To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Tyler S. Brown, Sheriff
Prepared By:
prepared
Nathan Fogg, Director, Office of Emergency Management
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Subject:
title
Amended and Restated Ordinance 2026-03 - Open Fire Ban
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Purpose and Request:
recommended action
This item is a public hearing on the adoption of proposed Arapahoe County Ordinance No. 2026-03, which would amend and supersede the current ordinance 2000-02 governing the adoption and enforcement of fire bans in unincorporated Arapahoe County.
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Alignment with Strategic Plan: Safe and Healthy Communities - Advance public safety by strengthening partnerships across law enforcement, emergency response, and community stakeholders.
Background and Discussion: The first reading of this ordinance was held on May 26, 2026, and the text of the ordinance was published in full in the Colorado Community Media Newspapers on June 4, 2026, in conformance with statutory requirements. The current 2000-2 Fire Ban Ordinance is 26 years old. It has been updated in a collaborative process with the County Attorney’s Office, the Sheriff’s Office and the Office of Emergency Management (OEM). The updated ordinance reflects changes in Colorado statutes to require the Sheriff’s Office to use competent scientific evidence as defined in the Colorado Revised Statutes before declaring a fire ban. The penalty section of the new ordinance is updated to reflect the current statute with respect to the penalty class, removing the Class 2 Petty Offense and providing for civil enforcement via the penalty assessment process in County Court. Additionally, the process for notifying the public about a fire ban is changed to posting information and restrictions promptly on the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office website. Given the increased fire danger throughout the state in recent years, the updated ordinance increases the fines associated with first and second offenses to provide a greater deterrent.
Alternatives: The Board could not adopt the new ordinance and leave questions around the determination and enforcement process of the 2000-2 ordinance, or it could direct staff to further refine the updated ordinance, though OEM is confident in the language as presented here.
Fiscal Impact: There is likely to be some general fund revenue collected through the penalty assessment process. OEM recommends earmarking those fines, which we estimate will likely be in the range of $1,000-$5,000 annually, to further fire risk reduction and community outreach efforts.
Alignment with Strategic Implementation Strategies: The attached framework helps Arapahoe County institutionalize values-based, transparent decision-making, documenting how we make decisions and carry out actions to achieve the county’s strategic plan.
Concurrence: Sheriff’s Office, City of Centennial, County Attorney’s Office.