Briefs County

GVH board of trustees
The Board of County Commissioners appointed Bruce Alpern and John Raswe to the Gunnison Valley Health Board of Trustees.

Recording office closed on Election Day
Don’t plan on applying for a marriage license or registering your vehicle on Election Day. The Gunnison County Clerk and Recording Office will be closed so staff can help out in the elections office. Now, go vote!

Ducks in a row
The county Planning Department has officially compiled all changes made to the Land Use Resolution since 2006 into one document—including all previously approved amendments and ministerial changes. Excluding the index, the LUR weighs in at just under 300 pages, making it a hefty but necessary task to streamline operations.

All in the details
The County Commissioners convened as the Gunnison County Housing Authority on Tuesday, October 16 to transfer deed-restricted properties from the authority to the Board of County Commissioners. The move allows the properties to be held by Gunnison County even after the authority is replaced by the Gunnison Valley Housing Authority Board.

Linkage fee ruminations
Homebuilders wondering whether a crawl space or basement would be included in the calculation of the workforce housing fee (or linkage fee) will be getting a little more clarity.
County staff has proposed language that would prevent any area below the first floor from being included in linkage fee calculations so long as openings into the areas were no larger than two square feet and used for ventilation, and had only one interior and one exterior mechanical access no larger than 48 inches by 48 inches.
That definition was fine with the commissioners, though Phil Chamberland seemed to feel it fell short of addressing whether basements used as true basements and not living areas should count toward the linkage fees.
“I think everybody knows my opinion on the linkage fee as a whole, and from my perspective as an excavator, when I see someone building a home, the cost difference between that extra footage [of a basement versus a crawl space] is not there,” said Chamberland. For now, basements will continue to be included in calculations.

Tax relief
The County Commissioners granted the Alpine Club an abatement of 2012 taxes paid for its Westwall Lodge property. The valuation of the property was reduced from $963,840 to $395,000 and a refund of $10,583.07 in taxes will be issued. The Timothy L. Michalek Family Fund also received an abatement of taxes paid in 2011.

$333 for water quality
The commissioners agreed to dedicate funds from the Water Resources Protection Fund to hire a consultant to review the U.S. Energy Study Plan intended to better understand water quality in Coal Creek. No more than $333 will go toward a consultant when the plan is ready. High Country Citizens’ Alliance and the Gunnison County Stockgrowers Association will also help foot the bill.