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Mountain Village Town Council 2019 Election Results

Words by Kathrine Warren / Election

Candidates Peter Duprey, Dan Caton, Laila Benitez and Martinique Davis Prohaska were elected to Mountain Village Town Council on Tuesday, June 25, 2019. They will join current council members Patrick Berry, Natalie Binder and Jack Gilbride. The newly elected council members will serve four-year terms.

Of the 935 Mountain Village ballots that were issued,  340 ballots were cast by mail or in person for a 39.65 percent voter turnout. 

The newly elected council members will be sworn in at the July 18, 2019, Mountain Village Town Council Meeting where members will appoint the position of mayor and mayor pro-tem.

The Numbers:

Listed in the same order as they appeared on the ballot, the following is the number of votes each candidate received:

 

For more information about the election results, please contact Town Clerk Jackie Kennefick.

 

Telluride TV goes worldwide

Telluride TV

Words by Kathrine Warren / Community

For the first time ever, Telluride’s local public access channel will be available around the globe. The station is offering all of its unique community programming to the rest of the world through the world wide web. Telluride TV’s Executive Director Peter Kenworthy announced the official launch today of a new online platform that allows viewers to stream the channel anywhere in the world and to view Telluride TV’s content on demand on TellurideTV.org.

“It used to be that if you wanted to watch Telluride TV, you needed to be in Telluride,” said Kenworthy. “And, even if you were in Telluride, you had to have a cable subscription. And, even if you were in Telluride, and subscribed to cable – and our signal was working – you needed to actually be in front of your television at the right time to see a particular show. All that is now history. From today, anyone, anywhere, at any time, can check out our Telluride-based broadcast and our archived content.”

In operation since the 1980s, Telluride TV has produced a wealth of local content ranging from musical and theatrical performances to festival interviews, fashion shows and community profiles. Kenworthy said his focus since taking the reins in 2016 has been to create new content that engages today’s community and to curate archival content from the past so that it’s both properly preserved and showcased. He thinks bringing the channel’s current and historical content to a streaming, on-demand platform transforms Telluride TV with an exciting new relevancy.

“This is different than a YouTube channel,” he said. “On this site, you can actually stream whatever is showing on our local cable channel or easily take your pick from our archives. The 2006 KOTO Lip Sync? A Telluride Film Festival interview with Forest Whitaker or Helen Mirren? Your kid in the latest Young People’s Theater play at the Opera House?  The world will now have access to all of those. And a whole slate of cool new programming.”

Among the categories of new content are a weekly resort show as well as shows focused on health and fitness, food and wine, tech advice and local history.  Also included are profiles of many community businesses and organizations.

“It’s still local TV,” said Kenworthy. “That’s our reason for being. But, where we used to say, ‘The rest of the world doesn’t get us,’ we’re now flipping that to ‘does.’”

 

Mountain Village Town Council Election June 25, 2019

Words by Kathrine Warren / Election

The Town of Mountain Village Regular Municipal Election will take place June 25 to elect four Town Council members.

Ballots were mailed to registered voters between June 3 and 10 and may be returned in person to Mountain Village Town Hall located at 455 Mountain Village Blvd. Suite A by or before June 25, 2019 to be counted. On Election Day, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.  Election results are available here. 

Six candidates are running and are listed on the ballot in this order (which was drawn at random): Chris Busbee, Peter Duprey, Dan Caton, Kara Mills, Laila Benitez and Martinique Davis Prohaska. To learn more about each candidate, visit townofmountainvillage.com/candidate.

The four Town Council seats up for election are currently held by Mayor Laila Benitez, Mayor Pro Tem Dan Caton, Dan Jansen and Bruce MacIntire. Benitez and Caton are running for a second term.

Jansen is termed out after serving two four-year terms. He was first elected in 2011 and served as mayor of Mountain Village from January 2013 through June 2017. MacIntire was elected in 2015 and has decided not to pursue a second term.

Once elected, the new council will convene July 18 where the elected members will be sworn in,  mayor and mayor pro tem will be appointed by the new town council.

