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AGENDA
CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION
November 15, 2021
4:00 PM, City Council Chambers
130 S Galena Street, Aspen
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I.WORK SESSION
I.A.Aspen Skiing Company - Government Update
I.B.Council Goal Update - Carbon & Waste Reduction
I.C.July 4th Celebration Update
I.D.Council Board Reports and Council Updates
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MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor Torre and City Council
FROM: CJ Oliver, Environmental Health and Sustainability Director; Ashley Perl,
Climate Action Manager; Liz Chapman, Senior Environmental Health
Specialist; and Tessa Schreiner, Sustainability Programs Administrator
THRU: Diane Foster, Assistant City Manager and Scott Miller, Public Works
Director
MEMO DATE:November 12, 2021
MEETING DATE:November 15, 2021
RE:City Council’s Carbon and Waste Reduction Goal: A Roadmap
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this memo and corresponding work session is to provide a high-level roadmap for
achieving City Council’s 2-year carbon and waste reduction goal.
SUMMARY & BACKGROUND:
On August 10, 2021, City Council adopted Resolution #76_Series 2021, which directed staff to
reduce Aspen’s greenhouse gas emissions in the following way: Take meaningful action and
provide leadership in reducing the Aspen community’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions
by the amount which is scientifically proven to limit global temperature change.
This will be accomplished through:
a. Maximizing efficiency and minimizing carbon emissions in all of Aspen’s emissions
inventory sectors including: Waste Reduction and Diversion, Transportation, and the Built
Environment
b. Leading climate policy and legislative efforts at local, regional, national, and global scales
This goal runs for two years until July 2023. It should be said that Aspen will not be able to reduce
emissions by the amount which is scientifically necessary (63% by 2030 and zero carbon by 2050)
in the two-year time frame. However, reductions will be realized over the next two years and
crucial programs will be initiated to guarantee future reductions. With this in mind, the next two
years will include both bold actions that lead to immediate GHG emission and municipal solid
waste reductions as well as long-term planning efforts to ensure Aspen remains on a pathway to
achieve net zero carbon and increased waste diversion. Although Aspen has been dedicated to
climate action for close to two decades, this City Council goal provides added support and a
needed sense of urgency to the ongoing climate actions currently underway and planned.
DISCUSSION:
As the goal language states, it is necessary to reduce emissions in multiple sectors to achieve
the overarching GHG reduction goals. For this reason, this goal will include five key workplan
areas or elements that will be ongoing simultaneously for the next two years. These elements
are: Waste Reduction, Building Energy Use, Electric Vehicles, Policy, and Long-range Planning.
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Each of these are described in more detail below and broad timelines are provided in Attachment
A.
Waste Reduction.The disposal of Aspen’s waste accounts for 12% of total community GHG
emissions and 75% of the material buried in the Pitkin County landfill. The community of Aspen
has consistently achieved a 30% diversion (or higher) over the last few years. The next focus will
be increasing the collection of organic material through new programming and outreach to
increase participation in diversion programs, as well as exploration of how to expand compost
programming in the community. This work will begin by engaging the retail food sector in dialogue
about mandating organic diversion to determine a practical approach to new requirements. With
the input from the retail food sector and other interested community members, staff will bring a
compost ordinance to City Council for consideration in Q1 of 2022. Staff will continue internal and
external conversations with partners and stakeholders regarding the County’s progress in
reducing construction and demolition waste in order to present options to Council in Q3 of 2022
for supporting this effort.
Building Energy Use. This sector represents 58% of community wide GHG emissions. It is
important to note that while some reductions will come from adopting updated building codes for
new construction, all immediate GHG reductions must come from existing buildings. The Building
IQ program, which addresses existing structures, will be the key to realizing these reductions.
Building IQ refers to a broad impact ordinance with two phases; the first phase will require
commercial and multi-family buildings to benchmark energy and water use, and the second phase
will require the buildings to work towards achieving a building performance standard (BPS), a
policy that establishes a definition for high performance buildings and drives buildings to achieve
it on a long-term timeline with interim targets. Municipal buildings will be required to benchmark
and meet the BPS on a faster timeline than other buildings in the community, as a way of
positioning the City of Aspen as a leader in energy efficiency. Staff will bring the first phase of the
Building IQ ordinance (required benchmarking) in front of City Council in Q1 of 2022.
