Briefs Mt. Crested Butte

Hillside annexation moves forward The council also voted to move forward with the approval for the rezoning and annexation of the two-acre tract of land known as the Hillside Parcel at the ordinance’s first reading. The property is adjacent to an unfinished single-family home just south of the Timberline Condominiums. There will be a second reading of the ordinance on August 5, and should it pass the land will be annexed into the town. According to town manager Joe Fitzpatrick, the annexation is part of a series of events aimed at cleaning up abandoned construction. Bring on the concerts, plays, weddings, conferences, etc. The 2014 fundraising campaign for the Biery-Witt Center is under way. Formerly the Mount Crested Butte Performing Arts Center, the center seeks to be a nationally recognized stronghold for the arts. For more information contact the project’s general manager, Erica Daugherty at 349-4769. Pop, bang, pow The Fourth of July fireworks celebration on Mt. Crested Butte went off with nary a hitch. With several thousand extra people in town and on the mountain, the Mt. Crested Butte police force told the council that things ran smoothly and even with the large audience “all people and vehicles were safely cleared from town within 45 minutes” of the end of the extravaganza. In addition, the Mountain Express bus reported an increase in ridership of 66 percent from last year’s 4th of July numbers. Short staffed and over stretched The Mt. Crested Butte Public Works Department told the council that injuries and office requirements have left the department short-staffed during one of the busiest times of the year. “We have five people trying to keep up with the work load that seven took care of last year,” said Pubic Works supervisor Bobby Block in a report to the council. “This is taxing the staff, but I believe we will be able to maintain this summer. Everyone is stepping up to try to keep up with the work load. We will need to address this situation before the snow flies this year.” Already this summer the Public Works Department has placed the town’s flower boxes and gardens, patched and crack-sealed town roads, worked with GCEA to replace the street lights on Gothic Rd. from Snow Crest bridge to Treasury Rd. and spent about 25 man hours cleaning up the trash from the 4th of July Fireworks Celebration. Let’s work together The town of Mt. Crested Butte will likely sign the USA Pro Challenge Participation Agreement along with Classic Bicycle Racing LLC and the town of Crested Butte. According to Fitzpatrick the agreement is similar to what was agreed upon in 2012 and 2011 when the race previously came to the Upper Valley. Crested Butte mayor and local organizing committee (LOC) co-chairman Aaron Huckstep told the Mt. Crested Butte council that the legal representatives for the Pro Challenge are currently reviewing the agreement and the LOC was waiting to hear from them. The text of the agreement is identical to that of 2012.