Town Council - Regular Meeting

All right, looks like we're underway again. Sorry for the delay. Uh before we get started, I got a couple things. One, I want to make sure deer you can hear us and that we can hear you. Uh I can hear you. Oh, good. And we can hear you. So, I think we're we're good there. Check. Um the next uh item I have is if you want to participate remotely as always go to basalt.net click on the agendas and minutes tab and you'll find December 9th and you'll find all the info to join uh Zoom meeting there if you'd like to participate remotely and uh I'll go ahead and call the meeting to order and Pam will you please call the role? I will happily [clears throat] do that. Let us begin with Hannah Berman here. Angel Dup prebuchart

here. Ryan Slack here. David Knight here. Deer Schindler here. Angela Anderson here. Rick Stevens here. The A team is present. All the aces are in their places. Hey, thank you, Pam. Next up, item two, consent agenda. Just as the item 2A, which is the minutes, and they are from November 25th, 2025. Um, so, uh, I would entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda items as presented. Mayor, I move that the town council approve the consent agenda items as presented. Second. It's [clears throat] been moved and seconded. Pam, will you please call the role? Sure. I think we can do that by voice [clears throat] vote on that one. For the consent.

For the consent. Yeah, we can do voice. Okay. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. I. Got it. Next up, we have uh item three, which is our call to the public. So, uh just a couple of reminders. Uh limit your comments to three minutes. Make sure you sign in at the back of the room. Direct your comments to me directly. Um and try to be courteous, civil, and constructive. We'll take no decision or take any action except to direct the town manager. Do we have anyone who wants to make public comment? Yes. Come on up. Thank you. Sorry to keep you waiting. Yeah. appreciate your patience.

Oh, no problem. Um, my name is Chad [clears throat] Russell. I uh live in Willlets. Um, I've lived in the valley since 2008. Um, I've recently moved back. I had to leave to go to take care of some business in Indianapolis for a couple of years and this was kind of an issue. I will state this first that I'll never bring up an issue that I do not want to be 100% involved in the part of the solution and and always be uh constructive with that. What I've noticed is I live in the first, this has been an issue always, but recently it's kind of come on head. I have three children, um, six, four and a half, and three. My wife is at home with them now, wondering where I am. But what I've got is with that whole park area on East Valley Road, which is a a no leash dog area, basically. Everybody runs around, kids are running back and forth. My child's uh first grade bus stop is over on Willlets Lane, which which which means he has to cross the street multiple times to get over there if he starts riding the bus. Um over the past several years when I was living in our home in Willlets before I left, um I've had issues where cars come flying through there. I mean, it goes from 15 miles per hour down to uh increases to 20. Obviously, the percentages are significant, but one time this guy in a a big truck came by. is like, "Slow down." And I hear people on their porches all summer yelling at everybody in that area, "Slow down. Slow down. Slow down." And um he was with his child. He drove all the way back around, came back and pulled over to yell at me and like start an altercation over me telling him to slow down. You can kind you can tell there's a big difference between 20 and 25 and 30 and whatnot. But what's happened recently with the traffic backup as it goes down to 82 is people are starting to go through in the mornings and bypass all of that to go all the way down East Valley Road and bypass that kind of stop traffic. The other day my wife was driving. A girl was up behind her tailgating her like

flashing her lights and stuff. And this is just from this is 800 feet from leaving the area by Whole Foods and getting into that to our culde-sac. And then she tried to pull around her and um then of course was uh telling her she was number one and stuff when she drove by. And the other morning I was out there um walking the dog and people were literally driving 40 miles an hour out of because it's not that busy over by Whole Foods at that time to there. Now they were initially going to do a speed table and all these other things, but for whatever reason we decided to make the road curvy. People just drive straight down the middle. I'm not sure what the overall solution is, how we go about lowering the speed limit. I think it should be 12 and a half miles an hour, but whatever we'd need to do that I think that needs to be addressed as a safety issue before there's loss of life, especially with kids. My dog's almost been hit there. Um, I mean, so there's major a significant issue there as someone who goes by and goes by there with children all the time. And so whatever needs to be done, I'm happy to do. I'll sit there and take pictures of cars when they go and because we do have the speed meter there that the speed up the that tells people how fast they're going, but that's disregarded. Okay. So,

thank you. Thank you. Yeah, thanks for surfacing that. Um, Gloria, is that something we can look into just Yeah, with the PD. Yeah, thanks for surfacing that. I really appreciate it. Sir, would you make sure to please sign in so we have your contact information? Thanks [clears throat] for your patience again.

Reynold behind. Anyone else uh would like to make public comment? All right, looks like uh we are done with that and we'll move on to item four, which is our mayor mayor and council reports, comments. Floor's open. Uh [clears throat] I'd like to thank staff. Uh the Willlets tree lighting went off uh without a hitch. It was great. Looking forward to Midland on Friday. Um, and then obviously police department still isn't here, but they are still just running on uh low staff and we're lucky to have such a great group of guys that every time I talk to them, they're all still upbeat and um I just just all of staff, thank you guys for what you're doing. And happy holidays.

Um, one of my favorite things is the star on be hill. Yeah. Getting lit up. And I wanted to make We acknowledge the Evers Hton for [clears throat] keeping that going. Kenny Everett's family provides the power for the star and uh I think Bruce Upton is part of the Lions Club that supports that. So, it's awesome and and it's always fun to go, "Oh, it's on." And I always forget it's going to come on. And during CO, it was truly a a great thing to have because it would shine every night for [clears throat] that whole CO era. It just uh just bizarre. Yeah, it's cool. Great comment. Yeah, thanks for the star.

Especially coming down Two Rivers, Two Rivers Road from Willlets with a full moon and the rivers going like this and stars lit. Spot on. So, thanks to those guys. Thanks, Rick. Anyone else? Town looks lovely. The lights look lovely. the snow. I know we didn't do it, but it looks great with everything that's out there. Hopefully, we get more of it. And uh thanks for putting out all the decorations and stuff for the holidays staff. So, appreciate that. Um let's go ahead and

one one more. I want to actually thank Chris Biser. He was up in the majority of these trees. I drive up and downtown all the time and he put I he had so much stuff in his truck for like two weeks and was just every time I drove down Main Street he was up in another tree. So, thank you Chris for and the rest of public works. I know it was a big undertaking but he was definitely in a lot of trees. So, don't want that to go unnoticed.

Looks good. Looks great out there. And the uh last but not least, we did approve that uh fire mitigation project. And if anyone hasn't driven up there, it's pretty wild. I was went into a condo in the wilds today and they they created a lot of defensible space. So it's a awesome job by that contractor and everyone for putting that together. Thanks, Ryan. All right, we'll move on to manager report item five. So, I just want to invite everyone to Marian Midland this Friday starting at 4 o'clock with the uh tree lighting at 5:15. Be there. Yeah. [snorts]

And that will be closed. Um the the street will be closed. So, okay. Just wanted to put that out there as well. That's a good heads up. Awesome. Um well, next up we have item six, catching up. Getting closer. Um, item 6A, which is our Eagle County presentation, Highway 82 and Elabel Road project, Richard Davies. And I see Jeff's out there as well. If you want to come up, Jeffy. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. You gota be You got to be on the mic. Jeff, you're welcome, too. Do you want to talk or

welcome guys?

[clears throat] All right, we're good. Everybody can see my presentation.