Fleet Electrification. Cars, trucks, and buses on the roads account for 24% of Aspen’s GHG
emissions. The City’s ever-expanding network of public charging stations supports the community
transition to electric vehicles, as prescribed in the Electric Vehicle Readiness Plan. However, the
City of Aspen fleet currently includes a total of three electric vehicles, two of which are in need of
replacement. The City of Aspen fleet represents a large opportunity for local government to not
only improve operations and save money, but also to share the story and learnings with the
community. Staff will work with Department Directors to create a fleet electrification strategy in
advance of next year’s budget cycle.
Policy.While the City of Aspen can implement bold programs and policy at the local level, much
of Aspen’s long-term success is enabled or disabled by state and federal legislation and policy.
Both Climate Action and Waste Reduction are named in City Council’s Policy Agenda and staff
are actively working in both state and federal policy spaces to influence climate and environmental
policy in alignment with community goals and council priorities. The state legislative session
begins on January 12, 2022 and will run through May. During the off time, staff engages with state
agencies around rule making procedures. Throughout the year, staff relies on networks and
partner organizations to track and engage with relevant opportunities at the federal level. When
proposed legislation actions support the climate and waste goals of the City of Aspen staff will
bring those opportunities before Council as appropriate
Long-range Planning. The actions listed above will deliver near term GHG reductions that will also
position ongoing reductions well into the future. At the same time, a broader community plan is
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needed to direct future actions and guarantee that Aspen continues to expand programming and
pursue deeper GHG reductions towards 2030 and 2050 targets. Aspen’s current Climate Action
Plan needs an update and Aspen also needs to develop a plan to achieve more significant waste
reduction. Staff will begin work on a Community Sustainability and Climate Plan that incorporates
actions for all sectors including Transportation, Waste Reduction, Renewable Energy, and
Buildings and provides a pathway to achieve 63% GHG reductions by 2030 and zero carbon by
2050. This long-range plan will be centered in equitable community engagement principles.
The plan will be available in draft form towards the end of 2022 and will be finalized and adopted
by the end of the goal cycle, providing a launching pad for additional climate and waste reduction
work once the City Council goal has ended. While staff has the knowledge and technical expertise
to create this plan on a faster timeline, the recommended approach is to allow ample time for
community dialogue and buy-in. If Aspen can apply a social equity lens and co-design a long-
range plan which represents the voices within the community, the product will be far more
impactful and complete with significant ownership, buy-in and investment from the community in
working together to reach community goals.
Focus of this work session:
This memo and work session are intended to provide City Council a broad overview of the
pathway to achieve City Council’s goal. In addition, staff requests that City Council discuss and
consider adopting new greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals to be in alignment with the
global Race to Zero commitment. Recently the City of Aspen signed onto the Race to Zero and
joined thousands of other cities across the globe in a commitment to bold and aggressive climate
action. This is a meaningful step towards recognizing that global climate change poses the most
significant threat to humanity’s ability to sustain a livable planet and that cities are an essential
component to reducing greenhouse gas emissions across the globe.
The first step in fulfilling Aspen’s Race to Zero commitment is to set science-based targets for
reducing emissions. Aspen’s current reduction targets (30% by 2020 and 80% by 2050) were
adopted in 2007 in alignment with other leading global cities. Now that climate modeling has
advanced and become more sophisticated, the impact of each individual community can be
understood on a more granular level. This allows for the calculation of a science-based target. A
science-based target is unique to Aspen, based on past emissions inventories, and prescribes a
more specific number that Aspen needs to reduce in order for the world to avoid the irreversible
impacts of climate change.
The organization known as ICLEI calculated Aspen’s goals as follows:
63% reduction needed by 2030 to total greenhouse gas emissions
100% reduction (zero carbon) needed by 2050 to total greenhouse gas emissions
In addition, ICLEI calculated goals for different key emissions sectors, including waste reduction.
