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Commission delays final action on $100,000 STAR grant for Thompson Springs café after paperwork shortfalls
Summary
An awarded STAR grant for ABC Tavern (Thompson Springs) has stalled; the applicant reports architectural, permitting and contractor setbacks and says $30,000 remains in the grant account. The commission asked staff to draft a contract amendment and return with enforceable milestones rather than immediately rescinding funds.
The Grand County Commission on May 19 declined to immediately revoke a STAR grant awarded previously to ABC Tavern in Thompson Springs and instead directed staff to prepare a contract amendment with clear benchmarks and return to the commission for final approval.
Background: The applicant was awarded a STAR Grant in 2022 for $100,000 to renovate and reopen a café in Thompson Springs. The grantee told the commission that she has purchased equipment, removed debris, hired local workers and paid substantial out‑of‑pocket costs (which she estimated in discussion). The applicant described repeated delays related to architectural consultant turnover, large electronic file formats that would not upload to the permitting portal, rezoning issues and the unavailability of local contractors willing to work in Thompson.
Staff review: County planning and building staff said they convened interdepartmental meetings earlier in the year to identify missing items and to give the applicant clear next steps, but that the planning department has not received a completed, stamped site plan meeting current submittal standards. County staff and the county attorney noted the project’s original contract term had lapsed and that the county needs a clear, administrable path to ensure grant compliance.
Commission direction: Commissioners expressed a shared desire to see the café open but also a fiduciary responsibility to ensure public grant dollars are used as intended. The board debated options — immediate revocation and payment recovery, placing a voluntary lien on the property, or offering an extension with concrete milestones and a return clause if benchmarks are not met. After discussion the commission voted to postpone final action and directed county counsel and staff to draft an amendment or replacement contract setting specific deliverables (site plan submission deadlines and intermediate milestones) and a timeline for completion to present at a subsequent meeting.
Next steps: Staff will draft contract amendment language with milestone dates and return to the commission. Commissioners stated willingness to help the applicant find an architect or other local professionals to complete the required site plan and to consider a short, enforceable extension if the applicant meets interim deadlines.
