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Board declines to waive event parking fees immediately; asks staff to consider year-end permit-fee reimbursements
Summary
The commissioners discussed a request to waive special-event permit and Buttermilk parking fees for an animal shelter fundraiser. They declined an immediate waiver but asked staff to include any fee-waiver or reimbursement requests in an end-of-year review of discretionary funds.
Pitkin County commissioners on July 15 considered a request to waive special-event permit fees and Buttermilk parking fees for an animal-shelter fundraiser that intends to revive a previous uphill event.
Community development staff explained that special-event permits are charged a standard fee (the department uses a rate intended to recover staff costs) and that past practice had been to require payment and then, in limited cases, consider refunds or reimbursements after reviewing requests collectively. Staff also said multiple recent requests for Buttermilk parking fee waivers had been handled at staff level and none had been approved.
Commissioners expressed sympathy for the shelter’s fundraising effort but were reluctant to create a standing waiver practice that could spawn multiple similar requests. Several commissioners suggested continuing the policy that the county recover permit costs and, if multiple nonprofit requests arise, evaluating reimbursement requests collectively at year-end from the discretionary fund. Commission guidance was: do not waive parking fees now; accept the special event permit application and fee; staff to return in December with a consolidated recommendation for any reimbursements from available discretionary funds.
No formal vote was taken; the board directed staff to respond to the applicant and said it would consider consolidated reimbursements at an end-of-year agenda item if funds were available.
