Briefs Mt. Crested Butte

Sales tax revenues
continue climb
Town manager Joe Fitzpatrick told the council at their August 20 meeting sales tax collections in May and June were up, with both months beating budget expectations. For June, sales tax was 29 percent, or more than $18,000, above projections and every sector of the local economy saw a boost in revenue over June 2012.
For the year, sales tax revenues for the town are up 23.5 percent, or $186,000, across the board, including a February 2013 tangible personal property tax collection that padded the numbers just a bit.

Trail work event and
camp out
The town is hosting volunteers with the Mt. Crested Butte Summit Trail Restoration, Mike O’Brien Memorial Project at its 17-acre campground September 6-8.
Volunteers working on the half-mile Summit Trail that runs between the top of the Silver Queen lift and the Crested Butte Mountain summit will be able to camp for free and enjoy complimentary meals from Saturday morning through Sunday afternoon.
Sponsors for the event include Crested Butte Mountain Resort, the USFS Gunnison Ranger District, the Mike O’Brien Memorial Fund and the National Forest Foundation.

Leash law hearing
The council announced that it would be holding a public hearing on the proposed changes to the chapter of the town code related to animals and the leash law when enough members of the council could convene to constitute a quorum.
Town attorney Kathleen Fogo drafted an ordinance for the council to consider after a work session on July 2 on the future of the town’s leash law. A public hearing that had been scheduled for August 20 was postponed until all of the council members could be in attendance.

Parking garage going up
Phase 1 of the construction on the three-tiered parking garage going up in Mt. Crested Butte on the corner of Gothic and Treasury roads is under way. According to a report from community development director Carlos Velado, all of the foundation walls have been installed and the last of the precast concrete panels in this phase went up during the week of August 13.
“With cooperation from Mother Nature, it is anticipated that Phase 1 of the structure shall be completed by mid-September,” the report says.

Engineer assessing
Nevada Ridge retaining walls
According to Velado, the town has hired a geotechnical engineer to assess the structural integrity of the retaining walls in the Nevada Ridge subdivision, which is now in foreclosure.
The town has had to step in to fix problems in the subdivision at various times since the unified improvement agreement was signed in 2006, to make landscape and drainage improvements, pull weeds, plant grass and make minor repairs to a retaining wall.
In April the council agreed to a two-year extension of the unified improvement plan for the property and, at the time, still held $36,000 in a letter of credit.