Briefs Crested Butte

Be aware of loaders and plows!
Town Finance Director Lois Rozman informed the council that under new state regulations and insurance interpretations, the town will no longer be responsible when a piece of heavy equipment damages a private vehicle. She explained that vehicles like plows and loaders now fall under “governmental immunity.” Basically, if your car is damaged by a town plow, the town insurance company will no longer pay for the damages. Rozman was not comfortable with the change and said the town was trying to find some assistance in such cases. She said the town would pay $1000 toward an insurance deductable if a situation arose. She said that in a normal year there might be one or two such incidents but at the most there was a year with six or seven damage claims.
Unfortunately there has already been such an incident when a town skid steer that was clearing sidewalks backed into a car at a stop sign causing damage. The offer of $1000 toward insurance was made.

Coal Creek watershed news
Coal Creek Watershed Coalition director Anthony Poponi gave the council an update on the organization at the January 17 meeting. “The mission is to maintain, restore and enhance the Crested Butte watersheds,” Poponi said. The organization studies and monitors not only Coal Creek but the Upper Slate River as well.
“We try not to make arbitrary decisions,” said Poponi. “We try to rely on science for informed decisions.” In that regard, the coalition has 28 sample spots along Coal Creek to gather water quality data.
The coalition is also working with the Standard Mine reclamation, helped restructure the town’s Halazon Ditch water diversion, and partnered with the Crested Butte Land Trust on riparian restoration.
Responding to a question from councilperson Roland Mason, Poponi said the organization would likely be involved with any paving on Kebler Pass road. “We’d look at everything and try to address the issues,” he said. “I think the county would engage us on that if it happened.”

Booze at Big Mine?
Parks and Recreation director Jake Jones said the Big Mine Ice Rink was “going great. We have had lots of good feedback and it has weathered the recent storms. We hope to keep the ice into mid- or late March.”
Jones said the staff was beginning to anticipate requests for summer use of the facility. He said about 300 people could fit legally under the roof.
Mayor Aaron Huckstep asked Jones if he had considered having the town sell beer at the rink during the town league hockey games. “I know some spectators who might want a beverage as they watched the games,” he said.
“We haven’t considered that yet but I’m all ears,” said Jones.

Celebrate the arts
The council approved a resolution supporting the designation of Gunnison County as a Colorado Creative District. The idea is to get some money from the state to help grow and promote the arts in the valley.