The Gunnison County Board of County Commissioners approved more than $1.1 million in airport infrastructure contracts, voted to support two watershed restoration projects near Crested Butte, and received new analysis showing declining lodging and entertainment tax revenues at its May 19 regular meeting. The board also renewed four liquor licenses, approved a $35,000 marketing district agreement with the Marble Crystal River Chamber of Commerce, and entered executive session on an affordable housing deed restriction.
The board unanimously approved a $305,280 federal grant agreement with the Colorado Department of Transportation for the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport, with the county providing a matching $305,284. It also approved a separate $819,564 professional services agreement with Woolpert for airport work running through May 2028. Both passed as part of the consent agenda, which also included a $60,000 professional services agreement with Insuseal for the GV-HEAT program and a $15,726 statement of work with the state’s Maternal and Child Health program.
Trout Unlimited representative Jesse Bryan appeared before the board to request a letter of support for two projects seeking supplemental funding from the Colorado River District. The first, the Forest Queen Mill Site tailings removal project near Lake Irwin, targets mining waste in the East Coal Creek Watershed that drains into Coal Creek — the drinking water source for the town of Crested Butte. The Crested Butte Wildfire Ready Action Plan identified the drainage as one of the highest post-fire debris flow risks in the area. Bryan said the project could potentially qualify as one of Colorado’s first under the Good Samaritan bill, which passed the state legislature last December and removes liability for organizations cleaning up abandoned mine sites. Implementation is targeted for next summer pending design, permitting, and contractor work.
The second project, the Willow Creek overburden removal and stream restoration near Tin Cup, would remove an estimated 70,000 cubic yards of mining waste and restore natural stream flows and floodplain function. The project has received funding from the Colorado Water Conservation Board and the Upper Gunnison Water Conservation District, with implementation projected for 2028 or 2029. Commissioner Puckett Daniels told Bryan that water quality is one of the county’s strategic land goals and that partnerships with organizations like Trout Unlimited are essential to advancing projects at a scale beyond what the county can accomplish alone. The board approved the letter of support unanimously.
Deputy Chief Financial Officer Mark Rozman presented a new methodology for analyzing sales and local marketing tax data that tracks both when the state sends revenue to the county and when the underlying sales actually occurred. The analysis revealed sharp year-to-date declines in lodging revenues and amusement and entertainment revenues compared to 2025. Commissioner Puckett Daniels noted that splitting the data by industry made the declines visible in a way aggregate reporting had not, and said the county needed to watch the trend when projecting future revenues. Rozman said two large accounts failed to report local marketing district revenue for March, with one catching up in April, and that he would flag any accounts that continued not to report for escalation. The board approved the April voucher report of $6,265,938.71 and the cash transfer of $9,791,875.63, both unanimously.
The board unanimously approved both land use change applications on the agenda. Planning Technician Aiden McComas confirmed that a lot cluster application by Basin Real Estate Holdings LLC on Buckhorn consolidates two lots to allow duplex construction without setback variances and does not change the area’s overall density. The board also approved the townhome plat for Brush Creek Townhomes Phase 3, the third phase of a project first approved in 2024.
The board accepted the April Treasurer’s Report as presented by Treasurer Teresa Brown and authorized the chair’s signature. It also approved the Housing Authority’s insurance proposal with HAI Group at $88,205, which Chief Financial Officer Melissa LaMonica said transitions the housing authority’s properties from the existing county policy to a standalone landlord policy.
Two residents addressed the board during unscheduled public comment. One resident disputed the county’s denial of his linkage fee exemption application for a building permit, contending his application was rejected on residency grounds while a separate applicant with a California mailing address was approved for the same exemption. The commissioners declined to respond on the advice of counsel. A second resident raised concerns about a proposed 85-foot cell tower in the CB South public park at Red Mountain Park, presenting survey data showing that while roughly 80 percent of CB South residents wanted improved cell service, only about one-third supported the proposed tower location without concerns. She said two-thirds of residents had expressed concerns about the project that had not been addressed by the fire district or the county, and asked the board to ensure community voices continued to be heard. Commissioner Puckett Daniels explained that special districts must go through the county’s location and extent review process, but that the district’s own board retains authority to override any resulting conditions. County Manager Matthew Birnie added that state law empowers special districts with certain authorities that limit the county’s jurisdiction over their decisions.
During commissioner items, Commissioner Puckett Daniels reported that House Bill 26-1430, the legislature’s countermeasure to Initiative 175, had passed, and said she would work on public communications as two competing road and bridge funding mechanisms may appear on the ballot. She also proposed two potential CCI legislative priorities: updating the Colorado Privacy Act to address data privacy burdens on local governments, and creating a property tax mechanism to make public lands transfers to private ownership less financially attractive. The board directed her to prepare draft proposals for County Manager Birnie to circulate ahead of the July 17 CCI submission deadline. Commissioner Houck reported on opportunity zone remapping in the City of Gunnison, a Southwest Colorado Opioid Regional Council governance proposal that could allow the county to retain both SORC voting appointments through an IGA with the City of Gunnison, and a Tamiichi Basin water infrastructure tour with the Colorado River Water Conservancy District. Commissioner Smith reported that transportation access to medical services was identified as one of the most significant regional gaps in a recently completed Southwest Colorado needs analysis, and noted the finding may create opportunities to leverage existing RTA infrastructure.
The board entered executive session to receive legal advice on the proposed amended and restated affordable housing deed restriction, then reconvened publicly to vote unanimously to delegate authority to County Manager Matthew Birnie to negotiate and execute the next steps in that transaction.
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