Briefs: Crested Butte

by Mark Reaman

Moving GCEA utility lines that service Mt. CB could delay Mineral Point (but hopefully not) 

The Crested Butte town council gave the go-ahead to pay for the work needed to shift Gunnison County Electric Association utility lines into a dedicated easement for the lines that are crossing the site of the proposed Mineral Point affordable housing project in the Slate River subdivision. One of two electric corridors that serve Mt. Crested Butte is buried 20 feet outside the easement and would reduce the number of affordable units in Mineral Point if not moved the necessary 20 feet closer to Gothic Road. 

The cost of the relocation is expected to be about $170,000 but that number could change as more details are determined. The hope is to complete the work this coming summer but since GCEA is at the mercy of suppliers for some needed equipment, it could be postponed until 2024 which would then delay some of the work on Mineral Point. During the actual work, only one electric line will be operating but that should accommodate the needed electricity for Mt. Crested Butte. There are multiple six-inch conduits involved with the utility run so GCEA will be seeking to minimize bends in the line.

Busy snow winter for town

It has been a big snow year for the upper valley and Crested Butte plow drivers have been busy in town. As detailed in a report to the town council, as of February 13, the town performed 17 full plows throughout Crested Butte, nine clean-up plows, pulled the snowbanks on Elk Avenue seven times and hauled 2,557 truckloads of snow to permanent snow storage areas. More than 95% of the streets in town have been widened from the encroaching snow at least one time. But this was all reported before the latest March storms!

Comprehensive transportation plan being formed for CB

The town staff is gathering data to incorporate into the upcoming Transportation and Mobility Plan for Crested Butte. The staff is collecting and analyzing existing condition data for all modes of travel. The results will be presented to the town council at a work session on April 3. There will be a public open house for the plan in May along with several public webinars dealing with transportation issues that impact Crested Butte.

BLM agreement over law enforcement complaints

The Black Lives Matter Community Coalition and town staff have reached an agreement on language for the Standard Operating Procedures regarding complaints about town marshals. The new policy is a streamlined version of the previous policy that clearly lays out the process for review and investigation of complaints against the marshals and has been enacted.