Yes. Okay. Uh, my name is Ricky Davies, Eagle County Senior Staff Engineer. And, um, I would like to thank everybody for the opportunity to talk about this project. Um, I apologize I talked a little quick and actually the presentation I did add a couple more slides that aren't in your packet because I was going through today and I thought I'd give you a little more information. Um, and if you have questions feel free to interrupt me, but chances are I might answer your question as we go through it. So, um, should be relatively quick. Um, just want to go through project background, project schedule, the design, the right of way, permits for the project, funding and maintenance. So the um purpose of this project uh is improvements to the intersection are necessary to improve safety and operations to gain a new seed access permit. The design was driven by Ced's requirement to move Valley Road or the Valley Road intersection a minimum of 500 ft from the Highway 82 uh intersection and minimize the impacts to the Sorris Village neighborhood and uh their main road in this. Um the current design will give East Valley Road traffic free flow access to the state highway 82 signal. Uh it will preserve existing infrastructure including East Valley Road and the Eagle County building parking lots and it creates an opportunity to expand the raft of parking lot. Um some of the project schedule. So this project was advertised for construction on November 17th. Um we had a pre-bid meeting on the 25th. Uh we had questions for the addendum uh questions on the uh this uh the project itself. Those were due on the 3rd. Uh tomorrow I'll be releasing uh an addendum with written answers to [clears throat] all the questions that came in. Um we'll be opening a contractor bids on the 17th. Uh the contractor should be selected by the 19th of December with a contract being signed by the BOCC approximately a

month later. And then we'll have a pre-construction meeting is tenatively scheduled for April 25th of 2026. And construction starting April 1st with a completion date of October 30th. Um, just so you're aware, uh, I don't know if everybody's really familiar with this project or not, but you can see this is the current, um, configuration, uh, you can see my cursor, correct? Yes. So, right along here is Highway 82. We have Valley Road that comes in here. Here's the intersection with with, uh, the signals. And then we have Soers Village Drive, which comes in here. So, part of the problem here again is that Valley Road is too close to this intersection. We don't have enough stacking distance. while there I believe the signal timing last time I was out there watching is accurate and works but um because of that intersection it it messes with the stacking along uh East Valley Road and then again here's your East Valley Road and the existing rafa u parking lot. So how are we reconfiguring this? So Valley Road will come around uh the existing raft parking lot. Uh we're going to change the uh access to Soers Village Drive here and we'll be expanding the raft to parking lot um to the north. Uh I believe my uh boss Ben Gurtis was here I think it was about a month ago and he presented some of this project and one of the comments that came up from the town council was to add a slip lane off of Highway 82 directly onto Valley Road which has been incorporated into the project. Um, as far as the project rightway goes, um, you can see here, this is the Eagle County GIS. All the dashed is actually the town of Basalt. So, a portion of the project is in the town of Basalt. Um, here's just an aerial. Same same thing with the aerial and uh, another outline of the basically the uh, town limits on the plan itself. So you can see obviously the town of B assult and then majority of of the properties in the

town of B assult are owned by RAFTA and I am currently in the process of getting two easements with RAFTA. There's a kind of a mix right along uh where this new valley road will be that is part of RAFTA's property. So RAFA will be giving Eagle County an easement and then where the new rafa parking lot is that's Eagle County. So Eagle County will be giving Rafta an easement. Um, those easements are currently sitting with RAFTA. Um, I'm working with Mike Hermes and uh, I have been trying to con contact him about once a week to get what the status is on those um, easements. Ideally, you'd like to have run the rightway squared away beforehand, but we're still working on that, but I'm quite confident I will get the uh, easements and all the rightway squared away before we begin construction. As far as project permits goes, uh Eagle County has or will obtain the following Eagle County permits, which is a grading permit, a public way permit, and we uh just got an amendment to the CEO access permit. So, the access permit is taken care of. I'm under the assumption that Eagle County will need to obtain a town of Basalt street cut and rightway permit. And then the contractor will be responsible for their own storm water discharge permit. Funding sources, there are three funding sources on this project. um and I guess three phases or two phases depending on how you want to do it. So Eagle County will be doing the roads which is phase one. I'll get to where the phases are. Raft is in charge of the parking lot which is phase two and then Eagle County Sustainability is in charge of phase 2A which is installing EV charging infrastructure. With this project again we'll be putting in all the conduit underground all the pads but we will not be putting any charging stations in with this project. Um there is a plan to put in I believe uh eight chargers that'll feed 16 uh parking spaces. So again uh you can kind of see where the funding is. Eagle County has most of the project. Uh here in red is phase two which is rafta and the orange part is the Eagle County sustainabilities portion.

Uh maintenance maintenance responsibilities are still being coordin coordinated between raft eagle county and the town of baltt. Um Mike Hermes had told me he's already drafted a maintenance agreement, but he's still working on finalizing that. Uh this is the exhibit of that um a agreement. Uh so RAFA has the majority of this. Everything in the dark green is RAFTA. Everything that is yellow would be Eagle County. And let's see, the blue would be SEOT. And down in the corner, the purple would be Soress Village HOA. So those that's what I have so far. Are there any questions for me? A lot of information. Yeah.

Um during [clears throat] construction, what's the access to Crown Mountain going to be like?

Uh I I wanted to detour everything, but no. Um we're required and in the project special for provisions, it states that the contractor has to maintain traffic at all times. They will be allowed to limit um roads down to one lane, but they won't be able to close any lanes at all. Um so access to Crown Mountain will be available. Um I will work with uh Becky at Crown Mountain. Maybe we can get on their web page that it would probably be best if people are coming to Crown Mountain to come in through the north entrance on Valley Road rather than coming to this intersection. And actually, I would hope most people would avoid this intersection by using Willlets Lane intersection or Valley Road and kind of staying on that way. At least I would if I was in the area.

Rick, what do you think as far as like coordinating with like tournaments and Well, there's a 90 team tournament on Mother's Day weekend is the only thing I know about that. They were they going to There's a lot. It's 5,000 I don't know 3,000 weekend. They're not going to be working. They're Yes. I just wonder what how it's torn up in the project special provision. Sorry. Sorry. In the project special provisions, they're required on holiday weekends to stop all construction that would impact traffic by noon on that Friday. And they wouldn't be able to to impact traffic again until the following Monday. Is that weekend? And that would be what's that? All weekends. That'd be all holiday weekends or all holidays. What what's a holiday? I guess

I believe that's uh Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day. Um again, if there's an issue with uh Mother's Day, I'm sure we can work with the contractor. Sure. That's a lot of people. That's probably the the most people I would think that come in any one. That's a big tournament. We can we'll work with the contractor and get with Becky at Crown Mountain to make sure that we're out of their way when they come. That's a big tournament we don't want to mess with. So, um, one more thing, the park and ride, the expansion of the park and ride, can you kind of is that that green buffer that's kind of between the road now and the Eagle County parking lot? Yes. Uh, on the left as you go in there, there's a big strip where everybody

campaign signs. screen. Sorry, get a different screen up. [clears throat]

[cough and clears throat] [snorts]

Uh the parking lot would be expanded from here. Obviously, this will stay and it'll expand up through here in this general area and then Valley Road will be rerouted along here. So, it'll be above the parking between the building and the parking. Yes, it it Yeah, it'll be between Valley Road and East Valley Road. And then you'll, as mentioned, we'll have a slip lane here. So, it'll be in between of all those those runways. It's a pretty good grade change across that retain walls. [clears throat] Uh, I think I thought it was relatively flat out there. Yeah,

I guess. Which where are you saying there? Pretty flat. Well, when you enter [snorts] Crown, when you enter and turn right into Crown, there's that area that's to the left, and there's probably it's pretty flat, but up in in this area because again, that the slip line, the project limits are right around here. But back to your wrapped existing raft parking lot and where you're crossing over to the Eagle in that area that's got a triangle in the middle of it, right in there. That's I guess [groaning] always appeared [clears throat] to me to be I'm not very concerned with the topography. Yeah. Okay.

