County Commissioners back economic task force

Opportunity to get out of the grey area…

The Gunnison County commissioners have voiced support for pursuing an initiative based on the hope of increasing economic viability in the county. Part of the process is to work with the other major players in the region, including the municipal government entities and primary institutions such as Crested Butte Mountain Resort and Western State Colorado University.
“I probably have seven of these reports on my shelf from the past 30 years,” said Commissioner Paula Swenson. “But I like this plan in that you can see how to get to Phase 3. It’s more than just collecting information.”

Phase one would be gathering information, which the county has done. Phase two is joining together with the other players in the region and phase 3 would be coming up with a concrete plan that moves the local economy forward.
“We have to find ways to maintain the things that work for each community individually, but collectively find common ground and harness the opportunity,” said Commissioner Jonathan Houck.
County Community Development director Russ Forrest and county planner Cathie Pagano presented the commissioners with a draft report of the economic indicators in the valley. The bottom line is that while people living here like the quality of life, they don’t make much money compared to similar counties and they struggle with the cost of living.
Forrest, with staff and elected politicians from around the valley, attended a Community Builders program earlier this year, sponsored by the Sonoran Institute. As a result of that workshop, the local leaders agreed they want to collaborate to improve the economy.
“Everyone at the gathering understood that mountain communities are utopia but also tough places to live,” Forrest said, “but this county has unique and incredible assets such as Western, a large body of water in Blue Mesa, strong schools, the ski mountain and the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory.”
Forrest then gave the commissioners a taste of the specifics in the Economic Indicators Report, which he said should be updated annually. “It should contain unbiased information and facts and help the community with its decision making,” he explained.
Pagano explained that 88 percent of people surveyed in the county in 2013 felt job growth in the area was too slow but the quality of life was good. “The population growth of the valley is also slow compared to similar counties,” she said. “We have some of the lowest wages compared to similar areas but the cost of living is in the top one-third of the state. Our population is also very well educated with 52 percent having a bachelor’s degree or higher.”
The numbers show that 61 percent of the property in Gunnison County is owned by people who live out of state or out of the county. Tourism, retirees and second homeowners provide the majority of the economy in the valley, according to the report.
Pagano and Forrest said Gunnison County seemed unique in most of Colorado in that the agricultural property in the area was still worked and controlled by a few agricultural families.
“There are great opportunities for us to capitalize on out there,’ said Forrest. “We want to bring out those stories for you, the commissioners, to consider.”
Forrest said a federal grant was available to help fund the next steps of the economic task force. Given the recent cutbacks at the coal mines in the county near Somerset, Gunnison and Delta counties would be eligible for federal grants used to “improve resiliency and sustainability within the local communities.”
“The Community Builders Task Force would develop a common vision up and down the valley,” he continued. “It wouldn’t be an economic development plan but rather an economic prosperity plan.”
The task force would use representatives of the county, the municipalities of Crested Butte, Mt. Crested Butte and Gunnison, Western State Colorado University, private entrepreneurs and Crested Butte Mountain Resort. It would also utilize a multi-pronged community outreach program to engage the residents of Gunnison County as a whole.
“We want to create an effective economic plan,” Forrest said. “We want a short-term action plan and a long-term, five-year strategy,” he explained. “We hope to fully leverage the federal grant and a grant from the Sonoran Institute. But there is a need for a local match from the community.”
The total cost of facilitating and coming up with a regional vision in this area and action plan process would be about $100,000. Forrest said the local contribution would be about $41,000; he asked the commissioners to earmark $9,000 in the 2015 budget to help fund the project.
The municipalities were hoping to bring in $6,500 each. Crested Butte South has already committed $1,500. Crested Butte Mountain Resort is apparently considering a $3,000 contribution. WSCU is in for $10,000 in in-kind support. The Sonoran Institute is considering a grant of about $45,000.
“I’m on the Community Builders Task Force and am fairly close to this,” said Houck. “I’m pretty supportive. It’s a direction and in alignment with our community plan. I think this could get us out of the grey area.”
 “There’s a chance to get a vision put together for the valley-wide community and actually get an opportunity to get an action plan together,” said Swenson. “Even with seven of these kind of things on my shelf, I’m in favor of this one.”
Forrest said the process would take about a year. “The timing depends on when funding is available,” he explained. “We are not assuming local matching dollars are available until 2015. The federal grant, if awarded, could begin late this fall or early winter.”