Gypsum Budget
cramunno@eaglevalleyenterprise.com
Total revenues in the town of Gypsum increased seven percent last year and as the town looks ahead to 2015, it is budging for a conservative 5 percent gain.
The town’s general fund budget for next year is $20 million, but according to Town Manager Jeff Shroll actual operations fall more in the $12 million to $15 million range.
“Eight million of that (the town’s $20 million budget) goes to the Gypsum Recreation Center from a bond,” said Shroll. “The money is collected, and it’s $140,000 above and beyond, which we are giving to the rec center as a capital investment.”
Gypsum Town Council members approved the 2015 budget at last week’s meeting. The town is carrying over of $2 million from 2014.
As it looks to the year ahead, the town will finish it major expansion of the LEDE (the name is derived from the initials of the four families who originally built it) Reservoir. The town will also continue their contract with the Eagle County Sheriff’s office in the amount of $750,000.
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Gypsum’s other large capital construction project for 2015 is to partner with Eagle County to build a new recycling center similar to Eagle’s.
According to Shroll, Gypsum residents commonly ask about growth and capacity in the community.
“Both our water and sewer is under capacity – at less than 50 pecent,” said Shroll. Though the town has not made a decision whether to raise trash service fees next year, Gypsum is not anticipating raising water or sewer fees.
Economic Development
Gypsum organizes various funding requests from local and regional groups into different categories. In the “economic development” category, t he town donated $20,000 in 2014 to the 2015 World Alpine Ski Championships, and budgeted another $18,000 towards that event for 2015.
Other donations for “economic development” include:
Wings & Wheels — $10,000
Eagle County Fair & Rodeo — $1,500
Vail Valley Partnership Economic Development Council — $5,000
Vail Valley Medical Center — $5,000
El Grito Celebration — $1,500 and $400 in-kind
Business Grant Program — $60,000 (applications open in April)
Eagle Air Alliance — $50,000
World Cup Fly Fishing Tournament — $1,000
EVHS Poster Schedule — $2,000
Gypsum First Marketing Campaign — $7,500
Trail-building — $2,500
Education Contributions
Eagle Valley High School Prom — $2,000
EVHS Project Graduation — $2,000
Gypsum Creek Middle School Civil War Re-enactment — $1,400
CMC Hero Scholarship for Gypsum resident — $2,500
Ute Springs Learning Center — $2,000
Walking Mountain Science Center — $2,000
General Annual Contributions
Eagle Fire Holiday Toy Drive — $2,000
Bravo! — $5,000
Eagle River Watershed — $2,000 (half for highway cleanup/half for river cleanup)
Eagle County Seniors — $1,000
Winter Family Fun Fest — $5,000
Youth Foundation — $2,500
Eagle Valley Land Trust — $5,000
Crawling to a Cure — $2,500
Speak Up! Reach Out! (Suicide prevention) — $1,000
Snowboard Outreach Society (SOS) — $500
Buddy Warner — $1,500
Eagle River Youth Coalition — $2,000
Miscellaneous Contributions
Augustana Senior Center — $67,000
Gypsum Fire Department — $10,000
Gypsum Town Council Discretionary — $12,500
Capital Spending
Capital outlay for Gypsum Public Works includes replacing all street lights with LED lights, and the destruction of the old grocery store on Railroad Ave. The estimated cost is $388,000
The town will also finish road construction on Valley Road, including replacement of the last section of galvanized water line in town.
“We will also be replacing the rock at the roundabout to beautify it,” said Shroll.
Park improvements will include new equipment and refurbishing the Cotton Ranch tennis court for $150,000.
Pump system for the Gypsum Creek Golf Course will be upgraded to the tune of $300,000.
“This will separate the water systems for the golf course and the town,” said Shroll.
And finally, the town is budgeting $112,000 for its annual Gypsum Daze event.