Um I guess I don't know if this helps ease you or not. Um I will be the project manager during construction. I'll be on site three to four times a week. Um and uh uh because this this project is a seed dot access permit. So C do requires a uh capus which is consultant access permit inspection staff. So we'll be um because of it I it's a conflict of interest, Eagle County cannot perform that. But I will part of that job requires uh public information and I will be the public information officer for this project. So any questions that you guys have about the project before, during and after construction, feel free to uh contact me at any time. Um I'll be put sending out weekly emails on this project uh as well as uh press releases and we'll have a website that will have the project's schedule and updates of how the project's coming along.

Yeah. As much communication as you can do in that plan, the better. you know, social media, all the, you know, there's that basalt community, um, Facebook, you know, body beyond the town limits, read that. I believe we'll also on our Eco County Facebook will be, uh, putting up updates along with the press releases and so forth. People will still be surprised and frustrated, but, you know, yeah, uh, the contractor is also required to put up um, um, changeable message boards with their when construction starts, I believe 10 days before construction starts. I've done this a number of times and it doesn't make a difference to the signs there. Somebody's going to call me and say they don't know anything about this construction. Yeah.

But um you know construction is construction. It's going to be a mess while it happens, but it'll be much better once it's done. I just have one other question. You had mentioned the light when you started. This is outside the scope of this, but since you know the like all the lights are synced, right? Yes. We did that huge project. Mhm. How often do we check that that like the sink's like right or like it just you'll see coming over how bad the traffic is? I did and I and I don't know, you know, I just since you guys were here and you're obviously a part of that. Well, we don't check those. Um that falls under the jurisdiction of Cedot. Okay.

Um I know changing the timing is fairly difficult. Yeah. um just from past projects such as the fields when they came in if you're familiar with that. Um it's my understanding that CEO's main goal is to keep moving traffic up and down and the second or the the side streets are secondary as far as the timing goes. Um however, I I'll say the last time I was out here um when the fields project was going on, I believe that was two or three years ago, I did go out and watch traffic at least on the south side of the road for each in the morning and the evening peaks. And I think the side functions very very well.

Um, at this particular intersection, I guess we're getting a little off topic here, but but the main issue that this intersection has is in the morning, the morning peak, people coming down Elbal Road and trying to make a left turn trying to go to Aspen. And the problem is is that um, actually the stacking distance between Elabel Road and and Willlets, it gets stacked 82 the entire way. You're probably well aware of this. And then whatever cues up on Elabel Road isn't able to clear. That's the main problem with this intersection, at least the last time I looked at it. But the southside is pretty good from what I've seen. Any other questions? Well, thank you very much for coming out and your patience.

And I I guess my my assumption is is that all I really need from the town of Balt is going to be that rightway permit to move forward with this project. But if there's any other questions that come up, please feel free to reach out to me. Yeah, we'll look for the comms you send out and the releases and all that and yeah, stay informed. Great. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. [clears throat]

Right. Next up, we have our uh council actions. Uh item 7A is a public hearing and second reading of ordinance number 21 series of 2025 an ordinance of the town council of the town of Basalt Colorado amending chapter 4 article 7 of the Basalt municipal code to implement ballot question 3a approving an increase in the town's lodging tax by 2%. That's Jeff.

Thanks mayor. Um, as you will recall, the council referred to the voters a lodging tax increase of 2% that was uh then the election was at the November election that passed. [clears throat] And so that lodging tax is effective January 1. And this is an ordinance just to codify that additional tax. So it's clear that it's in place and goes alongside the other lodging taxes that are the the two and the original two and the additional two that are already on the books. And then there was just one other change that we made along with it just to be to help clarify the restrictions on uses for each of the two two and two% um lodging taxes. So happy to answer any questions otherwise this is a public hearing so recommend we take any public comment and uh go from there. [clears throat]

Thanks Jeeoff is a public hearing so I will open the public hearing and if anyone would like to come up and uh make some comments on this ordinance they're welcome to online or in person and I don't see any anyone doing that. So I will go ahead and close the public hearing and uh open it up for questions or comments. uh from council. We don't have any. I entertain a motion to Mayor. I move the town council adopt ordinance number 21 series of 2025 on second reading. Second. It's been moved and seconded. Uh Pam, will you please call the role? [clears throat] Yes, absolutely. Get to a sheet here. Okay, let's begin with Rick Stevens. Yes.

Angel Dupra Buchart. Yes. Ryan Slack. Yes. David Knight, yes. Deer Schindler, yes. Thank you. Deer Hannah Berman, yes. And Angela Anderson, yes. Motion carries unanimously. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Uh, next up is item 7B, which is our first reading of ordinance number 22 series of 2025, an ordinance of the town council of the town of Basalt, Colorado, amending town [clears throat] code section 16-188 to regulation uh to regulate the use of nonfunctional turf, non-functional artificial turf, and invasive plant species as landscape elements for development and redevelopment [clears throat] projects within the town of Assault. Carlton, you are up for this one. Good evening, council. Um, as the mayor introduced, uh, I'm here to present, uh, draft ordinance number 22, series of 2025, uh, regarding regulation of nonfunctional turf grass, non-functional artificial turf, and invasive plant species. Um, this would be a local regulation uh, based on uh, new state regulation. And the um impetus for this ordinance is to bring the town of assault into compliance with that state regulation. Uh for a little bit of background, uh in 2024, the state senate bill 24005 passed with bipartisan support was signed into law by Governor Polus. Um, this bill aimed to address the impacts of both climate change and pressures on Colorado's fragile water resources by limiting specific uses of resource intensive uh, landscape elements including uh, non-functional turf, non-functional artificial turf uh, and invasive plant species. Um, [clears throat] specifically, this Senate bill applies to commercial, institutional and industrial properties, as well as state-owned properties, common interest community properties such as homeowner association common areas, street rights of way, parking lots, medians, and transportation corridors. Uh SB 245 applies to all new development on the affformentioned

properties and redevelopment which requires a permit plan check or design review resulting in in a disturbance of more than 50% of the landscaped area. In 2025, House Bill 25113 passed expanding and modifying the requirements of the previous and affformentioned Senate bill. While SB 245 prohibited all artificial turf, House Bill 25113 defined functional artificial turf as distinct from non-functional artificial turf um and allows functional artificial turf. So, think of playing surfaces uh with artificial turf. Uh the modifications to the Senate bill via uh this year's House bill are included in the ordinance and must be adopted by January 1st of 2026. Um there are additional stipulations in the House bill which uh require local entities such as the town of Basalt to adopt those measures. Um those we still have two years for. those will be required to um be adopted by January 1st of 2028. Um those items are not addressed in this draft ordinance. Um while the local implementation of the Senate bill and certain elements of the House bill are required, the town council may suggest local amendments to further regulate the use of turf, artificial turf, and invasive plants. Uh however, I will note that the town arborist and horiculturalist as well as the parks foreman have proposed no additional local amendments at this time. Um and again, we will have two years before needing to come back and address the the rest of the measures in this year's House bill. Um so hopefully we'll have a couple years to kind of see how the initial roll out works and to see if we would like to further regulate um the landscape elements discussed

herein. Um there are no related town statute or town actions um which um prompted this. Again, it comes from the state regulation. Uh and you have an attachment uh of the draft ordinance as part of your packet this evening. Great. Thank you, Carlton. Any questions or can you break this down into like what it actually is? Yeah. So, so think of it as after like reading through I'm like what are we like are [clears throat] we banning the installation of all statal like you know it's like you're a police detective drawing strings across Yeah. I'm like well where what is this apply like?

