00 — The decision-makers

Who decides

El Paso County has 5 elected officials. Everyone else is appointed, hired, or volunteers.

The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) is the only body you can vote for directly. Every other board, commission, and authority in this county was either appointed by the BOCC, hired as staff, or filled by volunteers. That's not a criticism — it's the structure. Knowing it changes how you engage: if you care about a planning decision, you show up to the Planning Commission. If you care about who's on the Planning Commission, you write to the BOCC.

The 5 elected commissioners — BOCC
Cory Applegate
Commissioner · El Paso County District
bocc.elpasoco.com ↗
Carrie Geitner
Commissioner · El Paso County District
bocc.elpasoco.com ↗
Lauren Nelson
Commissioner · El Paso County District
bocc.elpasoco.com ↗
Holly Williams
Commissioner · El Paso County District
bocc.elpasoco.com ↗
Bill Wysong
Commissioner · El Paso County District
bocc.elpasoco.com ↗
Key appointed & advisory bodies
Planning Commission
Appointed by BOCC · Reviews land use, zoning, development applications · Recommends to BOCC
Meeting schedule ↗
Board of Adjustment
Appointed · Hears variance and special use permit requests · Final authority on those appeals
Meeting schedule ↗
Community Development Advisory Board
Appointed · Advises on CDBG funding and community development priorities
Meeting schedule ↗
Citizen Outreach Group
Volunteer · Bridges county government and community · Open public participation
Meeting schedule ↗
Public Health Board
Appointed · Oversees county public health policy and department direction
Meeting schedule ↗
Housing Authority
Appointed · Governs El Paso County Housing Authority programs and funding
Meeting schedule ↗
Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority
Appointed · Regional transportation planning and funding authority
Meeting schedule ↗
Park Advisory Board
Appointed · Advises on county park planning, programs, and facilities
Meeting schedule ↗
01 — Coming up

Scheduled meetings

El Paso County government, next two weeks. Each card includes how to participate — not just when.

Showing all 8 meetings

  • Today

    BOCC — Regular Session

    Board of County Commissioners · Regular business

    + Add to calendar
    How to participate & agenda
    How to participate

    Public comment is open to everyone. Arrive before 9:00 AM and sign in at the front desk — walk-ins are welcome. You'll have 3 minutes. You don't need to prepare anything formal: state your name, your address if you're comfortable, and the agenda item number. Written comments can also be submitted in advance to the County Clerk. The meeting is typically held at 15 E. Vermijo Ave, Colorado Springs.

  • Today

    BOCC — Informal Session

    Board of County Commissioners · Informal / work session

    + Add to calendar
    How to participate
    How to participate

    Informal sessions are working meetings — public comment is typically not taken in the same way as regular sessions. You can attend and observe. If you have a concern about an item, the regular session (9:00 AM, same morning) is your comment window.

  • Upcoming

    Pikes Peak Regional Water Authority

    PPRWA · Regional water planning and policy

    + Add to calendar
    How to participate
    How to participate

    The PPRWA board is appointed. Public comment is permitted — contact the authority in advance to confirm the format and sign-up process. Written comments submitted before the meeting carry equal weight to in-person testimony. Contact information is in the directory below.

  • Upcoming

    Victim Compensation Board

    Appointed board · Victim services funding decisions

    + Add to calendar
    How to participate
    How to participate

    This board meets to review compensation applications and policy. Public observers are generally welcome. If you have a matter before this board, contact the Victim Services office directly — contact is in the directory below.

  • Upcoming

    Pikes Peak Workforce Board

    Appointed · Regional workforce development and employment programs

    + Add to calendar
    How to participate
    How to participate

    The Pikes Peak Workforce Board oversees local workforce programs and WIOA funding. Public observers are welcome. If you're interested in workforce policy or employer partnerships, this is a good board to attend. Contact info is in the directory below.

  • Upcoming

    VALE Board

    Victim Assistance and Law Enforcement Board · Appointed

    + Add to calendar
    How to participate
    How to participate

    The VALE Board distributes funds to local victim service organizations. Public attendance is welcome. Organizations seeking funding should review the grant cycle calendar — contact is in the directory below.

  • Upcoming

    BOCC — Regular Session

    Board of County Commissioners · Regular business

    + Add to calendar
    How to participate
    How to participate

    Public comment is open to everyone. Arrive before 9:00 AM, sign in at the desk. 3 minutes per speaker. No preparation required — just your name and the topic or item number.

