September Mayor's Minute

Dear neighbors, I hope you are enjoying this wonderful summer weather and all of the great activities and events that this time of year offers. It certainly continues to be a busy season in Mountain Village. Last month Marketing Telluride Inc., otherwise known as the Telluride Tourism Board, highlighted the record summer season we are having in terms of visitation, sales tax and occupancy. While we feel special, it is important to note many communities across Colorado are achieving records, too. Clearly our state has been discovered, and how we manage this success is an emerging issue. Accordingly, we participated in the quarterly intergovernmental meeting discussion on whether we are "too busy". The outcome of that discussion is to form a subcommittee across the governments and with the Ski Company to manage the heavy summer tourist volume, recognizing that visitation drives our economy. In addition, Mountain Village approved a series of rules and resolutions for the upcoming November 8 election that will likely include many interesting local issues in addition to state and national decisions. August 18 Meeting Highlights Intergovernmental meeting aside, at the August Town Council Meeting the packed agenda included the following highlights. 1 > Council approved the First Reading of the Community Development Code resolution prohibiting single-family lot subdivisions. 2 > CenturyLink provided an update regarding the recent Internet and cell service outages. Council pushed for more tangible plans for redundancy and consistent service, and expects to review CenturyLink’s plans at a future meeting. 3 > County Commissioner Goodtimes asked Council to support Indigenous Peoples Day set for October 8. Some of the day’s events will take place in Mountain Village, including the reading of a resolution welcoming the Ute people to the community. 4 > Council continues to work on a joint parking fund with Telluride Ski & Golf Company (TSG), and potentially Telluride Mountain Village Owners Association (TMVOA), to help keep daytime parking free at the Gondola Parking Garage. 5 > A representative from Continental Acquisition Corporation discussed with Council the conditions and potential for a sale of Village Court Apartments. 6 > The Forest Service presented a proposal asking Mountain Village to help fund a seasonal recreation ranger who would oversee our trail network and manage the growing impact of heavy usage. 7 > Council and the Design Review Board (DRB) met jointly to discuss the town’s design standards and brainstorm how to stay current with evolving design trends while staying consistent with the alpine setting. The DRB will develop specific proposals through a public process to evolve the town's roof sloping, glass glazing, materials/colors and other rules. What we have observed is many of the projects being built require variations, leading us to ask whether our codes reflect the current market and preferences of our community. If you have an interest in design regulations, please speak up. Any potential changes will be shared publicly before coming back to Council for consideration and a public vote. 8 > The San Miguel Watershed Coalition reported on their work preserving the only free-flowing river in Colorado, the San Miguel. 9 > Paul Reich shared the Tri-County Health Network’s San Miguel County Behavioral Health Strategic Plan to educate Council and seek support for expanding mental health services. Council expressed an interest in dedicating a portion of  liquor sales tax revenue to address substance abuse and other behavioral health issues. 10 > The town’s environmental services director proposed a new incentive program for water conservation that received strong support. To close the August meeting summary, I would note that all of the items discussed last month that involve funding will be vetted through our usual budget process for 2017. Going forward, we have a very busy September schedule. To begin, the Subarea Planning Committee – made up of representatives from Mountain Village, TMVOA, TSG and AECOM – will host the Town Hall Center Subarea Planning Workshop Tuesday, September 20 at the Telluride Conference Center beginning at 6:30 p.m. Please attend this workshop or share your thoughts if you have an opinion on the Town Hall Center Subarea. This advisory group will propose some changes for Town Council to consider at the conclusion of their work. In addition, Town Council will meet this Thursday to move through another packed agenda. September 22 Agenda Highlights 1 > Rich Nuttal will present the Telluride Regional Airport Authority’s biannual report, which will include an update on the return of commercial service to the Telluride Airport this December. 2 > Town Council will decide whether to take a position to support the establishment and funding of the San Miguel Authority for Regional Transportation, which will appear on the November ballot. 3 > Mountain Village’s Parking Committee will present its policies for new parking regulations for the coming year for Council’s consideration. 4 > Council will consider a request to fund a new and significantly upgraded sound system for the Telluride Conference Center. 5 > Council will hold a worksession to discuss and better design the process by which the town grants money to deserving organizations. 6 > The executive director of the new Mountain Village TellurideTV facility will update us on how the facility is being utilized. 7 > And finally, in addition to some routine staff and Council reports as well as land use matters, Council will receive an update on the recently held forest health stakeholder meeting. As always, please join us if you can for this Thursday's Town Council meeting and/or in advance. Warm Regards, Dan Jansen Mountain Village Mayor