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HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutes.council.19720112 1251 Regular Meeting Aspen City Council January 12, 1972 Meeting was called to order by Mayor Eve Homeyer at 4:00 p.m. with Councilmen Scott Nystrom, Ramona Markalunas, Jack Walls, Francis Whit~ker and City Attorney Albert Kern. Mayor Homeyer repbrted the executive session was cancelled prior to the meeting relating to interviews with applicants for the Board of Adjustment. Minutes Councilman Walls moved to approve the minutes of Decamber 29th as preparedand mailed by the City Clerk. Seconded by Councilman Whitaker. Ail in favor, motion carried. City Manager Leon Wurl arrived, Accounts Councilman, Nystrom moved to approve the accounts payable as submitted by the Finance De- Payable partment. Seconded by Councilman Markalunas. Roll call vote - Councilmen Whi~aker aye; Walls aye; Markalunas aye; Nystrom aye; Ma~Mo~omeyer aye~ Motion carried. Police & Two respresentative, Mr. Dean Phillips and John Quinn, from the International Chiefs of Sheriff Study Police were introduced by Mayor Homeyer. Study being conducted of the Sheriff's Department and Police Department. Councilman Ross Griffin arrived. Mayor Homeyer reported the meeting with the state liquor people has been postponed until January 27th due to the weather. Mayor Homeyer also reported a Council luncheon is held on the Friday precedimggthe regular meetings at which anyone is invited but will not be allowed to speak. Olympics - See addendum to be mailed later. Board of Ex- Board of Examiners and Appeals - Councilman Griffin moved the City Clerk advertise the aminers & Appeal three vacancies~that wilt exist. Seconded by Councilman Walls. All in favor, motion carried. Legal Adver- Legal Advertising - Councilman Walls moved to authorize the City Manager to call for bids tising for the next regular meeting. Seconded by Councilman Markalunas. All in favor~ motion carried. Dog Dog Catcher - City Manager Wurl reported a new Assistant Dog Catcher has been hired. Dis- Catcher cussed the loose dogs as relates to cases of worms in children in town. Refunding Bonds - Manager Wurl stated another proposal from Bosworth Sullivan was obtained Refunding which amounted in a savings of $116,000 - $10,000 less than Kirchner Moore proposal. Bonds The.agreement with Kirchner Moore has been signed and the City gained another $5,000 in savings since the last report. One Way One Way Streets - Stage one of the recommendations was submitted to Council including the Streets following changes: Diversion at Garmisch and Main taken off~the~system; put Aspen Street back to a two way street since people are accustomed to using Aspen~Street to gain access to the mountain; Hopkins and Hyman from Monarch west taken off the one way system; a report on the relocation of stop signs to be submitted at a later date. Councilman Griffin moved to approve .stage one as submitted and authorize the Planner to proceed. Seconded by Councilman Walls. All in favor, motion carried. Maroon Creek Water - Manager Wurl reported the Maroon Creek water project is moving ahead, water Water attorney is drafting a proposed agreement with the Herrick Ditch people. Considering moving the .point of diversion further down Maroon Creek than previously proposed. Con- tinuing negoiations with the Post people as relates to property needed for the plant. City has been informed of a recent application to divert water from the Roaring Fork River into the Gunnison basis. This application being contested by the City and the Colo- rado water Conservancy District, our Water Attorney has been advised to proceed on behalf of the City. City Attorney Kern reported he believes this diversion is to divert water to the eastern slope. Berko Request Berko Request - Councilman Griffin moved that this request be tabled indefinitely and until information is received from the transportation study. Seconded by Councilman Whit- aker. All in favor, motion carried. Sidewalk Sidewalk Plowing - Mayor Homeyer reported the City plows the sidewalks but the respons- Plowing ibility of the businessman to clean the remainder on the sidewalks is not being done by a majority of the businesses. Councilman Whitaker moved that notices be sent to the businessmen along with the notice of business license renewals, urging and notifying them of their responsibility in cleaning the sidewalks for the rest of this season and Council re-evaluate this in the spring. 1252 Regular Meeting Aspen City Council January 12, 1972- Eagle-Piney - City Manager Wurl request on behalf of Tam Scott time on the. next agenda Eagle-Piney to discuss with Council about water problems~as relates to the Roaring Fork River. Per- mission granted. ~ Golf Course Fees - Fee schedule~ submitted with the following changes from last year Golf Course student fee $30.00 plus regulations. Councilmen Griffin moved to accept the fee schedule Fees and reduce the student fee to $20.00.~ Seconded by Councilman Whitaker. 'All in favor, ~ rio ri d ' Happy Hearth - Mayor Homeyer stated she would be scheduling public hearings over t~e Happy Hearth rest of the year on possible uses for the Happy Hearth. Request the school be invited at the next meeting to discuss with Council their possible use of the premises. Resolution ~25,~ Series of 1971 ~' Councilman Whittaker moved to read Resolutio~ #25~.- : Resolution #25 Seconded by Councilman Nystrom. Ail in favor, motion carried. Re-zoning Hearings Resolution.#25 . '~ Series of 1971 WHEREAS, requests for rezoning in the City of Aspen necessitates extensive ad- ministrative and staff research and time so that the Council is properly advised, and WHEREAS, it is in. the~ beneficial interests of the City to have routinely scheduled public hearings on rezoning applications,.and '~ ~: WHEREAS, the Planning and Zoning Commission for the County of Pitkin has established rezoning hearings twice a year, in February and September, by amendment tO its By-laws dated June 30, 1971. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED That the Planning and Zoning Commission for the City of Aspen is hereby authorized to establish hearings, on requests for rezoning in the:months of February and September of each year, and to amend its By-laws for accomplishment.of this purpose. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Planning and Zoning Commission for the City adopt such rules and regulations consistent with the establishment of the aforementioned months for hearings on rezoning applications. was read in full by the City Clerk. Councilman Whitaker moved to adopt Resolution #25; Series of 1971. Seconded by Councilman Nystrom. Roll call.vote - Councilmen Nystrom aye; Griffin aye; Markalunas aye; Walls aye; Whitaker aye; Mayor Homeyer aye. Motion carried. Lease,Agreement - Lift No. 1 Building - Discussed length of term of the lease. Lease Lease Agreement submitted for five years. Councilman Markalunas moved to approve the lease as written. Lift No. 1 Seconded by Councilman Griffin. Building City Manager Wurl stated he would still recommend the City not lease the property to anyone, feel convinced that the City is short of space and will need the space. If Council still feels they desire to lease the property ask that Council consider a shorter length of time s~' that the City can review their needs in a few years. Council stated they felt storage for the City should be if at all possible in one location this building can be better utilized for this purpose. Roll call vote - Councilmen Whitaker aye; Walls aye; Markalunas