 

 

 

Telluride Bluegrass Festival Parking and Transportation Information

Gondola Chondola Summer

Words by Kathrine Warren / Transportation

FESTIVAL TRANSPORTATION

Mountain Village and Telluride are connected by a three-stage gondola system starting at Market Plaza (formerly Town Hall Plaza) in Mountain Village to Village Center, and ending in Telluride at Oak Street Plaza. It takes about 12 minutes to get from one town to the other via Mountain Village Center.

During the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, gondola operating hours are from 6:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. Wednesday, June 19 through Sunday, June 23. Expect long lines during peak times. Additionally, the Meadows bus loop will run until 3 a.m. these nights with the last departure from Market Plaza to the Meadows at 2:35 a.m. In addition, Dial-A-Ride will remain open until 2:30 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

PARKING INFORMATION

Overnight parking at the Gondola Parking Garage will be free beginning Wednesday, June 19, 2019. Starting at 8 a.m. Thursday parking will be allowed along Mountain Village Boulevard for festivarians.

For visitors needing a ride to their vehicle parked on town roadways, Planet Bluegrass will run a free circulator bus delivering people to their cars or to the closest gondola station.  The bus will run Thursday through Sunday to assist with locating one’s vehicle, signs denoting specific parking zones – A through G – will be erected. Vehicles left on Mountain Village roadways after 12 p.m. Monday, June 24 will be towed at the owner’s expense.

Mountain Village’s Gondola Parking Garage located at 455 Mountain Village Blvd., behind Town Hall and the Mountain Village Market and northwest of the gondola terminal is free to park. Individuals and festivarians without parking permits must park their vehicles where directed by parking staff once the Gondola Parking Garage is full.

The North Village Center pay-to-park surface lot is another parking option though overnight parking is not allowed. Short-term parking will be available for those doing business in Mountain Village; times will be enforced. Alternatively, for those parking, shopping, dining or recreating in Mountain Village, we encourage the utilization of Heritage Parking Garage, located off Mountain Village Boulevard across from Hotel Madeline. Parking is $2 for each hour and $35 maximum in a 24-hour period.

Planet Bluegrass’ FirstGrass concert kicks off summer festival season in Mountain Village

Firstgrass

Words by Kathrine Warren / Event, Transportation

The 46th annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival kicks off in picturesque Mountain Village with the annual Firstgrass, a free outdoor concert in Sunset Plaza on Wednesday, June 19.

The genre-defying Jon Stickley Trio plays at 5 p.m. followed by the only-in-Telluride jamgrass supergroup of Ben Kaufmann & Adam Aijala (of Yonder Mountain String Band), Andy Thorn (of Leftover Salmon), and Stephen “Mojo” Mougin (of the Sam Bush Band)!

This free show runs from 5 to 8 p.m. and is made possible by the Town of Mountain Village and Planet Bluegrass.

After the show, stick around to dine in Mountain Village and for those lucky enough to have a ticket for Planet Bluegrass’ evening celebration with Leftover Salmon, head to the Telluride Conference Center as they play to a sold-out crowd. Doors open at 8 p.m. with the show beginning at 9 p.m.

For more information on the festival, visit bluegrass.com/telluride.

FESTIVAL TRANSPORTATION

Mountain Village and Telluride are connected by a three-stage gondola system starting at Market Plaza (formerly Town Hall Plaza) in Mountain Village to Village Center, and ending in Telluride at Oak Street Plaza. It takes about 12 minutes to get from one town to the other via Mountain Village Center.

During the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, gondola operating hours are from 6:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. Wednesday, June 19 through Sunday, June 23. Expect long lines during peak times. Additionally, the Meadows bus loop will run until 3 a.m. these nights with the last departure from Market Plaza to the Meadows at 2:35 a.m. In addition, Dial-A-Ride will remain open until 2:30 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

PARKING INFORMATION

Overnight parking at the Gondola Parking Garage will be free beginning Wednesday, June 19, 2019. Starting at 8 a.m. Thursday parking will be allowed along Mountain Village Boulevard for festivarians.

For visitors needing a ride to their vehicle parked on town roadways, the Planet Bluegrass bus there will be a free circulator bus delivering people to their cars or to the closest gondola station.  The bus will run Thursday through Sunday to assist with locating one’s vehicle, signs denoting specific parking zones – A through G – will be erected. Vehicles left on Mountain Village roadways after 12 p.m. Monday, June 24 will be towed at the owner’s expense.

