Friday, 01 March 2013 11:35

Friday, 01 February 2013 10:57

January 2013 Work Begins With Support for a Land Exchange

Our first meeting of the New Year welcomed newly elected Commissioner Steve Child representing District 4 replacing Jack Hatfield who was term limited after serving 12 years. Our first resolution of the year (prior to Steve Child taking office) was the acceptance of an agreement between the County and proponents of the Sutey/Two Shoes land exchange. This agreement garnered the approval of the majority of the BOCC and called for a letter of support to be sent to the BLM.

There has been much history and controversy over this proposed land exchange beginning in 2009 with the first request by the proponents asking for Pitkin County’s support. Although quickly endorsed by other Counties and municipalities, Pitkin County held back, questioning whether there was sufficient public benefit to support the transfer of public lands to private ownership. As a result, the proponents decided to pursue the exchange through an administrative process with the BLM rather than along their original legislative path. However, their revised approach did not include some of the earlier results of negotiations with the County, and the BOCC expressed their concerns about the proposal to the BLM during the public comment period. Meanwhile, the BOCC directed our County Manager to reach out to the proponents to see if there was a willingness on their part to discuss additional enhancements specifically for Pitkin County.

I believe we were successful in those negotiations, which offer enhancements that are not part of the exchange application with the BLM, but constitute a separate agreement with Pitkin County, such as wildlife benefits, view plane protection and additional recreational amenities. A conservation easement will be placed on two parcels of the Two Shoes Ranch within the area known as Potato Bill. These parcels have been identified by the Division of Parks and Wildlife as important winter range for deer and elk, and significant cliff habitat for big horn sheep. The conservation easements will protect the property from future development and recreational uses.

Read more: What's Up With Pitkin County?

Wednesday, 02 January 2013 14:06

2012 YEAR IN REVIEW

This past year has been a very busy and productive one for the County and BOCC. We are making headway in addressing the stated goals from our Board retreat last winter, of pursuing affordable housing, our health care initiative, expanding broadband service, enhancing community outreach and devoting resources to be proactive against outside interests on issues affecting our community. To these goals, we recently purchased two- 3 bedroom townhomes in Basalt as affordable workforce housing. We took a lead role in forming the Aspen Valley Healthcare Alliance including Aspen Valley Hospital, Aspen Skiing Company, the City of Aspen and Aspen School District. Working with providers and consumers this group will develop strategies for lowering health care costs and addressing accessibility for our employees and hopefully create a model for other businesses to follow.

We engaged the Aspen Strategy Center and created a valley-wide broadband alliance with the SkiCo, USFS and Town of Snowmass Village to help spread ubiquitous cell and broadband coverage to all areas of the County. We provided comments to the USFS on their draft oil and gas EIS and I was directly involved with the BLM draft Resource Management Plan. I travelled twice to Washington DC on behalf of Thompson Divide, lobbying for the protection from oil and gas exploration, allowing current leases to expire per contracts and support of Senator Bennet’s draft legislation. Our community outreach programs included daily reporting, email and newspaper postings, public meetings and special programs on CGTV12, focusing on issues from the status of road projects and wildfire preparedness to the Airport Master Plan and Rio Grande Trail design options. Behind the scene tours of the airport were also well attended by the public.

Other department highlights include:

Our Open Space and Trails program saw the successful completion of the Redstone Coke Oven restoration and adoption of a final design plan for the Elk Park Master Plan along with new acquisitions and habitat improvement projects in both the Smuggler and Redstone areas. Our management plan for Skyline Park was recognized with the prestigious Land Stewardship Award by the Colorado Chapter of the Wildlife Society.

Read more: What's Up With Pitkin County?

Monday, 03 December 2012 10:11

The 2013 Proposed General Fund Budget Addresses County's Longterm Health

By District 5 Commissioner George Newman

Although at the time of writing this column Pitkin County’s 2013 budget has not yet been adopted, I hope to give you a good overview of what the General Fund budget will look like. Much like last year’s budget process, the overall goal continues to focus on investing in services and infrastructure that will produce results our citizens need and desire.

