January 2020 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.
December 12 Meeting Highlights
- Town Council approved and adopted the 2020 Budget and revised the 2019 Budget. Last month, Town Council approved the 2020 town budget totaling $39.5 million*, after pulling out pass-through items (i.e., gondola, tourism, and museum budgets). The 2020 budget includes numerous large-scale investments in our infrastructure; focuses on community development projects; and maintains healthy General Fund reserves of $12.4 million. I encourage you to read more about the budget in The Mayor’s Minute: 2020 Budget Edition. You can also take an in-depth review of this and past years’ budgets at http://bit.ly/MV2020Budget, using the OpenGov Portal.
*Note that the $39.5 million figure reflects $14.6 million in potential costs associated with a VCA expansion that has not yet been approved. - Town Council discussed buildout of Village Court Apartments Phase IV, including a review of the recently completed VCA Community Survey, reviewing draft guidelines for a new VCA Tenant Committee, and discussing the VCA Subcommittee Phase IV recommendations. We have asked staff to present monthly updates regarding ongoing improvements and a potential VCA expansion.
If you would like more specifics about these topics, you can watch a video of last month’s meeting on the town’s website. December meeting minutes will be posted online after they are approved at tomorrow’s meeting.
- Town Council will again consider an application by Telluride Ski and Golf (TSG) to rezone and transfer density for the construction of one additional apartment building in the Mountain View Apartment Complex. This project could allow for an additional 12 employee apartment units for a total of 42 employee apartment units. In 2015, a citizen-initiated ordinance limited the maximum number of units on this lot to no more than 45 total employee apartments.
- Town Council will hear and vote on first reading the Design Review Board request to amend our current prohibition of architectural lighting to allow greater lighting flexibility while still meeting the town’s lighting regulations. The town’s exterior lighting regulations are intended to provide the minimal lighting required for safety and aesthetic standards. Currently, the Community Development Code (CDC) strongly emphasizes the importance of minimal exterior lighting and only using exterior lighting for safety.
- We will hear reports from the Green Team, Telluride Regional Airport Authority (TRAA), and Village Court Apartments (VCA). Additionally, we will hear staff reports from the Communications and Business Development Department and the Town Manager.
A full agenda has been posted on our website; we welcome your input and hope to see you at the meeting.
Warm regards,
Laila Benitez
Mountain Village Mayor