So what it applies to is think about when you drive around town in the summer and all of the places where people don't use turf that are irrigated. And so the hope of this regulation is to minimize those areas um and again that are used in commercial spaces, industrial spaces um and your like HOA medians that are irrigated and are don't have a function. So again that's the definition of functional versus non-functional. And so the hope is to, you know, if you have big play spaces at schools and in parks, those are able to be retained for active uses, but the passive uses where you're just looking at Kentucky bluegrass. The hope um from the state is to regulate and to minimize those places where we're just putting water out to be evaporated and and to yeah to not have a functional use. So that was kind of the

I'll add to this that a lot of it is like it's like medium grass. So like if um I think the Midland project complies with this because it's all native plant species. But if we were putting like blue grass in the median out on part of the Midland project that wouldn't be permitted as part under the new statute. Same within like HOA common areas, commercial areas, industrial developments. it's you're limited to um kind of native species and um I forget the term of art under the statute, one of the definitions related to tree species, but um there's a huge there's little strips of grass that you might little greenways and stuff like that

and yeah, there there's a huge list of acceptable plant species as a part of this that the state has established. Um and then additionally uh I would note that this is not retroactive. So it's for new development and redevelopment as I mentioned of over 50%. So the the hope is to not uh make this ownorous on property owners. But if you come back and do a huge landscape redevelopment we're hoping to see you know that native species are prefer are you know given a preference here. Um and again this is coming down from the state. So just making sure that the town is in compliance.

One question I had was kind of curious about not that I think it would be aesthetic to put aesthetically pleasing to put artificial turf in a median or something, but like why why does the um the state statute even go there about putting artificial turf like you'd have on a field in a non-fiction? Like who would do that? Like why why would it I don't know why someone would do that. You actually do see it. Um, as somebody who's coming from the private side, you know, folks would use that often for uh in multif family buildings. I don't know why um why you'd regulate it.

Uh so I think again it was a step back in the House bill from where the Senate bill started where the Senate was the Senate bill outright banned all artificial turf. Ah okay. And then so the to step back was to make it even with um standard turf grass is that both in both cases functional turf and artificial turf grass is allowed non-functional is not allowed. [clears throat] What's the what's the rub with artificial turf in general? I guess why why would drainage just the drainage? It's it's drainage and heat containment there as well.

Okay. So, not water, but other considerations. Okay. Thanks. All right. Mayor move the town council approve ordinance number 22. Sorry. This is a public hearing as well. I don't think this one is. Oh, I didn't notice it as a public hearing. We have it. Okay. Sorry. We're good. We'll do second reading. Second reading. We'll get it. I'm sure it'll be still in the room. Mayor move the town council approved ordinance summer number 22 series of 2025 on first reading and set public hearing and second reading for January 13 2026. Second. It's been moved and seconded. Pam will you please call the role? Sure. Excuse [clears throat] me. Let's begin with Angela Anderson. Yes. Rick Stevens. Yes.

Angel Dupra Bart. Yes. Ryan Slack. Yes. David Knight. Yes. Deer Schindler. Yes. And Hannah Berman. Yes. Motion carries unanimously. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you everybody. Thanks, Carlton. No grass. Next up is uh item 7C, which is resolution number 62 series of 2025. Resolution of the town council of the town of BAL, Colorado levying general property taxes to help defay the cost of government for the town of BALT for the 2026 budget year. And Doug, Jenny, and Jeff are uh on the line for this one. So, floor is yours.

Jenny went home, so and I'll just take it. Jeff, you want to add be my source of so the there was something in the your packet for preliminary and then there was amended final version that's also available differences between the two are rather dimminimous just to recap what this levy is all about. It's basically three types of levies over two counties. There's a general mill levy, there's a bond levy, and then there's a baitment levy. The general levy is determined by taking the assessed value times the set mill rate which is 5.957. That rate does not change. That is that's flat. So as long as property taxes are going up that it's just a question of of multiplication in the property taxes would be higher. Um second the the bond levy that number is fixed at 950,000. So you're not doing any multiplication. You're actually dividing. So you're taking 950,000 and dividing it into the assessed value to determine what the mill levy is. So as property taxes go up, the mill levy goes down. And that's what's happened here in this current year. And then there's an abatement levy, which is like nickels in the parking lot here. It's like $22,000. And that's just a portion based upon the values of the various properties uh that are in each county. Just to recap, the assessed value um uh for Pitkin County and Eagle was um 3 54 million. That compares to prior year number of 316 million. So that was an increase of about 12%. Mhm.

Um the again there's if you look at the difference between the two there isn't really much of one other than the fact that there was like a picking had a slight adjustment in the assessed value reduction rather of like $30,000. So at the end of the day running through all the math it was about a difference of $840 in the general levy and $600 total of across the board. So, and this compares to what I had budgeted um or what was budgeted of um 2,12,000 of revenue compared to what the number is is 2,110 combined. So, it's like a $1,200 difference. So, it's pretty straightforward. So, we need to have this certified by the 15th and I need to have the approval of council before I can certify the levy. Thanks, Doug. So, uh, any qu Did you have anything you wanted to add?

Nope. Any questions or comments for Doug? Pretty straightforward. Mayor, I move that the town council adopt resolution number 62, series of 2025. Second. It's been moved and seconded. Family, please call the role. Yes, absolutely. Uh, let's begin with Ryan Slack. Yes. David Knight. Yes. Deer Schindler, yes. Hannah Berman, yes. Angela Anderson, yes. [snorts] Rick Stevens, yes. Angel Duprey Buchart, yes. Motion carries unanimously. Thank you. Thank you.

Appreciate it, Doug. Next up is item 7D, which is our first reading of ordinance number 23, series of 2025, an ordinance of the town council of the town of Salt, Colorado, approving an easement agreement related to a water line at 135 East Homestead Drive. And Justin, this is yours. So, floor is yours.

Yeah, thank you for your time. Um, it is standard practice for um utilities to have an easement uh typically centered uh for a certain depth um or width and um so that you can excavate or operate uh your your utility. And so the town has a water line uh running north south that connects uh East Homestead Drive to Midland Avenue. Um right near 135 East Homestead Drive. Um so that particular property is in for building permit and as part of the review uh we noticed that there is not an express easement for the town's waterline. So this is a perfect opportunity to get an easement in place. So a standard um waterline easement for the town of Basalt is 20 ft. So 10 feet on either side of the pipe. Uh in this particular case, we cannot get uh the 10 ft uh on that particular side because of uh structure that's in the way. Um so we can get three feet of width along the entire north south direction of the property. Um so um it is in of our best interest as well as the property owner's best interest to get uh this easement and they've been agreeable throughout this process. Uh so we're just cleaning that up so um legally it can be recorded.

Great. All right. Well, this is not this this one's not a public hearing. So, any questions or comments from council on this? Mayor, I move that the town council approve ordinance number 23, series of 2025 on first reading and set the public hearing in second reading for January 13, 2026. Second. It's been moved and seconded. Pam, will you please call the role? Absolutely. All right, let's begin with Deer Schindler. Yes. Hannah Berman, yes. Angela Anderson, yes. Rick Stevens, yes. Angel Dup Prebuchart. Yes. Ryan Slack, yes. And David Knight, yes. Motion carries unanimously. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks, Justin. Yeah. Thank you.

And our next topic is our agenda item is item 7E, resolution number 63, series of 2025. It's a resolution of the town council of the town of Balt, Colorado, approving a contract for the construction of phase one of the Confluence Park safe routes to school project. And this is Michelle and Katherine.

