[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6470074,"mediaKeyId","5779905-44b772f84d63fc424e589b700ca59cb3","parentId",5779905,"title","Pitkin County staff preview 2026 budget: plan to draw down reserves, prioritize staff retention and capital maintenance","audioSeconds",326,"startMs",3276000,"endMs",3602000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5779905-44b772f84d63fc424e589b700ca59cb3&start=3276&end=3602","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5779905-44b772f84d63fc424e589b700ca59cb3/thumbnail_3276000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6470074/Pitkin-County/Colorado/Pitkin-County-staff-preview-2026-budget-plan-to-draw-down-reserves-prioritize-staff-retention-and-capital-maintenance","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6470074-a27c6ce4d96b427e8c9cab0ccaffa401/orig.mp4?Expires=1776557948&Signature=TBXr5ImRyCl0bVC3ysmXOccf80OhdF014Jo7RJ6nU8DzixLUCtDPYxHA6HNmDUiMqD1rmpiTnQXHLIM2IMU7xxR~sDZtaV0kQlh8BWWftbGRBcsrY2ctUgOqjZqtf3EgdHgfAB9wEOzQ0Dpx3AqB867ZiY8OlYlBGCGlpg-5zrrIXssukGS1-a1kyC7YBR6aDlANJlsK7tXaDQjspj8X3NLcCYJC0~C25K-RpTmMRJtbf7oLvqoft-mTmsSDrfQeTKD8k~oDnasnk-XJ5Gk-x62j-bp0Xh13YN1MOkMx4pBVxBbS~C0wjZRb~OlDEuWI4ey6HkLDYnN1Tz-Ua9fsxQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Pitkin County","date","2025-09-17T11:03:30Z","article","Pitkin County staff presented a high‑level preview of the 2026 proposed budget and five‑year outlook, advising commissioners that the county will likely spend down a portion of its unassigned general fund and capital reserves next year to cover scheduled replacements, infrastructure maintenance and timing differences tied to airport projects.

Connie Baker, budget director, and deputy county manager Kara Silver‑Naugle said staff projects the county will close 2025 with roughly $15 million in unassigned general‑fund balance and about $1.3 million in the capital fund. Staff’s preliminary plan would spend roughly $7 million across the general and capital funds in 2026, largely for scheduled equipment and facility replacements, the start of previously approved capital projects and positions associated with the airport project.

The county is budgeting for several sizable one‑time replacements in 2026: sheriff’s office radios and tasers (roughly $500,000 combined) and other equipment that has reached scheduled replacement intervals. Staff noted that fleet replacements increasingly include electric vehicles and associated EV charging‑station upgrades, which raises near‑term capital costs.

Staff also explained a timing issue with the county’s cost‑allocation plan: positions hired to support enterprise projects such as the airport are reimbursed through the cost‑allocation plan but reimbursals are recognized on a one‑year lag. The county therefore anticipates covering those 2026 position costs from fund balance in 2026 and receiving formal reimbursement in 2027.

On revenues, staff said property‑tax revenue is expected to show moderate growth in 2026 (projected ~3.5%) and sales tax growth of about 3.5% in 2026 before a projected 10% dip in 2027 driven by a planned airport closure and associated reductions in visitation and lodging activity. Staff told commissioners they plan to smooth that anticipated 2027 downturn by using fund balance; they reported having discussed the matter with the county’s financial advisory board and with municipal partners.

To handle uncertainty about federal funding reductions and other risks, staff recommended setting aside $1 million–$1.5 million in a discretionary reserve to be held until mid‑2026 (second quarter) and allocated later if needed to backfill partner agency losses or to prevent abrupt cuts to county services. Staff said the county is continuing to prioritize (1) recruitment and retention, (2) capital maintenance and (3) targeted additions to internal capacity, and that tradeoffs will be necessary if the board asks staff to fund both ongoing capacity requests and contingency backfills for federal grant reductions.

Staff emphasized that the general fund is not structurally insolvent but will face timing and one‑time pressures in the 2026–2027 window. They said they will return with more detailed revenue and expenditure estimates at the Oct. 14 budget presentation and recommended commissioners consider whether to prioritize additional one‑time spending (for electrification or other county capital) or to preserve more fund balance for Federal funding contingencies.

