Briefs Crested Butte

Council loving new downtown
promotional group
The Crested Butte council awarded the newly formed Downtown Crested Butte Lodging Association the second half of its requested 2010 donation. The organization walked away with $2,250 at the Monday, December 6 council meeting.
Andrea Green of the Ruby Bed and Breakfast of Crested Butte presented the council with an update of the group’s plans. They have a new website and blog—www.Downtowncrestedbutte.com—and are already receiving hits at the site. They are promoting not just Crested Butte inns, but restaurants, bars and retail shops as well. They are also emphasizing Crested Butte as a place to play.
Local artist Kate Seeley designed the logo and local graphic artist Tyler Hansen worked on the graphics. They partnered with the Crested Butte Nordic Center on a $1,000 advertisement in the new Cross Country Ski Colorado Magazine, which is distributed throughout the state but primarily on the Front Range.
Green said they were trying to get on the Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association website and Crested Butte-Mt. Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce site but had not yet been posted there. She said the Chamber was asking that the new organization pay a new membership fee even though all the lodges taking part are individual business members. The group is looking for that money at the moment.
“That is disappointing to me,” remarked councilperson Jim Schmidt. “That bums me out.”
“I think the Chamber should be giving you an award for this project,” added councilperson Dan Escalante. “It’s great work and is helping to promote this town. The Chamber should be giving you votes for the new organization of the year instead of keeping you off their website.”

Sales tax increasing
Town finance director Lois Rozman gave the council the latest sales tax figures for 2010. In October, 4 percent more sales tax was collected this year over last. For the year, the town is down just .2 percent. “December is a big player but we are tracking the budget,” said Rozman. “That’s pretty good news.”

Slate River water quality
Town planner John Hess said a new group was forming to study the Slate River watershed. A meeting was held November 22 and the group hopes to model itself loosely on the Coal Creek Watershed Coalition. The group is comprised of nearby landowners, including the town, and is applying for a state management plan. It wants to monitor water quality issues in the Slate. Its next meeting is January 19.

Sixth Street Station in the wings again
Crested Butte’s building and zoning director Bob Gillie informed the council that the Sixth Street Station project is returning. The town has met for preliminary talks with the developers of the proposed hotel, retail, commercial project located on the north side of town. Official submissions and meetings with the Board of Zoning and Architectural Review are expected to commence in the near future.

The Timberline to become a pub
The old Timberline Restaurant space is being leased by the owners of the East Side Bistro, who are preparing to open the West End Public House and serve “elevated comfort food.” The council approved the transfer of the liquor license at the December 6 meeting.

ORE update
The Office for Resource Efficiency gave the council a quarterly update, touting a long list of new accomplishments including the acquisition of a major grant for the county. ORE is hoping to receive $5,000 from the town for a service contract. Building and zoning director Bob Gillie told the council that he was pleased ORE was moving “from being focused on awareness and now moving toward being action oriented. ORE has made the leap and it’s a really good move,” he said.
The council will consider the agreement at the next meeting. In that vein, the council agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with other entities in Gunnison and Hinsdale counties to work toward reducing carbon emissions by 20 percent by 2020.