Mt. CB Briefs

Town gives money to advertise wedding garden

The Mountain Garden in Mt. Crested Butte did not receive as much use this year as in previous summers, so the town has agreed to contribute funds to help advertise the garden for wedding ceremonies. The Mountain Garden, or Wedding Garden as it is sometimes called, is directly behind Town Hall adjacent to Ted Scheske Park in Mt. Crested Butte. The garden was created in 2003 as part of the Crested Butte Wildflower Festival, and ever since has been frequently used for wedding receptions and other private parties.

 
Mountain Garden board of directors chairwoman Lee Renfrow came before the Mt. Crested Butte Town Council on Tuesday, August 19 to request $575 from the town’s admissions tax fund for use in advertising the location for weddings. Renfrow said a decline in the number of weddings held at the Garden this summer will leave the Mountain Garden with only $4,000 carrying over into next summer. Photographers and other businesses involved in the wedding industry reported a similar decline, Renfrow said, leading her to believe there wasn’t as much popularity for “destination” weddings this year, possibly due to the high cost of travel.
Renfrow said the $4,000 is just enough to cover gardening and wedding coordination expenses. “With that carryover it’s kind of daunting to spend more on advertising, but I think it’s important to continue to ensure more people come here.”
She said the Mountain Garden’s $575 advertising budget includes a booth at the annual Wedding Show at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, a listing in a local Wedding Guide, and several other small website and print listings.
Mayor William Buck noted that the town has given advertising funds to the Mountain Garden in the past, but has not done so for the last few years. He asked town manager Joe Fitzpatrick what advertising funds were available.
Fitzpatrick said, “I know we have plenty of money—$575 would fit quite comfortably.”
Council member Gary Keiser then expressed his support for the Mountain Garden. “I was one of the volunteers that helped plant that garden five or so years ago. I move we approve the expenditure.” The council voted unanimously to approve the donation. Council members Mike Kube and Wendy Fisher were absent.

Sales tax up in some areas
Sales tax revenues from retailers and lodging operations were up for the month of June in Mt. Crested Butte.
During Tuesday night’s meeting, manager Fitzpatrick said sales tax revenues overall for June were down 1.8 percent. Council member Keiser clarified that the decrease in sales tax was mostly in the town’s “other” category, which, according to Fitzpatrick, represents construction equipment and crane rentals and anything that doesn’t fall in another group. “There were healthy increases in lodging and retail, which is a definite positive,” Fitzpatrick said. Retail posted a 26 percent increase in tax revenues; lodging showed a 29 percent increase; restaurant operations showed a 1 percent decrease; and the “other” category showed a 25 percent decrease.
Keiser asked how the end-of-the-year fund balance was shaping up. Finance officer Karl Trujillo said, “The bottom line is, I think we’ll be okay. We might be down a little bit.” Trujillo said year-to-date the town was ahead in sales tax, but building permit and impact fee revenues were down, “so things are evening out right now.”

Noxious weed ordinance passes
The Town Council unanimously approved Ordinance No. 2, series 2008, during a second reading on Tuesday, August 19. The ordinance deals with the management of noxious and invasive weed species within the town limits, and gives the town the ability to eradicate on private property weeds that are considered a nuisance, and then recoup those expenses from the property owner.
Prior to the meeting, the town received several letters from citizens concerned about the town using potentially toxic chemicals to eradicate weeds. Following the council’s approval of the ordinance, which was preceded by a public hearing on August 5, mayor Buck said that the town’s strategy in eliminating weeds, including the choice of using chemicals or manual labor, had yet to be decided. Buck said that strategy would be decided in the formulation of a noxious weed management plan, a document the town hopes to pass soon with the help of a special advisory committee. Buck said the community’s considerations would be taken into account during the formulation of the plan, and encouraged the audience to continue to provide input.

Mt. Crested Butte bear caught
Wildlife managers from the Colorado Division of Wildlife euthanized an adult male bear last week in Mt. Crested Butte.
The 420-pound black bear, with a cinnamon colored stripe along its back, was the primary suspect in an early morning break-in at the Avalanche Bar and Grill on Tuesday, August 12. The bear entered through the back door to the restaurant, completely destroying the door. A trap was set on Tuesday night, and the bear was found inside on Wednesday morning.
The same bear was seen numerous times by Mt. Crested Butte police last year, prowling garbage bins near the base area. Last fall, DOW officials set a trap in an attempt to relocate the bear, but were unsuccessful.
DOW area spokesperson Joe Lewandowski says police and wildlife officers had tried to deter the bear in the past by shooting it with rubber buckshot or bean bags, but the bear would hardly move. “It’s gotten into trouble before,” Lewandowski says.
The DOW typically adheres to a two-strike policy with bears—the first time they’re trapped, they’re relocated. The second time, they’re killed.
Although officials were never able to trap the bear last summer, “This was a little over the top,” Lewandowski says of the break-in at the Avalanche. “After this incident and talking to the Mt. Crested Butte police, it was decided that it wouldn’t have been worth trapping and relocating this bear. This type of bear is quite used to human food and would have found its way into more trouble somewhere else.”
Lewandowski says the bear would likely have had a hard time coping in the wild without a human supplied food source.
The bear was euthanized on Wednesday.