aye; Griffin aye; Nystom aye; Mayor Homeyer aye. Motion carried. Councilman Griff~n moved to adjourn at 6:30 p.m., seconded by Councilman Walls. Alii in favom, meeting adjourned. k~--~Lorraine Graves, City Clerk ALPINE EVENTS OLYMPICS 1976 MAYOR HOMEYER I don't kno~ how much time or how many people are going to want to speak. We have to be out of this room tonight at a quarter to seven beacuse of City Court which is held in this room and we have to clear it at that time. I know there are 10 people who have signed up to speak. I am going to limit the speakers to 2 minutes a person and if it seems advisable we can hold and call for a public meeting Wednesday evening in the District Court Room if it seems like a necessary thing. I don't know at this time but that is our program. Now in order to facilitate this thing and so thay everyone may hear what each of you have to say, I would like each speaker to come to the podium. I would like to call up 3 names at once and those people move over and be in position so you can speak and we can do this in an orderly fashion. There will be no City action taken on this, no motion or resolution at this time. I appreciat9 everyone's interest and I am glad you are all here. The first three speakers on the list are Tom Benton, Karyl Roosevelt and Bob Stevens. TOM BENTON We plan tomorrow to file with the City Clerk an ordinance suspending the holding of the Olympic events in. the Aspen area in 1976 and adopting conditions thereto. This is allowed under the City Charter and we will file tomorrow. I am not going to read the thing, I will just give you the essence of it. What it is, because of the impact of the Olympics, the impact on our area, this ordinance requires certain studies, certain things to be made clear to the people and to the City Some of the influence of the fact, some of the resources influence and affect on vegetation, open space, there are alot of things to be con- sidered. And since this is our right, we will file tomorrow, get petitions, get the 15% of the regis, tered voters signatures required, force the Council to hold an election, pass the ordinance or whatever they desire to dQ. It is an attemp to get the thing clearly before the people rather than just having a few people or organizations makin decisions for us~ KARYL ROOSEVELT I know mothers are boring and I know children are too, but I am here to attempt to dramatize what this City means to the children in Aspen. We tried to get together only representatives of the many children who are here. We could have brought five times this many, there is no point in that you know but these are not the only children who are interested, thesm are not the only ones who want to speak~ We have too many obviously who want to speak in the two minutes but with your permission, could t call on a few that we do have time for. I have not coached them in a~ny way, they are not stooges. HAL HARVEY Do not think they should be held in Aspen because of the costs. In Squaw Valley it was 13 times the estimated cQsts' anticipated. It's costing Squaw Valley, they are still paying for what they had in 1960. GIL NELSON Think it's a pretty good idea because we get a four lane highway and things like that. But our family moved here beaause it was not a big city and I think it. should stay that way. GREG NELSON Feel we ought not to have them here because what it did to Squaw Valley. They have all those lifts now and nobody uses them now. KARYL ROOSEVELT The opinions that I heard before I came here were all very diverse. I don't think this represents the thinking of the parents in every case. If we have more time, If we have another meeting, I would like to do it again because I think what these children do and what they do from here and wheter we keep them in Aspen, whether we can hope they come back here depends on what.happens to this town in the next 10 years~and I am concerned. BOB STEVENS Abo~t two years ago we put together some density changes for Aspen. At that time we were talking about quality instead of quanity. Quite a ~few of the de~elopers went along with the d~nsity changes and we cut our denity in half%our AR-l. zone and I think alot of use reversed our opinions and went along with this. Now we see the same people who were asking usto cut our density in half, which we did, wanting to bring more people to Aspen. I don't think t. hese two things jive very well. I think the City of Aspen could look very hard at a law suit to overthrpw their present Title.XI from the changes they have made if they go along with bringing the Olympics to Aspen. So I don't think we need any more business, the.Ski Co~poration was up according to KREX in Grand Junction. Thirty percent, even with the strike in progres and so forth. Even without the Olympics we have a problem on the western slope of Colorado. Every acre of land is pretty well spoken for development, our water is being taken by Denver, a community that has grown almost 100% in the last 10 years. It's Governor Aove's wish to get more industry in the State of Colorado, they went after the industry, they got it in Colorado. They have a burgeoning economy in Denver right now. The Whole eastern'slope Of the Colorado Rockies is pretty well developed, they're using our water now to do it. I think the Eagle-Piney law suit is an example of what's to come with the appropriation of water. It seems to me ~hat the coming of the Olympics is going to further this growth and accelerate the growth that werare now going to get without the Olympics. If we just had a ~race up here on Aspen Mountain like the Roch Cup, I don't think we got a problem but if we have something of a great magnitude it will cause an awful lot of advertising throughout the world, then I think we do have a problem. JOY CAUDILL I feel the Chamber of Commerce is very presumptious to speak for all the businesses of Aspen. I have talked to many, many businessmen who are not for the Olympic Alpine events to be held in Aspen. The Olympic Committee will pick the-best site, the best~ site with the least expens~ A site that has all the facilities. Aspen has lots of what it needs. ~ Their bid' stated, as I understand, there would be no extra expense if ? held in Aspen. Who says we will get a mass transit system if the State says it will not cost the State anythingextra. The State is looking for inexpensive ~situationS meaning something that isn't going to cost them a great deal and as I unde=stand they don't have any Federal funding at this point. That is why I~think this pie in the sky of mass transit is not something very realistic. Thirdly, I think the thing that concerns me most is the publicity and glamour of the Olympic Games will help start a whole new spiral of development. We are going to have higher densities as has already been said and be- lated problems. Let's please, please solve some of our current prob- lems before we stick out our necks and get into such deep hot water that we just can't get out again. JOAN LANE - I think that if the Alpine Olympic Events come to Aspen, the pressures for poor quality development will overwhelm us. MICHAEL KINGSLEY This is a statement of the Environmental Task Force steering committee Just as the discovery of Silver and gbld in this area did, the holding of the 1976 Olympic Alpine Events in Aspen Will bring riches to some and disaster to others. Individually the 12 director of the Aspen Chamber of Commerce who voted in favor of the Olympics as well as Snowmass of America, West Village Association and the Aspen Skiing Corporation will clearly profit significantly over the