Rico seeks public works manager, offers housing and benefits
Rico is recruiting a public works manager and planning commissioners, with housing, health coverage and authority over roads, water and land-use decisions on the line.
Rico residents are being asked to help keep the town’s roads, water system and permitting process moving by stepping into two of the most consequential local jobs on the books. The town is seeking a public works manager at $60,000 to $75,000, depending on qualifications, and is also advertising openings on the Planning Commission, where decisions can affect everything from fence height disputes to subdivisions and road right-of-way vacations.
The public works manager post shows how broad the job is in a town of Rico’s size. It is essentially a one-person department with part-time support, and the manager would oversee streets, buildings, facilities, storm drainage, the municipal water system, park facilities and other public assets. The role also includes operating heavy equipment such as a backhoe, front-end loader, dump truck and motor grader, maintaining vehicles and equipment, keeping records and handling citizen service requests.
To help recruit in a very small labor market, the town is offering a package that goes beyond salary. Benefits include town-paid health insurance premiums for employees, 80% town-paid family coverage, Colorado PERA participation, life insurance, paid family leave, long-term disability insurance, sick and vacation accrual, and access to a one-bedroom employee housing unit. For a town with limited staffing, the opening is as much about continuity of service as it is about hiring.
The Planning Commission openings carry a different kind of weight. Rico says letters of interest or statements of qualifications may be submitted in person at Town Hall or by email to townmanager@ricocolorado.gov. The commission meets the second Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m. at Rico Town Hall, 2 Commercial Street, unless otherwise posted, and agendas and packets are posted the Friday before the meeting. Public attendance and comments are always welcome.
That commission’s reach extends well beyond routine zoning. It handles historic alteration certificates, fence height issues, signs, special events, minor and major subdivisions, encroachments, special-use permits, development in environmentally sensitive areas, variances and road right-of-way vacations. One recent planning item involved a May 13, 2026, 6 p.m. variance application for fence height at 123 North Silver.
The broader workload facing town government is already visible on the board calendar. The Rico Board of Trustees meets the third Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m. at Rico Town Hall, with Mayor Patrick Fallon and trustees Cristal Hibbard, Thomas Clark, Gregg Anderson, Benn Vernadakis, Gerrish Willis and Scott Poston listed on the town site. Current agenda items include the 2025 audit, an ordinance amending the Rico Land Use Code and adopting on-site wastewater treatment system regulations, and a proposed sale of town-owned property at 119 South Glasgow Avenue.
Rico was incorporated on October 11, 1879, and its current staffing push reflects the pressure of governing a small town with limited hands. With a 2020 census population of 293 and later estimates in the mid-300s, even one vacancy can affect how quickly roads get graded, permits get reviewed and water and land-use issues get resolved.
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