The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Sales tax big and boosted by marijuana
Sales tax revenue in Crested Butte is up—again. For July 2014, it increased 10.4 percent over 2013, which was the biggest sales tax month on record for the town. Of the total $425,792 sales tax collected, retail and medical marijuana sales accounted for 3.3 percent of the total tax, or about $14,000. That translates to about $350,000 in (legal) weed being sold in town during July.
Informational kiosks in town?
Town planner Michael Yerman recommended the council approve an ordinance allowing certain signs on public property. He said both the Nordic Center and the Crested Butte Mountain Bike Association have asked about creating trail kiosks in town. The ordinance allows the groups to process sign requests on public property. The most likely spot for such kiosks would be places like the Four-way Stop or Big Mine Park. The ordinance allows BOZAR and staff to review such applications.
The bears are back in town
Town marshal Tom Martin said that as fall approaches, the area bears are sliding back into town looking for easy food to fatten up for the winter. He told the council that a mid-sized male bear is becoming a regular evening visitor to Crested Butte and the marshal is asking residents to be bear aware. That means closing doors and windows, not leaving food and bird feeders out at night and locking garbage cans and Dumpsters. While it has been a quiet summer as far as bruin issues, the fall is when bears try anything to pack on the pounds before hibernating.
Annexation talks ongoing
Town manager Todd Crossett told the council that while no formal application has been submitted, the new owners of the old Foothills property just outside of town have met with staff to discuss annexation. The property is located north of town across from the Gas Café. “I would expect to see a proposal sometime soon,” Crossett said.
