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Council approves exception to employment requirement so resident can buy deed‑restricted home
Summary
The Ridgeway council granted an exception to the deed‑restricted minimum‑work standard for applicant Nadia Steinbrucker, allowing remote employment to satisfy residency criteria provided all other conditions are met; the decision followed public support and a staff recommendation from HomeTrust.
The Ridgeway town council voted July 8 to grant an exception to the deed‑restriction employment requirement so applicant Nadia Steinbrucker may purchase a one‑bedroom unit at 158 Beltline Loop, Unit 2201.
HomeTrust of Ouray County’s housing services administrator, Eva Henson, told the council the unit is deed‑restricted and that Steinbrucker met income, occupancy and primary‑residence requirements but did not meet the rule requiring an employer to be headquartered in the county. Henson said HomeTrust conditionally approved her application pending council consideration of a waiver to the minimum‑work standard.
Steinbrucker told the council she first moved to Ridgeway in May 2014, returned in 2016 when her employer approved remote work, and has since volunteered locally and supported residents through pro‑bono nutrition counseling. “I have built many friendships spanning more than a decade,” she said in a prepared statement, and asked the council to recognize her long‑term commitment to the community.
Two residents — Kristen Arnold and Christy Sabo — addressed the council in support of the exception, citing Steinbrucker’s volunteer work and prior guidance suggesting remote work performed within town boundaries could qualify under program rules. Sabo read an email response from an Impact Development Fund contact indicating that a remote worker who is physically working inside the Ridgeway School District boundary could be eligible, even if the employer is based elsewhere.
After brief council discussion, a council member moved to approve Steinbrucker’s request to waive the minimum‑work standard so long as all other deed‑restriction conditions are met; the motion was seconded and the council voiced assent. The council did not record a detailed roll‑call tally in the transcript; the chair congratulated the applicant after the vote.
The council’s approval applies only to the exception before it — council members noted the town retains the ability to apply program criteria and to consider alternative compliance options in other cases. The applicant and HomeTrust will follow the program’s compliance and closing procedures required for deed‑restricted sales.
