Public comment at a Scotts Bluff County commissioners meeting focused on the recent suspension of the county tourism director and the role of the tourism liaison, prompting calls for review and greater transparency.

Several tourism stakeholders and business owners told commissioners the director's suspension came at a disruptive moment for local events and damaged ongoing partnerships. Colleen Johnson, executive director of Old West Balloon Fest, and other tourism stakeholders said canceled meetings and the director's absence had immediate economic effects, including an event meeting cancellation that one vendor estimated cost $3,000 in lost revenue for a local provider. They credited the tourism director with past successes — including national ballooning events and increased lodging and sales tax revenue — and urged the board to preserve continuity in tourism leadership.

Other public speakers and a county official raised concerns about the conduct and public statements of the tourism liaison, Commissioner Charlie Knapper. Speakers described a dispute over whether the county should prioritize sports/tournament tourism versus leisure and cultural tourism that supports museums, the discovery center, and arts organizations. Some commenters said the liaison's public remarks and personnel actions reflected an abuse of power and asked the commission either to remove the liaison from that role or to investigate whether the director was retaliated against for raising concerns.

Register of Deeds Jean Bauer asserted procedural problems with personnel-related documents that referenced her and an unrelated tourism board member without authority, and requested removal of their names from an internal write-up. Public commenters asked the board to clarify supervisory roles, the personnel-review process and the tourism office's chain of command. Several commissioners responded that the liaison role is a commissioner-assigned supervisory role under county practice and that commissioners sought to work toward reconciliation; one commissioner said he had temporarily been assigned as the tourism director's supervisor.

No formal personnel action was taken during the meeting; commissioners said they would accept public input and that staff and the tourism advisory board would continue to work through outstanding questions. The board also paused the Placer AI agenda item to allow further review and to receive more detailed agenda language for the next meeting.