Prior to this week’s regular meeting, Basalt Town Council held a work session and presentation on early designs for a planned affordable housing/community center in Willits. The center is planned to be built on two to three acres of Town-owned land known officially as Sopris Meadows Parcel 2E. Located on Lewis Lane, just across the […]
Basalt report
Posted inLocal Government
Basalt Report: Divided council passes short-term rental fee
Over the past two months, Basalt Town Council has been discussing a hotly contested ordinance that would establish a fee on short-term rentals (STRs) in order to generate funding to address the affordable housing crisis in Basalt. After several public hearings and despite continued pushback from the community, as well as divided outlooks among council […]
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Basalt Report: BPD seeks to match population growth
This week’s Town Council meeting opened with a status update from the Basalt Police Department (BPD) provided by Chief Greg Knott. He presented on some of the staffing and space strains the small department has been facing as the Basalt community continues to expand. Currently, BPD operates with 14 staff members. Two patrol officer positions […]
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Basalt Report: Short-term rental fee continues to stir debate
This week, Basalt Town Council convened for a very busy night, unable to come to a conclusion on a possible regulatory fee which would cost short-term rental (STR) owners $2,532 per bedroom per year on their rental properties. For background, the Town of Basalt currently only requires STR owners to pay for a sales tax […]
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Basalt Report: New lighting, parking laws coming to Midland
This week’s meeting in Basalt Town Hall was sparsely attended by both citizens and council members on account of spring break being in full swing in Basalt public schools. With an equally sparse agenda, the meeting was adjourned in less than half an hour. However, that was enough time for Town Engineer Catherine Christoff to […]
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Basalt Report: Town adopts new hazard and emergency plans
This week, Basalt Town Council convened to approve new hazard mitigation and emergency operations plans local to Pitkin and Eagle Counties. In addition, council reviewed a request by Colorado Mountain College (CMC) to purchase nine deed-restricted units at Basalt Center Circle to be built at the site of the now-demolished Clark’s Market. Emergency plansThe Town […]
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Basalt Report: Town continues conversation on short-term rental fee
This week, Basalt Town Council convened to discuss potential park and public space projects as well as a potential regulatory fee for short-term rentals which has become a subject of criticism from Basalt residents. Parks updatePrior to the meeting, Basalt Parks, Open Space and Trails (POST) held a public session to discuss its five-year Capital […]
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Basalt Report: Town considers fees for short-term rentals
This week, Basalt Town Council convened for a brief meeting to discuss new housing regulation fees to direct more funding towards affordable housing initiatives, including potential new fees for operating short-term rental units. During the meeting, the Town Council unanimously voted to appoint resident Bentley King to the Basalt Affordable Community Housing (BACH) Commission. King, […]
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Basalt Report: BACH provides update on upcoming affordable housing
This week, the Town of Basalt kicked off its first Town Council meeting of the year with an annual report from Basalt Affordable Community Housing (BACH), providing both a review of last year’s work and a preview of affordable housing projects coming to Basalt this year. Currently, BACH is at work on four different projects. […]
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Basalt Report: Midland Ave to host ribbon cutting this Friday
This week, the Town of Basalt announced a ribbon cutting for the nearly-completed Midland Streetscape Project, and also approved a regional emission reduction roadmap which hopes to steer Eagle County toward net-zero emissions by 2030. Town Manager Ryan Mahoney kicked off this week’s meeting recommending the allocation of Basalt’s discretionary grant and tobacco tax funding. […]