County work session refocuses 2025 goals; commissioners ask staff for lodging‑tax work session
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
At a midyear work session commissioners reviewed the 2025 goals, elevated priorities including a countywide fire/EMS authority effort, Corbett Creek bridge work, land‑use code updates and a lodging‑tax ballot work session; staff was asked to return with options and budget implications.
Ouray County commissioners used a June 25 work session to recheck midyear progress on the board’s 2025 goals and to identify a small number of items for nearer‑term action, including a requested work session on a possible lodging‑tax ballot question.
Why it matters: commissioners flagged items that have operational or budget implications — unified fire and ambulance governance, Corbett Creek bridge completion, land‑use code updates (including a proposed duplex allowance), addressing/911 accuracy, affordable housing program support, and potential lodging tax revenue to support housing and child care.
What the board asked staff to do • Schedule a dedicated work session on a lodging tax ballot question so the board can decide whether to pursue a ballot measure and whether it covers only unincorporated county or includes municipalities. Staff was asked to model revenue scenarios (2%–6%) and identify legal constraints and ballot language options. • Continue implementation steps for Corbett Creek bridge and other ongoing prioritized projects; Commissioners noted the project is out for procurement for construction manager selection. • Add a dark‑sky code concept to land‑use code priorities (section 2-3-13) and put the issue into the queue for upcoming land‑use code revisions. • Explore a debris‑flow management plan and other emergency planning elements; commissioners asked the emergency manager for an update and schedule on the previously tabled plan. • Keep affordable housing support and a potential affordable‑housing administrator as board priorities; staff will coordinate with municipal partners on administrator hiring steps.
The board also asked staff to list outstanding “tabled” items, provide timelines and bandwidth estimates for each, and identify which initiatives would require new funding or additional staff capacity. Commissioners emphasized that goals are large and staff capacity is limited; several members urged clearer prioritization and assignment of internal project leads.