The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Time to discuss BOLT funding and priorities
By Mark Reaman
The Crested Butte Town Council wants to meet with the Crested Butte-Mt. Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce. As part of the agreement between the town and chamber over use of the Visitor Center, a regular update is expected to be given to the town but that has not happened in a while. Mayor Glenn Michel asked that a meeting be set up in the near future.
“A meeting for a chamber update might be in order,” Michel suggested to the council on March 20. “Where is the BOLT [Business Occupancy License Tax] being spent? What is the expectation of the BOLT money spending? I think we can give them some feedback too. I think we need to reestablish that relationship. Let’s invite them in for a report.”
Michel said he was disappointed with the recent chamber decision to pull away from funding a summer visitor contact person at the Gothic Visitor Center. The chamber saved $3,000 with the move since the employee salary was split between the chamber and the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory.
“We were at a big community meeting not that long ago up in Gothic that involved representatives from several groups and was centered on the need to step up backcountry management,” Michel reminded the council. “I was astonished at the decision to pull away from the Gothic Visitor Center. The chamber’s numbers show that 40 percent of their summer contacts occurred at the location. I would encourage the chamber board to reconsider that decision and I think we should convey that to them.”
Councilman Roland Mason said he wanted to get an update from the chamber on the state of the main Four-way Stop Visitor Center building that had seen some neglect in the past.
The town staff will reach out to the chamber and ask to set up a meeting.
