HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutes.council.19960828Aspen City Council Continued Meeting August 28, 1996
Mayor Bennett called the meeting to order at 12:05 p.m. with Councilmembers
Paulson, Waggaman, Richards and Marolt present.
REQUEST FOR FUNDS
- CORE
Councilwoman Richards moved to add this request for a funds for a special energy
conference to the agenda; seconded by Councilwoman Waggaman. All in favor,
motion carried.
Amy Margerum, city manager, said this request from the city’s electric fund is for
$5,000 for a one-day confernce on energy and transportation issues. The original
request was for $7500, which Council reduced to $5000. Councilwoman
Waggaman said she feels the program and speakers are good. It seems to bad to
only get 40 minutes from each speaker. Councilwoman Waggaman said she is
frustrated by the process for this conference. Ms. Margerum said staff’s approval is
contingent upon working with Healthy Mountain Communities group.
Councilwoman Richards said this is a transportation conference more than an
energy forum and it may be more appropriate to be funded out of the contengency.
Mayor Bennett said transportation is an energy issue and the biggest use of fossile
fuels.
Councilman Marolt said said he feels $5000 is a lot of money to spend on a one day
meeting and he does not support this expenditure.
Councilman Paulson moved to appropriate $5000 from the electric fund to fund
CORE Energy and Trasnportation meeting in October; seconded by Councilwoman
Richards. All in favor, with the exception of Councilmembers Marolt and
Waggaman. Motion carried.
RESOLUTION #51, SERIES OF 1996
- Ballot Language
Mayor Bennett said he does not feel Council is in agreement yet and suggested this
be an open discussion and not make a decision until next week. Mayor Bennett said
this is a very important issue and it deserves a lot of thought. Staff will make notes
of the suggestions and whether Council favors a November or a May ballot.
Councilman Marolt agreed that CDOT needs direction and the city should get the
corridor in place. What is done after the corridor is in place is open to discussion
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Aspen City Council Continued Meeting August 28, 1996
and planning and moving into the future from there. Councilman Marolt said he
favors a short question about using the Marolt property for transportation.
Councilwoman Waggaman said she would prefer to put the vote off until the spring
in order to get the information out to the public in order to get a yes vote. However,
she is willing to form a ballot question that will pass this fall. Councilwoman
Waggaman said CDOT’s preferred alternative is not her preferred alternative;
however, the time has come to accept an alternative. If everyone holds out for their
“preferred alternative”, Aspen will have nothing. Councilwoman Waggaman agreed
the question should be simple, asking the voters permission to use the Marolt open
space for highway and a future rail corridor.
Mayor Bennett said this process has been going on for over 20 years and more
specifically over 18 months. A consensus of most elected officials and the citizens
task force in favor of rail instead of a 4 lane highway. A consensus was also
reached on the preferred alternative. This is an advisory vote to CDOT for them to
move forward into the final EIS with apreferred alternative and a more innovate
view of transportation. CDOT is willing to support the local wishes but they would
like an election to confirm the recommendfaton of the citizen task force and of the
election officials. Mayor Bennett said a two lane highway without rail is not going
to solve congestion problems and a rail system without a two lane highway cannot
be done.
Councilwoman Richards favors asking the election question now. Council has the
ability to define the question adnd to put forward the most complete solution to the
traffic issue. Councilwoman Richards said the city can have only one question
rather than multiple choice. Councilwoman Richards noted the city will hyave the
support of CDOT if there is a positive vote. Councilwoman Richards pointed out
there have been a lot of copmromises on the part of the county comissioners to
support the city’s position. The citizens’ alternative H committee has worked long
and hard to come to this consensus. Councilwoman Richards said the important
important thing is the success of a rail system that becomes a valley-wide rail
system. This should be the city’s overall goal.
Councilman Paulson said there has been a lot of thought put into the entrance to
town issue. Councilman Paulson said he does not want to see hte community make
the decision of paving with asphalt the entrance to town. Councilman Paulson said
he would prefer to put this vote off until May. Councilman Paulson said the time
can be used to get more and groups behind the entrance solution. Councilman
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Aspen City Council Continued Meeting August 28, 1996
Paulson questioned taking a highway and moving it to open space. There will still
be traffic problems. Councilman Paulson said he support rail first to get people out
of their cars. Councilman Paulson said he does not want people to boting on a
generic corridor. Councilman Paulson said in an ideal world he would support rail
across Marolt and keep the S curves. Amy Margerum, city manager, reminded
Council that using the S curves is not an alternative to CDOT. Councilwoman
Waggaman said to her the options are, can it be put across open space or not to
have a new highway.
Councilwoman Richards said there culd be two questions; (1) a rail corrdior across
Marolt, keeping traffic on the S curves and (2) should there be a rail corrdior across
Marolt with two lanes of traffic. Councilwoman Waggaman said CDOT has said
they will not imrpve the S curves so why give the community the choice to vote on
that. Ms. Margerum said this would cost the local community a lot more. The
traffic will stay the same; CDOT will not put any money in that and Aspen would
have to fund the rail corridor itself. This would take loger and require more local
money.
Councilman Marolt saud tge community cannot afford a “no” vote and in order to
get a favorable cvote, the question has to be as generic as possible. The voters have
to say they want a new entrance to Aspen and want a new alignment.
Richie Cohen suggested the question ask if the Marolt corridor can be used as a
trasnit corridor with a further recommendation that the type of transit be suggested
to CDOT after another vote in May. Les Holst said he does not agre with all the
citizen’s committee came up with; however, it is a good place to start and to put it
on the ballot. then the city can use all their energy to get money for rail. Holst said
he would like to see everything done simultaneously. Holst said not everyone will
get what they want but this should be for the good of the community.
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