Crested Butte Council Briefs

Keeping Coal Creek clean
Anthony Poponi of the Coal Creek Watershed Coalition updated the council on the Water Wise program it conducted in conjunction with the Office for Resource Efficiency and Colorado State University Extension Office.

The idea of the program, which was funded in part from the state’s Non-Point Source Program, was to promote simple behavior changes residents can make to their regular practices that have a more positive impact on local bodies of water.
“People here place a high value on protecting water quality,” said Poponi. “We had a great response to the program and saw people make changes that had an impact on the water in Coal Creek. They used less herbicides and pesticides and more biodegradable cleaning products.”
In response to concerns over stormwater entering Coal Creek in Totem Pole Park, the town also installed a hydrodynamic separator in Coal Creek. The device separates sediments and oils and should help Coal Creek’s water quality.
Poponi has pointed out that two segments of Coal Creek are on the state of Colorado’s list of impaired waters for cadmium and zinc contamination. In Coal Creek the cadmium and zinc impairments are related to exceedances of the standards for aquatic life (fish, aquatic insects) and not for human uses like drinking water.
Drinking water standards continue to be met for the raw (untreated) water being processed by the town. Their processed water meets the standards for cadmium and zinc as well.
“Overall, the project got people thinking about their behavior in the water quality area, so it was money well spent and I would say a successful program,” concluded Poponi.

The Alley Loop just keeps on looping
The council approved the permits for the 24th annual Alley Loop Nordic Marathon. The race will take place February 6 and will close Elk Avenue and a few other streets and alleys during the event. The Alley Loop is expected to bring in 450 participants. Mayor Leah Williams said while some local businesses appreciate the event, others think it hurts their business on that weekend. She asked the Nordic representatives to reach out to the Elk Avenue business community.

The old KBUT studio is a bit moldy
The town is in the process of renovating the old KBUT studio space in the old bus barn. Those offices are not being used at the moment but are planned to be utilized for Parks and Recreation Department offices in the future. The space had a major water leak that resulted in significant damage and even mold issues. According to Crested Butte Building and Zoning Director Bob Gillie, the space had to be gutted and the insulation and drywall all had to be replaced.

Can’t keep up with the council news?
The council agreed to add an additional place to post council notices in town. You can now stop by the lobby of the Old Town Hall at the bus stop on Second and Elk. Other postings places include the new town hall and the Crested Butte library. Those who are too timid to brave the cold can go to the Crested Butte town website at www.townofcrestedbutte.com.

Betz appointed to another green team. So is Sue…
The council appointed Reed Betz to be its representative on the Gunnison/Hinsdale Regional Community Energy Advisory Board. The purpose of the board is to “guide, drive and evaluate sustainability efforts in the region while creating a network mechanism for communication between political, utility, non-profit and educational entities in the Gunnison and Hinsdale region.”
According to Office for Resource Efficiency Program Director Maya Silver, the group hopes to coordinate the various strategic plans the various government entities in the region have approved. A $65,000 state grant will help pay for an advisory board director for two years.
The council also reappointed Sue Navy and Dan Jones as its representatives to the Gunnison Valley Land Preservation Board. Councilperson Jim Schmidt will join the board as an alternate, replacing former councilperson Billy Rankin. That board has helped fund open space projects since 1998 and in that time has distributed more than $3 million. The board currently has about $314,000 in its coffers.