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GRAND LAKE, CO Tell 'em you saw it here

Pulling us out of the mainstream

COMMISSIONERS: PLEASE CLEAN UP YOUR MESS

grandcountyuncensored.com Opinion and commentary by reggie.paulk@gmail.com

September 15th, 2011 || Volume 1, Number 11 || Free

On September 6th, our commissioners unanimously denied a taxpayer's request for a property tax abatement (reduction) of his commercial property on the grounds that his tax burden came about largely because of the choices he'd made. They weren't going to grant the abatement just because the taxpayer's motel was not currently successful. The commissioners made the decision even though it likely meant this gentleman could eventually lose his property. Given the circumstances, I agree with their decision however, the commissioners have now set a precedent I hope they follow. Grand County and its towns are members of the Northwest Colorado Council of Governments (NWCCOG). It is, a voluntary association of county and municipal governments in north central Colorado. Members of the association include five counties (Eagle, Grand, Jackson, Pitkin and Summit) and 21 municipalities (Avon, Basalt, Eagle, Gypsum, Minturn, Red Cliff, Vail, Fraser, Granby, Grand Lake, Hot Sulphur Springs, Kremmling, Winter Park, Walden, Aspen, Breckenridge, Dillon, Frisco, Montezuma, Silverthorne and Glenwood Springs). (Source nwccog.org) According to their mission statement, one of the main reasons for the Council is to, Provide the "critical mass" necessary to take advantage of various federal programs. Many federal programs have minimum population requirements necessary to enact the program. Through its combined membership, NWCCOG meets mandated population thresholds. This allows individual members to receive benefits they would otherwise be unable to receive. Membership in the council allows the county and participating towns to receive federal dollars, with all of their wonderful strings attached. The latest push for NWCCOG has been to, create a comprehensive economic development strategy so they may apply for Economic Development District status through the Economic Development Administration. Part of this strategy included performing a SWOT analysis to determine the regions internal Strengths, internal Weaknesses, external Opportunites and external Threats. Organizations will commonly perform a SWOT analysis to better understand their operating environment and how best to become more competitive in the marketplace. Commissioner Newberry attended the SWOT meeting on Wednesday, October 20th, 2010. (tinyurl.com/3ql8ew3) Identified strengths such as a highly educated workforce with a wide range of expertise are tempered by weaknesses such as a lack of economic diversity, shoulder season challenges and a dependency on tourism. Other factors such as a high cost of living and lack of access to capital are also seen as weaknesses. The group identified external opportunities such as business incubators, technology adoption and a stabilized economic base, but their external threats show a clear lack of understanding of our local governments role in todays economic climate. Citizen initiatives and referenda are named as external threats along with sprawl and lack of funding. What the group failed to see was how its members were largely responsible for the problems identified. At the August 9th meeting of the Board of County Commissioners, Mr. Newberry was nominated and approved to sit on the NWCCOG economic development board by Commissioners Stuart and Bumgarner. I hope Newberry gives a quick read through the NWCCOG Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, because it identifies a lot of problems he had a hand in creating but, more importantly, could have a hand in solving.

