The Crested Butte community comments on the MSEOTH

It was noted at Monday’s public hearing that hundreds of letters both for and against the event were sent to the town. And then the public had its chance to comment in person before the council. Numbers were assigned and written on hands to maintain order. More than 60 people spoke, some more than once. Here’s a sampling (and I apologize if I spelled your name wrong—I’m a little tired);

(Editor's note: The following are meant to be a synopsis of the speakers' points to the council and not direct quotes.)

 

Ross Tunkey: It’s been a great summer as far as business but with some obvious growing pains. The bottom line though is we don’t want to be a mine. But we want to be something so let’s be an event town. Poverty is glamorous for a while but it’s not easy to live here. Was the process good? No. So let’s do it better next time. None of us are perfect but let’s show we can do this and do it right.

Bondo: I love big special events. But it will bring in more people and it is already hard to find places to live for workers. Keep that big picture in mind. But I’m down with the event.

Kevin McGruther, wearing Mickey Mouse ears and a t-shirt stating Dumbest Town Ever: Good Luck.

Carolina Ailing: I’m concerned with our families and kids with this event. They aren’t really creating new things for families to do. We need to find a balance. And the money you are getting is not enough to buy our community. Why not get enough for something like a swimming pool for our kids?

Jennifer McGruther: Look at the Town Council Values listed on the agenda. Number four is to “maintain a real community.” How does Whatever USA help those values and goals? I’m concerned with exclusivity of the event. I have to have a wristband to walk downtown? I don’t like that. I’m sensitive to the local business community. I think the council has done a poor job of process and that worries me the most. The council created a divisiveness in the community because of your poor choices.

Laura Silva: I’m prepared to accommodate “whatever” it brings. Visitors are part of the cycle of the town and they allow us to live here. We are at the end of the road and we need to be creative here so we throw parties and festivals and we have fun. This sounds fun.

Tim Wirth: I appreciate the apology over the secretiveness. But this is a special place because of the fabric of the community. This event is so antithetic to what the community is. I don’t think Crested Butte wants to become a beer parlor. I don’t think the council should approve public property for private gain. And I don’t like how the council can get this far in absolute secrecy. The event and the process are not appropriate for Crested Butte.

David Rothman: I understand it is difficult to make a living here but other organizations like RMBL and the Music Festival provide long-term lures for tourism and jobs. It really does seem there have been certain people in the town that have had special access that others didn’t. I find that hard to accept. The devil is really in the details. It’s not insignificant. What if someone decides to protest the event on Elk Avenue when it is going on?

Priscila Palhava: As a good Brazilian I’m not one to turn down a party but my experience thus far with the workers setting up near my store has not been good. They moved things onto my property. My tenants have asked me to lock the door. There’s a sense of they think they can do what they want here.

Daniel Goldstein: It’s a shame to see it happen so last-second. It’s a fragile environment here and not just the environment but the community. We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t think you [the council] pulled a fast one on us.

Monica Mesa: I’m very disappointed with how the event has caused a divisive tone in the community. We placed our trust in you and this is reverberating through town. It sets a precedent that the town can be purchased and the council can do things in secret. It won’t benefit every business in town and will in fact have negative impacts on some businesses and individuals. It’s not worth it for $250,000. It’s a $22 billion company. They can purchase Red Lady or help the school’s finances. I trusted you guys. The whole world is watching on Facebook.

Dave Colucci: They’re our guests, not your guests. This is obviously divisive. Maybe the people should decide this directly. I don’t think you are adequate to decide if the event should go on.”

Kat Hassebroek: This is no different to me from when the local band practices late and loud by my place. It is loud and I deal with it. I think it will be a fun event and it is helping businesses.

Dave Ochs: The Chamber of Commerce survey came back with 90 percent of the people supporting the event. Personally, we’re a venue and they came because of how beautiful it is. People come, spend their money and then leave. It’s a good equation for a tourist town like Crested Butte. If it is approved, we need to be good to these guests.

Ceil Murry: The speed of the process hasn’t allowed enough information for the public and that information seems to change daily. And don’t earmark that donation money yet. The townspeople should be able to weigh in on where it goes.

Mark Haskins: It is a tough place to live and make a living. I’m involved with hiring people to help the event and the local people are excited about the work. That $250,000 is peanuts compared to what it means for people working the event. It means they can make it to the winter. It means ski passes and food on the table for their family. The Average Joe in this community will benefit with this event.

 Nancy Reimer: This is a normally slow weekend in September and the company is donating $250,000 and bringing in tax revenue to the town. This event helps the businesses and it sounds like it will be a fun event. It’s 1,300 people compared to 2,500 or 3,000 on the street every day in the summer. It’s not a significant number. I’m hoping some of the people brought here come back to ski or mountain bike in the future.

Tyler Lucas: I’m disappointed in the process. It doesn’t feel right. It doesn’t feel like representative democracy. I’m for the event. We should ask for more than $250,000 and some of that money should maybe go to GCSAPP [Gunnison County Substance Abuse Prevention Project]. And then figure out the best way to use the money for the broad community.

