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Brighton council ends effort to buy Silver Fork Lodge, declines right of first refusal
Summary
After weeks of review and a burst of public comment, Brighton's council voted to terminate the town's right of first refusal on the Silver Fork Lodge, citing due-diligence findings and uncertain upgrade costs; the appraisal remains confidential unless the town purchases the property.
Brighton Mayor Pro Tem opened a special meeting to consider exercising the town's right of first refusal to buy the Silver Fork Lodge and related properties and, after presentations and public comment, the council voted to end that right and not proceed with purchase.
The move came after residents repeatedly pressed the council for more information about cost, appraisal and the town's plan for the property. "The overall cost outlay may not support the purchase," the Mayor Pro Tem said during the council's presentation summarizing due diligence and inspection findings.
Public commenters cited a range of concerns. "You didn't get an appraisal," said Kurt Slaughter, arguing the council had begun the process without adequate valuation work and questioning a widely discussed $4.5 million figure. Several speakers pointed to a county valuation of $2,374,290 and asked the council to make the appraisal public.
Ethics and conflict-of-interest concerns also figured prominently. Jackson, a member of the public, said the mayor's recusal from council discussion did not remove a financial interest and called for fuller action: "If he really wanted to recuse himself, I would suggest that he retire," Jackson said. The allegation that the town attorney faced criminal charges was raised from the public but the council curtailed that line of comment as off-topic.
Council leaders said the town began work on the opportunity in October, held multiple closed-session reviews required by state law for financial matters, and engaged professional appraisers and building inspectors. The presentation said architectural and code reviews found the building structurally serviceable, but officials warned that a change of use or occupancy (for apartments, a school or other alternatives) would trigger costly upgrades, including fire suppression systems and Americans with Disabilities Act improvements.
Funding for any purchase, the Mayor Pro Tem said, would come from resort-community tax revenues, short-term rental tax and cash reserves; the town does not levy property tax. The appraisal, the presentation said, is protected under state rules and would be released only if the town completed a purchase or if the seller voluntarily disclosed it.
Council member Elise Brunhart moved to act on the purchase agreement; the council then conducted a roll-call vote and agreed to terminate the right of first refusal and related purchase documents. Council members who spoke during the roll call included Steinhardt and Jeff Bossard, who voiced support for ending the agreement; after the vote the Mayor Pro Tem said the documents would be prepared the following day.
"We did the best we could in terms of gathering information during the due diligence period," Jeff Bossard said after the vote, thanking residents for their input. The council adjourned shortly afterward.
What happens next: the council will prepare the paperwork to terminate the right of first refusal; the appraisal remains confidential unless the seller or the council releases it or a purchase occurs.