Mountain Village’s Gondola Parking Garage located at 455 Mountain Village Blvd., behind Town Hall and the Mountain Village Market and northwest of the gondola terminal is free to park. Individuals and festivarians without parking permits must park their vehicles where directed by parking staff once the Gondola Parking Garage is full.

The North Village Center pay-to-park surface lot is another parking option though overnight parking is not allowed. Short-term parking will be available for those doing business in Mountain Village; times will be enforced. Alternatively, for those parking, shopping, dining or recreating in Mountain Village, we encourage the utilization of Heritage Parking Garage, located off Mountain Village Boulevard across from Hotel Madeline. Parking is $2 for each hour and $35 maximum in a 24-hour period.

COMMON CONSUMPTION AREA

As of June 15, the Common Consumption Area in Sunset and Heritage plazas is in effect from 12-4 p.m. daily. The Common Consumption Area will allow people to purchase alcoholic beverages from participating licensed establishments attached to the Common Consumption Area and move freely with beverages within the defined boundary of the concert area. Only alcohol from the participating establishments is permitted in the Common Consumption area. For a map of the area, please visit the town’s website.

June Mayor’s Minute

Mayors Minute

Words by Laila Benitez / Mayor's Minute

Hello neighbors,

Below are some Town Council meeting highlights from last month and some upcoming topics. As always, I hope you can join us for tomorrow’s meeting or consider sharing your feedback with us about any of these matters.

Quick reminder: Election Day is June 25. All ballots must be received either by mail or in person to Town Hall by 7 p.m. on June 25. On Election Day, the polling place at Town Hall will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Please contact the Town Clerk’s office at (970)369-6406 or via email for any questions.

May 16 Meeting Highlights:

  • As part of our annual budgeting process, we held a work session last month to establish and refine the budget goals for projects, programs, and infrastructure in 2020, as the Finance Committee and Finance Department draft the 2020 budget. The following goals were proposed:
    • Maintain town reserves at or above the 35% and continue to pay down debt when feasible.
    • Forecast sales tax revenue growth conservatively at 4% in anticipation of the expected impact of the Gallagher Amendment on residential property valuation and a projected flat forecast in property tax revenue.
    • Maintain town infrastructure to a high standard of repair and condition, including trails and necessary improvements for safe pedestrian and bike travel in Mountain Village.
    • Continue to plan for the financial impact of the wastewater treatment plant upgrade and expansion. This includes a potential increase of 5-10% to the town water and sewer utility customer rates.
    • Complete the major upgrade of our Broadband network infrastructure that will allow us to offer improved 1G fiber services to every home. Engineering, design, and initial construction began this year; the project is estimated to be completed by the end of 2020.
    • Implement a cybersecurity plan to be developed from the 2018 consulting study.
    • Complete expansion of Village Court Apartments.
    • Increase available grant funds from $130,000 to $150,000 annually.
    • Address the Public Works Department’s need for expansion and improvement of the town shops.
  • We voted to approve on first reading an ordinance amending our Community Development Code (CDC) residential lighting regulations. These proposed changes are being considered to better balance our need for residential outdoor illumination that allows us to enjoy our homes while minimizing unintended negative impacts to neighbors and the surrounding community. There will be a public hearing and second vote on the lighting regulations at this week’s meeting.
  • We voted to approve a density transfer and rezone for the expansion area of Elkstone on Lot 600A, an increase of two condominium units and six person-equivalents of density. One of the conditions of approval was the new project must allow for the future construction and use of the Elk Pond Loop Trail, as envisioned in the Town of Mountain Village Trails Master Plan.
  • Town Council appointed Adam Miller to the Design Review Board (DRB) to fill the seat recently vacated by Luke Trujillo.
  • Last month was outgoing Council Member Dan Jansen’s last meeting. Town Council thanked Dan for his eight years on Town Council, four years serving as Mayor. His energy, commitment, and service to our community will be greatly missed.
  • Lastly, the Telluride Tourism Board, Colorado Flights Alliance, and Gondola Subcommittee provided their quarterly reports.