Crockett Farnell: I have no dog in this hunt but I’d ask the council to get fair compensation for our town. I’d suggest a fee of not less than $10 million. Make a deal equitable to both parties.

Frank Stichter: Transparency is a big issue and I accept your apology, Huck and Sean. It’s behind us and we know where we are now. The packet of information is unbelievable. This event is 48 hours long during a normally unproductive period. This is an opportunity to help local businesses. And we’re no strangers to alcohol in this town. Is our brand Vinotok? Flauschink? This isn’t going to be a kegger on the street. Drunkenness won’t be tolerated.

Baron Farnell: The town has a lot of good positive events. I think the Bud Light thing will have us waking up feeling wasted and unenergized. I don’t think we should represent an unhealthy event.

Shaun Horn: Not every business in town benefits. High-end retail for example, will be hurt by this. September is a time for leaf peepers and for places like our gallery this is not a totally slow weekend. Is it in tune with the town values? This is an expressive community and to me this sounds like a massive expression of a party. I think this is in tune with the character of the town.

David Colvin: I think it will be a lot of fun. It’s good for the economy and local workers. It’s an extra paycheck. We should give it a try to see if it works or not.

Rob Mahedy: I’m nervous about this. I was sad and then angry about the secrecy and I too accept your apology. My concern is Anheuser Busch. Money can corrupt politics. My other concern is pollution. I don’t want blue paint bleeding into the water. I don’t want the idling ordinance to be ignored. I don’t want the night lighting ordinance to be ignored. From a societal concern, we are all over-consuming and I want to keep that in check.

Glo Cunningham: I still like all of you who don’t agree with me. When I heard about it at first I thought fun and festive and costumes and it would be a unique event. This is right in line with what I believe this town is. For 20 years we’ve been asking for more business and marketing. I hear people say they hate how busy July is and this is an event that takes place in the slower September. The biggest problem is the secrecy and I’m sorry about that but it’s a game and I understand the secrecy. If it goes forward, I’d suggest we form a citizen’s committee to decide where the donated money should go. It should benefit the entire town. I’m in favor if this.

Kyleena Falzone: This extra income is huge. I have a petition with 400 signatures of people supporting the event. When this is all over I hope we can all get along. It’s a small town.

Michele Simpson: The event and process is inappropriate for Crested Butte. If we paint the street it should be red for the Red Lady and not blue for corporate America.

Johnna Bernholtz: My biggest issue is with the political process. The way it was handled was way out of line. Also, remember that negative publicity goes further than positive publicity. What about the people coming here that don’t know about the event? They will be blindsided by this event and go back and tell their friends and family and it won’t necessarily be good. And the $250,000 is a drop in the bucket.

Mike Nolan: The Downtown Lodging Association is supportive of this. My place is full for five days and not the normal two. Social media will provide a huge benefit for Crested Butte. This council keeps saying they are pro-business and if this isn’t pro-business I don’t know what is.

Doug Hudson: Our Gravity Grom’s business is profoundly impacted by this. Still, we are in support of the event. It may help our kids be able to grow up here and live here. I do think the council will take a lot of arrows for this once it is over. I too think the community needs to look at other ways to use the $250,000 other than at Big Mine.

Gabe Martin: We put on Big Air on Elk and we bring in more people than this. So does Vinotok and the Pro Challenge and the Fourth of July. This is a one-time shot. What are we afraid of? We need events, especially in the off-season. They aren’t bringing I-70 any closer to Crested Butte and they aren’t suddenly making the airport better, even though I wish they would.

Gregory Gull: My concern is the clean-up plan isn’t really in the packet. And let’s bring in McDonald’s or Taco Bell. Think about what we value. Does this really resonate with the community?

Solas McGruther: I don’t think it’s right to keep kids like me off of Elk Avenue. It’s not fair to the kids.

Martha Keene: I came here tonight because I want to trust you. I want to know we’re not just a town that can be bought. I hope this furthers the conversation about affordable housing. Bud Light needs to relay to the participants that they need to be responsible to Crested Butte. I’m freaked out by Budville and that participants won’t respect the place. They need to protect it and respect it.

Rob Vandervoort: The town will survive this and this event is not a “need.” But this is bad brand management because it’s not a brand that Crested Butte has cultivated.

Shea Wilson: I’m 23 and I didn’t move to Whatever USA. I love Crested Butte. I was raised in Vail and moved to Telluride and love this place. I don’t want to see big business come in and buy our town. Vinotok is spirituality and harvest. What’s this about?

Chris Sullivan: This event will substantially negatively impact the businesses in the Guild at the end of Elk Avenue. I haven’t been contacted. It’s not an event that has 100 percent positive impact on business in town. I ask you as a council to exercise judgment, wisdom and scrutiny.
Kent Preston: The reason I live here is the people. Including the visitors. This community is fun. They are here to have fun and not make a mess of the community. The participants will love this place. Are those that are opposed, opposed to the event or the process? I hope we can appreciate the blueness of Elk Avenue for a few days.