next four years ~despite any negative effects. As in the past, the citizens of Aspen will pay for the problems created from rapid growth in the form of taxem for municipal services and a steadily deteriorating quality of life. Those promoting the events tell us no~ new building need to be done. We assume they are Ceferring to the public sector. This is dif- ficult to believe looking at previous Olympic sites. But what about the private sector, developers and speculators. Their marketing will immediately be geared for selling and building for the Olympics. As- pen's development will accelerate by the Olympics. Ail this at a time when we are finally getting a grasp of what growth means to use and how we can deal with it. Subdivision regulations, zoning and environ- mental-surveys. Those that say this growth will occur mmyhow are not looking at the ways of Aspen politics and growth. Development toward one highly publicized event does not compare with current g=owth patterns. The Aspen Chamber of Commerce tells us 4500 spectators are expected here, Denver expects 250,000 fans. ~his means that less than 2% will behere for the Alpine Events, this is hard to believe. We are told it will be done only if it can be done well. But everything here is based on the Olympic Committee estimates. And, as our City/ County Planner points oub, they are notorious poor cost estimators. For instance, the original cost estimates by the Denver Olympic Committee was for some 8 to 10 million dollars. This was tripled by February 1971 and 8 months later it was tripled. Squaw Valley cost 13 times the original estimate. Considering the fact I am representing about 300 Aspen residents, I think I will go on. How can we tell if the Olympics-will be done well here when we don't even know what will be done. Ail the estimates went up because something they hadn't accounted for had to be~ added. Further, how can we expect our local government to deal with myriad unforseen problems created when current problems createso much difficulity. The explosions of growth in Colorado is a serious threat to quality of life in this State. Coloradans are expected to spend 20 million dollars to strengthen that threat. ~ MAYOR HOMEYER In fairness to all7 I think we will have to cut you off. You can give a copy of your statement to us~ and we will.make it a part of the record. ELIZABETH PAEPCKE Let me say to ~egin with that I represent a fairly large block of stock in the Aspe~ Skiing. Corporation and I am absolutely appalled. I knew nothing about the decision of the Ski Corporation until after' my brother had left town. Someone once said that if you refuse to learn from history you're going to have to live history all over again. And, I am afraid this is exactly what the Chamber of Commerce and some of the other businesses that feel they are going to profit by this will have to learn if we get the Alpine Events. Let me go back to 1950 when we had the FIS here because I think the same problems face us now Number one, there is no parking. The cars piled all over the streets and although we had mmny more vacant lots than we have now you would be surprised at what the streets looked like. There were no public latrines. The result was the men had to pee in the vacant lots. The Hotel Jerome was hardly able to handle the situation. After the snow melted off, you-would be surprised at what the garbage looked like. Every street, every vacant lot, every place that anybody had sat or parked, chaos ensued. No matter what the certain members who were here for the FIS would say about the races, I was there too. It was fun to watch them but the cost of it afterwards wasn't very nice to fece. This is what my husband had to face. Therefore, when the question of having the Alpine Events of the Olympics came up in 1954 my husband was very much against it. In fact, he fought tooth and claw. The resul~ was he mmde violent enemies here in town because they thought that the City might verge and growth was something golden in their immg- ination and Pete Seibert and Morey Shepard left in rage and started Vail and that is the result. Thankgoodness, they started Vail. The same thing that faced my husband in 1954. There.weren't enough beds, inadequate parking, inadequate sewage. I know something about the sanitation district here because I fought for 6 years about that. Darcy Brown, I invited to my. house here the other afternoon to defend himself and the Ski Corporation. When I mentioned the samitation district he said to me of-course, I~know nothing~about that. Well, I maintain that anyone who brings the Olympics here or fosters such an idea knows something about our problems with the sanitation district, our problems with. parking, our problems with the police. Just imagine what we would have to~do about enlarging the police force here. The same thing of-all.the other~things that have been brought up so adequately,~in the Times that is fi you have taken the time to read it. I hope all of you have. Darcy then said that the Ski Corporation would guarantee $40,000 a year for better. transportation. What the better transportation shouldbe he hadno idea. He said plans were in the making. However, when one considers that Grenoble is faced with 125% raise in their taxes, the cause of having had the Olympics in that City. You can imagine what's going to happen to us in regard to your taxes even if you don't care about anything else, the environment or anything. I think everyone of you~will be touched in your pockets for taxes in order to pay for the debts that this, thing is going to raise. ROBIN MOLNY Since I prefer 3 minute eggs~to~2minute eggs, it looks like i have written a three minutespeech~..So I will only read one part of it. I feel like the Ski Corporatiomhas b~ the, way it's gone about it's current business once again has wounded a community that is ~overed with scar tissue. I will aludeto that more in my written report. By the way, ,I am not speaking for the Planning Commission but for myself. I-did a~ prediction of what_would..happen to Aspen if Aspen is awarded theAlpine Olympic~ Events,.-.I..predict..that if we were awarded the Alpine Events, the following~will take place. Between now and 1976 there will be a great deal off.real estate that will change hands at wildly escalating prices. There..will then be advertising during that ensuing fou=_years using the town-of Aspens. as the site of the Olympics I think, this will come from Snowmass and from individual advertisers in Aspen. Thene there will be two great weeks preceedi~g and during the O~ympics which will be fumfor all of. us~and I don't say that with tongue, in cheek~i~ will be very exciting.