The Yampa Valley Regional Transportation Authority had its first official meeting since its formation was approved by local voters last month, marking a pivotal moment in which the entity began transitioning from a long-touted campaign promise to a living, breathing local transit agency.

The main goal of the RTA is to improve bus service between communities, add new local routes and make public transportation more reliable and accessible for residents, workers and visitors.

A top objective is the introduction of fixed-route bus service on Colorado Highway 131 between Steamboat, Oak Creek and Yampa. 

Plans also include establishing a new local circulator bus route within Craig, ground transportation options to and from the Yampa Valley Regional Airport and creating park-and-ride lots for commuters accessing both the U.S. Highway 40 bus route and other new routes.

At the Monday meeting, the newly convened RTA board of directors formally elected officers, set a monthly meeting schedule and outlined early steps toward hiring an executive director and securing state approval.

In addition to RTA board members, representatives from Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp., Discovery Land Company, city managers from Steamboat, Hayden and Craig, and additional staff from several of the participating municipalities were present at the meeting.  

RTA officers elected, meetings set

In the months since voters across six Yampa Valley municipalities — Steamboat Springs, unincorporated Routt County, Hayden, Oak Creek, Yampa and Craig — approved formation of the RTA in November, each local government has appointed its official representative and alternate for the RTA board. 

The formal RTA board consists of the following members: 

• Steamboat Springs — Councilor John Agosta; Councilor Bryan Swintek (alternate)
• Unincorporated Routt County — Commissioner Sonja Macys; Commissioner Angelica Salinas (alternate)
• Hayden — Mayor Ryan Banks; Council Member Trevor Gann (alternate)
• Oak Creek — Mayor Melissa Dobbins; Town Trustee Erika Pastor (alternate)
• Yampa — Town Trustee Hailey Shoptaugh; Mayor Stacy Geilert (alternate)
• Craig — Councilor Randy Looper; Councilor Jnl Linsacum (alternate)

Before taking any votes, board members acknowledged that several representatives, including Dobbins and Shoptaugh, have full-time jobs and were hesitant to assume officer roles due to time constraints. 

Macys was ultimately unanimously appointed chair, with no other board member expressing interest in the position. Banks was unanimously selected as vice chair, and Looper, who emphasized the gravity of Craig “having a voice” among officers, was appointed treasurer, also by unanimous vote. 

Hayden Town Manager Mathew Mendisco was appointed secretary with the understanding that once the RTA has staff, that administrative function will move to a future employee.

The intergovernmental agreement that formed the Yampa Valley RTA requires the board to meet at least quarterly, but Looper pushed for more frequent meetings to keep momentum going. 

The board agreed to a monthly meeting at 4 p.m. on the last Monday of each month, with Macys adding that the newly selected officers should plan to meet in between full board sessions. 

While the Hayden Center is designated as the official meeting location, Macys underscored the importance of making the meetings as accessible as possible to the public, noting that “the more engagement we have, the better.” 

All meetings will include a public comment section on every agenda and will offer an option for virtual participation, she said. 

Meeting notices will be posted at the Hayden Town Hall, and Hayden staff will distribute notices to each of the municipalities to be posted locally.

Much of the first meeting focused on the practical steps required to convert a voter-approved concept into an operating authority. 

The board discussed the 90‑day timeline to secure a required certificate from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, which — once approved — formalizes the existence of the RTA as an organized multi-governmental agency pursuant to state laws.

Routt County Attorney Lynaia South said she is working on communicating with DOLA to expedite the certificate approval and feels confident it will move quickly, with Macys noting the county’s “good relationship” with the department. 

Board members also discussed legal support as the authority transitions from formation to implementation. 

Steamboat Springs City Manager Tom Leeson and City Attorney Dan Foote were tasked with contacting the law firm Kaplan & Kirsch about extending their contract and the possibility of forgoing further payment until the RTA is more formally established and funded. 

With no official RTA website in place yet, the authority continues to rely on member governments and partners to post information and share updates.​

Hiring an executive director and funding efforts

The board agreed that hiring an executive director will be one of the most important early decisions, but Mendisco cautioned that a hire is unlikely before the end of January. 

“The hiring market is tough. 
We know that,” said Macys. “We know that hiring without housing is challenging … this is not going to be a low-wage position, so I think we’re going to be offering an attractive salary that is a livable salary for this region.” 


Macys said she plans to reach out to other Colorado RTAs to collect sample job descriptions, both to clarify expectations and to avoid reinventing the wheel in defining the position. 

She also suggested that a smaller hiring committee — rather than the full board — handle the search and interview process to keep it manageable.

Board members noted that once an executive director is on board, many of the administrative tasks currently handled by elected officials and staff from member jurisdictions can be shifted to the authority’s own staff.

While detailed funding decisions still lie ahead, Macys said she has already started looking at potential revenue sources for the new authority. 

She referenced $250,000 in expected state formula funding through Senate Bill 24-230, which provides annual transit operating grants to Colorado agencies. Macys also flagged the opportunity to apply for discretionary grants, which are often tied directly to specific services or capital projects. 

For the time being, she said, the three-year, $1 million annual contribution from Ski Corp.— scaled back after the resort’s controversial retreat on the initial 20-year, $1 million annual pledge — will largely support formation and administration efforts, which are critical to address before the board can get the ball rolling on front-line transit services.​

Macys clarified that Ski Corp. does not hold a seat on the RTA board, but that she has invited resort staff to attend meetings to get “up to speed” on both the new authority and ongoing conversations around future Mountain Rail service. 

At the end of the nearly two-hour meeting, Steamboat Springs resident and RTA advocate Luke Phillips gave public comment and congratulated the board members on the authority’s successful formation.

“All of our communities spoke clearly: we want real transportation options,” said Phillips. “More votes were cast for the RTA in this last election than any other issue in our region. That level of trust, I think, in the community, comes with high expectations.”

“Citizens across our valley are counting on this board to build something meaningful — a transportation system that serves everyone from workers commuting daily to seniors maintaining their independence,” he continued. 

“We will all remain engaged, participating in meetings and supporting all of you,” he added. “We want to hold this board to a high standard, and we believe each of you are the right person for these roles.”

Looking ahead to the next few months, board members will be working on multiple tracks at once: finalizing DOLA certification, defining the executive director position and hiring process, continuing outreach on funding and tightening up meeting logistics and public communication. 

The RTA’s next board meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. Monday, Jan. 26 at the Hayden Center.