Briefs Crested Butte

TA report: It will be busy this summer!
Pamela Loughman, the Gunnison/Crested Butte Tourism Association executive director, gave her regular update to the council on April 21. Bottom line: It is expected to be a busy summer. Loughman said the area is getting great press and trends are showing an increase in visitors. In response to a question about potential marijuana tourism promotion, Loughman said marijuana retailers are treated the same as other businesses, but no specific marketing of marijuana shops is in the works.

BOZAR lumberyard appeal may come to the council
The council agreed to hear an appeal from Alpine Lumber over a BOZAR non-decision that essentially rejected the company’s proposal to construct an open-sided lumber shed on its property at Fourth and Belleview. The BOZAR and town staff is working with Alpine Lumber to address some of the design issues that ended up causing a 3-3 vote by BOZAR members. If no resolution can be reached by May 19, the council will hear the appeal.

Bus stop improvements…
Rodney Due, Public Works director, said the town will work on improvements to the bus stop by Clark’s Market starting in May. The building will be moved east and drainage work will be upgraded.

Planners and inspectors
The town has hired a new town planner and a new building inspector, who will both join the staff on a full-time basis in May. In that vein, the town expects a busy construction summer and it will conduct a traffic and parking study in July.

Sales tax just keeps going up and lots of other stuff…
—Sales tax revenue continues to go up in town. February saw an increase of 9.2 percent over 2013. For the year, town sales tax revenues are up 8.6 percent.
—Town clean-up is scheduled for Saturday, May 17.
—The council denied a request from employees of Scenic River Tours to allow them a “service cart” on Elk Avenue. The cart would be located on private property and sell things like river trips, horseback rides, tickets to concerts and other area activities. While spokesperson Lexi Argue said the cart would act as a mini-chamber of commerce providing tourists with face-to-face contact, the council generally felt it was a service already provided by the chamber. Only Councilman David Owen was in favor of granting the cart request, so the request will not go anywhere.
—Caddis Flats developers will make a formal presentation to the state on May 13 and will ask for the tax credits that make the project economically viable.
—The council scheduled an executive session for May 7 to discuss how to approach negotiations with US Energy over the proposed VCUP.
—Councilperson Glenn Michel is helping to arrange a meeting with the council’s counterparts from the Gunnison City Council.
—Mayor Aaron Huckstep wants the council to meet and discuss how to fund the town Parks and Recreation Department. The latest discussion included taking a possible sales tax or marijuana excise tax to the voters. The staff hopes to reach out to the community in general to get some feedback and report back to the council before a May 19 work session on the matter.
—Councilman Jim Schmidt wants a report from the new town planner on the impact of the proposed increase in affordable housing fees expected to take place this July. The increase was part of the equation approved by the council several years ago to address increasing such fees incrementally.
—The council will consider allowing above-ground fuel storage tanks in certain parts of town. In this particular case, a diesel tank would be allowed at the town shop area and near the bus barn. The public hearing was set for May 5.