~Following that there will be an explosion or boom_which will_take place based on television exposure which will make the_lR60's which created the problems that we, are dealingwith now. %ook like kid.!s, stuf,f. I called NBC today and talked to a. Mr .... , 212CI78388 ex~nsion 240 if anyone would like. to verify my facts and~ask~d him. for an estimate of how many people would be watc~ingthe Alpine~Events, in Sapporo, ~apan and he admitted the figures we=e hard to come by~ it took about 15 minutes of my money while he talked.to his staff.. But he said there would be 35 mil~lion people ink. this country approximately and a like number in the rest of the world. So % say in conclusion, that we are Addendum to Council Minutes O£ymplcs ~ OaUu~ ~='~ told we can improve our tarnished image by increasing our workload. When I was in elementary school I had a failing student sitting next to me and his mother came in to talk to the teacher and she said can you give Johnny more homework and she said, "Mrs. Smith, Johnny can't do the homework he has got now. And that is exactly what we are faced With in Aspen,~'We are dealing with the problems of 1966. Let's get on with the homework. BILL STALEY Two years ago, aroused by the specter of another Snowmass type of development - Wildcat -, we were organizing ecological study groups, talking to national environmental lead~rs and demanding research into the amount of growth the valley could handle. Amongfthe suggest- ions was the possibility Of public'legal action along the lines of Victor "s environmental'defenSe fund. Well, the recession slowed down the various threats of'over growth and we~ere temporarily lulled into placidity. Especiall~ since the-Ski Corporation through a public announcement sounded as though it was making up its mind to take an interest in the~community. Ail that steam that we generated then appears to have b~n for naught. We are now treated to the spectacle of a g~oup of non resident, arr6gant, selfish, underhanded men like those revealed in the Pentagon Papers last summer threatenin on one hand to develop Haystack to meet public demand, they say, and on the other hand trying to get the 1976 Alpine events in Aspen. In my opinion to'fortify what's to be eventual claim that the Haystack area has to be opened up to relieve Aspen and Snowmass of the crowds. This pure greedy hyp~ocrisy currently is supported by director?~ members of the Ski Corporation, who like to consider themselves statesmen and enlightened leaders of the West. But they haven't yet realized that this isn't a coal town in Pennsylvania, nor it isn't 1910 when a benighted management could get by with working its way on a disorganized and powerless community. Not only should the City and County refuse the Olympic bid, they should take additional steps to make the Ski Corporation recognize that its first responsibility is to the community of Aspen. Umtil we make this finally clear to the Darcy Browns,~the NitzeS, Robinsons,~ and"the'Pfisters, Aspen will forever be fighting to put these short sighted men down and it does become tiresome. SAM CAUDILL It's going to be difficult to follow the eloquency of especially "Pussy" Paepcke. Thanks alot~'"Pussy'' for giving us a run down on the 1950 FIS. Aspen must n~t host the Alpine events of the 1976 Olympics. Aspen today is a mature ski area, best in the world. The community must not be subjected to a sell Colorado campaign as the Olympics would trigger. Aspen cannot afford a boom type speculative growth pattern. Our goals must be concentrated on quality and not quanity. BILL THARP I have lived in Aspen for approximately 15 years, and along with my wife, we own the Aspen Copy Service. I have had the traumatic experience of serving two terms on the Aspen Planning and Zoning Commission. During those two terms we had to deal with enormous growth in the community and I must candidly admit that in spite of our very best efforts, I have to feel that our failures out numbered our successes. We were attempting to plan in a time when we were not faced with a problem of such magnitude as that proposed by the poss- ibility of Olympic Alpine Events. The proponets of the 1976 Olympic Alpine Events have maintained much of Aspen's tarnished image. I agree, our image is less than bright. But from my experience on the Planning and Zoning Commission, I strongly submit that if our town's image has been tarnished it has been ~rought about by rapid uncon- trolled and unconcerned development, in fact, the type of highly accelerated development which will occur should the Alpine Events be awarded to this community. It's folly for any decision mmking body to assume that we can have the events without development on a scale without precedent. It's folly for businesses to assume tha~ they will reap an economic bonanza unhindered by greatly increased competition. If the events are not held in Aspen, life in the community will continue with little change. Planning will at best remain a staggering task requiring the finest efforts of all concerned. But if the proponets are wrong, if we are faced with added growth brought about by the pressures of hosting the events, then this community mmy suffer a tragedy of enormous pro- portions. Once the damage is done, we cannot take it back. The Olympic ~re not a magic creed, they will not restore brightness to our image. If our image is tarnished, it can best be restored by a community wide committment to our best quality of which we are capable not by an uncontrollable desire for quantity. 1257 ......... Aaa dum to Council Min~ute.s 0!7~s ja~nua~y~ 12~. 1972 JAY PAYNE - Of the Chamber. That is why I am.here, particularly. I think this has taken alot df grief, that they are not entitled to and number one, t~e Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce so stated in their communique. That as the Board of Directors~ they were acting with the Ski Corporation and Snowmass of Aspen and the powers that be, if you will, to agressively seek the Olympics, and ~ resent the Olympics. I think we are all talking circles because it is not the Olympics we are all.talking about, but the Alpine Events. As a Board we voted that way. We didn't say that we were representing the bus- inesses in this community and we have been misrepresented in the press The reason we voted that way was because we were lead to believe by the people who came to us that it would be a Roch Cup times three. Andlin that vein, I can't name Olympic contenders this year while I could in the last Roch Cup name most of them so I fail to see the tremendous interest that people are worried about there is going to be The next thing we were led to believe is that there would be a max- imum lo~d Of 6500 people including contestants,~trainers, judges, press and spectators. We were lead to believe also that as a result of the pressure of the Olympics that we might draw the community to- gether as a result of community wide zoning, throughout the county. We were lead to believe politically we might hope for a highway which whether people like it or they don't. I am very much in favor of. I think it is a death trap the way it is. We were lead to believe just lately that it might facilitate a transportation system. In addition to that we might again point out the fact that we are number one in the country if not if the world, And speaking personally, perhaps that was very idealistic~ but that is what we were lead to believe. That is what we acted upon and I resent the paper. I talked to Mr. Dunaway. If there was any profit taking to be done, it didn't enter my mind. HERB BALDERSON - I am opposed to having the Olympics here and I think that everything I had to say,has been said a couple of times better than I could say it. I would'also like to say that I have seen this room just this full with people opposing City Council propositions and I've seen them at the end of the meeting turn around and vote exactly against the majority of the people who spoke of at the meeting. So I hope maybe you will listen to the people this time, KURT BURTON - I will make it brief because my position is clearly known and I want to say at the offset that despite the things that have been said and some of the logic that's been on display, I Still believe in the dem- ocratic process. I think that 'the advantages to Aspen in the long range far out weigh the disadvantages and I have said so and I think it's unfortunate that so many side line issues that are here and now separate from the Olympics have been