Briefs Crested Butte

Looking for the best way to find some leverage
Councilperson John Wirsing asked the staff to pursue options for regaining money and leverage lost when the council doesn’t sign franchise agreements with utilities that do work in the town rights-of-way. Earlier this year, the council refused to sign a franchise agreement with natural gas provider Atmos Energy. The two parties essentially couldn’t agree on insurance coverage language in the proposed agreement. So now the town is allowing that utility to operate without a franchise agreement and Crested Butte is not collecting about $40,000 in franchise fees.

Wirsing and the Town Council would like town attorney John Belkin to compile a list of options on how to recover some of that money and strengthen the town’s position with utility companies.
Finding a way to impose a fee was discussed, as was the potential of asking voters to approve an occupational tax. Belkin will write a memo outlining what he feels are the effective ways to charge utilities for using town rights-of-way and how to address rights-of-way occupation by utilities in the town code.

TA talk
Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association (TA) staff and board members gave the council an update on its activities. Executive director Jane Chaney told the council that the lodging tax is showing a 7 percent increase over last year through June. “That’s really good but the third quarter is usually our best quarter and by all accounts it has been busy,” she said.
TA social marketing guru Erica Kelleher reported that the Internet marketing is going off. This past June the TA saw 49,332 visits to its website, the best month ever. Online bookings are also up.
Board president Wanda Bearth said the recent third-party assessment of the TA was stellar. “One thing that jumped out is that we spend 84 percent of all of our funds on marketing. Similar organizations in other resorts are only spending 60-something percent,” she said. “We are also classified in the same competitive set as Steamboat, Telluride and Durango.”

RETT still looking tough
The town’s second quarter financials are in and looking okay. Sales tax is up about 7 percent but Real Estate Transfer Tax (RETT) is down 43 percent. That is a primary funder for the general capital fund. Town finance director Lois Rozman pointed out that several properties are under contract in town and should help bolster the RETT, but she in no way expects this to be a banner year. She did ask the council to set aside a couple of evenings for budget work sessions in September.

Lights, camera, council
The council awarded a service grant to the new Crested Butte Film Festival. The festival is slated for the end of next month and hopes to use the Majestic Theater, the Center for the Arts and the Mallardi Theatre as venues. But the Mallardi is not set up for showing films so the organizers have to rent proper equipment. Film festival spokesperson Michele Simpson said it was hoped the council would donate $1,500 toward the $2,300 rental for projection equipment.
“Jennifer and Michael [Brody] are hoping to grow the festival substantially like at other resort communities. Film festivals are very popular right now,” Simpson said.
“I think giving $1,500 is a good way to support a new event in town, especially since it is in the shoulder season,” said councilperson Dan Escalante.
The rest of the council agreed and approved the donation.

Nordic lease approved
The council approved a lease with the Crested Butte Nordic Council, which plans on placing a maintenance facility and Nordic snowcat barn west of the current facility. Nordic Center director Keith Bauer said they hope to have the building started this week and have it operational for the coming winter.