Author: Old Man

Aspen City Council unanimously approved a $44.7 million construction contract for the Armory Hall Adaptive Reuse Project at its June 23 meeting, launching a $60.7 million total renovation that will transform the historic building into a community gathering space. Council approved four resolutions on the consent calendar authorizing Shaw Construction’s guaranteed maximum price of $44,684,905, owner’s representative services with Concept One Group ($342,255), construction administration with CCY Architects ($1,732,160), and city manager authority to approve change orders within a $6,962,559 owner-held contingency. Construction begins July 2026, with final completion targeted for November 2028. During discussion, Council Member Bill Guth called…

The Summit County Board of County Commissioners declared a Stage 2 fire hazard emergency Tuesday, banning open fires and the use and sale of fireworks countywide — a move commissioners called timely as the Fourth of July weekend approaches. Commissioners Christina Waters, Tamara Pogue and Eric Mamula unanimously approved Resolution 2026-47 without discussion, expressing support for the action. The declaration follows a fire restriction briefing commissioners received during the morning’s work session. The board also unanimously approved four ambulance service authorization resolutions covering Summit Fire and EMS, Red White and Blue Fire Protection District, Stadium Medical and Flight for Life…

The Buena Vista Board of Trustees issued a Pride Month proclamation and accepted a right-of-way dedication on Teal Run at their June 23 meeting, drawing public opposition to the proclamation before trustees moved ahead without discussion. Mayor Libby Fay read the proclamation recognizing June 2026 as Pride Month, citing the contributions of LGBTQ community members to Buena Vista’s civic, cultural, and economic life. Three residents spoke against the action during public comment. One speaker argued the board violated Robert’s Rules of Parliamentary Procedure by not subjecting the proclamation to a multi-month vetting process. A second resident said the proclamation created…

Breckenridge Town Council approved a resolution June 23 committing up to $400,000 in open space funds to support a $2.5 million regional grant application targeting Quandary Peak Trailhead improvements, with Summit County pledging a matching $400,000 if the grant is awarded. Open Space & Trails Manager Duke Barlow told council the total project cost for Quandary Trailhead improvements could reach $2 million, funded by the town and county match plus $1.2 million from a GOCO/Colorado Parks and Wildlife Regional Partnership Initiative grant. The grant application, due July 22, will be submitted through the Summit County Outdoor Coalition. Barlow said improvements…

Archuleta County Manager Longinos Gonzalez Jr. asked commissioners to approve a $100,000 increase to the county’s administrative contingency fund during the June 16 work session in Arboles, citing unforeseen costs and commitments from previous boards that were never budgeted. The largest item is up to $53,000 for gravel pit permitting fees. Other costs include $21,000 to install a generator at the Sheriff’s Office, $14,000 for an unfunded probation authority position through year’s end, and $5,500 for transit building furniture. No-jake-brake road signage for County Road 975 would cost under $5,000, with the county fronting the expense and seeking reimbursement from…

ALAMOSA — The Alamosa County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a $250,000 Peace Officers Behavioral Health Support grant application at its June 24 regular meeting, continuing a program that has served San Luis Valley first responders since 2020. Staff member Reyna Martinez Ramirez told commissioners the 18-month grant covers counseling, therapy, peer support, and training for peace officers and their immediate families across multiple agencies — including the sheriff’s office, EMS, and dispatch — under mutual aid agreements. The program has reached more than 228 individuals through peer support and currently serves 12 to 14 people in direct counseling.…

Alamosa City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a 10-year, $2.13 million master services agreement with Axon Enterprises, consolidating the police department’s existing technology contracts and adding an AI-powered report-writing tool. IT Director Brandon Gallegos told council the deal bundles dash cameras, digital storage, Tasers, interview room systems, and the new AI Era package into a single contract. The city currently spends just over $155,000 annually on separate five-year Axon agreements. Under the new deal, payments hold at current levels through 2027 before stepping up gradually. The contract includes equipment refreshes every five years and a cancellation option under Section…

Woodland Park City Council voted unanimously Thursday to impose a temporary moratorium on data center applications in the city, extending the proposed timeline from 12 to 24 months after council members argued more time was needed to develop an appropriate regulatory framework. City Attorney Jeff Wilson told council the moratorium must remain reasonably tied to the time required to build a regulatory structure and cannot function as a permanent prohibition. Councilmember Seth Bryant pushed for the longer timeline, citing the rapidly evolving scale of data centers and their resource consumption. Wilson acknowledged 24 months could be reasonable. Council set a…

The Vail Town Council heard a wide-ranging update June 16 on the West Lionshead redevelopment project, with East West Partners reporting that a pre-development agreement with the town is on track for completion by early fall 2026. Jim Tilling of East West Partners told the council the partnership has finalized its conceptual plan and obtained high-level cost estimates from contractor PCL for frontage road relocation — figures that will now go to town-hired financial consultant Pioneer for analysis of public financing options. The conceptual plan envisions up to 280 residential units, a 150-to-160-key condominium hotel, roughly 300 to 350 public…

Eagle County commissioners approved two airport technology upgrades and appointed property tax hearing officers Tuesday during a regular meeting that also featured a Holy Cross Energy briefing on grid capacity for a fully electrified future. Commissioners sitting as the Eagle County Air Terminal Corporation unanimously approved a framework agreement with AeroCloud Systems for a common-use passenger processing system at the Eagle County Regional Airport. The system allows airlines to operate from any gate rather than assigned gates, and also integrates baggage and boarding functions. IT Project Manager Amanda Bay, who managed the procurement, said passengers would notice no disruption. The…