Commissioners asked follow‑up questions about sales‑tax drivers, the influence of hotel closures and construction, and health‑insurance strategies for county employees. Staff said they are negotiating a preferred‑provider tier to hold health‑insurance costs flat through plan design changes and noted that the county is working with partners to explore options and prepare educational materials for employees.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","BOCC Work Session (1st and 3rd Tuesdays) - 09/16/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Pitkin County staff told commissioners they expect to draw down general‑fund and capital reserves in 2026 to cover scheduled equipment and facility replacements, airport staffing cash‑flow timing and higher capital maintenance costs.","taxTitle","Pitkin County, Colorado","taxId",27807,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6470079,"Pitkin commissioners approve one-year special-event permit for X Games 2026 with new conditions on reporting",2558,380000,2938000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5779905-44b772f84d63fc424e589b700ca59cb3&start=380&end=2938","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5779905-44b772f84d63fc424e589b700ca59cb3/thumbnail_380000.jpg","/articles/6470079/Pitkin-County/Colorado/Pitkin-commissioners-approve-one-year-special-event-permit-for-X-Games-2026-with-new-conditions-on-reporting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6470079-54ddcae39ac080a6980412eb65ec2aee/orig.mp4?Expires=1776557948&Signature=bv5rMAfjfAj-koRw5NaqYq2PHhn02Q4aJ-B4X0QuJ51VN2ado0sdlBAHLVtzYnQNGmxlKzoeiXx7Df1sDJCAV0GEILfjNbh22IyaqL7yI-VFAL70Twc5uMTKh4NclZWGxmClsQQ--eHUx1wEPA0fBnbAdh5mEnPTUfOOJA5RD7YLvq9lfw-jPXud8eQQ7iu7S6NGdrfDgbcqXtz4eqHcjeIaC4P-AbGaESSTVn5N781EeqQgwWPAd1PuqJFCwzPH0PYC-w-en56wkjTpNKTVERlJx912aLoAMsPmAAOFDvby7tIypBjhgdXGS6pzcIxbXe1CZttJJamq4Wq82~lQyQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Pitkin County commissioners agreed informally to issue a one-year special-event permit for the X Games at Buttermilk, scheduled Jan. 23–26, 2026, while asking staff to return with a clearer process for documenting carbon-mitigation measures.

The county’s community development staff and X Games organizers told commissioners that the event will shift to a Friday–Sunday weekend; daytime competitions and music will be free to the public, and night events will be ticketed. Jeff Hermanick, senior director of live event operations for the X Games, said the event will be broadcast on ESPN and ABC and will be “the last event for many of the Olympians…prior to them leaving to go to Italy.” He told the board the X Games will be their 25th consecutive year at Buttermilk.

Commissioners emphasized public-access and operations details that will be included in the permit and questioned environmental impacts. The X Games team said there will be no public parking on site, buses will be used again for spectator transport, and the event has proposed a maximum of 10,000 spectators per event day — up from a permitted 8,000 per day in 2025. Organizers also confirmed that snowmobile competitions will return on Panda Peak and that the mountain lift serving the Panda Peak competition will not be available for public use during those events.

The board sought more information about motorsports and air emissions. Commissioner Greg pressed organizers on engine size and carbon mitigation, saying he wanted “to see that before I vote for this.” Hermanick said event organizers could not immediately answer specifics on carbon offsets and committed to returning with additional information; John Rigney of Aspen Skiing Company (an event partner) described existing community-serving programs — including composting and school visits — and said the ski company and X Games want to “leave it better than how we came into it.”

County staff proposed — and commissioners accepted as direction — that the permit process be amended to flag climate and carbon-mitigation reporting as a condition or an item to be provided with future permit applications. A staff member told commissioners, “We can put it as a condition in the permit,” and suggested the county would flag that requirement through its permit-tracking system so it appears in future reviews.

Organizers described ticketing mechanics for 2026: daytime mountain access up to ~4 p.m. will be free and open to locals and visitors; security sweeps will clear non-ticketed viewers before evening ticketed sessions begin around 5 p.m.; early-bird evening tickets will be offered beginning Sept. 30, with discounted pricing for local Roaring Fork Valley residents based on credit-card billing address verification.

No roll-call vote on the permit was recorded in the transcript of the work session; commissioners signaled support for staff to issue a one-year permit with the requested operational details and with the new reporting/condition asked by the board. Staff said they will add a condition or tracking flag to the permit file so climate mitigation information will be brought forward with future applications.