The 2011 Draft of the NWCCOG Economic Development Strategy covers a lot of material. If you'd like to read it in full, you will get a clearer insight into how the leadership of our county and towns is thinking. Here's a link if you're interested: http://tinyurl.com/5vw649k If you'd rather put a hot poker in your eye, I understand. The part of the strategy I focused on was their analysis of economic development problems and opportunities. It's a pretty sad indictment of planning and policy decisions by those in places of leadership over the last decade or so, but it's also a good starting point when looking at potential solutions. The number one weakness identified in the study was a, Non diversified economy/Dependence on one industry: Tourism. Region 12 depends heavily on tourism and the sales tax that it generates. Over fifty percent of the regions jobs are related to tourism. This is problematic in that tourism is very dependent on discretionary dollars, which have been in short supply over the last several years due to the global recession. Tourism is also very seasonal and volatile. It is very important that the region work on diversifying its economic base such that the resulting economy can weather economic fluctuations. The reliance on tourism is not sustainable. Are you paying attention commissioners? Grand County is over 90 percent tourism based, and this has been identified in your own study as being unsustainable. Lack of infrastructure for a knowledgebased economy is given as the second weakness. In fact, the lack of easy access to broadband communications is probably one of the greatest challenges facing Grand County, and its a subject the commissioners dont know enough about. Many high paying jobs are capable of being performed from remote locations as long as high speed Internet is readily available, and Grand County lacks the broad band penetration these people need. We have a lodging tax that supports a tourism board and their advertising efforts. Ive already identified the gigantic waste of money that represents to the taxpayers of Grand County you can read the article if you missed it by visiting: tinyurl.com/3zdq555. There are solutions on the table, and its time the commissioners think about diverting those lodging dollars to more appropriate longterm infrastructure. Tourism and housing are two markets that work handinhand. If tourism is seen as unsustainable, so too are the prices of housing. The study identifies our current problem with the housing market: Home market values in the region have been increasing at rates that far exceed the national average, resulting in a widening gap between local incomes and housing prices. Therefore, this has created a lack of affordable (or attainable) housing in Region 12. This is a problem because housing that is attainable to the workforce is a cornerstone for the regions strong yearround community and a healthy economy. In fact, the study points out that people in our region pay 25 percent more for housing than the state average. This problem has begun to fix itself, but the commissioners are currently trying to prevent the inevitablewhich Ill point out later. One of the primary repercussions of the above weaknesses is employment. At the end of the day, human labor is the only endeavor that ever actually creates wealth. Every dollar spent is either earned through labor or the promise of future labor. The study points out how chronic underemployment affects the county: Underemployment refers to a situation in which someone with excellent job qualifications is working in a position which requires lesser qualifications. CONTINUED...

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Dear Friends and Neighbors: EE Farms makes seasonal sales of grassfinished beef shares and eggs.We're guided by the philosophy of good animal husbandry, sound agricultural practices and community food sufficiency. Our animals are antibiotic and hormone free and treated humanely in a clean, uncrowded environment. University studies show grassfed beef is lower in total fat, higher in betacarotene, Vitamin E, B Vitamins, minerals, and Omega 3s. Similar studies show that homegrown fresh eggs, where the birds are cage free and have space to roam in a clean environment, have more Vitamins A, D, and E, more Omega 3s, and less cholesterol and saturated fat than commercially produced eggs. Give us a shout. When the time comes, youll get a mailing so you can place your order. We do our best to accommodate everyone, but were a small operation and it's first come, first served. Ask for Elena: 7269807, or drop a line to: brelena@consolidated.net Thank you, and take care.

This is prevalent in Region 12, where a highly educated workforce is being paid very low wages due to the large percentage of service level jobs. Underemployment is an issue in the region also because of its seasonal nature. Not only is it easier to hire parttime workers, but it is easier on employers to let parttime workers go at the end of the busy season. Underemployment has negative repercussions for the economy and the health of the business community because by not allowing people to work to their full potential, it can generate worker frustration, leading to dissatisfaction with a job or employer. This also creates a challenge for businesses in the high costs associated with unemployment claims/benefits. It can create challenges for the seasonal workforce as well as some have no access to employment benefits and have the potential to be laidoff much easier than an employee who works full time yearround. The creation of more year round, full time jobs that betterutilize the highly skilled, educated population that Region 12 attracts is a strategy that this CEDS seeks to address." How did we get to where we are today, and what can be done to reach the goals set forth in the plan above? In Grand County, our commissioners allowed the housing boom to take place pretty much without restrainteven when it was clear there was impropriety in many areas of the market. By not enforcing their own zoning regulations prohibiting the use of residential properties for overnight rentals, they allowed a massive bubble of second homes to inflate. At the time, it may not have seemed out of control. In retrospect, it's one of the biggest hurdles we face. During the housing boom tourism and homeownership were on the rise, and the party didnt seem like it would ever end. Tax revenues were flowing in like honey, and no one really paid attention to the little warning signs that something might not be right. Building inspections that would have caught fraud were no more than a formality construction projects that should have taken months dragged on for years no money down and adjustable rate mortgages were the rule rather than the exception... nothing can be done about that now. What is done is done, but now we have to live with the consequences, and there are some very tough choices ahead for our leadership. Tourism as a business model is clearly unsustainable. We can prolong the pain by hanging onto that model for dear life or make the tough decisions now and allow for the necessary readjustment. The adjustment will come either way, but choosing one form over another will cause a lot less pain and suffering in the end. Our commissioners need to begin making radical adjustments to their thinking if they are to get ahead of the coming storm. There are many factors affecting the formation of businesses (jobs) in this county and Colorado in general. The Council wants to blame the ability of citizens to create initiatives and referenda, but what has it done to address problems we currently face? We clearly need to address the 1982 Gallagher Amendment and Amendement 23, and we need to do it now. These two amendments have conspired to rob Colorado of its competitiveness, and local governments have had 29 years to address Gallagher. Under the NWCCOGS, our county and town leadership could easily gather a coalition to petition the state for redress, but that would mean real leadership and putting water issues on the back burner for the good of all people of Colorado. On September 20th, the commissioners will continue their public hearing on overnight rentals, and it's about time they eat a bit of their own cooking. They had no problem letting the gentleman at the beginning of this story swing from the noose of his own decisions. He has to deal with the consequences of his own actions whether he loses his business or not, and that's okay with the commissioners. It would be a travesty of justice if they then change the rules and endorse what is now illegal activity just to prevent those people who made the decision to purchase a home or a condo with the intent of utilizing it for short term rentals from possibly suffering the same fate. It's time to start playing by the rules.

