HomeMy WebLinkAboutresolution.council.031-90DRAFT: To be submitted to Aspen City
Council on 8/13/90 for their action
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF ASPEN, COLORADO
OCTOBER 12, 1990
WHEREAS, most of the ski companies which operates Colorado are located
within National Forest borders; and
WHEREAS, these ski companies have negotiated special use permits with the
Forest Service to lease these pubhc grounds for the operation of their ski
actimties; and
WHEREAS, these spemal use permits allow ski areas to operate exclusively on
this pubhc terrain well past the year 2000 ~n exchange for annual fees; and
WHEREAS, the ski area towns, their residents and businesses, are in large
measure dependent on the ski compames for winter income and mummpal
revenues; and
WHEREAS, these ski companies are distinct from other ski town
entrepreneurs by virtue of their privileged pubhc land leases; and
WHEREAS, the sk~ towns often have leglt~mate munlmpal concerns about ski
company operations but often lack statutory powers to hold hearings as regards
sk~ company pricing; and
WHEREAS, the City Council is concerned about lift ticket pricing as it affects
morale, mot~vatton, attitudes and general affordabllity for local residents, and
WHEREAS, the C~ty Council is concerned about high pricing as it may affect the
vacation decision of Coloradoans and out of state visitors so the Aspen and its
ski compames may lose it's competitive poslt~on in the ski ~ndustry; and
WHEREAS, the C~ty Counml ~n a spirit of cooperation with the skt companies,
the mtizens, the mt~zens of Colorado and the Colorado Tourist Board wants it
known that we welcome all visitors, regardless of age, race, creed or social
and/or economic status.
WHEREAS, the United States Forest Service does have authority to review and
regulate the service and rates of its perm~ttees under the following clause of
the special Use Permit:
"the Forest Service shall have the authority to check and regulate the
adequacy and type of services provided the public and to reqmre that
such serwces conform to satisfactory standards. The permittee may be
required to furnish a schedule of process for sales and services
authorized by the permit. Such process and sermces may be regulated by
the Forest Service: provided, that the perm~ttee shall not be required to
charge prices lower than those charged by comparable or competing
enterprises." (Services and Rates, clause X-22);
BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council requests the Umted States Forest
Service to hold public heanngs on lift t~cket prices in the National Forests
where ski companies operate every spnng hereafter ~n order to determine the
impact of pricing on the local commumties before approwng or dmappromng
changes in ticket prices.