The recommendation is for Aspen to:
Reduce organics in the landfill by 25% by 2025 and 100% by 2050
Reduce community MSW (municipal solid waste) generation per capita by 8% by 2025
Reduce landfill waste by 50% by 2030, 2015 baseline
70% total diversion by 2050
Staff recommends adopting new goals for two reasons. First, the Race to Zero commitment
requires cities to adopt science-based targets prior to undertaking project planning efforts.
Secondly, the act of adopting new goals will provide clear direction to staff for planning efforts and
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will provide the community a definition of success. Council has requested both an updated climate
action plan and a new waste reduction plan. Without adopted and stated goals, the community
and staff don’t know what to plan towards.
For these reasons, staff recommends City Council consider the adoption ofupdated climate action
goals and new waste reduction goals via a Resolution in December 2021.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
Each of the areas listed above requires trained staff as the primary means of accomplishing this
work. Capital costs as well as technical systems and consultants will be required in some cases.
As each item is brought in front of management and City Council, project budgets will be
included and discussed. For now, much of the work can be accomplished within existing
operating and staff budgets for both Climate Action and Environmental Health. The proposed
2022 budget for Environmental Health, Climate Action and REMP includes operating and
administrative expenses to support this goal in the near-term.
NEXT STEPS:
Over the course of the next two years, staff will be updating Council almost every quarter of the
year. At times, individual programs or policies will require dedicated work sessions, while other
times staff will bring multiple related policies to City Council within one work session. City Council
will also be asked to consider resolutions and ordinances as part of regular City Council meetings,
and City Council will be kept apprised of outreach and policy activities and invited to participate,
as City Council is able. Staff will also present Council with information only memos to keep Council
informed in between decision points.
Key Council Dates from the Timeline:
The timeline below provides an overarching picture of each of the five goal elements and shows
the more specific timeline for each item. Below are some key upcoming dates.
November 15th 2021 Work Session (this memo):
Staff from both the climate and waste teams to present high-level, 2-year plan to
accomplish the goal.
Discuss adoption of updated climate targets and new waste targets
December 2021/January 2022:
Resolution at a regular council meeting to adopt new targets
Work session to discuss the Benchmarking phase of the Building IQ ordinance
Present the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory for the City of Aspen municipal
organization for the years 2019 and 2020.
February/March 2022:
Work session to discuss the details of the Required Organics ordinance
Regular Council meetings needed to approve Benchmarking ordinance
Presentation of Aspen community GHG inventory data to inform the creation of an
updated Climate Action Plan + Zero Waste Plan
April/May 2022:
Work session to discuss approaches to electrifying the City’s fleet
Regular Council meetings needed to approve the Required Organics ordinance
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Summer 2022:
Work session to discuss Construction and Demolition waste reduction options
Inclusion of City fleet electrification in 2023 budget planning
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A: Goal Timeline Q4 2021 – Q2 2023
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Electric
Vehicles
Building
IQ
Waste
Reduction
Policy
Long
Range
Planning
Work Session
(Organics
Overview)
Carbon
Goal
Elements
Quarter 4
2021
Quarter 1
2022
Quarter 2
2022
Quarter 3
2022
Quarter 4
2022
Quarter 1
2023
Pass Ordinance
(Benchmarking)
Work Session
(Benchmarking)
Pass Ordinance
(Organics)
Work Session
(C&D)
Work
Session
(Organics)
Pass Ordinance
(Building Performance
Standard)
Work Session
(Fleet Electrification)
Budget Approval
Adopt science-
based targets
New Community Sustainability
Plan adoption
Work Session
(Benchmarking)
State Legislative
Session Begins
State Legislative
Session Ends
State Legislative
Session Begins
2020 GHG
Inventory
Complete
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MEMORANDUM
TO:City Council
FROM:Nancy Lesley, Director of Special Events
THROUGH:Austin Weiss, Director, Parks and Recreation
Diane Foster, Assistant City Manager
MEMO DATE:November 10, 2021
MEETING DATE:November 15, 2021
RE:4th of July Report
REQUEST OF COUNCIL:There is no request of Council at this time. This is for
informational and broad directive purposes.
SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND: During the winter of 2021, staff met with City Council
in several work sessions, intended to develop a city-wide response to the effects of the
COVID pandemic on tourism and town vitality. Part of those conversations focused on
community special events, Council directed staff to form a committee to look into the
planning for the July 4th holiday and specifically how the July 4th celebration might be re-
imagined for both this previous summer as well as into the future. Both Councilor Mullins
and Councilor Hauenstein agreed to participate in this committee. The purpose was three
pronged:
o Ensure Future Celebrations align with community values
o Look at July 4th under COVID restrictions
o Look at July 4th with an eye to the environment
DISCUSSION:The July 4th planning committee was formed with the following
participants: City Council representation, members of the public and staff of ACRA and
the city. The committee proceeded on an aggressive and consistent timeline to engage
the community at large regarding the July 4
th celebration. Beginning this past spring and
concluding just a few weeks ago, this committee listened to a wide swath of the
community and their personal/professional ideas, feelings, and opinions towards this
national celebration.
The common themes that arose from these conversations can be summed up as follows:
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o COMMUNITY
o PATRIOTISM
o OLD FASHIONED
o FUN
Incorporating these themes into the future of the celebration, including ways to minimize
the environmental impact, will be the focus during the planning of the 2022 celebration.
In addition, we will be looking at the following:
o Hosting a community parade: Whether on Main Street or not is yet to be
determined
o A focus on patriotism
o A celebration that is a community wide collaboration
o Creating a day where most everyone feels there is something of interest or that
they can connect to
FINANCIAL IMPACTS: As yet unknown until all the pieces are put together. Planning
will be based around the current budgeted amount that is part of the Special Events
Department with a possible supplemental request if necessary.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS: To be determined once the planning is final.
ATTACHMENTS:
Exhibit A – 4
th of July Report
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TIMELINE
4th OF JULY
REPORT
An overview of the public perception;
impact of 2020 COVID-related changes
made to the event; potentially lessen
the carbon footprint in future years
NOVEMBER 2021 10
The 4th of July was a shining beacon of hope during the winter months
when our Public Health Orders were “Safer at Home.”
Staff and Council began the conversation during the WAV and SAV (Winter Aspen Vitality and
Summer Aspen Vitality) meetings between Council and staff where a wide range of topics were
brought forth and discussed.
During this time, a longtime community member sent a letter to City Council that had been
previously been sent to the Aspen Chamber Resort Association in late July 2019. With no
response from ACRA, the letter was sent to Council in the early part of 2021.
With the uncertainty of what the future might look like under ever changing COVID restrictions,
Council agreed to Councilwoman Mullins request to form a committee to do a few things:
Ensure future celebrations align with community values
Look at the July 4th under COVID
Look at July 4th with an eye to the environment
Councilman Hauenstein expressed interest in joining Mullins on this committee. With so many
unknowns and uncertainties, the committee was kept small in order to be responsive and
maintain continuity. The committee comprised of the following:
COUNCIL: Ward Hauenstein
PUBLIC: Ann Mullins & Stephanie Soldner
ACRA: Jennifer Albright Carney
CITY OF ASPEN: Nancy Lesley & Sandra Doebler
The committee began meeting in the spring of 2021 and while their support was important
and appreciated, the outline and logistics of the 4th of July had been determined earlier. The
committee in the first meeting determined the following:
Overview & Roles
2021 and 2022 outline
Review 2021 Planning
Future meeting dates
TIMELINE
PAGE : 2
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Subsequent meetings had the following agenda/topics.
»SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunities & Threats)
was performed on past July 4th
»Brainstorming session on what future July 4th could
potentially look like
»A deeper dive into what July 2021 will look like
»Determining our partners, people, and entities with
vested interests in July 4th
»What are the hurdles
»Who do we need to get buy-in from
»Who do we need to bring into the conversation early on
»What sort of communications plan do we need
»What does outreach look like
The entities and groups identified are the following:
»Youth
»Arts
»Non-Profits
»ACRA Board (restaurant & business)
»Veterans
»Business that also participates in the parade
»Law Enforcement
»Historical Society
»RFTA/Transportation
»Environmental Health/CORE
»Public
The next question to answer is the following.
»What does outreach and getting input to these
groupings look like?
TIMELINE
PAGE : 3
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The committee identified the following tools for outreach
»Survey/Community Voice
»One on One conversation(s)
»Meeting with committee + group
»Meeting with committee and multiple groups
The committee then engaged the help of the Communications Team
of both the City and ACRA. This team was tasked with outreach to
the public following the Fourth of July celebration 2021. Outreach to
the groups began immediately after July 4th and continued through
October. The committee dubbed this the “Listening Tour.”
Conclusions, consensus and a general outline of common themes will
be presented to Council on Monday, November 15th.
COMMITTEE MEETINGS
The following is a list of entities that the committee met with
and their representatives.
Aspen Historical Society: Nina Gabianelli, Aspen Police Department: Ginna Gordon & Terry Leicht,
Aspen Transportation Department (also speaking on behalf of RFTA): Sarajane Foreman,
Buddy Program: Madeline Hawkins, Red Brick Center for the Arts: Sarah Roy, CORE: Mona Newton,
The Veterans: Hugh & Sally Glenn, CCLC: Jeb Bell, City of Aspen Downtown Services: Mitch Osur,
City of Aspen Environmental Health Department: Ashley Pearl & Liz Chapman,
ACRA (Board Member representing Restaurants & Business Sector): Michael Goldberg,
Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club: Raleigh Bacharach, Miah Wheeler & Madeline,
Aspen Jr Hockey: Harlan Pratt, Aspen Music Festival: Alan Fletcher,
JAS Aspen: Jim Horowitz, Theatre Aspen: Jed Burnstein, Sante Fe Ballet: JP Malaty,
Aspen Art Museum: Tyler Schube & Ryan Prince, Horse Council: Rheta Strong
TIMELINE
PAGE : 4
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NOTABLE TAKEAWAYS
Regarding the History and Love of the Day
»It’s the feeling of being with your community, it’s a community celebration and the
shared experience.
»Loved having the participants run through the parade and people watching and cheering.
»The vets love the crowds and the applause.
»They like the idea of walking and carrying sign.
»Missed seeing veterans, same parade, few traditions being kept with a connection to the past.
»Commotion and music is American and fun part of the parade.
»Is it broke? No. Can you add and make better? Yes.
Regarding the New Format for 2021
»Keeping Hwy 82/Main Street open was a positive and massive impact on traffic patterns.
»Increased safety.
»Emergency response routes had faster and easier access.
»Minimal impact on RFTA.
»Buses were able to maintain printed schedules without the delays caused by detours.
»More social.
»More enjoyable.
»Better entertainment factor .
»Underwhelmed by the evening light show.
»Businesses say the best year for them (busines-wise) was 2021.
»Loved the closed streets.
»Felt like pedestrians took over the town, seemed very old fashioned.
»The traditional, routine of the day was missing.
»Nuances within the structure that was is fine.
»Booths are for Saturday market, not July 4th.
»Ability to talk and engage with the public; reached more people and loved the interaction.
»Liked the format, could make it longer. Was way better for performances.
PAGE : 5
COMMENTS
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Ideas and Thoughts Moving Forward
»Require décor and appropriate (Independence Day) entertainment.
»Shorten parade.
»Expand kids activities.
»Family oriented celebration.
»Needs a vetting process.
»Opportunity to invite people into our ethos.
»Environment has been lost in our community.
»Showcase Local artists reuse or recycle events.
»Opportunity to raise awareness of our environmental issues .
»Resource conservation and recycling are truly a western tradition.
»Represent Aspen history, old fashion, tradition.
»Innovation is part of Aspen’s forte.
»Look at community gathering after parade.
»Can you do things more community oriented? Sure, but need to define community.
