San Juan Development seeks county sign match; commissioners require community fundraising and press trash-service concerns

San Juan Development Authority board members presented mock-ups and a phased plan for new entryway signage and asked the county to honor a previously discussed $25,000 match for the project.

The San Juan Development Authority (SJDA) said local designers quoted $75,000 to fully replace sign infrastructure, but the board and the designer negotiated options that would lower the immediate cost to about $25,000 by reusing existing poles and wiring and installing metal sign panels as a first phase. SJDA said auxiliary, changeable panels and additional poles would be a later phase and would add roughly $12,000–$24,000 depending on scope.

The proposal prompted discussion about priorities for county funds. Commissioners and staff questioned whether the project should proceed while residents and county staff are still contesting trash-collection and campground-dumpster arrangements. One commissioner pressed the point that the county had restored some dumpster service at the visitor center but that the camp dumpster remained unresolved, and asked whether a signage match was the best use of limited county resources without additional matching funds from local sources.

SJDA board member Sarah (San Juan Development Association board member/presenter) described the design process and fundraising work: “Back in December, you all agreed to approve a $25,000 match for a new town entryway signage,” she said, and described the bids: a $75,000 quote from an initial designer and later $50,000 and $25,000 cost options after changes to reuse existing infrastructure.

Commissioner Austin (Commissioner) said the county would provide the match only if SJDA raised additional community funds: “We provide the match, but you provide—you guys have to do the legwork to raise another $25,000. We’ll do this if you raise $25,000,” he said. Several commissioners and staff supported phasing the project so the town could remove the crumbling plywood signs quickly while fundraising continued for later phases.

Commissioners asked SJDA for a clear timeline. SJDA said the designer expects installation by fall if materials arrive on time, but that heavy winter weather could push work to spring. The SJDA also said it planned a fundraising campaign (GoFundMe, door-to-door outreach, and business sponsorship levels) and had already applied to other grants; one SJDA representative said five proposals were under review for natural resource damage funds and that the total requested across proposals was just below available funding.

County leaders urged SJDA to coordinate with the town. A county commissioner said the county would consider the $25,000 outlay as conditional on SJDA delivering the local match and work with town staff to confirm responsibilities such as ongoing maintenance and electrical compliance for lighting. Commissioners also flagged that the county’s previously committed $25,000 match was made under different budget assumptions and asked staff to confirm the availability of funds and any required approvals.

At the meeting, commissioners and SJDA members repeatedly returned to the town’s broader services: officials said the county and town were still negotiating responsibility for backcountry and campground trash services and noted that increased visitor traffic raised demand for waste removal and vault-toilet pumping. Commissioners said they wanted to prioritize resolving those service gaps and to see evidence of the community fundraising before releasing the county match.

The SJDA said its immediate objective was to remove the existing crumbling signage and install the metal panels (phase 1) while pursuing phase 2 elements—auxiliary, changeable panels and landscaping—later. SJDA said the proposed sign design draws on the town’s 2017 wayfinding/master plan and is intended to improve year-round visitor wayfinding and local business visibility along Highway 550.

The county did not take a formal vote to release funds for the signage at this meeting. Commissioners signaled conditional support: they reaffirmed a willingness to provide the previously discussed $25,000 matching contribution if SJDA raises a comparable amount and provides updated bids, a timeline, and documentation of required maintenance arrangements.

More detailed budget and design documents and the outcome of SJDA’s fundraising plans were not included in the packet and were described as “to be provided” by SJDA. The county asked SJDA and town staff to return with a revised funding plan and the requested documentation before the match is disbursed.

Ending

SJDA said it will pursue community fundraising this summer and continue design and permitting work; county staff said they would review the town’s intergovernmental agreements and confirm the county’s available match funds and any conditions required by the county attorney before authorizing the payment.