The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
“If you choose to hang me, please use a new rope…”
Town officials of Crested Butte will look at several ways to make sure the circumstances that closed town streets to Mountain Express buses during the height of spring break won’t happen again. Melting snowpack caused major havoc on many Crested Butte streets as literally feet of slush mucked up the thoroughfares.
“Last week was a nightmare,” admitted mayor Leah Williams at the Crested Butte Town Council meeting Monday night. “The snow plan has served the town well in the past but this year it came to bite us. I want to make it clear that the budget for snowplowing was not cut and in fact was $20,000 more than last year.”
“A lot of people were rightfully upset last week,” said Public Works director Rodney Due. “This year was an anomaly. We started clearing the pack pretty much the same time we did during the big snow year of three winters ago. We just got caught in a series of circumstances. But we have learned lessons.”
Due outlined several steps for the council that could have alleviated the situation. “After providing drainage on the east side of town, we probably should have gone to the bus route and come back to the east side,” he said. “Perhaps the Big Air on Elk event, which is a great event, could be moved to another time. It seems it has gotten recognized by now so maybe we move it from the spring break period to the Alley Loop weekend when we already have snow on Elk Avenue.
“Maybe the town should hire two seasonal employees from December to March,” he continued. “We could arrange the schedules such that I know we could keep the town streets completely clear of snow. The council might consider a policy that limits the pack allowed on the streets in the winter. When the snow pack reaches say, six inches, we can get it off. But there is a cost to all of these. Another idea is to impose a 24-hour limit on the parking regulations. Keep one side of the street open for the entire day. That will allow us to plow the streets during the day and not just at night.
“I don’t know what the definitive answer is,” said Due. “These ideas need to be vetted. Just changing the parking signs alone would cost $20,000, so there is a financial commitment. I would suggest we talk about the ideas and survey the town residents to get their feedback since the plowing costs come out of the street and alley mil levy. That mil levy might need to be adjusted and the people impacted should have a chance to weigh in. Now, on the other hand, if you choose to hang me, I just ask that you use a new rope. I want it to be quick.”
The council commended Due on his crew’s efforts. Williams agreed a work session was in order to address the situation.
“I’d like to personally apologize to the people of the town,” said councilmember Jim Schmidt. “It comes down to the council. We’ve always talked about the bus route being a priority for pack removal as well as plowing. We just need to emphasize that policy even more.”
“There were indeed lessons learned,” said councilmember Dan Escalante. “It just seemed so many people were bitching down instead of bitching up. We need better lines of communication to be open. I am astounded that [town manager] Susan [Parker] came into the office Monday morning and didn’t know how bad the situation was. Mountain Express director Chris Larsen or the marshals could have called her on Sunday. I mean it could have been ugly with the ambulance and fire situation.”
“When we called in the extra help from Gunnison, things got better quickly,” added councilperson John Wirsing. “Maybe we think about contracting extra help and knock out the town pack in a week instead of taking three. Look at it as a one-time expense.”
Parker informed the council that they could consider adding not just manpower but more machines. “There could be capital expenses as well,” she said.
Longtime resident David Leinsdorf complimented Due and his crew “for doing a fabulous job in difficult circumstances. But the real problem is the snow and ice plan that the council approved last fall,” he said. “No one else waits for six inches before plowing. Everyone else gets on it a lot sooner. Waiting to peel the pack also doesn’t make sense. You should stay on top of that. You will either pay up-front or at the end. There is no reason to let the so-called ‘perfect storm’ build up. I think you need to change the plan and get on the snow at three inches instead of six. The protocol needs to change.”
“Another issue was the communication with the public,” added Crested Butte-Mt. Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce director Richard Bond. “The communication could have been a lot better and was needed before the newspaper was published on Thursday. The public would like to know the situation and know what is being done about it.”
Town clerk Eileen Hughes said the town has set up an “e-alert system” on the town website. People can sign up to have e-mails sent to them informing them of town emergencies or changes in policy like street closings. “We are also using Facebook and Twitter to keep people informed,” Hughes told the council.
Larsen said the Mountain Express was not pleased they had to give up on the town route. “The last thing we want is to not service that side of town,” he said. “Closing Elk Avenue is a big impact on us for any reason. Just an event like the Alley Loop has an impact on the passengers. It’s something to talk about.”
Slogar Restaurant owner Cjay Clark said the situation definitely impacted his business. “My customers were lost. They were seven blocks from my restaurant. My question is, ‘Where was the council?’ It would have been nice to have a councilmember out there helping the tourists. In fact, maybe the Town Council could consider greeting our visitors during peak times when they get off the bus. Tell them you are glad they are here. It would be neat. It might be a nice niche for our town.”
Steve Ryan of Iron Horse Property Management was more heated. “It was a colossal mess and I think Susan Parker should resign,” he said. “I am just aghast at the leadership handling of the situation. For the town manager to let it get to that point was a colossal mistake. If 50 percent of our visitors are first-time visitors, it is an awful impression. I spent so much time explaining to my clients that Crested Butte was not bankrupt. There is no excuse for this happening. The buck stops at the top and the town manager should resign.”
“That sounds like a personal attack,” responded Williams. “We are looking for solutions. We want to move forward and do a better job next time.”
“It’s not personal,” said Ryan. “The feeling is toward the position. It wouldn’t matter who it was. It is a matter of accountability and the buck stops with the town manager.”
“Your comments and all the comments have been heard and noted,” said Williams. “If we address it with Susan it will be in executive session where personnel matters are handled.”
In the meantime, Williams said she would strive to hold a timely meeting to consider the ideas brought up by Due. And she promised she wouldn’t wait until next fall…or next March.
