PUC proposes external volunteer review committee for 911 grants, limits board participation

Daryl Branson told the board he envisions a review committee made up of public-safety volunteers to evaluate grant applications and produce recommendations to the enterprise board. To limit the risk of conflicts of interest, Branson said volunteers should not be permitted to evaluate if they have submitted applications during that cycle, and only one enterprise board member should serve on the committee at a time.

"I do think it would be a good idea for a board member to be on that committee, but no more than one," Branson said, adding that the identity of the board member could rotate between cycles. Board members and staff agreed that volunteer availability is likely strong in Colorado’s 911 community but that organizers must ensure volunteers do not evaluate applications in cycles where they or their organizations are applicants.

Amy Buch asked whether the Colorado Resource Center could organize the committee and whether that would create a conflict because the Resource Center currently holds a contract with the enterprise. Branson said the Resource Center could organize the committee but could not participate in evaluation if it submitted an application for funding in that cycle.

Board members did not finalize committee size or membership at the meeting; they asked staff to begin outreach to recruit volunteer reviewers and to return with a proposal for committee size at the next regular meeting.