This column focuses on the General Fund that includes the county’s core services (Road and Bridge, Health and Human Services, Public Safety, Community Development, Administration, Clerk and Recorder, County Attorney, Public Works/Fleet).  

The projected 2013 budget for these core services is $30,664,409. This year’s budget, as well as our five-year strategic plan, was developed in partnership with the county’s Financial Advisory Board and a budget review team.

Revenues to the General Fund are derived from property taxes (24 percent), sales taxes (26 percent), program and service fees (19 percent), intergovernmental revenue (26 percent), and miscellaneous other sources (5 percent). Property taxes that go towards the General Fund represent less than .06 per tax dollar collected.

In addition, Pitkin County levies a 3.6 percent sales tax, which is dedicated as follows: 1.5 percent sales tax for mass transit; 0.1 percent for the Healthy River and Stream fund; and the remaining 2 percent split between the County and the municipalities of Aspen, Snowmass Village and Basalt. In the end, Pitkin County’s final allocation is less than 25 percent of the sales tax it collects, or less than a penny collected for every dollar in sales.

Read more: What's Up With Pitkin County?

Tuesday, 02 October 2012 14:40

The Pitkin County Commissioners hold weekly work sessions on Tuesdays and bi-monthly public hearings on Wednesdays in the Plaza One building (next to the Courthouse) in Aspen. Both meetings are televised live and repeated on locater CG12 TV. They are also streamed live and available on the County website. Agendas are posted in the Aspen/Glenwood newspapers and on-line at www.aspenpitkin.com. In this column, your District 5 Commissioner, George Newman offers his take on current matters. You can reach him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

PITKIN COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH UPDATES

One of the roles and responsibilities of the BOCC is to serve as the Pitkin County Board of Health. The Board of Health is responsible to carry out the public health laws, appoint the Public Health Director, direct the public health agency to complete a community health assessment every 5 years, approve the local public health plan and develop and promote public policies needed to secure conditions necessary for a healthy community. The Board contracts this work out to Community Health Services Inc, a non- profit organization, offering preventative health programs such as:

• Child, adult and travel immunizations

• Women’s health screenings

• HIV and sexually transmitted disease testing

• Communicable disease surveillance

• Public health emergency preparedness and community outreach

At our recent quarterly meeting, we were updated on the Community Health Assessment project, immunization and family planning billing changes, Aspen to Parachute Dental Health Alliance, the Tobacco Grant application, the Community Paramedic project update and updates from our Environmental Health manager and our environmental public health advocate.

Read more: What's Up With Pitkin County?

Saturday, 01 September 2012 07:50

Knapweeds belong to the sunflower family. They can be distinguished from one another by the patterns on their bracts (the cone-like structure located below the flower head), by their growth, and to some degree by their flowers.  

There are three main knapweeds in Pitkin County:

Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea maculosa) has spotted bracts and lavender/purplish flowers.  It is a simple perennial that reproduces by seed and forms a new shoot each year from a taproot.  

Spotted Knapweed is one of the most invasive, aggressive weeds to plague the Western United States.  Very rare in Pitkin County, the largest infestation is found at the base of Independence Pass along State Highway 82 above Tagert Lakes.  This infestation has been monitored and treated yearly.  It is imperative that it not be allowed to spread into the fragile sub-alpine ecosystem.  

Saturday, 01 September 2012 07:37

I wrote my very first column for the Crystal Valley Echo in July, 2010 and the topic was Bears. Two years later, in a drought year where bears came out of their winter dens early, the anticipation of the lack of natural food for bears to consume this Fall as they prepare for hibernation once again poses a problem not only for the bears but for home owners.