Yeah. Thanks, James, for pulling that up and thanks mayor and council for having me this evening. Um, tonight I'm presenting to you a contract for the construction of phase one of the safe routes to school project. Um, this project was born out of an need to address um the aging improvements on Emma Bridge. James, if you want to switch to the next slide. Um, the first phase um or sorry, there you go. Um as a first phase of the process, the existing improvements which were completed in 2012 on the bridge were removed so that the existing conditions could be completely understood. And what revealed itself during that process was um significant utility and drainage issues and unfortunately those drainage issues over the years had also led to some deterioration of the bridge structure itself. So the improvements themselves kind of uh started to expand a bit as we looked into this further. Uh next slide please James. Um along with this effort staff partnered with design workshop to create some concepts by engaging the local girl scout troop. I know you all are familiar with this as they came by recently to receive their badge which was a really great effort. Um and these playful concepts inspired the temporary installations which we've seen. And James, if you want to go to the next slide. Those temporary installations were installed over the last two summers. They included those colorful um crosswalks, some colorful ballards, and also some um movable planters that were in place to help simulate some of the improvements that might happen in the future. Um the project area is a main pedestrian route for school children as they travel to and from the elementary and middle school campus campuses. Um staff was able to meet with leadership at the schools to gain their input on the project along with the SRO that

stays at that intersection to help school children tra um cross traffic um oftent times and we also engaged the parents of the district through an online survey last year. Um next slide please. Yeah. The the project also aligns with the town's goals of becoming a certified bike friendly community as demonstrated through our um our bike to work days um supported the school's walk, bike, and roll day. Um and also earlier this fall, I made a presentation to a national webinar about kind of how how we've moved this project forward, engaged the school children and and um and the uh Girl Scouts themselves. So, we've had some significant outreach already for the project. Um, in the next screen, uh, James. So, this fall, phase one of the Confluence Park safe routes to school project was put out to bid. We received bids from two well-qualified um, contractors. We met with both biders to review the scope and budget and specifically identified some of this bridge decking work and deterioration and how to address this in a coste effective way. Um, ultimately after meeting with the lower bidder and their subcontractor, we're able to reduce the overall contract by about 6% before bringing a contract to you tonight. Uh, next slide, please, James. Um, this first phase of the project will include [clears throat] the area shown before you and include ADA accessible sidewalks, pedestrian and bike safety improvements, enhanced landscaping and lighting, safer crosswalks, and um, a more modernized drainage system so we can prevent some of those issues from happening again. Um, next phase or slide, James. Um, and as I mentioned earlier, this is just a first phase of the project. Um this second phase is um a little bit more

complicated as it's encumbered by the the C dot grant funding that you'll receive this year. And you may have noted in your packet and we made that a first uh grant application in November 2024. And we've been slowly but persistently moving through the C dot process, but it it takes some significant amount of time. So, this second phase um won't be prepared to to be bid out until later this year, potentially starting construction either in late 2026 or 2027. So, just to give you a sense of kind of where this project lies in phase one versus phase two. Um but tonight, staff is recommending that council approved um the town manager to sign a contract for phase one of the safe routes to school project um as outlined in the draft resolution before you. and I'm happy to address any questions you all have.

Thanks, Katherine. Yeah. Any questions or comments? Is it safe to assume that the native grass seed mix and the wildflower seed mix called out in those uh nonfunctional areas will comply with just that? [laughter] Yeah, that would be our intent on all of our town projects. We try to do the low water stuff, but yes. [gasps] Just have to have rocks just for [laughter] Could you pull up the phase one project [clears throat] scope? It's page 99.

Yeah, just a quick second. Oh, yeah. That one. What I I guess I'm still just having trouble wrapping my head around what is the exact scope of this project for this amount of money. It just I'm just still just mind blown that we're taking a project that was completed 12 13 years ago, totally scraped it and no one's accountable for that. None of no one here was involved in it. Totally understand that. But it just seems like and I think we're taking the steps to do it right. It just it's just insanely frustrating as being here and then also as just a town person that

Yeah. I mean the work that was done previously was mostly I did a little research on it. It was mostly from a volunteer group and all best intentions were made. I think that moving forward, especially with the deterioration of the bridge, I mean, bridge structural work is complicated and expensive and there's and so a significant portion of the bid amount is that decking repair. And as we learned on Midland, no reason to invest in those surface infrastructure improvements if the utilities and the the base is is deteriorated. So, we need to make sure that that bridge is in stable and long-term condition before we're going to to address anything on the surface. So, I mean, from a cost perspective, a lot of the scope is that bridge decking itself, both removing it and then replacing it with an appropriate um an appropriate polymer concrete, which comes with its own kind of complications. We have specialty subcontractor and designers involved. But then as far as scope itself, um, also one of the complicating factors here is with that C dot funding, we're trying to keep are trying to include all of the improvements that require um, work within an easement in this scope. As you may recall, a couple meetings ago, I brought forward to you a couple easements that we needed from the 711 and other property for some of these improvements. So, um, James, yeah, if you could go to the southside near the, um, uh, the south side of the bridge with your cursor. Anyway, it goes from basically where the where the bridge begins, all the improvements across the bridge. Um, it then narrows that entry into the 711 because as you can see now in the aerial photo, it's just this expansive paved area and kids kind of

arrive in that big paved area and they have gas tank deliveries and and you know garbage trucks and other deliveries of sorts all kind of moving through there without without rhyme or reason. And so it narrows some of those crosswalks in favor of the pedestrian and bike experience while also maintaining kind of the turning radius for those essential services. So it includes a bunch of that work, some drainage improvements over to Confluence Park and then ultimately it will it will tie into those intersection improvements which we hope to do as part of phase two. Um I'm I'm happy to sit down, you know, [clears throat]

No, I I see it. I just and and the BR and I understand you guys are trying to we got to improve it. It just I have sticker shock and that's not your fault. How long can we expect that these repairs like with the new polymer concrete decking? How long can we expect that to last? Like what's the lifespan? How long until we would have to do something like this again? Because obviously 13 years is no that is that is not the hope moving forward. It would be decades long. You know that that would be the hope. Yeah.

James, will you flip to this slide before this one? Because I I um I think it just might be helpful to in understanding some of the costs associated here. The um one there's only one subcontractor on the western slope that does bridge repair. So, this is a very specialized activity here to remove any of the failing concrete. And what's a little bit tricky to see here, but there's it's illustrated is there are three different levels of of demolition in that concrete and in that surfacing on the bridge that need to be removed. And the challenge is that we'll only know the exact um specifications of how much in each section will need to be just the surface versus level two versus level three. And all of that has to happen while maintaining the integrity of the bridge. So it's just this really specialized activity. Um if I'm saying all the things right, translating engineer into planner words. [clears throat]

Um but that is it's surprisingly expensive and that's what we've been struggling with and why this project has taken a little bit longer than we had anticipated and we want to make sure we're doing it right this time for all the reasons that you guys are concerned about. So is that does that mean there's some unknowns in the structure that will be uncovered and that you could spend more money? The this

I would say um we need to go through a sounding exercise with this. We met on site with the with the subcontractor ABCO that will be doing this work. They feel fairly confident in their um in their surface observations of the numbers. Um but they do need to go through a sounding exercise to to determine kind of what percentage of the bridge will require these various levels. But both the primary contractor Studen Gerbas and ABCO their subcontractor feel confident in the numbers brought forward tonight. Um um but but we we never know but we we hope that we won't

what's the difference if it goes to level three all the way across there. I don't have that number in front of me, but the number we have the 1.19 and change that's inclusive of like worst case scenario, right? At some Yeah. guaranteed max price. Um, yeah. I mean, if they find significant damage, you know, unless there's a change or guaranteed maximum price doesn't mean the maximum price can't be exceeded.

But if that the scope of I mean like can you comment on that if the worst case scenario up there? Yeah, I mean if the if we find more damage than than is contemplated, 20% of the bridge requires a class three removal and 30% of the bridge um requires a class one repair and then class two is in there as well. So I everyone in the team you know is a thought it was well thought through process. Um there is some risk there but I don't I have to move [clears throat] forward. The uh the good thing is right now this um bid came in at as you mentioned 1 uh 1 19 million and we do have more than that in our budget um combined this year and going into 2026. So um I feel very confident that any work would be within budget for this year or this year and next year.