This November's elections are by mailin ballot only, so be sure to have yours mailed to you. If you didn't vote in the last election, you should have received a notice from the Grand County Clerk and Recorder at the end of July. If you are unsure, please visit this link to go to the elections page of the clerk and recorder's website: goo.gl/zTwNo || From there, you may check all of the necessary details. Ballots will be mailed to voters on October 11th, and are due back by 7PM on November 1st. On November 1st, completed ballots may also be dropped off at the following locations from 7AM to 7PM: CSU Extension Office Kremmling Grand Lake Elementary (At least it's being used for something) Mountain Parks Electric Granby Church of the Eternal Hills Tabernash Grand Park Recreation Center Fraser INITIATIVE 25 IS NOW PROP 103

MAILIN BALLOTS ONLY THIS YEAR

I don't vote to take money out of my fellow citizen's pockets. It's your money spend it as wisely or foolishly as you wish. On the other hand, there are thousands (millions) of people across this great nation who want your money and expend enormous amounts of energy trying to take it from you. They are the most dangerous among us, and I feel it's my duty to stop them at the ballot box every chance I get. Proposition 103 gets a red light. Proposition 103 seeks to take a half billion dollars out of Colorado citizens' wallets by raising state income taxes nearly a half percent and raising state sales taxes by a tenth of a per cent. This is a clearly regressive taxing scheme that would place a higher financial burden upon those least able to afford it. Amendment 23 already requires school funding to increase by the rate of inflation plus one percent. This half brained amend ment has the state spending nearly 80 percent of its general fund on education, and it will get much worse without reform. Initiative 25 is endorsed by alphabet soup organizations such as the Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB) and the Colorado Association of School Executives (CASE). Current polling luckily gives the initiative no chance of success at the ballot box this November, but your vote counts. I guess we should feel lucky though. Eagle County has seven tax increase measures on their ballot!

The candidates running for East Grand Board of Education seats:

EAST/WEST GRAND SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS

District #1 (Hot Sulphur Springs): Taunia Shipman District #2 (Fraser/Winter Park, west side of Highway 40): Joan Evans (incumbent) Donald Scott District #4 (Fraser/Winter Park, east side of Highway 40): Chip Besse (board appointee) January Paulk The candidates running for West Grand Board of Education seats: Three of five board of director seats are up for election. One seat is held by Board President Larry Banman who is term limited. The following are the names that will appear on the ballot in the exact order: Dean Billington (incumbent) Michele DeSanti Michael "Mitch" Lockhart Jon Ewert Brett Davidson (incumbent)

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Contact the editor: reggie.paulk@gmail.com (303)5527963