So far this summer, the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife has euthanized 20 bears in region: the most in the last 4 years. When natural foods are hard to come by, as they are this year, bears search for other sources. Bears are very resourceful and adaptive and have learned how to break into homes as well as cars. They have a keen sense of smell and are able to pry open access points. The problem is exacerbated as a new generation of cubs learns from their Moms. In addition, as the bear population grows, so do the number of animals who become habituated to human food.

The most important thing we can do, and which is already required by County Code under Ordinance 020-2007, is use wildlife-proof refuse containers or dumpsters. It boils down to access to garbage. Keeping trash in a garage or shed is the best protection, only putting it out in a bear proof container the morning of your trash pickup. This will greatly reduce bear encounters at your home.

County Code also includes never leaving pet food outside, and taking down bird feeders as birds can fend for themselves this time of year. If you enjoy watching birds, the Code requires keeping feeders (including hummingbird feeders) away from decks and windows and at least 10’ off the ground, suspended between two trees or posts, with a seed catchment pan to catch discarded seeds. New fruit bearing trees and shrubs are prohibited within an activity envelope in areas of high bear activity. The Code also addresses various “buffer zones” regarding structures located near wildlife habitat. Chicken coops are posing a problem as well and the DOW recommends an electric fence surrounding them. Compost piles should be turned over regularly – and keep meat scraps out.

Read more: What's Up With Pitkin County?

Absinth Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.)

Absinth wormwood is a member of the Sunflower family. It is a robust perennial that grows 16-48 inches tall with large light-gray leaves which are oblong in shape. Stems arise from a taproot and branch from the base. Stems are ½ inch or greater in diameter, and reddish in color. Flowering occurs in late summer. It is frequently found near streams, lakes, or irrigation ditches.

Additional information on Absinth Wormwood can be found at http://www.aspenpitkin.com/Portals/0/docs/county/PublicWorks/land-management/Scans/Absinth%20Brochure.pdf

Tuesday, 03 July 2012 07:19

ROAD AND BRIDGE UPDATE:

Pitkin County maintains 254 miles of road and 24 bridges. This summer, our Road and Bridge Department’s capital improvement project will place 2 to 4 inches of asphalt on just over 16 miles of county roads that have been established as priorities to be improved in the next five years. This project will capitalize on favorable road construction unit costs derived from work being completed on State Highway 82 this year and the economies of scale that project has to offer. Our new strategic plan which the BOCC approved last year includes the reallocation of our resources and monies, from areas of less demand and need to areas of more demand and need. A substantial amount has been allocated towards capital improvements.

Up in the Crystal Valley, Redstone Boulevard will see a chip/seal done in August. We realize this is not the opportune time, but between the Redstone Water and Sanitation project and Fall weather, we are seasonally limited. However, the chip/seal work should not take long, causing minimum disruption to summer business. Up on Coal Creek Road we will be doing a culvert replacement with a date not yet set at time of this writing, and this will entail road closure at some point (those affected will be notified and contact information for staff is below).

Also at the time of this writing, we are doing a chip/seal on Brush Creek Road that will be completed by this publication. In addition, we will be doing a reconstruction of Jack Gredig Road (road to the landfill) as well as Smith Hill Road in Woody Creek. The work on Smith Hill Road will also entail new decking for the bridge that crosses the Roaring Fork River at that point.

Along with these projects, we have added several others, due to our ability to “piggyback” on other jurisdictions’ projects if the price is right. As noted above, we were able to negotiate a very competitive price with Elam, the contractor for CDOT on Highway 82, which allows us to move up the timeline on some roads that had been budgeted a few years out. Our largest addition to the capital improvement project is on Castle Creek Road. Where this project was not scheduled to occur until 2014, with only chip/seal in certain locations, now it includes repaving the road all the way up to where the current pavement ends. Although this will be somewhat disruptive this summer, once completed, bicyclists as well as motorists should be very pleased with the results.

Read more: What's Up With Pitkin County?

