Briefs: Crested Butte

By Mark Reaman

Helping the front lines of town staff

The town of Crested Butte has kicked off a “Serve Well, Stay Well” training series in collaboration with Path Collective. In her January 20 report to the council, town manager Dara MacDonald noted employees who serve on the frontlines with the public “carry an outsized emotional load.” The customized coaching series is designed to support Town of Crested Butte staff who are highly visible and public-facing, helping them build shared tools, language and practices for navigating difficult interactions with professionalism, empathy, and resilience.

Geothermal in the future?

Town staff conducted a tour of town facilities with the GreyEdge Group to discuss the feasibility of utilizing geothermal energy to condition town-owned buildings and spaces. This technology has been implemented in nearby mountain towns such as Gunnison and Vail. Staff expects to see a feasibility report sometime in January.

Communication with holders of deed restrictions

Town staff is mailing a postcard to all deed-restricted property owners to notify them of the town’s transition to administering deed restrictions following GVRHA’s transition to Gunnison County. The postcard includes a brief announcement to contact the town for any questions or needs and a QR code linking to the town’s website, where property owners can find additional information and a general FAQs about the housing program. It also includes a QR code to a contact information form, allowing the town to communicate more directly with deed-restricted property owners beyond mailed notices.

Hideout request officially approved

The Crested Butte council passed a resolution on January 20 providing a one-year temporary extension allowing the Hideout restaurant to continue its summer-only suspension of applicable food truck and parking regulations in order to operate a trailer/food truck as an accessory kitchen.

Save As You Throw $

Billing for Save As You Throw commenced with the December 2025 billing, with customers receiving their bills in early January. Staff has fielded a number of calls from customers seeking to clarify new billing values. Some customers are seeking to limit the number of bins currently billed, especially when a single metered account has multiple dwelling units (e.g., ADUs). Staff will discuss internally later this month if the current Code provisions allow for such a transaction.

Headed to D.C.

Crested Butte mayor Ian Billick is planning to return to Washington, D.C. in the spring to meet with legislators, similar to the trip he made last year. The town will cover the cost of flights and incidentals.