tied to a propositiOn which presents Aspen in the ski world and it's a very fickle world. With the opportunity to present itself as a first class community with not only having the prime area in Colorado but in the world and to over- look the opportunity to put that on display is the kind of challenge which we are ready to accept and I think the commjnity should and to tie runaway growth to th~ is an itlogical.position. I think we need to set deadlines for ourselves to solve the problems that are here and now but to run from an opportunity like this is something that I think this~community need not do. I might say that the same Pete Seibert that ran from the~situation years ago is the same Pete Seibert who I have in my hand here a presentation that they are aggressively and that is an understatement, seeking these Alpine Events. I think that we are in a different world that we have been in the past and this stop the world I wa~t to get~cff attitude is something that will mmke us a second class community and we can-~do without lots of things here, but we cannot do without the skier visitor and we are going to have to work pretty.hard to stay where we are. MAYOR HOMEYER - I would like to thank you all. for your thoughts~and pure remarks toda Now I will give the Council~a'chance to say something. · MM HINES - Where was thelist to sign up to speak? MAYOR HOMEYER - How many more people want to, speak, raise your hands. I see three hands, is that right?~ We can take time for three more people. IRV HARLAND - Does the Council intend to take any action on this, you said earlier there was no action intended tonight. Do they intend to make a decision on this? 1 258 . ~Addendum to Council ~i~utes ........... 0!ympicm~, ja.nua{y 12i' !972 MAYOR HOMEYER - We were asked to put the Olympics ~on the agenda and I'd like to thank that the City Council. is ~ways going.to.provide a forum for the citizens of Aspen to speak, whenever.,they have something to say. I'am not sure,.this is not exactly our position at this time that we can write an ordinance ar not write an ordinance. This is not something that I think we should be asked to take an immediate stand on. I think it is a studying worrisome p=oblem in which we must be careful in our deliberations. IRV HARLAND - I would like to subject to you that the longer you wait to make a decision the less effect your position is geing to be in either case. The more mOmentum that grows eiDher way.~on this thing will have less effect your action i's going to take~ I think since you are of the community you~can certainly take a definite stand earlyl These are just.my feelings .... MAYOR HOMEYER - This is for the Council to discuss after we have heard from other people. TOM N~NES I would just like to take this opportunity to very strongly emphasize the position of the Aspen Chamber of Commerce.~.Number one, the Aspen Chamber of Commerce is set up to represent~the.businesses of any community.in any town USA. The Directors are elected officials not appointed officials, they are serving one function and this is hope- fully to represent the businesses of this town. Certainly the positior of businesses of~this town has got to be and is a very aautious · approach to increased quality business and~we seriously felt that the business people,of this town, we're talking about the business cDmmunity of this to%m wanted whatever help they could have in re- maining in the position of the industry in which they are currently %n. And we felt that if the DOC and IOC would nod to dispersing of the Olympics and of course that is the p~ime fact at the moment as to whether Aspen can even have the Olympic or Alpine events, if any place can even have those but if they can we felt that whatever ski area got that nod they would be number one. Therefore, it was our course of action to follow~that. We must do_whatever possible to protect our business people's interest. I would further like to say that we are currently in the process of a survey actually it's a referendum vote to each and every member, current member of the Aspen Chamber of Commerce to find out if we were in the, within our rights in doing this, if we were following therigh~ path. If we were not, we'll reverse our stand but we have had strong, strong support for what we have done to this point.~An we shall continue to follow this path till this surveywould show otherwise or if it will show positive we will follow, along that path. We are not in anyway endorsing creased rapid uncontrolled growth and I can't make that strong enough and we promise that we will be sure that~whatever ~i4 is made we made under those auspices. WILTON JAFFEE I have listened to both pros and cons and I am wondering why no one has ever raised a hard fact and a~very faithful fact of life for Aspenf And that is the problem of transportation. Ail of us know t,~at t~e Aspen Airport cannot be approached~on instruments. In the event of bad weather what's the alternative. It!s to bring people in via Grand Junction. This is a long tedmeussproposltzon. I have been told that one of the.requirements of the Olympic Committee is that there be an air.bridge built to the site of the Alpine Events. I would like to know how that air bridge is going to work in the case of Aspen. And I have no further remarks pro or con but ~ really think that before anybody encourages the Otympics here, they should rightfully inform the committee of the transportation problem in this area. LINDA CONGER - I have been a resident of Aspen about 16 years so I have seen alot of changes and I don't think we need to have as many more as the 01ympi~s will bring. I would like to point out that the rest of Colorado is less eq~iped than Aspen to handle any part of the Olympics. All of Colorado will suffer the~bad effects as Aspenwill suffer if the Olympics are held anywhere in the State. So I would like to urge all of you to actively oppose holding the Olympics anywhere in Colorado, not just about us. 8ROUP DISCUSSION ~ Followed as relates to,when a decision woutd be made on dispersing the events,.etc, =~==L~L__FV UUU~U~Z m~u~e~ U~ymp~cs ..... January g~,.~.~ ....... COUNCILMAN WALLS The Ski Corporation invited the City Council and County Commissioners and made a pitch in rega'rd to this and they wanted our feelings in regard to this, Of course, I am sure that all the Council as well as the County Commissioners expressed their opinions but they felt at that particular time there was no way they could express the feelings of the community. So they drew a blank as far as getting some concensus from us as far as how the community felt. As a matter of fact, as I believe at that particulac meeting, I mentioned the fact that bringing up this issue, had a good possibility of splitting the community right down the middle. CHRISTINE RADER A couple of thins. In response-to the first man who spoke for the Aspen Chamber of Commerce suggesting that the Alpine events would be bringing three time's the crowds the Roch Cup does, I have heard about the Olympics. since I was in third grade and I am sure that people - skiers, non skiers, anyone in the country has heard of the Olympics, it's world wide. The Roch Cup I heard maybe 4 or 5 years ago when I started skiing avidly, 'but I think that the figure 4500 approximate spectators to be watching the Alpine Events is kind of a blind figure because already we've got at least that number of permanent residents in Aspen all of whom will want to see the events. Not to mention people in the immediate area of Colorado, mot to mention all the people fromn all the 50 states and