PINEDALE — After High Mountain Real Estate owner Chase Harber’s appointment to the Sublette County Planning and Zoning Commission, citizens at public meetings question whether or not Harber has a “conflict of interest” in voting o approve developer Jason Moyes’ Forty Rod West preliminary plat.
They have pointed out that Harber publicly supported Moyes’ subdivision before his appointment and asked if Moyes and Harber might have a deeper, biased business relationship. The Harber family sold Moyes property in the Bloomfield Addition, including his Pronghorn Crossing subdivision in the town of Pinedale.
P&Z Commission Chair Chris Lacinak explained Oct. 17 that Harber wouldn’t abstain from voting on Moyes’ application, but the possibility was raised.
Harber later wrote: “I don’t share any business dealings with the Moyes. I represented my father (John Harber) in Jason’s purchase of their BloomField properties several years ago. I disclosed and discussed with the P&Z board prior to the (Oct. 17) meeting as Mr. Lacinak explained, and they were in agreement that there was no conflict or grounds for recusal.”

Lacinak called Harber’s explanation “a mischaracterization” of their communications before the Oct. 17 vote. He said Harber emailed Lacinak and fellow P&Z board members Holly Roberts, Blake Greenhalgh and Ken Marincic “and disclosed that he was peripherally connected to a real estate deal with Moyes.”
Moyes and Harber have both stated the transaction was not a conflict of interest. The board decided it was up to Harber to recuse himself, Lacinak said.
That night, Marincic recused himself from voting on an application near the Pinedale Airport because he is employed at the airport.
As for the Moyes-Harber Pronghorn Crossing transaction, Sublette County Clerk’s records show that on April 16, 2021, the Harber Family Trust gave Moyes a $1.35 million mortgage for his purchase of Blocks 6, 9, 10 and 11 of the Bloomfield Addition. John and Sylvia Harber of Boulder signed as trustees.
Since then, on May 6, 2024, clerk’s records note the Harber Family Trust’s partial release of Block 6 with 31 residential lots, where Moyes is actively developing Pronghorn Crossing. Blocks 9, 10 and 11 are still recorded as mortgaged by Harber Family Trust.
The Sublette County Planning and Zoning Commission’s draft bylaws address recusal and conflicts of interest but are not yet approved. Lacinak updated the Sublette County Board of Commissioners at its Nov. 8 meeting.