If you would like more specifics about any of these topics, you can watch a video of last month’s meeting on the town’s website. May’s meeting minutes will be posted online after they are approved at tomorrow’s meeting.

June 13 Agenda Topics

  • Town Council will consider authorizing of the sale of two deed-restricted units at Cassidy Ridge and Castellina. One unit will be sold to a Town of Mountain Village employee and the other unit will be sold to a long-time employee within the Mountain Village.
  • There will be a public hearing and second vote on an amendment to the CDC to allow for staff-level review instead of DRB review of roof repair and replacement applications using synthetic roof materials. This change should streamline and ease the process for property owners interested in replacing the cedar shake shingles with more fire-resistant materials as part of the Cedar Shake Incentive Fire Mitigation Program.
  • We will publicly thank and present Town Council Member Bruce MacIntire with a Service Award in gratitude for his four years of service on Town Council. During his term, Bruce served on the Town Hall and Village Center Subarea, Telluride Conference Center, Green Team and Parking and Transportation Committees. If you can, please join us to thank Bruce for his public service.
  • Lastly, Bill Jensen will provide the Telluride Ski & Golf quarterly update.

A full packet and agenda have been posted on our website; we welcome your input and hope to see you at the meeting.

Warm regards,

Laila Benitez
Mountain Village Mayor

Town of Mountain Village offers residents smart irrigation control incentive

Smart Irrigation Controls

Words by Kathrine Warren / Development, Environment

As part of its effort to encourage environmentally friendly measures in the home and beyond, the Town of Mountain Village is offering a rebate to homeowners when they take measures to increase the efficiency of their irrigation systems.

The goal is simple: to help residents use only the water they need to achieve the desired results on their property. As water becomes an increasingly precious resource worldwide, water conservation efforts are critical for helping reduce water consumption.

When Mountain Village property owners replace their outdated irrigation control system with a WaterSense product, which includes weather sensing capabilities, the Town will offer a rebate of up to $500.

“These controllers are really a win-win for our residents,” said J.D. Wise, Mountain Village’s plaza services manager. “In addition to being a great water conservation tool, their ability to react and adjust to real-time weather conditions can truly have positive impacts on the overall health of a landscape. It’s exciting to see this technology continue to be embraced and improved on by a number of manufacturers. “

WaterSense is a certified smart irrigation control product sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency which helps homes meet the EPA’s criteria for efficiency. These controllers use real-time local weather data, including humidity, wind speed, air temperature, soil moisture, solar radiation and rainfall to calculate evapotranspiration rates and automatically adjust irrigation watering accordingly.

Most smart irrigation controllers either connect to the Internet for weather data or collect real-time weather data from an on-site station on the property. Some of these controllers can be monitored over the Internet and the settings controlled remotely, while others can be linked to other “smart” devices in your home. With a smart irrigation controller, your plants and lawn get the water they need, without being over or under watered.

“Gone are the days when a rain sensor was the only option to automatically turn the water on or off,” Wise added. “Now, a number of these systems can adjust your daily run-times so that on a cool, cloudy day, your landscape is receiving less water than on a hot, dry day.  Not only does this conserve water, but it also improves irrigation efficiency, and helps to achieve optimal plant health.”

Residents are encouraged to consult with their landscaping professional to choose the best WaterSense rated controller and submit the Smart Irrigation Controls Program application to receive a rebate of up to $500 for the cost of the controller. (Please note, this program does not cover the cost of installation).

This incentive program is open until funds are exhausted and is for residents of Mountain Village, Ski Ranches and West Meadows.

For more information please contact J.D. Wise at (970) 369-8235 or please visit townofmountainvillage.com/smart-irrigation.

Mountain Village’s Market on the Plaza runs Wednesdays June 19 through August 28, 2019

Market on Plaza blog

Words by Zoe Dohnal / Community, Event

Summer is here, and nothing says summertime in Colorado like an open-air market, especially amid the sun-soaked scenery that surrounds Mountain Village.

Mountain Village’s pedestrian-friendly Heritage Plaza comes alive with tents each Wednesday beginning June 19 with vendors selling farm-fresh produce and food, crafts and health products and more for the annual Market on the Plaza.

