 9/11, on this Friday,

[1:22:13] I will be attending many of the events that are going on.

[1:22:16] So, including also, they're doing a dedication for fountain—

[1:22:20] for their new fountain inside in front of City Hall. So thank you.

[1:22:24] Commissioner Williams.

[1:22:26] Okay, uh, yes, I was able to attend some events at the Labor Day Liftoff.

[1:22:31] On Saturday night, including some of the leftover fireworks shows.

[1:22:36] The fireworks show was, uh, was not the best one.

[1:22:39] I understand the real fireworks show is going to be at the Switchbacks game on

[1:22:45] Friday night. And, um,

[1:22:47] but also had a conversation with the Colorado Springs fire chief somewhat

[1:22:52] Colorado Springs fire chief somewhat related to

[1:22:52] what we were talking about this morning.

[1:22:55] If you want to be a firefighter, you cannot do drugs.

[1:22:59] 'Cause you have to pass the drug test before you can get started in the school.

[1:23:05] So being that firefighters are a fairly popular industry, you ought to be—

[1:23:10] or tell your kids so that they are ready for that.

[1:23:13] This week I have the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments.

[1:23:18] I have the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority. Both of those are tomorrow.

[1:23:24] Thursday we have our land use meeting.

[1:23:26] Thank you.

[1:23:27] And Friday I have a Child Welfare Allocation Committee to start discussing,

[1:23:34] I would assume, the allocation for next year, which would not be made until,

[1:23:41] I believe, June. And then on Saturday, we have—

[1:23:45] our church has a groundbreaking for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day

[1:23:52] Saints Temple in Flying Horse North.

[1:23:56] Yes.

[1:23:56] And that is an exciting event that I will be attending.

[1:24:01] And that would be my whole week. Thank you.

[1:24:04] I want to start by thanking Vice Chair Nelson for taking such good care of this

[1:24:10] meeting last week. And as I was able to spend a bit of time off with my family,

[1:24:15] it's— we run at a pretty intense pace here at the county sometimes.

[1:24:20] And so it was very nice to be able to take some time and catch up on life a little

[1:24:26] bit with my kids especially, which I always appreciate,

[1:24:30] especially as my youngest is getting ready to go back to school and be able to

[1:24:36] support— just support with my family.

[1:24:38] So thank you so much for taking care of things here.

[1:24:42] I also have a busy week of catching up now after being out for a bit.

[1:24:47] So I will be taking care of some of those things that occurred while I was out,

[1:24:53] in addition to a Fairgrounds Corporation meeting this week,

[1:24:57] which I'm looking forward to and looking forward to some—

[1:25:01] what I think are very positive changes that are going to be able to support our

[1:25:07] that are going to be able to support our fair

[1:25:07] better coming up. So that's all I have for today.

[1:25:10] Oh, we have a redo from Vice Chair Nelson.

[1:25:13] I just remembered I also have CSU Extension tonight,

[1:25:17] which I'm glad you mentioned Fairgrounds because I knew I had that tonight,

[1:25:23] but good to have the reminder. That's right.

[1:25:26] So CSU Extension, they only meet quarterly, so I wanted to give them a

[1:25:29] quarterly, so I wanted to give them a shout out.

[1:25:30] Okay. All right then, um, we will move on to item 8.

[1:25:36] Item number 8 is community service organization reports, and there are none.

[1:25:44] Item 9.

[1:25:45] Item number 9 is public comment,

[1:25:47] public comment on items not scheduled on the agenda.

[1:25:49] The commissioners welcome communication in various forms.

[1:25:52] However, the public comment period is not intended for dialogue,

[1:25:55] and commissioners do not engage in conversation during this time.

[1:25:58] Members of the public seeking responses to specific questions are encouraged to

[1:26:02] submit inquiries through Citizen Connect.

[1:26:04] And Madam Chair, I'm unaware of anyone signing in to speak today.

[1:26:08] Okay, is there anyone here who wishes to speak on an

[1:26:14] item that is not on the agenda?

[1:26:18] Okay, I don't see anyone coming forward, so we will,

[1:26:24] uh, move on to item 10.

[1:26:27] Item number 10 is the called-up consent calendar, and there are no items called

[1:26:32] calendar, and there are no items called up.

[1:26:32] Item 11.

[1:26:33] Item 11 is department and committee reports, non-action items, and there are

[1:26:37] reports, non-action items, and there are none.

[1:26:38] Item 12.

[1:26:39] Item 12 is the addendum, and there are no addendums today.

[1:26:42] Item 13.

[1:26:43] Item 13 is the executive session, and there is no request for executive session.

[1:26:47] Okay, with that, we've come to the end of this agenda. This meeting is adjourned.

BOCC Regular Meeting

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