Latino Chamber asks Pueblo County to lower county membership tier to support Aspen Acres recovery

During public comment, Noah Comerford (Noah Comerford, President and CEO of the Latino Chamber of Commerce) requested that Pueblo County be placed on a lower membership tier for the remainder of the year, asking the board to reduce the county’s current $11,000 membership to $4,000. Comerford said the county membership covers all agencies, departments, committees and commissions and that the lower tier would keep a close partnership in place as the community moves through Aspen Acres fire recovery.

Comerford described services the Chamber provides to local businesses, including small-business development, workforce templates, an online job board, internship and shadowing connections, promotion of investment opportunities, and hosting tours and listening sessions for government partners. He told commissioners, "we are very, very good at small business development and that's really our bread and butter."

Board members thanked Comerford for the presentation and acknowledged the county’s fiscal constraints; one commissioner said they appreciate the organization and will "see what we can do with trying to get some partnership reinvigorated through money." The board did not take immediate action on the membership request during the meeting.