Briefs Mt. Crested Butte

Town taking admissions tax grant applications
The town of Mt. Crested Butte is accepting applications for the Winter 2012-13 admissions tax grant cycle. Any organization or business that feels it can invest a little extra money in its event and offer a return to the town is welcome to apply.
The town tacks a 4 percent tax onto event ticket sales on the mountain, such as lift and concert tickets. That money goes into a fund, 25 percent of which is used to pay for transportation operations. The rest goes to marketing events that will bring people and money to the mountain.
Twice a year the town distributes that cash. This spring the council gave out more than $66,000 to six non-profit organizations and one for-profit company. Each organization must show the council how marketing its organization will bring a return on the town’s investment.
Those interested can mail an application request to the town at P.O. Box 5800, Mt. Crested Butte, CO 81225 or take them to the town hall at 911 Gothic Road. The deadline for application submissions is September 7 with grants awarded September 18.

Council clears the way for bike race
The Town Council took care of some business Tuesday, August 7, before the arrival of the second annual USA Pro Cycling Challenge bike race August 21, signing a town participation agreement and approving a liquor license application for the Local Organizing Committee (LOC).
The liquor license covers the Manor Lodge site beside Gothic Road and Chateaux Road, where vendor and event tents will be set up, between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. on the day of the race. LOC board member Karl Trujillo told the council there would be several places for people to buy alcohol but the permit would allow alcohol to be carried around the grounds in the designated area.
The hours of the permit were also extended, he said, to give people further reason to stick around the vendor booths and events, while slower attrition from activities in town would spread out the traffic heading down the mountain.  
The liquor license, along with all the other permitting necessary for the race, is among the terms of the participation agreement the council was also considering. The honor of hosting the race comes at a cost, which will, it is hoped, be balanced by the benefits to valley businesses brought by the race.
In addition to providing the venue and permits necessary for the race finish, host towns are responsible for providing 180 hotel rooms the night before the race and 450 rooms the night of the race, portable toilets, trash removal by the bike tour’s garbage company and street sweeping. While the race is in town, the LOC is responsible for breakfast and dinner for 330 people, restaurant vouchers or a $15 dinner per diem for the race staff of 500 people and a race-day lunch for 150 people.
“We’re changing a couple of things we do, but for the most part things will be almost identical,” town manager Joe Fitzpatrick said. “We’re not going to allow as many people to go beyond the finish line this year and we’ll try to stress to people that it will be easier to park in town and then ride the bus up to the finish line.”
With the assurance that the Crested Butte Town Council was nearing a decision to sign the agreement, the Mt. Crested Butte voted unanimously to do the same.

Rep. Millie Hamner makes council visit
State House District 56 Representative Millie Hamner made an appearance at the Town Council meeting to introduce herself, since she’ll be a candidate to represent Mt. Crested Butte as part of her district in the state legislature in the upcoming election.
Hamner, who was the superintendent of schools in Summit County before being appointed to fill a vacancy left by Rep. Christine Scanlan in HD 56 in late 2010, gave the council a brief biography and talked to them shortly about some of the legislation and committees she has been involved with.
She explained that after the last census, the state’s districts were redrawn and that the north end of the Gunnison Valley had been incorporated into her legislative district. The decision to split the county, she said, was unfortunate, but she added she would work with the representative of the county’s southern half to work on issues of regional importance.