countries that have never seen an Olympic event who would like to come to Aspen because they have heard of Aspen and would like to see the Olympics, Right now, I am not sure of the exact figure, we have about 20,000 beds in Aspen to accommodate the Christ- mas tourists and Christmas is a zoo here, just imagine what. There is going to be at least 150,000 people watching the events is a figure that was quoted in the Rocky Mountain News in an article a few weeks ago which I t'hink is probably a tot closer than~4,000. I can'~ imagin~ squashing 50 people into. one condominium if it 'takes the existing housing tha't is available now and if we don"t kn,ew where all these people are going to go. So it looks pretty clear that the whole valley from here to Basalt will be just solid with lousy condominiums or housing whichever it is going to be. We are not even, Colorado citizen~ are not going to be able to watch it on television. Those who can't make it up the ski slopes we have to put np wi'th~'~.all these visitors and can't even get to see the show ourselves. So, I speak against it. KARYL ROOSEVELT - Is it true that it will be a closed circuit on television in Colorado? MAYOR HOMEYER I am no authority on these questions, Karyl. COUNCILMAN WHITAKER-I have seen that reported in the newpapers that it will be open only in theaters where you pay admission. MAYOR HOMEYER On the other hand, Mr. Robinson said most of the people would be watching it on TV. COUNCILMA~ WHITAKERc~ccording to our rules of procedure, we should not discuss anything unless a motion is made. I would like to make this motion. Move that pending further factual information, the City Council not support the Olympic Alpine Events in 1976. COUNCILMAN GRIFFIN -I will second that motion~. COUNCILMAN WHITAKER-Since that has been seconded, can I speak to that. I lived in Californ~ -~uring the 1960 Olympics and I want no part of it for Aspen. I just like to s~peak to one point if I have two minutes, We hear alot of promises and ~ld games one of'them is~ that we will get a state highway and that the district highway engineer has already approved it. I called ~p Mr. Prosence in Grand Junction and talked to him. I read the quotes to him from Aspen Today, one in the editorial about the highway and one quoting Baster ~bout the.highway. And he said those are very broad i~terpretations of my rerdarks. So, remember that when you re- read those. His position is this, he feels and we all know this that Highway 82 is taxed to the limit in the winter time and he feels that in four years with the normal grdw~h and something in the way of a big event, the highway will be totally inadequate. But he sgys this is not my decision, this is up to the Highway Commission. I said Mr. Prosence. do you know what the nature of the events are, how many people, spectators, participants and press proposed to be here. He said my understanding is it will ~be about ~O0,O00.I have nothing more to say right now. A couple of months ago we tried to sell a piece of City property and it takes an election. The Council voted six to one in favor of selling it and the v~eters turned us down about thkeel:~o one. We are talking now about selling Aspen for the next 10 years and I think we ought to listen to the people. COUNCILMAN MARK- This is what I would like to do, Madam Mayer, is listen to the people. LUNAS I would like to hear more from the people. I think we should have a public hearing specifically on this .subject so that everybody gets notice that we are going ~to discuss this. Df .you are for or against it, turn out. We don't~'wa~t this one sided thing.~ COUNCILMAN GRIFFIN-I would just like to make~a few remarks about this whole thing since I was one of the members at the December 28th meeting at the Aspen Alps where the Ski Corporation l~t us have .the rather dubious benefit of liste~eing to Robinson and the DOC. I might explain a few th~ngs that weree said at that time and since. At.that ~ime the Aspen Skiing Corporation said they would not make any attempt to put a bid in f~r the Olympic Alpime~events unless they had some sort of feeling from the City or County. Well, you know where that.has gone. The other aspect of it as far as I am concerned is that we wonder about some of the reasons for their.haste. One of the reasons we were also given to do this thing was because we were told the ima~ge is tarnished. Now this is rather interesting .in the fact that we are the only certified mountain in the State of Colorado that can ~ho!d.these events without any checking or anything else. Tha't is because we held the FIS in '50 events.. So obviously when it comes to bailing~out the DOC and that is just what we would be asked to do. We were the ficst ones they think of because there is no arguments when they go to. Sapporo, Japan. The 6ther aspect of that is Mr. Robinson told us at the time Gordon Allott was the man who is supposed to co-ordinate the funding on the Federal level that the DOC better look toward using all ~xisting facilities. Then we get right back to the question of what's the one existing facility that has ~verything they need and they don't have to spend any money on that is Aspen. At that time Mr...Sardy asked the DOC rep- resentative, Mr. Robinson, what would the Olympic Committee put up in the way of money, and at that time Mr. Robinson said nothing. So we're also given to believe that there will be ~50 to 500 officials and competitors. I would say with past~history of Olympics being what they are, this would be on the order of 750. We're also told that there will be possible 3,0Q0 press but they would be very exclusive and they would screen this down to about 1,000 press. Then they also said that the officials.and competitors would be subsidized housing and as we all know about the press they are.a delightful bunch of free loaders, they are firm believers in the free enterprise system. So they would be asking for this sort of~thing~ The only reason we were sold as this b~ng a good thing for Aspen was the unlimited free b~' 't pu ~cz-y. We have had alot of unlimited publicity here in the past 10 years. It wasn't free and look what it has done to Aspen. So then we went on further and, of course, the question was brought up that all we would have to do to, as Mr. Jaffee pointed out, is an air lift to Denver for officials and soon. Now this is rather interesting. We heard some veKy interesting commmts about instrument landing systems and so on improvements at the airport and we have never seen anything on paper. But whoever is going to say that the Fed's are going to pop for a large amount of taxpayers money to impr~ve~Aspen airport, I think they are going to improve'it anyway. Now we go on a little ~ further and we get into a question of the weather and even if you would have certain landin~ systems you can't get into this little place anyway no matter what you did, and even if the tunnels built under S Creek and so on~ you still are looking at from Denver 3 to 4 hour trip and from Grand Junction probably a good or bad time a 2 to 3 ~our drive. These are some of the things that only react with the actual holding of the Olympics themselves-.. Noy during that%meet- ing, Mr. Brown also sai~ that the west side of Aspen Mountain would be shut down for the greater part of 15 days to the tourist skier at that time. So then we were also told that our image is tarnished. That is a nice subjecCive opinion which I don't.quite believe. And I must admit I sometimes think that little comment in the paper about the sexy woman who has.a tarnished image is sometimes the most attract. ive. It might be the best thing ~hat,c°uld happen to us. But that is neither here nor there,.I just don't think this great thing that has been thrown up to us by Mr. Pfister and various members of the Chamber of Commerce is of any v zz zty whatsoever. I don't think Aspen has a tarnished image. We get into problems, ,interesting questions that do come up. There have been rumors that essentially the Ski Corporation is UP for sale. Two of the people whose names have been bandied about are the American Express Company and American Machine and Foundry ~Com~any. Now is there a possibility that-this .was why the Olympic events ~ to enhance the ~alue of the stock of the Aspen Skiing Corp- oration so that when it's sold the owners make a rather large profit at our e~pense, I wonder. ~hat is an interesting question we do not know anything about. We are also told that we might get a highway, Francis has taken care of that problem. ~cx~- The words were that we might get a transportation system. This town .