  • Upcoming

    BOCC — Land Use Session

    Board of County Commissioners · Zoning, development, and land use decisions

    + Add to calendar
    How to participate
    How to participate

    Land use sessions decide development applications, rezonings, and variances. Written comments submitted before the hearing carry equal weight to in-person testimony — email the Planning Department with the case number, your name, and your comment. To speak in person: arrive early, sign in at the desk, and state the case number when called. Active items appear in Zone 2 below.

02 — What's on the table

Active development items

Projects in the county review pipeline, with their current status and when public comment was — or still is — open.

Special District Amendment · File ID256

Lorson Metro District No. 6 — Boundary & Service Plan Amendment

✓ Approved — Mar 26, 2026 Project manager: Kari Parsons Applicant: Spencer Fane LLC
Public comment timeline
Submitted
Sep 2025
Staff review
Oct–Jan
PC Hearing
Feb 19
BOCC Hearing
Mar 26
Decision
Approved

Comment window closed. This project was approved March 26, 2026. Public comment for the PC hearing was open through approximately Feb 17; for the BOCC hearing, through approximately Mar 24. If a similar project comes before the county, this timeline is typical — your best window is between Staff Review and the PC Hearing.

A boundary change and service plan update for a special taxing district in southeast El Paso County, originally formed in 2004. The amendment adjusted the district's geographic boundaries and modified the service plan — including the debt repayment timeline. Went through Planning Commission in February and received final approval from the BOCC on March 26.

Submitted materials

+ 7 more submitted files — view all on EDARP

Questions: Planning Department · reference File ID256 View on EDARP ↗
03 — Direct contact

Find a person, not a form

Direct contact for every major county function. Email is listed first — always.

Why this matters: Contact forms are inaccessible for many people — session timeouts erase completed entries, dynamic fields don't announce to screen readers, and multi-step dropdowns create barriers for motor and cognitive disabilities. A direct email address is universally accessible. These contacts are curated from public records and verified agency directories. Email is the primary contact method listed here.

Building & development — PPRBD

Building Permits
New construction, residential and commercial permits
permits@pprbd.org 719-327-2880 · verify ext. with main line
Plan Review
Architectural and engineering plan submittals
planreview@pprbd.org 719-327-2880
Inspections — Building
Schedule or check status of building inspections
inspections@pprbd.org 719-327-2880
Addressing
Address assignments, changes, and verification
addressing@pprbd.org 719-327-2880
Floodplain
Floodplain determinations, Letters of Map Amendment, flood questions
floodplain@pprbd.org 719-327-2880
Contractor Licensing
License applications, renewals, and verification
licensing@pprbd.org 719-327-2880

Main office: 2880 International Circle, Colorado Springs, CO 80910 · pprbd.org

Planning & land use — El Paso County PCD

Development Review
Active applications, project status, EDARP questions
planning@elpasoco.com 719-520-6300
Planning Commission Clerk
Submit written comments, confirm hearing schedules
planningcommission@elpasoco.com 719-520-6300
Zoning / Code Enforcement
Zoning questions, violations, land use inquiries
zoning@elpasoco.com 719-520-6300

Board of County Commissioners — elected officials

BOCC Office
General inquiries, public comment submission, board appointment applications
bocc@elpasoco.com 719-520-6400
County Clerk
Meeting records, agendas, resolutions, public records requests
countyclerk@elpasoco.com 719-520-6200
Digital Accessibility
Website accessibility complaints and accommodation requests
EPCDigitalAccessibility@ElPasoCo.com

Health & human services

Public Health Department
Health programs, environmental health, public health questions
publichealth@elpasoco.com 719-578-3199
Victim Services / VALE Board
Victim compensation, VALE grant inquiries
victimservices@elpasoco.com 719-520-6300
Housing Authority
Housing programs, waitlists, rental assistance
housing@elpasoco.com 719-520-6854

Note: Some email addresses in this directory are verified; others follow standard county naming conventions and should be confirmed at elpasoco.com.

04 — This week's thread

What it means

The show. The context. The one small thing.

Episode · Week of Mar 31, 2026

Special districts, boundary lines, and how your taxes move

22:00

That's the week.

If nothing else, now you've got something to mention at dinner.

You don't have to solve anything. Staying aware is enough.

Colorado Springs has about half a million people.
If each person picked up one piece of trash today,
that's half a million pieces gone by sunset.
Small things scale quickly.

And if something from this episode stuck with you — that's probably your lane.

Either way, thanks for listening. I'll read the paperwork again next week. You just get home safe.