Sunday, 01 July 2012 07:49

Dalmatian Toadflax (Linaria dalmatica)
Dalmatian toadflax is a member of the Figwort family.  It was introduced as an ornamental from Europe, and is now rapidly invading dry rangeland from 5,000 to 8,000 feet.  Dalmatian toadflax is still quite rare in Pitkin County, but it is very common in Glenwood Springs.  It has been found along the Capitol Creek and Snowmass Creek drainages.  It is a creeping perennial that closely resembles yellow toadflax.  However, unlike yellow toadflax, Dalmatian toadflax has waxy, heart-shaped leaves that clasp the stem.  The stems grow to 2-4 feet in height.  The flowers are snapdragon-shaped, bright yellow, with orange centers.  Dalmatian toadflax is especially well-adapted to arid sites and can spread rapidly once established.  Because of its deep extensive root system, waxy leaves, and heavy seed production, this plant is difficult to manage. 

To learn more about managing Dalmatian Toadflax, visit the Pitkin County Noxious Weed Management Plan posted online at http://www.aspenpitkin.com/weeds.

Friday, 01 June 2012 08:47

Knapweeds belong to the sunflower family. They can be distinguished from one another by the patterns on their bracts (the cone-like structure located below the flower head), by their growth, and to some degree by their flowers.  

There are three main knapweeds in Pitkin County:

Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea maculosa) has spotted bracts and lavender/purplish flowers.  It is a simple perennial that reproduces by seed and forms a new shoot each year from a taproot.  Spotted Knapweed is one of the most invasive, aggressive weeds to plague the Western United States.  Very rare in Pitkin County, the largest infestation is found at the base of Independence Pass along State Highway 82 above Tagert Lakes.  This infestation has been monitored and treated yearly.  It is imperative that it not be allowed to spread into the fragile sub-alpine ecosystem.  

Russian Knapweed has papery bracts, stiff, ridged stems, and thistle-like flowers that are lavender to white.  The plant flowers June to August and seed is produced in later summer to early fall.  It is a perennial that reproduces by seed and creeping, horizontal roots, making Russian Knapweed very difficult to control once established.  They key is to stress the weed and cause it to expend nutrient stores in the root system.  In integrated management plan should be developed that places continual stress on the weed.  Currently, the best management plan includes cultural control combined with mechanical and/or chemical control techniques.  A single control strategy, such as mowing or an herbicide, usually is not sufficient.  

Read more: Weed of the Month - Knapweeds

Friday, 01 June 2012 07:00

The Pitkin County Commissioners hold weekly work sessions on Tuesdays and bi-monthly public hearings on Wednesdays in the Plaza One building (next to the Courthouse) in Aspen. Both meetings are televised live and repeated on locater CG12 TV. They are also streamed live and available on the County website. Agendas are posted in the Aspen/Glenwood newspapers and on-line at www.aspenpitkin.com. In this column, your District 5 Commissioner, George Newman offers his take on current matters. You can reach him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Airport Master Plan Process:

The BOCC is currently updating the Master Plan for the Pitkin County Airport and there seems to be some confusion regarding the process and purpose for this. Public airports receiving funds from the FAA face certain obligations that include identifying facilities and any projects that may be eligible for federal funding in a capital improvement plan produced through a master planning process. It is important to note this is a long-term physical development plan for airport facilities: a policy guidance document intended to reserve space for potential improvements and does not approve any specific project or design for construction. Any projects moving forward would go through a whole new public process including full environmental reviews. The ultimate design would be based on specific projections of needs, based on facility utilization and industry business models. Reserving space for expansion of our current facilities does not commit to the full utilization of that space. It allows options for future development and again, only after much additional scrutiny to determine if the need exists and if it is financially and environmentally appropriate.