~ is not going to get any money from the Feds or anybody else for a ~ transportation system. There is just no way a transportation system is going to cost in the neighborhood of 3 million minimum to do it right. And the Feds are not going to ~pop for 3 million bucks for us to ~ have an Alpine event, just no way. The other questions that came up, again quite frankly, I personally have no use:for any Olympic event, ~I think Olympics are ,. and that is my personal thought. It all brings this eventuallM to the ultimate question involv. ing the Olympic events; It's not the Olympics themselves, they're just 10 days of alot of people having a grand time at our expense. The real ultimate question is that we're dividing this town into two groups and I thought Hunter Thompson was being very mean when he coined the term greedheads. Essentially, the development that.will come before an Olympic event that is held in Aspen and the development that will come after'an Olympic event is nothing more than real estate development. Development for making a large buck essentiat%y.it means that if the City supports the Olympic Alpine events, all we are doing is making money for the greedheads in this town. That is all I have to say. I am against the Olympics. - What facts does the City Council want to make a decision on this. The only thing that they are going to get from DOC or IOC are estimates, and they are notoriously out of line. If it's all going to be estimate from the DOC and IOC, they are only guessing and their guess is as good as ours. COUNCILMAN NYSTROM - I don't think any of us want another Squaw Valley. First of all, Aspen is not after the full Olympics,they are just after a part of them. I am naive enough to think that with the presmntations that we have had as Mr. Payne said, we were lead to believe that it would be three.times.the size of a normal Roch~Cup~ The facts that we are getting~ as this gentlemen just said, the facts that will will Ret, ~a~be y~u can't get legitimate .facts. t think we can get a little more facts and not have the prOblem of splitting the town in half '~ because one group uses one set of facts and another groupd naturally uses another set of facts. If there was anywayto table Francis' : motion until we could get a tittle more'background on this. ~'~ COUNCILMAN That is exactly what my motion says, pending further factual inform- WHITAKER a t ion. COUNCILMAN It should rmad that we take no stand. MARKALUNAS COUNCILMAN I don't want to sit around here~.and, take noaction and h~ve the WHITAKER Denver Committee push this thing Off. I ~hink we have to act one way or another. You know, Scott, when we come to a Council meeting and have a matter on the agenda, we always have some information, some facts and figures to give us a chance to evaluate what we are going to do. We don't have anything written from anybody. COUNCILMAN NYSTROM Is there a prospect of getting anything. COUNCILMAN WHITAKER I don't know. MAYOR HOMEYER Kurt, is there any prospect of our~getting something early next weet ~in writing of what's proposed? KURT BURTON Feel yo~ could have some faets by next week. MAYOR HOMEYER Es:this meeting in. Denver on the 20th, is this,correct information? KURT BURTON I am~not sure of that. MAYOR HOMEYER Es.there anyway we could make that meeting on the 17th or 18th, Shouldn't be any problem. COUNCILMAN If~we can do that I will amend my motion that we take no action pendi~ WHITAKER further factual information~ ~.~ MAYOR HOMEYER Is Monday too soon to ask for ~hat information? KURT BURTON - Certainly not. But I would like to know what specific type of infor- mation you~-would want. MAYOR HOMEYER I think it's easy to tell what this area is concerned about. Amount of actual building that will be done, what i's in~ the transportation possibility. I think all of these questionm. COUNCILMAN One question I think should be answered before anything else. Will WHITAKER the 10C approve holding part of the events 200 miles from all the rest of it. We don't know that and I thlnk that is the first question that should be answered. KURT BURTON That is a question that none of us can answer~here, the real question is whether if they do, whether we're interestered. That is what is at issue. COUNCILMAN We will go through all this furor and everything else and then find WHITAKER o~the International Committee will not consider holding the events so far away. The Ski Corporation has made a recommendation and that is on a black and white basis is it not. KURT BURTON - Tha~is not correct. KARYL ROOSEVELT - There is apparently great.dissension.in the IOC. At this time the fight is so advanced that there is a question whether the Olympics will ever be held again or will be held in Sapporo. Now that doesn't ~ mean nothing will happen if it breaks up and they then become what's referred to as the world championships. Then what happens? Do you know, Mr. Burton? KURT BURTON I suspect if they were called the world chmmpionships we'd get on the band wagon. The thing that bothers me is the red flag that comes up when people say Olympics. Certainly we have all seen as Francis has, the Squaw Valley story. Ifwe were proposing anything close to that we would be against it~as we were preceeding the Squaw Valley situation when Aspen was talked to and we opposed it. We opposed the Olympic Village concept, dogs, privies0and all'that. So we are not, we're not comparing apples and oranges here. Does the City Council have a copy of that proposal? KURT BURTON The copy of.the proposal is one sentence. We have asked the various business organizations and the City Council to share with us this situation and out of that first meeting a committee was formed. Look at the various problems was taken and after the vote of the orga- nizations and due to the timing presented to' us, we offered what Aspen had to offer to the DOC. ROBIN MOLNY I think the sense of Francis'~motion is not only the fact that , I think it also relates to the impact we are going to be under for the 10 years after the Olympics take place. I think that is what everybody here is interested in along with maybe additional facts that might come . I think it is a good motion and worth passing. · COUNCILMAN WALLS Unfortunately, I think the town here, I am speaking exactly in regard to what Mr. Molny has brought up, I think'we find ourselves, in a rather unique situation which I think that almost any question that is brought up by the City Council or to the City Council ends up in a split opinion so drastic in town to the extent that nothing ~can be accomplished. I have