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Vail Town Council talks about more funding for deed restriction purchase program

Board: Vail Town Council, afternoon meeting, Tuesday, March 6.

Present: Kevin Foley, Greg Moffet, Jenn Bruno, Jen Mason, Travis Coggin, Mayor Dave Chapin.

Absent: Kim Langmaid.



Issue: Update about the town’s InDeed deed-restriction purchase program.

Who they talked to: Steve Lindstrom and Molly Morales, of the Vail Local Housing Authority.

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What they talked about: Lindstrom and Morales provided an update on the town’s program to buy deed restrictions from home sellers. Those purchases help keep homes in Vail more affordable and in the hands of residents.

Lindstrom told council members that the program has been successful enough so far that there’s no more funding to purchase more restrictions. Restrictions have been purchased on five units, and there are more homeowners interested.

With more interest, council members said they’re interested in providing more funding to the program.

“The momentum is there, so we need to keep your foot on the gas, but there need to be (some) constraints,” Chapin said.

There’s also interest in finding a permanent funding source, but that may require a public vote if town officials decide on a property or sales tax.

What’s next? There will probably be another appropriation in this month’s supplemental budget. Meanwhile, both the housing authority and town officials will look into ways to permanently fund the program.

Issue: Planning for South Frontage Road improvements.

Who they talked to: Town Engineer Tom Kassmel.

What they talked about: Kassmel provided an update on a project that ultimately will stretch roughly from Vail’s town hall to the Lionshead Parking Structure. The project will add lanes and build a roundabout that would provide access to the town hall, Vail Health Hospital and the Evergreen Lodge. The project’s scope would require building some fairly large retaining walls in front of the Vail International building. But, Kassmel said, the walls can be built to be relatively unobtrusive and with as little impact as possible on the large trees in front of the building.

What’s next? Internal discussions are planned between town officials and officials from the Colorado Department of Transportation. That work will be followed by a trip to the Vail Design Review Board. Construction is expected to begin in 2020.

Issue: Sales tax report from January.

Who they talked to: It was a memo.

What happened? January’s sales tax collections were down 6.8 percent from January 2017. Those collections were down 6.5 percent from the budgeted amount.

What’s next? Praying for snow.


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