The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Chamberland, Besecker step into new roles
There weren’t chairs for everyone who went to the commissioner’s meeting room Tuesday, January 11 to watch a changing of the guard in Gunnison County, when six officials elected or re-elected last November took their respective oaths of office.
Judge Steven Patrick led the ceremony to swear in the re-elected county assessor Kristy McFarland, clerk and recorder Stella Dominguez, treasurer Melody Marks and coroner Frank Vader, as well as the newly elected sheriff Rick Besecker and new county commissioner Phil Chamberland.
Besecker, after saying the final words of the oath, was met by former sheriff Rick Murdie, who said he wasn’t sure about being unemployed, but heaped praise on the county’s new top law enforcement officer. Besecker had served as undersheriff—as second in command of the sheriff’s office under Murdie—for the past two decades.
The crowd, which pushed into the hallway, mingled for a while around some cookies and cake. That was the end of the honeymoon for Chamberland, who jumped right into business.
Chamberland he says he’s ready for the task after studying up on the myriad issues he will have to weigh in on over the next four years, from subdivisions to sage grouse.
While sitting commissioners Hap Channell and Paula Swenson were voted in as chairperson and vice chairperson respectively, Chamberland, will cut his teeth on the Personnel Board and will work with the staff on personnel issues.
It wasn’t his preferred appointment, but Chamberland was willing to be where the other commissioners asked, except for the Sage Grouse committee. That appointment went to Swenson, and Chamberland accepted a seat as an alternate.
Chamberland will also sit on the Rural Transportation Authority board of directors with Swenson, as his predecessor Jim Starr had, after Channell said he thought it was important for the commissioner representing the north end of the Gunnison Valley to sit on that board.
Part of Chamberland’s platform while campaigning for the post was economic development, and he was eager to step up as the county representative on the boards that would have the greatest sway over the county’s economy.
But Channell already covers the position on the Gunnison Crested Butte Tourism Association and Swenson serves on the Gunnison Country Chamber of Commerce board. Chamberland said he would approach the Crested Butte-Mt. Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce about the possibility of sitting in as an ex-officio member or even getting his business, Gunnison Valley Construction, involved in that chamber.
Meanwhile, Chamberland continues to push the valley’s economic development in every capacity he can, even sitting in on discussions on the topic involving members of the business community and faculty at Western State College.
“And so it begins,” Chamberland said on his first day on the job as Gunnison County’s newest commissioner.