Greg Pettys: I’m deeply in love with this town and the surrounding wilderness. The wilderness should be considered. Be mindful.

Leslie Locklear: I’m concerned with the drinking element. The last day of the ski season used to be a low-key local event. Then more, more, and more ruined the event. I think this will draw more people and ruin the things we do for ourselves. That’s my concern.

Michael Jachowski: We elect people to make decisions for us. If we don’t like the decisions we vote the bums out at the next election. The image of the place will be the image we give them. If we treat them with respect and show them a good time, they’ll come back again.

Bruce St. John: It’s a shame the process has divided the community the way it has. This seems like a freight train running. The performance bond seems inadequate and the $250,000 is probably a joke in a boardroom somewhere.

Jim Starr: We always come back to quality of life here. My experience camping up the Slate is that it is getting horribly crowded. The campsites are getting overcrowded. If we are bringing more and more and more people here we had better deal with the impacts. I ask the council to say no to this event at this time and take care of the visitors we already have.

Zach Vaughter: We want to make sure that our farmers in the Farmers Market are able to set up Sunday morning.

Corey Bryndal: The challenge I have is the way this mayor, town manager, town attorney and council did this in a way that subverted the process. The council passed a major special event ordinance July 21. If you don’t live by what’s in place today, why should we believe it will be different in the future? Western Colorado Events LLC is a shell company. Ask that the contract be with AB or a real company of substance. Put Anheuser Busch’s butt on the line for this.

Kimbre Woods: My biggest problem is the lack of concern for the environment. I feel the need for an environmental deposit. And we could use the donation for the Red Lady.
Corey Tibljas: There is evolution in any community. New businesses and restaurants come to town. If we don’t embrace new possibilities we draw a line in the sand. We should be up for this event.

Dickie Brown, aka Red Lady Viktoria: I invite AB to create a Save Red Lady lager with the proceeds going toward saving Red Lady.

Eileen Dupre: We came to town ten years ago on Vinotok and it was wild. We bought a house here five years ago. We are scared by how many businesses we see having to close because they only have three or four months to survive. This is an unexpected opportunity to give a cushion for them into the winter season.

Todd Barnes: They had to keep it secret because of the type of event it is. Mt. Crested Butte has signed the agreement. My employees at the Avalanche could use this boost to help their credit cards and rent. This little blip means a lot to them.

Catherine Taylor: I love the dialogue tonight but it’s been too divisive. The community can’t evaluate 130 pages of information in a few days.

Molly Murfee: Vinotok packs the community and helps a lot of the businesses. I am concerned about having to move the Beer and Chili Fest on the same day as Vinotok because of this. I’ve asked for Safe Rides and extra security to keep everyone safe. I don’t feel the town is getting enough for the event and I’d like to see the money go to keep a mine off Red Lady. This is our home. Please be respectful of us.

Ryan Heard: Please consider “greening” the event as much as possible.

Linda Roberts: I think we’re lying to ourselves if we think it’s not all about the money. Without the money we wouldn’t allow anyone to paint the street blue. It is far too little at $250,000. We should look at least at $5 million. We also need serious penalties if they don’t comply with the rules. And I see in the packet they have 100 VIP tickets. Those should be distributed in a public lottery.

Lyn Maresca: What will stop all of Western State from coming up here for the event? Or people from Denver and the Front Range from coming up? Consider plans to deal with thousands of extra people coming here. We’ll have more visitors than we think.

Andris Zobs: I’m pro-business but this looks like a short-term deal. My business plans years down the road, not just Saturday night to Monday morning. This is a Band-Aid that won’t help beyond a weekend. In reality the town needs a careful strategic marketing plan. Think long-term. You guys have ripped us in half over this. What’s the plan for fixing the community?

Dave McGuire: This seems like a minor special event. It is exciting and we can handle it. I think we should be here to help out.

Mark Ewing: Just so you know, Bud Light does $16 million in sales every day. I’m going to wear a costume and it will be frickin’ fun.

Jill McKeown: The fences worry me. We don’t live in a fenced place. We don’t lock our doors. I hope the people you bring here respect that.

Andy Tyzzer: I suggest a pause. Find the middle way. Nothing about this is urgent. We need to bring people together and discuss it more. If it’s an important event it can happen next year.

Sue Navy: I think you still have some negotiating to do. $250,000 doesn’t do it for what’s happening in town. I’d love it if AB contributed to protect the town watershed. The council has the power to get way more.

Kate Seeley: I believe in having a good time. I have compassion for the council. This event is like a date. It might be good or it might be bad but it’s only 48 hours, then it is over and they go away.

Joel Vernish: We need AB on the contract or at least AB indemnification and adequate insurance limits. The performance bond needs to be adequate.