The commissioners also asked organizers to continue coordination with the incident management team (IMT), local law enforcement and transit providers; IMT representatives said they plan to stand up the same incident-management structure used in prior years. Organizers said they will publish the full sports and music lineup on the Sept. 30 ticket-release date.

The board’s direction leaves the permit limited to one year and sets an explicit expectation that applicants return with a carbon-mitigation plan or report in advance of any subsequent permit consideration.","Pitkin County commissioners agreed informally to issue a one-year special-event permit for the X Games at Buttermilk, Jan. 23–26, 2026, while directing staff and the applicant to develop clearer carbon-mitigation reporting for future permits.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6470065,"Library and Health & Human Services electrification projects come in over budget; staff to present lower‑cost options",446,9941000,10387000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5779905-44b772f84d63fc424e589b700ca59cb3&start=9941&end=10387","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5779905-44b772f84d63fc424e589b700ca59cb3/thumbnail_9941000.jpg","/articles/6470065/Pitkin-County/Colorado/Library-and-Health-Human-Services-electrification-projects-come-in-over-budget-staff-to-present-lowercost-options","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6470065-6a2df8902d2347ce15da98d885fe6822/orig.mp4?Expires=1776557948&Signature=fRcQwwA9xpIAqk0niYuFJD1~H9IcnCPa4Z3Zr3gN69NAUturLylMtbKcYgpYcONFEOf~MPkgPYDOY12dyhI1g6xl0mA5RB6zIValU2lczEt2yqhETB2z9NULwAbpYhxttSW9HWmH1Il~BYRIs0OcfBwr1zJnNSyBIRDWwLyS1s4f4W3LmSqPQNNtmh83SN9SWvjThV3UghIh1K9QxY~9pi~Qy5AyTLEb0kj3hKZbKpH9O5JC166abWGHPYqYCpgtU7wfG51Pq8oFZcU9Z1p5-CYHhgQjrEO~KH6Nw-THByINLzP8PT9o-6egKpeWrWeHyRo3jSmJSop3ZhUAr578Og__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Pitkin County paused procurement for two building‑electrification projects after contractor estimates came in roughly double the board‑approved budget. Project teams told commissioners they will return with priced alternatives and operating‑cost comparisons to help the board choose a path forward.

County staff reminded the board that the projects were originally scoped and budgeted at roughly $5.5 million combined (including a $3 million DOLA grant). After issuing construction documents and receiving contractor pricing, the project team reported a combined cost estimate of approximately $10.2 million — about $5 million above the currently approved funding level. Jody Grady, county asset project manager, told the board that the team halted procurement and is developing options that reduce structural and electrical upgrades to cut cost while preserving most emissions benefits.

Consultants presented four broad options: (1) do nothing (defer replacement and continue maintenance); (2) replace older equipment with like‑for‑like fossil‑fuel boilers (low up‑front cost, no carbon reduction); (3) install electric‑resistance boilers (relatively inexpensive equipment but large electrical‑service upgrades and increased operating costs); and (4) a hybrid heat‑pump/gas approach, which had been the board’s preferred direction earlier and yields large carbon reductions without the full cost of an all‑heat‑pump system. The hybrid approaches can be designed to avoid major rooftop structural upgrades and some electrical upgrades by reducing the number of heat‑pump modules and preserving some existing equipment.

Peter Rumsey, a decarbonization consultant, told the board heat pumps can produce heat at a lower operating cost than electric resistance and result in substantially lower CO2. He explained that the hybrid design trades higher capital cost for significant operational savings versus electric resistance, but that the hybrid scheme originally proposed includes structural and transformer upgrades that pushed the total price above budget. He said a reduced hybrid (fewer heat‑pump modules and reuse of some boilers) would likely reduce capital costs and avoid expensive electrical and structural work.

Commissioners asked for more granular comparisons: cost per metric ton of CO2 avoided, up‑front capital cost, operating‑cost differences and space/installation constraints (roof vs. ground). Peter and staff said they will provide a full pricing matrix, life‑cycle operating costs, and carbon‑reduction estimates when they return in a few weeks. The team also said it will evaluate whether parts of the projects can be split (electrify one building now, defer the other) or phased to fit available funding while preserving access to existing grant funds.

