Editor’s note: The name “Lori Chase” was misspelled and has been corrected to “Laurie Chase.”
A proposal involving another unique way of using Glenwood Springs’ dedicated workforce housing funds went before City Council at its Thursday, Oct. 1, meeting.
Tanner Crawley, the principal and founder of Trellis Housing Partners LLC, spoke on behalf of his housing development company and Denver-based nonprofit affordable housing charity, Sharing Connexion. Their plan is to buy property at 130 Midland Ave. in Glenwood Springs where they hope to build 36 deed-restricted affordable residential units that would be sold to eligible buyers based on income.
The joint venture is seeking $265,000 from Glenwood’s Workforce Housing Fund, using revenue from a 2.5% accommodations tax that was approved by voters four years ago, to acquire the property and “land bank” it for the project.
The deal would not commit the city to approve the project, which would have to go through the usual land-use approval process. The city’s money would be paid back if it ends up being a no-go, Crawley explained.
If approved, the grant would be used to bolster $720,000 in Proposition 123 funding that’s already been awarded from the state to complete the $985,000 land deal, Crawley said.
“These funds are difficult to win,” he said, noting that the state funds also must be paid back if certain development milestones are not reached within five to 10 years.
“With this gap filler, we can close on the site, record a deed restriction, and begin predevelopment for a 36-unit income-restricted project,” Crawley wrote in a letter to City Council outlining the proposal. “Without it, the state award will most likely have to be returned.”
Some City Council members expressed concerns about the speculative nature of the project, and were hesitant to tie up city funds for up to a decade that could be used for other workforce housing opportunities in the meantime.
Council also plans to have a broader discussion about the city’s housing goals in general during a scheduled Oct. 15 work session. For that reason, Councilor Sumner Schachter moved to continue the conversation and any decisions about the land-banking grant until that meeting. His motion was approved 5-0 (with Councilor David Townsley absent, and Councilor Mitchell Weimer recusing himself due to a conflict of interest).
Crawley did say that they will need a decision on the city grant by that time, as certain deadlines need to be met by Oct. 30 to put the project in motion.
In other matters …
Under the public comments portion of the meeting, City Council heard again from resident Laurie Chase reiterating her concerns about the proliferation of higher-speed, non-pedal-assist e-scooters and e-motos being used by underaged operators on Glenwood Springs bike paths, sidewalks and streets.
“A lot of them just don’t see that they’re going really fast compared to a pedestrian, and a lot of the time they’re giving no warning,” Chase said.
City Councilor Steve Smith assured Chase that the city’s Transportation Commission, for which he serves as a council liaison, has been discussing it and expects to make some proposals about restricting the use of electric bikes and scooters.
“I am encouraged that we are getting on this,” Smith said.
Following an update about the River Bridge Center and a few statistics regarding its child abuse investigation and support services by Director Mary Cloud, council also heard a presentation from City Manager Steve Boyd on the proposed 2027 city budget.
The total proposed budget for next year is $116 million. That includes 24 total funds, including five enterprise (self-supporting) funds, 12 special revenue funds, one vehicle fleet fund, three capital improvements funds, and a $32.8 million general fund with 19 different departments.
The general fund also has $10.6 million in reserve funds, Boyd explained. That’s in addition to $2.7 million in capital reserves and an $11.5 million reserve in the city’s special acquisitions and improvements (A&I) fund, he said.
The general fund is expected to see a 15% increase in revenues compared to 2026, in part due to new revenues from Glenwood’s speed camera enforcement and fines, Boyd said.
Glenwood Springs expects to carry a workforce of 123 employees into next year, with 67% of the general fund budget going to salaries and benefits. Also, 36% of general fund expenditures are public safety related.
The budget proposal includes a 4% pay increase for full- and part-time staff, and covers an expected 7% increase in health insurance costs, said Boyd, who referred to the proposal as a “keep-it-running” budget for the coming year.
The budget proposal will go through a series of work session discussions with the City Council before it considers final approval later this fall.