Where are those percentage those assumptions? Do they documented in the contract somewhere? or maybe I missed it. The um they are documented in the um in the bid details which I I didn't include all the attachments to the contract but um have to provide those if you'd like. So that is something if if those assumptions don't hold then all bets are off with the guaranteed maximum price. I wouldn't say all bets are off but those would or let me put it this way. The guaranteed maximum price could be amended with a change order. Yeah. which I feel would be appropriate given the number of experts that we've had review and give their expert um opinions on how it would be fair to price this at this point. Okay.

Right. And additionally, we're we're recommending to contract with a known contractor who has served the town well over multiple infrastructure projects. So, this is uh lower risk, if you will.

All that settles in our brains. Um, can you comment on the 2025 budget? And I hear we have money in the 2025 budget. I'm like, what is left in the post budget, if anything? We haven't seen a budget amendment to move any additional funds. Right now, we have a structurally balanced budget. Correct me if I'm wrong, more or less [clears throat] in uh 2026. So, you know what I mean? Like that that's going to be 2026 money ultimately. So I just want to kind of double click on that to understand what's left in 2025 and how we would

well 2025 isn't over yet but if it were if it were to end today I believe we would have uh in the post budget or post uh a lotment of money like of still $2.5 million and that's likely to be a low end [clears throat] we'll likely have more than that as far as this particular project I recall the budget uh for this in 2025 being like $500,000. We've spent um at least last time I looked at it was about $100,000. So we were carrying $400,000 of 2025 budget into 2026 and I believe what we had budgeted for 2026 was $1.6 million for the confluence. So this this project is one two and we have one six as a budget. We'd still have money to to

still Yeah, we definitely still have money. I'm just trying to so how much of the how much did we budget for 2025 and how much have we spent? I believe it was 500 budgeted and I think 100 was spent but again that number um is probably 60 days old. Um so so is wasn't OTC under contract from for the work at DWI participated on a free I guess we have a contract with OTC for the design work on the project. Wasn't that around 180,000? I don't have that design budget in front of me at the moment.

It seems like they got a change order on that OTC contract we've approved a while back. It was pretty significant increase. It wasn't It was over 100,000. The total contract, if I remember, the total contract was over $100,000. We did have to do a change order um when we broke the project into

into two um phases. Uh we'll also need to you know pay for some services as far as their contract administration for submitt things like that through construction and also materials testing but um all these uh all these services are standard practice and remain within the budget that we currently have approved. So we have 500,000 budgeted. We as 60 days ago we spent 100. We had a there's sounds like there's room in the I mean in the budget remaining. Not necessarily. We don't know the numbers. Yeah. I don't I don't [clears throat] believe we're going to we're not going to breach the 2025 budget number for this project.

There. So some portion could be carried over, but we what we have in the 2026 budget is 1.6 million which exceeds this by you know several hundred thousand. So there's room unless well this is only phase one. Well I know [clears throat] that's that's all we that's what we have to work with is the one six. So I mean like the other way to say that is we don't have the money for phase 2 in 2026 at this point. That's correct. Unless we did some kind of uh exercise to free up funds from somewhere else. That's the C dot grant portion of it though, right? Phase two. Um I'm sorry. the CO the C dot grant portion phase two

C do D dot grant money will help phase two it won't cover um phase two completely how much is it we're still in design working through you don't know what the grant amount is oh the grant amount is 570 some odd thousand so between the grant and the 500 to 400,000 that's left over now from 16 to 119 is 400 have a grant of 500 600,000 from C dot potentially. So is there a million one in the kitty so to speak? No.

I think you're conflating the C dot project with the confluence park streets. So the street so the C dot money is

the one6 just for phase one or was it for phase one and two? Um the 16 is well um it it was intended to to to help the project along. We knew to some extent we're we're c a bit caught up in the C dot grant process and how long that's taking and and the changes that C do DOT is uh suggesting. So, I don't think anyone would want to bring forward a phase two until we're secure in how we might fund that and make sure it fits with our strategic plan. Um, there's no intention of that. So, I think moving forward with phase one, uh, we felt comfortable moving phase forward with phase one. You know, we're in good financial standing as far as what we have budgeted and what was contemplated. Um, and especially given the significant damage we discovered on the bridge. um you know as these projects go there is number available number of variables always up in the air whether it be the damage or the seed dot process and so on. So we'll make sure um you know phase two is in line with with the goals of council before before we bring that forward in the future.

Okay. Well, and just just a little bit of history that was a volunteer effort with Rapaore and Harry Teague and it basically was triggered because we convinced Picking County to give the money to Eagle County to build the Midland Bridge, but the condition of that bridge has always been pretty rough. In fact, it's a choke point on the river and um we had to go in and stabilize the peers and that boulder grouted rip wrap underneath there was part of that process. So there was a big investment to maintain that bridge and turn it into a pedestrian amenity a long time ago, more than 12 or 15 years I think. So this is a consequence perhaps of being broke when we put the surface on it and uh to turn it into a safe path to school basically and not not and then you know the extra expense of stabilizing the footings [clears throat] was unknown at the time too. So that's a lot of money was sunk into that. Uh and it's it is a significant issue for the river deposition, things like that as it flows through the park. So um the town does have years and dollars spent on it for a good purpose and we I think most of us just want to be certain that we can finish it. Um, I understand C do DOT. I was wondering why they were participating in the first place, but now I get the picture. Um, because they don't own the rightway any longer. And if we can't meet their standards and it becomes and they want to fund their standards, that's a different story. But if we have to get half the money and build it to their standard, that's makes me feel, you know, like why did we take over the rightway? So, I mean that that's uh hanging out there. Um, and Confluence Park is, you know, obviously a critical

piece of the, you know, puzzle, too. So, I think we're just trying to straighten it out a little bit. Um, among the other priorities we have, what if you went direct to EPCO? Are they the majority of the 1.1? Um, no. No. Okay. Seems like they would be, but maybe not. Well, I guess the offbridge stuff, drainage, etc., that's all broken down in the bid. Okay.

Seems like having more budget info would be good to help us all digest what's where, who's giving what [clears throat] money, why it's phased, or what's part of each phasing

or and what we don't know, too, right? like, hey, this is a there's a blank spot here, like as far as what's coming. And I think though, I mean, just listening to all this, if we're [clears throat] gonna I'll I'll save my question for you after I make the comment. Um, the benefits to this phase by themselves, I think, stand on their own. You know what I mean? In other words, if we do this and can't get to phase two at some point soon, it doesn't negate any of the work that's done here, right? because

if nothing else, we're um um discharging the children on the on the school side of the bridge in a better spot. We just want to make a better path for them to get to the intersection in the future. But hey, we fixed the bridge is deteriorating. We've got that. So I I'm comfortable with the phasing and even if there's a break um in in the work as we figure out funding and work with C dot and whatever else has to happen. I just think um so that means I'm I'm comfortable with this as it is now as a phase one. But I I we do want to understand I think where you know what are the other pieces where's a missing piece. We don't know how much it's going to cost when it's, you know, we think things are going to come into clarity and and etc. But I think even if this phase one were just a standalone project, it makes sense just to do it because it's the bridge is in a a rough state as you put and and we need to fix that and we want to we can improve kind of how people walk across it and we've got the money. I guess when will we my question is kind of a detail when would we know how much is left over from the 2025 budget like a couple months into 26 or

Well, we ran our last we're going to rerun our last AP here um this week or so. So, we're we're going to close out December and then whatever acrruals there'll be well there'll be some acrruels related to this I'm sure. So, my guess story longer here it would be sometime in uh January. Okay. So, we'll fill in that piece as far as the 2025 budget [cough and clears throat] and then we got to look at phase two and all those parts. That's I mean there's Yeah.

