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Bluff council previews FY26 budget amendment, considers fee waivers for community center and easing OPMA rules for advisory boards
Summary
Town Manager Erin Nelson presented a proposed FY2025–26 budget amendment with roughly $100,000 in available allocations, a recommended $50,000 for consultants, and a $47,000 mobile generator grant tied to BCC electrical retrofits; Council directed staff to draft a BCC fee policy and to revise boards & committees bylaws language to reduce OPMA burdens on advisory groups.
Bluff Town Manager Erin Nelson presented a proposed FY2025–26 budget amendment at the council work session on March 10, saying revenues are currently stronger than projected year to date but that a tourism dip still poses risk. Nelson described an available pool of roughly $100,000 in FY26 for council allocation and recommended budgeting conservatively for FY26 and FY27.
Nelson proposed increasing Class C Roads allocations to meet a $106,000 matching grant through San Juan County and adding $50,000 for professional services to support Secondary Water and Housing working groups. She also described a mobile generator grant of $47,000 intended to allow the Bluff Community Center (BCC) to function as an emergency shelter pending required electrical retrofits; the town expects electrical work and an in‑kind contribution (solar panel plug‑in) to satisfy grant match requirements.
Administrative Director Malia Collins reviewed 2025 rental data and current rates ($100/day BCC; $75/day FMK; $50/day Pavilion). Mayor Josh Ewing recommended waiving fees for Bluff‑based nonprofits and establishing set rates for other nonprofits and government entities. The council discussed treating the BCC as a community service rather than an enterprise fund so that reduced rental income could serve as an in‑kind match on grant applications. Collins was asked to prepare a BCC Fee & Regulation Policy for council review ahead of a public hearing scheduled for April 7 at 4:00 p.m.
On governance, Nelson recommended removing the Open and Public Meetings Act (OPMA) meeting‑recording requirement for advisory, nonfinancial boards (examples cited: Cemetery Board and Secondary Water Working Group) to reduce staff burden from posting, recording and minute editing; she proposed replacing the requirement with a bylaws obligation while keeping meetings open to the public. Council asked Nelson to bring draft policy language back for review.
No formal motions or votes were recorded during the work session. Council direction included: Nelson will update year‑to‑date figures and share them publicly in advance of the April 7 public hearing; Collins will draft the BCC fee/regulation policy; and Nelson will return with proposed boards & committees policy revisions.