The primary goal of any work contemplated through the master plan is to improve safety, efficiency and environmental stewardship. The principal areas that have been identified for reserving space for future needs are the commercial terminal complex and the general aviation facilities. The current terminal contains approximately 45,000 SF, including airline functions (front and back office), concessions, secure and non-secure public areas, baggage storage, administration and mechanical. With this, we currently offer up to 35 flights per day in/out (varies seasonally) and handled 223,038 enplanements (passengers) in 2011. The current terminal space is challenged with TSA requirements, secured overnight baggage storage, mechanical needs and ADA requirements (Americans with Disabilities Act). The potential future space needed to address these concerns may add up to an additional 35,000 SF; however, it does not mean a future terminal would need to be that large. Again, the master plan would only reserve space for a larger terminal but does not commit to anything.

Read more: What's Up With Pitkin County?

Tuesday, 01 May 2012 08:22

Sunday, 01 April 2012 08:05

The Pitkin County Commissioners hold weekly work sessions on Tuesdays and bi-monthly public hearings on Wednesdays in the Plaza One building (next to the Courthouse) in Aspen. Both meetings are televised live and repeated on locater CG12 TV. They are also streamed live and available on the County website. Agendas are posted in the Aspen/Glenwood newspapers and on-line at www.aspenpitkin.com. In this column, your District 5 Commissioner, George Newman offers his take on current matters. You can reach him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

COUNTY UPDATES

The BOCC receives regular updates from our departments, and I share the following from Public Works, Road and Bridge, Human Services, the Library and the Airport.

Our landfill is currently projected to last 29 more years: 5 years longer than projected in 2005 thanks to the grinding program for construction and demolition debris which began in late 2008.  By sorting and grinding waste before placement in the Fill, we have been able to reduce the volume of material by up to 50% and also to recover items with recycling value such as metal objects and boulders.  Extending our landfill is critical as no other suitable landfill locations have been identified in the County.  As a staff member said: “After all, a landfill is a terrible thing to waste.”

From our Road and Bridge Department we will see a recommendation this month (March) on a pedestrian bypass at the Airport Business Center. This bypass will provide safer access to and from RFTA’s bus stops at the AABC, link up with new BRT bus stations and accommodate future design plans for the airport terminal.  I succeeded in securing the majority of funding needed for this project through my involvement with CDOT’s Intermountain Regional Planning Commission.  Staff is also coordinating with CDOT to complete a large paving project on State Highway 82 from Gerbazdale to the AABC, slated to begin mid-summer.  In addition, planning continues to move forward on BOCC approved road projects including Brush Creek Road, Redstone Blvd chip seal, Coal Creek culvert replacement, Smith Hill Way and Jack Gredig Lane overlays.  Finally, Phase 1 of the Redstone Coke Ovens stabilization and restoration is complete and Phase II is underway.  The latter will bring the site together, including a visitors’ walking path and interpretive site markers.

Read more: What's Up With Pitkin County?

Thursday, 01 March 2012 07:01

The Pitkin County Commissioners hold weekly work sessions on Tuesdays and bi-monthly public hearings on Wednesdays in the Plaza One building (next to the Courthouse) in Aspen.  Both meetings are televised live and repeated on locater CG12 TV.  They are also streamed live and available on the County website. Agendas are posted in the Aspen/Glenwood newspapers and on-line at www.aspenpitkin.com.   In this column, your District 5 Commissioner, George Newman offers his take on current matters.   You can reach him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 

BOCC retreat focuses on the ‘New Norm”

At our recent annual board retreat, we discussed what the “new norm” looks like in regards to our economy and how we as an organization can respond using the resources we have for the programs and services we provide.

We began with a presentation by the Headwaters Institute providing socio–economic indicators for our County compared with several other resort communities as well as national statistics.  This reaffirmed what we already knew but also offered some surprises. While our travel and tourism industry is very strong, there has been a net loss in jobs in this sector over the last decade.  Our construction industry was hard hit by the impact of the national housing crisis and recession; however, due to our slow growth policies, we have weathered it better than other resort communities and the nation as a whole.  From health care needs to environmental concerns, we are affected by State and National policies, ultimately affecting our tourist based economy.  Meanwhile, our demographics appear to be changing more rapidly than other resorts in terms of the aging of our population.