watched this happen over the last few months to my great dismay and a prime example of this was not too long ago just to bring this up, was in regard to the dog ordinance. We haw a problem with such a split faction in town that a clear or clearer direction can't be taken. I look at the Olympim, i shudder to think about a total Olympic situation as I mentioned the'night to the Ski Co=poration Directors and members over there.and for years have thought the Olympics, this ~s not the place for the Olympics. But, I look at it as a vehicle and~I look at this vehicle and speaking also to Ross' comment in regard to State and Federal money, I figure there is one way in regard to trying to solve some of our problems mainly in regaCd to transportation, in regard to control of growth down the valley and there is only one way this area works and that is under pressure. Regardless as to what you think your work load is one the Planning and Zoning Commission it.will work if you really want to in regard to trying to solve the problems. If you don't have the pressure you're not, it's going to drift along, drift along and I figure that with the pressures there would be ~underneath that portion of the OlYmpic games that are proposed for this area would be an impetusenough to get off the dime and to.solve the problems we.have. The pressures being applied for Federal monies in regard to transpOrtation~ also in regard to a ~highway situation out here and believe me I am not talking about a four lane highway. The .impetus placed on a-transportation ~system-~between here serving all the areas down and up to Snowmass. The hfghway, yes, improved, but the thing though is-that the impetus being in regard to solving some 0f our problems, I look~at this situation as it stands today, we can sit here andtalk about all we want about transportation systems and we~ have had a brief run down on just a transportation system in the City limits and what the costs are and we look at how we're going ~to ~fund it.~I feel this would'be the impetus in regard to getting some of these problems solved. It's pure and simple. My motive in regard ~to saying yes,.if we can dO this,"if:'~we can put the pressure where it really r~ghtfully belongs to get the problems solved, then I am in favor of the events. COUNCILMAN GRIFFIN - I must thank Mr, Burton for reminding me of one point I wanted to make. It's rather amusing to me that two campaigns that I Went throu to be elected to .this office and that is prior' to 1970 and then durin since I have lived here since 1955, essentially this town never the Olympics. We were once asked to be included with Colorado Springs in the bid in 1960 and they vetoed that. At no time during any of these campaigns did the question ever arise that this town should try for any part of the Olympics. Now it's quite obvious since the DOC has come to us that this town if it had wanted to could be easily gotten the Alpine events and split them with Steamboat. But until December 28th, there was never any question in this village that anybody wanted the Olympics. If we get back to the thing that Francis haS brought up involving the dog ordinance and the Happy Hearth, that if we sit here and vote to have the Alpine events we are really not listening to what the people of this town want and we are supposed to represent. I remember this fact that nobody said boo about the Olympi~ until December 28th when Denver arrived in town. MAYOR HOMEYER - Have the record show we have several letters all opposing the Olympics Mead Metcalf, Dorothy Kelleher, Pat Moore and John Doremus. Letter from K.N.C.B. Moore supporting. MRS. PAEPCKE If we take Mr. Burton and we are al! for it, we cannot these problems as the City Council very well knows by interlocking mosiacs, and that is the Sanitation District, parking problems and transportation. Now, let me say something about the transportation. I talked to Darcy Brown and he said this ~ quite simple, we have to solve it as Jack Walls pointed out whei~er we have the Alpine events or not. So something has to be done about transportation between Aspen and Snowmass and not a four lane highway. I believe because the four lane highway comes to the grit of Aspen then what do you do. It has been a plan to have a highway over Owl Creek and a parking lot outside the City. Now, whatever you do, whether it's a train or street car or mini buses or anything, it's going to,~as Darcy said, cost more than 3 million dollars. Now, how are you going to pay for this. There is only one facet to this whole problem we are facing in the valley of Aspen at the present time. He said by having a bond issue. Not a City or County bond issue, but a bond issue. Now, who is going to buy the bonds, who will be asked to buy the bonds. I would like to know this. He also said the Ski Corporation would stand behind any transportation system. Now, I would like to have guaramtee~ from the Skiing Corporation that they are really going to do this financially. That they will launch the bond issue, that they will see about the of it, they will do many things. Aside from that we have the parking lots, where the land has to be b~ought for. They are thinking at present, Darcy is presently ahead of the Airport Authority of enlarging the Airport and of turning it around so. that it faces the south instead of the north and in that case the parking lots would have to be Somewhere contiguous to that. So that People aren't always just driving their cars into Aspen. Leaving it and having a mini bus into Aspen and the large parking lots. Now I come to the Sanitation District which Darcy said he knew nothing about~ The Sanitation District is at. present inadequate both and the City. I asked Darey to come any evening he wanted to at my house at 6:00 and I would open my bedroom windows and have him stand there and smell what I smell. I have not been able to open by bed- room windows anywhere on the east side of the house during the Christ mas Holidays. Now this problem has to be solved sooner or later. I spoke six years ago agaimmt putting sanitation plants down in the bottom of the river where if you have a flash flood which will probab never happen now because ,all, the water has been diverted, you have another, thing. I witneSsed.a 'cloud burst'here ,during the festival in '29. Then y~u really have.~a problem down there. Now do they propose t'o build a ' of sanitation plan~s-~p and down the Roaring 'Fork....I foretold 'this-' six years ago that this is what's going to. happen if-they put a large,plant, every now and again. I even offered the west end of t:he ai~po~t garage contiguous to the road as a place to put the bigger sanitation plant. It was turned down because the extra .money was too ~much. I am only saying this that Aspen has these problems tha~ have to be-solved as Jack Walls says, sooner or later, whether we have the doltars or not. But the problem is we have to fa'ce them sooner or late~ and.I think right now. We would like to have some guarantee from the Skiing Corporation that they would do their ~share.~ This is all I ask. COUNCIl/WAN ~ ~ust want to comment on Jack Wal, l's if~-s. ,To ,me there are too many WHITAKER ifs and I don't feel*that as an-elected official I have the right to gamble on the future growth of this town on alot of ifs and that is why I said we need more factual information. ROLL CALL VOTE - Councilmen Nystrom aye; Griffin aye; Ma, rkalunas aye; Walls aye; Whitaker aye; Mayor Homeyer aye. Motion carried. Lb~aine Graves, City Clerk // / \ / \ / \~\. // k / / \ / \ / / \ / \ / x / \ / \ / / \ / X / \ / x / \x / / /