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Leadville city administrator urges county collaboration; describes vision for indoor youth/community space
Summary
Leadville City Administrator Laurie Simonson told Lake County commissioners that stronger city–county collaboration is a priority and described a community-led effort to convert a vacant building near Ice Palace Park into indoor, unstructured space for youth; the city applied for a DOLA grant but was not awarded funding.
Leadville City Administrator Laurie Simonson told the Lake County Board of County Commissioners on Feb. 20 that improved collaboration between the city and county is a strategic priority and said relationships matter for long-term projects.
Simonson highlighted ongoing coordination on the county and city comprehensive plan and a small set of high-priority items including a seasonal “lifetime permits” issue and coordination around a proposed indoor youth/community facility near Ice Palace Park.
Simonson said the building in question — acquired by the city — has been discussed for years as an unstructured gathering space for youth and families. She described a cross‑sector “wrecking crew” collaboration involving the county, Colorado Mountain College and the school district, and said city staff and community members have emphasized that the need is for flexible drop‑in space rather than duplicating existing library services.
“The idea was always unstructured, gathering space,” Simonson said, describing student presentations and community surveys that highlighted the loss of indoor spaces such as a bowling alley and movie theater. She added that the city has committed funds for immediate repairs and engaged design‑build firms; the city applied to the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) but was not awarded the grant.
Simonson described the city’s municipal development over recent years — creation of a planning department, hiring of a city administrator role and adding human resources and finance capacity — as background to why the city prioritizes collaborative planning with the county. She urged commissioners to meet regularly with city counterparts and said the city’s recently adopted strategic plan names “better collaboration with the county” as an imperative.
On funding and next steps for the Ice Palace Park building, Simonson said the city owns the property outright and has budgeted short‑term repairs while deciding whether to reapply for grant funds or pursue local revenue measures such as a sales tax or a recreation district. She noted the city does not currently assess a sales tax and that options for stable revenue sources are under consideration.
Simonson also drew lessons from local history and a book about EPA cleanups, saying sustained public engagement and listening helped turn around long-standing opposition in the past: “relationships do matter,” she said.
No formal county action was taken at the session on the ice‑palace building; commissioners asked questions about status, funding and next steps and asked to be kept informed of grant and partnership developments.