With our newly approved 2012 budget and strategic plan in place, we have reallocated resources from areas of less demand to those of greater need, and have made a commitment to investing in capital projects such as roads and facilities as well as to social capital through staff training and development.  We recognize there will be an increased demand to meet the needs of our aging population while we continue to face challenges in attracting a new, younger work force to maintain a resilient economy.  The question is how we grow our tourist industry without negatively impacting our quality of life and natural environment which play such a critical role in our economy.

To further address these issues, we have identified the following specific areas of focus for this coming year:

Diversification and resilience of our economy
Affordable Housing
Health Care
Broadband Service
Community Outreach
Proactive lobbying.

Read more: What's Up With Pitkin County?

Wednesday, 01 February 2012 07:02

The Pitkin County Commissioners hold weekly work sessions on Tuesdays and bi-monthly public hearings on Wednesdays in the Plaza One building (next to the Courthouse) in Aspen.  Both meetings are televised live and repeated on locater CG12 TV.  They are also streamed live and available on the County website. Agendas are posted in the Aspen/Glenwood newspapers and on-line at www.aspenpitkin.com.   In this column, your District 5 Commissioner, George Newman offers his take on current matters.  You can reach him at   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

BOCC comments on BLM Resource Management Plan

Pitkin County Commissioners recently submitted comments to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) regarding the updating of their guiding document known as the Resource Management Plan.  The BLM’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement outlines four alternatives (known as A, B, C and D).  In most cases, Alternative C (whose theme is “Conservation”) best aligns with the values and goals of our community; however, no single alternative clearly provides for the full range of management preferences of Pitkin County.  We propose a hybrid management scheme containing elements of Alternative C and B (mixed use) to better address the uniqueness of each parcel.   Within this hybrid, we also introduce the concepts of employing carrying capacity, enforcement approaches, adaptive environmental management, and winter core wildlife designation.

Federal public lands comprise some 83% of the area in Pitkin County.  Of this, the BLM manages 13 parcels of land (comprising 27,490 acres), not to mention subsurface mineral rights under both public lands (USFS) and privately owned parcels (split estates).  These mid-elevation parcels are a critical part of our ecosystem in the Roaring Fork Valley, possessing outstanding scenic quality, wildlife habitat and important recreational access to our rivers and mountains.  They serve as a source of livelihood for those working directly in the recreation industry; provide grazing lands for ranchers with permits, and outstanding hunting and fishing grounds:  all contributing to our economic viability and sustainability.  

As your County Commissioner, I have represented Pitkin County over the last 3 years in many meetings with the BLM to ensure that our local concerns would be addressed.  To further these efforts, we held public meetings seeking citizen input, and coordinated our comments with those of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Department as well as with our neighboring municipalities and Counties in the Valley.  Our comments cover a myriad of issues such as emergency management plans including search and rescue and wildfire response, to land tenure and public access, recreation and mineral resource development. This article focuses on a few:

Read more: What's Up With Pitkin County?

Monday, 02 January 2012 07:48

The Pitkin County Commissioners hold weekly work sessions on Tuesdays and bi-monthly public hearings on Wednesdays in the Plaza One building (next to the Courthouse) in Aspen.  Both meetings are televised live and repeated on locater CG12 TV.  They are also streamed live and available on the County website. Agendas are posted in the Aspen/Glenwood newspapers and on-line at www.aspenpitkin.com.   In this column, your District 5 Commissioner, George Newman offers his take on current matters.   You can reach him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .   
 

2011 YEAR IN REVIEW

2011 was a challenging and productive year for the BOCC.  It began with a new Commissioner (Rob Ittner) a new Sheriff (Joe DiSalvo) and a new County Manager (Jon Peacock).   