But just to be clear, we won't have um we won't have phase two in a point of complete design that's ready for pricing until June of next year. So, this is very much, you know, a standalone project that we can complete and be proud of. And we'll make sure that once we have a project that's fully designed, embedded, and has gone through other processes, you know, not the least of which is making sure the strategic plan of council is on line with phase two. Um, we'll be back in [clears throat] front of you to discuss that later. So, there's Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's that's fine. I think we just need want to know like, hey, what's later on what's the timeline as we're doing updates on the bridge and all that stuff, you know? Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. And I think Oh, sorry. Go ahead. When would this work start phase one? Um probably March where we'll there's a number of um materials that have a long lead time. So, we'll get those going right away. And then as soon as weather allows in March um we'll get moving, likely March, I should say. And it'll take uh 3 to four months hopefully for next school year. Yes, I do. 26 27 school year.

That would be great. Can can I just ask one clarifying budgeting question? All right. So, this is funded for [clears throat] 2025 and money that's in the post fund budgeted appropriated for this project for 2025. There's 1.6 in the 2026 budget appropriated for use for projects within the safer roots to school scope. That's correct. in the parking lot. There's phase two money for phase two of the project that would need to go through a supplemental budget and appropriation process. It's not that the money's not there, it's just not appropriated. Is that right? Yeah. The only thing that's been appropriated for 2026 is 1.6.

Okay. So, just to clarify, yeah, for when phase two comes along, again, it's not that the money's not there, it just hasn't been appropriated yet for this purpose. And this was a kind of what the the change at the end of the budgeting process. We'd have to appropriate, but we'd also want to look at like what's the B, you know, revenue into that fund and expenditure, capital expenditure, and is is there an offsetting is there offsetting revenue into that budget. I mean, I know we have reserves, but do we have I think it's fund balance, right? The fund the fund balance on post is projected to be $2.5 million. But do we that's our reserve. Do we that I think that's the fundamental question. Do we want to spend

It's not our reserve. It's just unspent money. unspent post money is two and a half million. It's free. It's free. No, but but is I guess let me put it a different way with what we have in the budget for this year. Is does that more or less match what the revenues in the post will be? This year being 2025 or

I'm sorry, 2026. So 2026 um we had budgeted um three million going into the post and we embargoed 20% off the top for maintenance. So really $2.4 million was the capital number for post and that was what was budgeted for 2026. Included in that 2.4 million was the 1.6 for this project. Right.

We put a bunch of other things in the parking lot. Arbony Park, there was D Rocks Park, there was some other projects there that that have been various stages of design and um um engineering u aspects of the project. There's there's probably four or five things in the parking lot around the roundabout over on 82 that's in the parking lot. So the question was and the question will become and the question remains is that when we take something out of the parking lot and we actually going to be executing it. It'll be a council decision at that time to deploy those funds and and by deploying those funds it would be visav a budget amendment 26.

Yeah. No, I I get that. So but I'm looking at the budget and I see 2.5 million, right? And I see 1.6 of that is this project. Correct. And I see other projects that encompass the rest of it. So we say we have 2.5 million only 1.6. If I'm if I'm being dense, tell me, but I see 1.6 and then a bunch of other stuff to take the rest to get us to 2.5. That's that's correct. So where would we get more than 1.6 without cutting something else? Because because we're going to start the year with two and a half million in the bank. So we would spend we'd have to spend more than what what's coming in this year for post. What do you forecast? Three million.

Three million. So we have another 500ish. We're and we're going to probably spend of that 3 million. We're going to probably spend I don't know 23 22. So we're going to build on that. We're going to build our net. We have a little bit of wiggle room. I I just don't what I don't want to do is be and I don't maybe I'm the only one but I don't want to spend more than we're taking. I don't want a deficit deficit spend either. That's why we've changed the way we're budgeting the number. Yeah. And we're we're starting we're starting [clears throat] with B if you think about it, we're starting with $2.5 million.

That's really representative of the full year revenue that the post would be because post revenue is three million bucks and three million you take 20% of three million is what's that? $600,000, right? For maintenance of maintenance. So you got free you got 2.4 money of fresh money coming in.

Fresh money coming in. We don't do [clears throat] anything else. If we spent no money in 2026, we'd have 2.5 plus 2.4. We'd have close to $5 million. But we only budgeted 2 and a half. So we if if we just spent the budgeted number, we'd end a year with two and a half million. and just but when money doesn't get spent in a prior year and it gets because a budget or because a project is not ready to proceed or for whatever reason and it's carried forward as fund balance that money is still there to allow for them those projects to occur in future year. It's not to only spend what you're bringing in and then if you spend less end up with a growing fund balance that never gets spent on these projects that are part of the council's strategic plan. So that that's just

No, I get that, but I don't want to spend more than what we're bringing. I just want to make sure that we're not But I'm just [clears throat and cough] I mean, but eventually if you if you if you wanted to spend all of your post money because it is tax dollars or more than's coming in because you've built this fund balance to spend on these projects that might be more than saved up some money to actually then.

So yeah, but that's a that's a decision with intent, not like we get caught out and have to do it, you know. I mean, it's no different than accumulating money in a general fund that ultimately then will be used for the police public works building. It's it's excess funds that have a have a stated purpose. So, we have, you know, we're going to end the year and I'll give you the exact number sometime in January when we reconcile our 1231 numbers, but I'm thinking we have comfortably above two and a half million dollars of of free cash that was posted revenue unspent. Yeah. Right. That we're starting the year with. in addition to what we're going to bring in, right? Yeah. Yeah.

We So I I mean I'm just not articulating well. I just want to make sure we are expending that [clears throat] that intent if we're going to spend more than we bring in because it makes sense. That's all I'm trying to say, not it just happens because we're spending more than we uh are bringing in and it just works out that way.

I think what I'm asking is are we spending more that it's been allocated? And it sounds like we could be in in 2020. In 2025, yeah, potentially 2025, what what was allocation from post in 2025 for the work we've already done to get to here? Was there a number that was planned to be spent on OTC and all the other stuff that goes on? I think we I think we budgeted more than um what our projected revenue was. to answer your question. And so we did

that was for all the post projects. I'm just asking about this specific one because you have a list in there of with budgets attached to each one whether it's a boat ramp or I do trails or anything else. Right. And we are in 2025. I'm comfortable in saying that we will not the town will not be spending more on this confluence park project than what was budgeted for 2025. For 2025. Okay. because and and what seems to be what's being presented now based on the information we know now that would likely be the case in 2026 as well potentially. Yeah. Well yeah well for phase one phase two I think is maybe are we talking about two different things but phase two would be the two would be phase two needs a whole another budget.

Yeah. A whole another budget that's not in here and I know there's two and a half million we're bringing into there's two and a half million we're bringing in. We'd have to decide if we wanted to use that for phase two or not. and budget it or something else. Yeah. Or something else. It's there, but I mean like so that's we just have to decide if that's what we want to use it for given everything else that's in the parking lot given uncertainties in the future, etc., etc. And given our capacity to actually execute some of the projects to begin with. Yeah.

But that's right. I think there's some opportunity to clear it up a little bit going out of this, you know, ending in 2025 with some kind of pretty firm picture on where we stand today and where we're going on phase one and come back, you know, in a couple weeks or whatever and report on that. I think that there's been a ton of money invested in that place over there and the population that uses it has increased 300 times over 20 years ago and it's a key to the case as far as connectivity that we all talk about and it's internal to downtown which is really interesting to me because we sometimes extend ourselves out into the edges of the urban growth boundary when focusing on this which is not only benefit school kids but it benefits everybody else that I see walking from the bus stop elk run. So [clears throat] I just think we just want to make sure we're all accountable to the decision of how much money it's going to cost. C dot is C dot. I don't want to really end up with C dot standards in the middle of basalt necessarily. So if we have to sacrifice some of that and you know develop our own public works standards for intersections and things like that that are at least congruent with C do but not as expensive they as they seem to be. I mean you look at things that are going on at this Crown Mountain deal. Um so I you know I'm getting a better comfort level for it and then there's a lot on the menu to do. So is that is that something you guys can do and kind of come back?

