Commissioners clarify process for citizen claims against the county after plumbing company submitted reimbursement request

County attorneys and commissioners discussed the appropriate process for handling private claims submitted for reimbursement after a plumbing contractor submitted a written request to the county. County counsel said such requests are not standard vendor claims and should be filed as independent claims to create a formal record and start the statutory timeline for contesting county action.

County Attorney Randy Ferrer explained that the county’s claims stack is intended for vendor invoices and contracted services; when a private party submits a reimbursement demand or a claim alleging county fault, it must be routed as an independent legal claim so the county records the date and starts the statutory response period. Ferrer referenced the general process for ‘‘claims against the county’’ (the Clerk/Claims process) and advised that staff should not treat such letters as routine claims in the payable stack. Commissioners asked staff to forward formal claim letters to the county attorney and to advise claimants of the correct filing process.

Why it matters: placing a demand for reimbursement into the regular claims stack can create confusion and may inadvertently start or affect legal time limits; following the formal claim process preserves the county’s rights and ensures a clear audit trail.

Next steps: staff to reroute future reimbursement demands or claims made against the county to the Clerk and County Attorney so they are handled under the proper statutory process; no vote was required for the clarification.