Staff emphasized that some procurement lead times for equipment are long and that delaying decisions could push installations into later years; the team said it would price options quickly so the board could make a timely funding decision.","Pitkin County’s planned electrification of the library and the Health & Human Services building was priced at about $10.2 million in current estimates — roughly $5 million over the board‑approved budget — prompting staff to pause work and return with lower‑cost hybrid and phased alternatives and refined carbon‑impact comparisons",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6470069,"Pitkin County reviews renewable‑mitigation fund outlook; staff recommends CORE funding and targeted electrification spending",1277,7647000,8924000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5779905-44b772f84d63fc424e589b700ca59cb3&start=7647&end=8924","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5779905-44b772f84d63fc424e589b700ca59cb3/thumbnail_7647000.jpg","/articles/6470069/Pitkin-County/Colorado/Pitkin-County-reviews-renewablemitigation-fund-outlook-staff-recommends-CORE-funding-and-targeted-electrification-spending","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6470069-099835fd5f4d883502f2d94abcd076e2/orig.mp4?Expires=1776557948&Signature=G0N8nCip8ZHJ-HKBwf76gHWkU5BiTwMRrGDwAT3GcrHTRt8jqWCGf6BK1YGyHR7ZvcRj1dtTuwqTB-A3ZH91xBFm6s9Yz8a5AjuUZ95WysQ-FzKZISZsu8FICduN4Hz6uNLkkARMlsd~9il33PtoORJaN0ksxOOMNDkuGWF4vLPDtywmhy5fYTI5njgpnNRwmZ90s~5-F-Jc3KE1D1pPVdjyKOWy4eRRtH~Z1uQxg-cHdxPj2OFkVVHd~SlCyVTAr2XReSwzyBPG8LGIcIj0Oj~0a7RpD9PBDX2v8q5naOS-YXAcc1u1mCMabALUGNTLXL~my692VYl6wcAR5mQ7AA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County staff updated commissioners on the Renewable Mitigation Program (RMP) fund outlook and proposed 2026 uses, saying fee collections tied to building‑energy rules are tapering as energy‑code compliance shifts on‑site renewable requirements into program HERS scores.

Community development analyst Alex Sanchez told the board that the introduction of a 200,000,000 BTU cap and wider use of the HERS score are reducing the size and frequency of mitigation payments. Staff said they now separate RMP holdings into (a) restricted funds set aside for active projects that may request refunds and (b) unobligated funds available for county use. In the board packet staff reported active projects had driven a large restricted balance, while estimated unobligated funds available for county spending in 2026 were roughly $1.5 million (staff noted the Q4 number was still subject to closing‑out projects and refund requests).

Staff also outlined administrative improvements: county reviewers are initiating refunds when a construction change order demonstrates on‑site mitigation (rather than waiting for the applicant to request a refund at closeout), reducing lag time between project completion and funds becoming unobligated.

Connie Baker said staff’s 5‑year plan proposes continuing RMP support for the county’s CORE (a local climate‑action nonprofit) allocation and dedicating remaining unobligated funds toward electrification work in county buildings (library and health & human services building), in line with the county’s climate action goals. Staff noted the electrification projects already carry other grant money (including a DOLA grant) but leave a remaining funding gap.

Commissioners debated priorities. Several commissioners expressed concern about using RMP funds externally, arguing the county has an interest in using collected mitigation fees first for county‑owned electrification projects; others stressed CORE’s role in distributing funds and supporting low‑income and community energy programs across the valley. Commissioners asked staff to continue developing the 2026 budget with CORE’s request included as presented while preparing options if commissioners wish to reallocate more RMP dollars to county capital projects.

Staff said they would return with a final 2026 recommendation in the budget process and with refined estimates for unobligated RMP balances once Q4 project closeouts are complete.","Staff reported a multi‑year decline in RMP (renewable mitigation) fee collections tied to code changes, presented an unobligated‑funds projection for 2026, and recommended honoring CORE’s current request while preserving funds for targeted county electrification projects; commissioners pressed for clarity on prioritization between county projects","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Pitkin County staff preview 2026 budget: plan to draw down reserves, prioritize staff retention and capital maintenance

Pitkin commissioners approve one-year special-event permit for X Games 2026 with new conditions on reporting

Library and Health & Human Services electrification projects come in over budget; staff to present lower‑cost options

Pitkin County reviews renewable‑mitigation fund outlook; staff recommends CORE funding and targeted electrification spending