Yes. I just want to be clear like OTAAC for example.

Yeah. Um so going into this year we we made a budget number that was clear and our design scope has stayed within that budget number. We've now come forward with phase one. That phase one is within our budget number for 2026 and we h and there doesn't seem to be a way that we would ever go beyond that. So, and we don't have a plan for how we bring phase two forward yet, and we wouldn't do so until we had a time when we had a budget clear. So, going into next year, I guess I just want to make sure, happy to get you any more information you want. But I think at this point, all we have to bring forward is a phase one. And I think we're in a strong position um coming forward to you with a very reputable contractor and subcontractor to complete the scope within our budget and deliver us a product that that I think we all would enjoy into the future. So can you help can but I'm h can you help?

I I don't have an issue with the contractor. No, just trying to chase the tail here of the project so that we can vote on this either tonight or push it off until vote on it. Yeah, I think I'm comfortable with [clears throat] phase one. Like it's just that it's a good finish. It's a good conversation. We need we just I think you you guys understand where we're coming from as far as wanting to understand phase two before and I think we're on the same page that you're not going to bring forward till we have it. But phase one in and of itself stands alone as far as its benefits. It's not like a sunk cost if we never do phase two. So, I'm comfortable with it. Sorry, Ryan. Go ahead.

No, it's fine. I think there's just confusion of where some of the money is and I think we're all just in sticker shock and it's fine. It's going to it's going to be a great product and I think none of us knew how bad the bridge was and all the inner workings of that. So, if anyone if if everyone's done, I'm ready to make the motion. So, go for it. Okay, here we go. Mayor, I move the town council adopt resolution number 63 of series of 2025. Second. It's been moved and seconded. Pam, will you please call the role? Absolutely. Let's begin with Hannah Berman. Yes. Angela Anderson. Yes. Rick Stevens. Yeah. Angel Dup Prebuchart? Yes. Ryan Slack? Yes. David Knight? Yes. Deer Schindler? Yes. [laughter] Thank you.

Hanging in there. Thank you, deer. You guys are hanging in there. Hope hope you guys are doing well at the Schindler House. Sorry, Pam. No, that's fine. Thank you. Motion carries unanimously. Thank you. Thank you, Catherine. Thank you, Michelle. Thank you all for the robust discussion. I think, you know, we're this is like Doug put this new process forward. We're going to have to kind of do a little storming and figure out how to do it. But I I truly believe in the long run this is going to be better for us um as far as how we manage our money and how we do our strategic planning. So thank you all. Okay. Anything else? Are you still up, Catherine? Yeah, you are. Yeah.

Next up, we have item 7F, public hearing and second reading ordinance number 20 series of 2025. This has nothing to do with a budget. [laughter] Doesn't mean we won't make it complex. Catherine, there's some money somewhere. [laughter] In orders the town council of Basalt, Colorado amending chapter 16, article tw uh article 17 and chapter 18 relate article two related to flood plane map adoption and continued participation in national flood insurance program. And Katherine, you're still in not a hot seat like no, you're [laughter] you're fantastic.

Wildly warm. Um, this is second reading, so I don't have much to add. It's really just an update to our municipal code referencing the correct and newly um adopted flood plane maps. I think we went over most of it last week. I didn't receive any um questions from the public in the in the meantime since first reading, but happy to answer any questions you all have.

Any questions or um I gota do a public hearing, so let's go ahead and do that. I'll open the public hearing. Anybody Anybody wants to come up for uh ordinance number 20 and make comments? Floor is open. Floor is open online. There's nobody here making comments and we'll close the public hearing. Any questions or comments for Katherine?

I have one that's kind of been percolating. Um, I know that FEMA and you know that agency put out public notices to the residents in down on Oak Grove and those areas that are being impacted by this change. And um and I know that's not a town's the town's responsibility to be the caretakers of our property owners, but sometimes I feel like when these other entities get involved at this level when they're changing a land use regulation or a statute that it would behoove basalt just to put out a little extra effort to make sure that people that are impacted that we have as neighbors are noticed and maybe informally but at least networked somehow. Um, I have a lot of friends that live on that street and I'm not sure if any of them knew about it, um, or what it does to their property value or if it does anything.

We did mailers to everyone that was impacted and hosted a public meeting. It was a little while ago now. Okay, so that's good. So, let's keep that up. And you know, we talked about it earlier about the process of accelerating feedback from the community on other projects. So I think that's a good place to go. And it's it it also would be very congruent with the process David just talked about. Um so that was my only comment. If I get asked later why we didn't tell them, I'll tell them that we did. Thanks. Okay. So, I'll move to uh unless you close Did you close a public hearing?

Oh, yeah. Yeah. Um I'll move to approve ordinance number 20 series of 2025. Is there a second? Second. It's been moved and seconded. Pam, will you please call the role? Absolutely. Let us begin with Angela Anderson. Yes. Rick Stevens. Yep. Angel Duprey Buchart. Yes. Ryan Slack, yes. David Knight, yes. Deer Schindler, yes. And Hannah Berman, yes. Motion carries unanimously. Thank you. Thanks. [clears throat] Thank you, Katherine. [clears throat]

All right. Right. Next up, we have our last item 7G, which is resolution number 64 series of 2025. Resolution of the town council of Basalt, Colorado approving a new governmental agreement [clears throat] with Picking County Sheriff picking county for the sheriff's office to provide supplemental law enforcement services within the town. And we have Harper and Aaron. Thank you. Uh just wanted to say uh behind us too is Sheriff Boule and uh Under Sheriff Burchetta. If any questions you have for them, thanks for coming out. Thanks for your patience, D.

Hi, council. So, tonight we're here because um the sheriff's office and the police department have a working relationship and there have been staffing shortage issues at the police department. So, the county and the town came to this agreement to um have supplemental law enforcement services provided by the sheriff's office. and um we've reviewed it and sent over um or exchanged copies with the picking county um legal team and there were a few minor changes from what you have in your packet tonight, but we're here to answer any questions and um yeah, seeking support for that. I'll just add one thing to that. Like one of the big drivers of doing this is that because PD staff's been a little short is that Jason, our SRO, hasn't been able to be at the high school full-time. And so by picking county filling in our service gaps, it allow Jason to return to his full-time position as SRO. And uh it's in the interest of the town, the county to to see that happen. Um it's much appreciated. So, does this effectively give Picking County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction in the town limits of Basalt? They're like an arm of our police department.

Yeah. Under Colorado law, there's um there's authority over Yeah. to um operate with outside of their jurisdiction. Okay. Under an IG like this. Um, and so they'll they'll basically just be providing patrol services, emergency response, criminal response, traffic enforcement, um, like the police department would be doing, maybe patrolling that aggressive driving and speeding on East Valley Road. Mhm. I talked to him in the hallway. Yep. And and Elron subdivision. Yes. [clears throat] Yes. As Aaron well knows my complaint.

Yep. [laughter] Put a non-turf median. Exactly. Is it functional if it keeps people from speeding? On just tying everything together, you know, full [laughter] circle. Awesome. Well, thanks Alex and the sheriff for willing to step up and help us out. I mean, it's huge. I think it's a win-win for all of us. Yeah. Any other questions or comments or anything from the counselors? Mayor, I move the town council adopt resolution number 64 series of 2025. Second. It's been moved and seconded. Pam, will you please call the role? Absolutely. Let us begin with David Knight.

Yes. Deer Schindler, yes. Hannah Berman, yes. Angela Anderson, yes. Rick Stevens, yes. Angel Duprey Buchart, yes. And Ryan Slack, yes. Motion carries unanimously. Thank you. Thank you all. We don't have a meeting at two weeks. Uh, so we'll see y'all in the new new year. Great holidays and come to the tree lighting this Friday. See y'all.