»Same likes (pods) defined by areas of interest. You can’t get all the people on the same page.
»All for making climate changes, what’s in the parade isn’t all that important.
»No need to create an evening or new tradition.
»Have a dedicated stage for performing.
»In the past the parade is really long; hybrid would be a great day.
PAGE : 6
COMMENTS
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF 4TH OF JULY
ASPEN COMMUNITY VOICE
A survey along with an open-ended question was presented for the public on Aspen Community
Voice. The engagement was geared toward learning the community’s values around the 4th of
July events. A total of 387 individuals responded to the survey, which exceeded expectations.
By far, the largest respondents were Aspen residents (298) with 102 Aspen business owners.
The survey results were very clear and strong opinions were voiced.
The most important values around 4th of July for respondents are:
PATRIOTISM, COMMUNITY, OLD-FASHIONED, AND FUN.
Survey respondents strongly agreed that 4th of July in Aspen should include or foster the
following qualities or events:
Attracts locals
A parade
Includes family-friendly activities
Offers nostalgia for Old-Aspen
Homegrown
Offers community connection
Respondents were neutral on questions of environmentalism, carbon neutrality, and noise levels.
A total of 79 people contributed to the ideas page. In general, they wanted to see the
parade return and wanted to continue to honor the traditions of Aspen’s 4th of July.
There were some comments about the City reducing carbon emissions in other ways
instead of targeting the parade.
The site was open between June 30 and July 18. During that time: 1,300 people visited
the site; 864 clicked on something on the site; and 387 took the survey.
PAGE : 7
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF 4TH OF JULY
FOCUS GROUPS
More than 30 residents participated in three focus groups. The intent was to engage in a
deeper discussion about the values of Community, Fun, Old Fashioned, and Patriotism.
The general sentiment in every focus group was a strong desire for a parade. This was
passionately expressed by a majority of the participants across all focus groups and for many, it
was the sole reason they attended. Expressing their passion for a parade drew many to attend
and that was clear and specifically stated. Most people who attended did not express that
environmental concerns were a priority for the day, but the few who did want to see the parade
and entire day be less carbon intensive. These folks were also very passionate and were drawn
to the meeting for this specific reason.
The minority of attendees preferred the stationary parade and the fact that town was closed
down and the streets had a fair-like atmosphere as well as the exclusion of cars made it feel
safer and more festive for them.
Generally, people commented that the entire day should be one that brings people together
and all differences should be put aside.
There were some comments made that the parade was too commercial, and floats seemed like
advertisements for local businesses or real estate firms.
There were also some good discussions around making the event even more “down home” like
a County fair with pie baking contests, costume contests, and more folksy events that celebrate
skill, individuality, funkiness, and history.
People seemed to want more music in addition to the music at the Aspen Music Festival.
A street dance was suggested by some.
There was some discussion about celebrating and honoring veterans in addition
to the parade.
PAGE : 8
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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MOVING FORWARD: 2022 & BEYOND
Staff is so appreciative of the committee and the community taking time out of their day and their
busy life to participate and lend their voice into what is important to them. We want everyone to
know we heard you.
The committee felt there are many reoccurring themes throughout, but very typical of Aspen, there
are also many areas where our community is split.
Reoccurring Themes:
COMMUNITY, PATRIOTISM, OLD FASHIONED, FUN
When the committee was first discussing the entire July 4th day in the spring, these themes are
seen throughout the discussion.
What does this mean for the future of July 4th?
Staff and the committee are really energized and excited to be moving forward. Taking the 4
foundational wording above we will work to incorporate them into the day making nuance changes,
but leaving the traditional and uniqueness of Aspen intact.
»Parade: whether on Main Street or not is yet to be determined, but there will be a parade
»Include more patriotism
»Partnering with our local entities to tie all the celebrations together
»Make a day – where most everyone feels that they have something of interest and that
they can connect to
Things we will be working on
» Traditional start to the parade
» Stage for performances
» Non-profit participation and partnership
» Family Friendly component
» Competition
» Interactive venue
PAGE : 9
MOVING FORWARD
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