Some exciting accomplishments this year included:
The recently completed 1000’ runway extension at the Pitkin County Airport which allows airlines to utilize more seats and improve passenger safety.  In addition, we are in the midst of developing a new master plan for both the airport and terminal.  (Public meetings will continue into next year for further input.)  This year we also prioritized a future transportation access plan for Highway 82 and the AABC, including ongoing work for a grade-separated pedestrian crossing.  The airport master plan will look at how to integrate its traffic flows into this busy intersection.

Based on considerable citizen and Community Development input, we finalized new land use code amendments for agricultural structures and new standards for solar installations.  We are now interviewing interested citizens to serve on the new Agriculture Advisory Committee.  Also based on community meetings, County staff’s and attorney’s input, the BOCC took a pass on the permitting and licensing of marijuana dispensaries and grow sites in Pitkin County.  

In November, we sought and were successful in gaining voters’ approval for the continuation of the Healthy Community Fund enabling us to continue to support human service organizations in the Valley who do so much to meet the needs of our citizens struggling in these tough economic conditions.  Thank you to all who voted!

This year, our Open Space and Trails department was awarded a CDOT Scenic Byway grant to begin work on Elk Park as part of the related Redstone Master Plan.  We also completed the restoration of the Redstone Coke Ovens; a remarkable project in and of itself.

Read more: What's Up With Pitkin County?

Thursday, 01 December 2011 07:11

The Pitkin County Commissioners hold weekly work sessions on Tuesdays and bi-monthly public hearings on Wednesdays in the Plaza One building (next to the Courthouse) in Aspen.  Both meetings are televised live and repeated on locater CG12 TV.  They are also streamed live and available on the County website. Agendas are posted in the Aspen/Glenwood newspapers and on-line at www.aspenpitkin.com.   In this column, your District 5 Commissioner, George Newman offers his take on current matters.   You can reach him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .   

NEW FOCUS WITH 2012 BUDGET

In 2010, the BOCC and staff held a series of “kitchen talks” throughout the County.  The goal was to revisit our mission statement which was last done in a similar format 10 years ago.  It provided us an opportunity to share with citizens the current programs and services we offer and to gather input and re-set priorities.  This past year at our annual retreat, we reviewed the data collected and created a new mission statement as well as a new vision statement on where we see the County going.   This then led to a new strategic plan which all the County departments used in the development of the proposed 2012 budget as well as a 5 year plan; the overall goal being to focus on investing in services and infrastructure that will produce results citizens need and desire.   

While our overall budget includes special revenue funds (airport, landfill, library, open space and trails, translator, E-911), this article focuses on the General Fund which includes the County’s core services (road and bridge, human services, public safety, community development, administration, clerk and recorder, attorney’s office, public works/fleet).  The projected 2012 budget for these core services is $23,284,930.

Revenues to the General Fund come from property taxes (28%), sales taxes (28%), program and service fees (21%), intergovernmental revenue (17%) and miscellaneous other sources (6%).  Property taxes that go towards the general fund are less than $.06/tax dollar collected.   Pitkin County levies a 3.6% sales tax. These funds are split amongst 4 separate authorities: 1.5% for mass transit, 0.1% for the Healthy River and Stream fund, with the remaining 2% shared with Aspen, Snowmass Village and Basalt. The final allocation to the County’s General Fund is 43% of this 2%, which is less than a penny for every dollar spent in Pitkin County.

Based on our strategic plan, we are taking a new approach to our proposed budget and 5 year plan by realigning resources from services experiencing less demand (Community Development) to those experiencing more demand (Human Services and Road and Bridges).  In addition, we are increasing our investment in the recruitment, retention and development of a professional and qualified workforce.  By merging and reallocating some of our “undesignated” fund balances (facilities fund, tech pool fund, and road fund); we will be able to re-apportion these dollars in conjunction with designating 50% of all sales tax revenues towards capital projects.  

Read more: What's Up With Pitkin County?

Tuesday, 01 November 2011 07:19

Saturday, 01 October 2011 07:42