“Summer calls for outdoor community markets, and we invite locals and guests alike to come to Heritage Plaza in Mountain Village Center on Wednesdays to shop and to visit our brick and mortar merchants,” said Zoe Dohnal, Mountain Village’s business development and community engagement coordinator. “This is an exciting and historic year for Market on the Plaza. The addition of ten new vendors expands the market and brings a never-seen-before level of shopping diversity.”

Now in its ninth year, Market on the Plaza is a vibrant local community market providing an avenue to support regional and local businesses that offer homegrown food and homemade products.

The Market runs every Wednesday, June 19 through August 28 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

New this year, select market vendors will set up during the Sunset Concert Series with the Market at Sunset starting June 26 when the series begins. Music fans can peruse these offerings in Sunset Plaza from 5 to 8 p.m. each Wednesday, June 26-Aug. 14.

“The quality and quantity of offerings at the Market on the Plaza has been increasing and improving every year, and we are looking forward to our most robust Market ever this summer,” said Mountain Village Mayor Laila Benitez. “I’m excited about the increase in local produce, prepared foods and baked goods.”

Shoppers can expect to find a bounty of farm produce, including eggs, fruits and vegetables, goat milk and cheeses, jams and marmalades, garden herbs and oils, and a wide variety of artisan crafts.

Market on the Plaza also features leathers, jewelry, quilts, textiles, handmade soaps, balms and lotions, hand-carved wood items, healing products, custom pet supplies and kitchen goods, among other items.

“I encourage everyone to come out and support the Market and our local farmers and merchants,” Benitez said.

In addition, the town is partnering with the Wilkinson Public Library to bring more entertainment and programming to Mountain Village Center with music and face painting, and local law enforcement teams, the U.S. Forest Service and rotating non-profits will be on hand to answer questions about the community.

June Green Tip of the Month

June Tip of the Month

Words by Zoe Dohnal / Environment

June’s Green Team Tip of the Month encourages you to eat less meat. Eating less meat (especially red meat) can have a significant impact on reducing your carbon footprint even if it’s just for two or three days per week.

GreenAmerica.org reports that global meat production is responsible for 18 percent of global warming emissions, based on a report from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.

VIsit Green America’s website on best practices for meat eaters in selecting products with a smaller environmental impact.

Bloomberg also recently reported on the issue, stating, “Ultimately, if people worldwide who heavily rely on meat switch to a more plant-based diet, they could potentially decrease food-related greenhouse-gas emissions by almost half by 2050.”

CDOT and San Miguel County celebrate completion of the Telluride Lawson Hill Parking & Transit Center

Words by Kathrine Warren / Transportation

The Colorado Department of Transportation recently celebrated the completion of a transit facility built near Telluride. A ribbon cutting event was held, Wednesday, May 29 at the new Telluride Lawson Hill Parking & Transit Center located along CO Highway 145 near Society Turn Business Center, just west of Telluride.

CDOT and San Miguel County officials say the center is important for local and regional travelers serving as a stop and transfer station for the local Galloping Goose and SMART (San Miguel Authority for Regional Transportation) transit buses as well as Bustang, which provides broader statewide service.

“Not only can locals take advantage of this facility and its amenities when they ride the Galloping Goose and SMART buses, but regional travelers will benefit as well,” said CDOT Southwest Regional Transportation Director, Mike McVaugh. “The Bustang Outrider program offers intrastate connections with bus service from Durango all the way to Grand Junction and many stops beyond in between. This will be a pleasant stop for those traveling the Western Slope route.”

The new regional transportation center, powered by solar panels, also has 120 paved parking spaces, an electric charging station and restrooms. The construction cost is approximately $1.5 million made available by the State of Colorado through Senate Bill 228 transit funding dollars.

The ribbon cutting event was hosted by SMART. Officials with CDOT and local agency partners and project contributors were in attendance including San Miguel County; SMART; Town of Telluride; Telluride Mountain Village; Russell Planning & Engineering; and Stryker & Company Commercial Contractors. To view a video of the event visit CDOT’s YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/PqKu5AMMAE8.

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