by North Forty News Staff | NorthFortyNews.com
Evans renews agreement, Ault joins program to streamline permit processing
WELD COUNTY, CO — Two Northern Colorado communities are partnering with Weld County to enhance the oversight and permitting of oil and gas operations, marking a growing regional collaboration in energy development.
This week, the Weld County Board of Commissioners approved intergovernmental agreements (IGAs) with the City of Evans and the Town of Ault. These agreements enable both municipalities to leverage the expertise of the Weld County Oil and Gas Energy Department (OGED) for oil and gas permit application processing and related regulatory tasks.
Evans, already a partner since 2022, updated its agreement to eliminate reimbursement costs to the county. In the future, Evans will receive services free of charge, with the county recouping expenses through existing permit fees.
“As Evans was the first to use us in this way, naturally, there was a little bit of finding out what worked and what didn’t,” said Brett Cavanagh, Director of OGED. “This IGA eliminates the cost to them and shows a willingness to continually work with our municipalities to provide the best value to residents.”
Ault becomes the newest town to collaborate with OGED. Under its new agreement, Ault will receive not only assistance with permit processing but also services such as application hearings, site inspections, floodplain and drainage compliance reviews, and issuance of grading permits. Like Evans, Ault will retain local control over final permit approvals.
“It’s exciting to see our municipalities use our oil and gas energy department in this way,” said Perry Buck, Chair of the Weld County Commissioners. “It allows our experts in oil and gas permitting to do what they do every day — consider permits with regard to health, safety, and welfare of the public and environment — and expand that skillset to our municipalities.”
These agreements build on recent partnerships with Severance (June 2025) and Keenesburg (2023), underscoring a trend toward regional cooperation in managing oil and gas development.
“I’m really excited,” added Cavanagh. “Agreements like these expand what we do … they’re good all the way around.”
To learn more about the Weld County Oil and Gas Energy Department and its services, visit weldgov.com.
Story based on information provided by Weld County Government.