Briefs Gunnison County

County pays, County plays
The Board of County Commissioners has opted to place the Gunnison Valley Land Preservation Fund reauthorization initiative on the ballot itself rather than leaving the task to the citizen-led reauthorization group. The county will likely foot the bill for placing it on the ballot, and the commissioners want the ability to determine ballot language—including the possible inclusion of a sunset.
“I’ve had some conversations with constituents who are wondering about the appropriateness of pursuing more and more conservation easements and what that does to land costs and things of that nature,” commissioner Phil Chamberland said.
In response, Commissioner Paula Swenson pointed out that conservation is slow—it took 15 years to conserve nearly 17,000 acres—but commissioner Hap Channell argued for the inclusion of a sunset. He said he’d advised the group—Citizens Protecting Our Heritage, Open Space and Economy—to consider a sunset to address public concerns. “Now that’s going to be our call if we put it on the ballot,” Channell said.

The cost of placing the initiative on the ballot is not yet known, but the commissioners will address specific ballot language at a future meeting.
 
Shoring up air service
The County Commissioners passed a resolution to contribute $30,000 to the 2012-2013 winter air service into the Gunnison/Crested Butte Airport. The funds will help cover an $89,000 shortfall for direct service from Houston.
The town of Mt. Crested Butte had already contributed $20,000 to covering the shortfall. The town of Crested Butte is considering a similar contribution, and the city of Gunnison contributed $10,000. Commissioner Phil Chamberland said he would have liked to see Gunnison contribute more. He proposed the county contribute $30,000, and had Gunnison contributed $20,000 the full amount would have been covered.
“I think we need to quit looking at air service as benefiting this person more…” Chamberland said. “I think this is very, very critical and CBMR has been very, very generous. I know they benefit a lot from winter service, but to the end that we’re trying to achieve better service year-round the approach has been to take a stab at stabilizing what we have, keep it over the long term… and build on it.”
Commissioners Hap Channell and Paula Swenson took less issue with the financial spread between municipalities, but both agreed that $30,000 was an appropriate amount. The county will contribute $20,000 from the economic development fund and $10,000 from the discretionary fund. That leaves $22,000 in the discretionary fund for unforeseen expenditures this fall.
Channell asked that the agreement between the county and the Gunnison Valley Rural Transportation Authority be clear that the funds are a one-time bailout.
“My only concern is that I don’t want this to be a precedent or expectation for an annual bailout,” Channell said.
“I think that expectation has been created, Hap, but I agree with you,” said County Manager Matthew Birnie.
    
No more flying under the radar
Gunnison Valley homeowners renting their homes to vacationers through web sites like VRBO (Vacation Rental By Owner) should expect to hear from the county in coming months if they’re not paying the state lodging tax. Individuals renting their homes for fewer than 30 days at a time are expected to pay the same taxes as formal lodging establishments.
According to Birnie, Gunnison County is working with an independent firm that analyzes online vacation rental listings and advertisements, and then compares them with a lodging tax payer list. Advertised rentals that don’t show up on the payer list will be identified as out of compliance with the lodging tax.
“We don’t have enforcement ability, but initial contact would be informational because a lot of folks don’t know the tax is owed—something like a postcard telling them what their responsibilities are,” Birnie said.
The county could then track changes in the rate of compliance, and eventually have the option to send out of compliance properties to state officials for enforcement.
“I think it’s important that we try to level the playing field for the lodging establishments,” said Chamberland.
“No kidding, absolutely,” said Channell.