With an early-September deadline looming to finalize a ballot question proposing the formation of a Regional Transportation Authority, Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. has backed away from a pledge to commit $1 million annually for the next 20 years to help fund it.

Although not ruling out a longer-term commitment, Ski Corp. is now committing to only a one-time, $1 million contribution to the RTA — an unexpected change that could potentially fracture the proposed RTA’s coalition of Yampa Valley local governments.

In the wake of Ski Corp.’s retreat, Routt County leaders last Tuesday lashed out at what they called a “disingenuous” change in course, while officials from Steamboat Springs, Hayden, Craig and Yampa signaled a willingness to move forward — exposing deep divisions over how, and whether, to secure the future of valley-wide transit.

---

---

For more than a year, the expectation had been that Ski Corp. would contribute $1 million annually for 20 years to help launch and sustain the RTA, according to Routt County Commissioner Sonja Macys, who represents the county on the RTA Formation Committee. 

Email exchanges, written materials signed off on by the resort, and community surveys disseminated earlier this year all referenced this long-term pledge, said Macys, underpinning public expectations of Ski Corp.’s role as a community steward.

---

---

At last Tuesday’s formation committee meeting, however, Roger Levanduski, Ski Corp.’s vice president of finance, explained that completing internal reviews and securing approvals within the ski resort’s larger corporate structure, Alterra Mountain Co., would require more time. 

“What has thrown up a flag on our end is really the length of the term that we’re committing to and needing to be sure that we do an extra layer of diligence before we commit to this group for the full 20 years,” Levanduski said. “One year is a way for us that we felt to try to bridge and give that commitment, while still doing the same level of diligence to come to the same outcome.”

Ski Corp. President and Chief Operations Officer Dave Hunter echoed Levanduski’s sentiment, adding that Ski Corp. was “under duress from a timeline standpoint,” and clarified that the longer-term deal would still be negotiated – just not right now.

“Twenty years is going to take time for us to work through. We want to bridge that timeline so you have our million-dollar commitment, which we remain committed to,” said Hunter. 

“In parallel to this, we’ll continue to work on the long-term agreement and run it through the channels as Roger alluded to on our side,” he continued, “while not slowing down the immediate process of the need for the pledge to get this to ballot.”

Municipal and county leaders voice frustration

Commissioner Sonja Macys, perhaps the most vocal critic during the meeting, expressed deep frustration over Ski Corp.’s sudden shift in commitment. 

“You guys signed off on the written materials that went out to all of our voters that said that in print. You also signed off on a poll that went out in April that talked about whether or not that contribution was going to be meaningful to voters’ decisions,” said Macys. “So you can tell us right now that this is the 11th hour and it’s coming to you just now, but I honestly don’t think that that is consistent with what we’ve been hearing.”

“We have been talking on behalf of the resort about your generosity and how you’ve been enabling this action, and I am very regretful that I’ve been doing that,” Macys added. “I feel horrible.”

Her frustration was echoed by County Commissioner Angelica Salinas, who balked at Hunter’s use of the term “duress.”

“You have had ample time to address this,” Salinas said. “This is not a hostage negotiation.”

Hunter acknowledged the commissioners’ frustrations, but continued to defend Ski Corp.’s position, noting that the “devil’s in the details.” 

“Details are important when you’re going to sign a 20-year agreement and encumber our company for the next 20 years in writing,” Hunter responded. “We have a million dollars on the table to support and stand up this RTA, and all we’re asking for is some more time on the side in parallel to work through the details of the longer-term agreement.”

“With all due respect … is it customary to say that you’re going to do something for like a year, year-and-a-half, like give a million dollars over 20 years’ time, and then not have those details discussed internally?” Macys fired back. 

“I get it. You got to run up the food chain. That’s fair,” she added. “But why go around and verbally commit? Why put it in writing to all of our voters?”

Hunter sidestepped the question, opting instead to reiterate the talking points previously stated by Levanduski and himself. 

Steamboat Springs City Councilor Michael Buccino, who represents the city on the formation committee, said he was “disheartened” with the shift in Ski Corp.’s stance, but that ultimately, the revised pledge gives him “enough to support this to move forward.”

Whether City Council as a whole, however, is in agreement with moving forward given the new pledge is set to be discussed at Tuesday night’s council meeting.

Hayden Town Manager Mathew Mendisco called for greater clarity in the revised pledge on the long-term commitment. 

“Right now, the commitment is $1 million next year if the election passes. There is really no contingency,” he said. “I think it would be good to clarify in that agreement that in principle, we are talking about $19 million over 19 years following this current pledge.”

Craig City Manager Peter Brixius agreed, expressing preference for having the longer-term commitment implied in the pledge.

Bill Ray, consultant for the RTA, spoke on behalf of Craig City Councilor Randy Looper, Craig’s representative on the committee, as well as Yampa Mayor Stacy Geilert, who represents Yampa on the committee, and said that both municipalities support “moving forward” with Ski Corp.’s modified pledge.

Ray then turned to Oak Creek Town Manager Louis Fineberg and asked if he had any information on Oak Creek’s perspective. 

“I really don’t at this point,” said Fineberg. “I’m still kind of absorbing everything.”

Ray said he will meet with Oak Creek Mayor Melissa Dobbins this week to gauge her response to the revised pledge. 

Lift tax negotiations a potential factor?

A key source of tension is the concurrent discussion over the past several months between the city and Ski Corp. around a potential lift ticket tax intended to help fund transportation. 

In lieu of putting the lift tax on the ballot this November, the city and Ski Corp. signed an agreement in early August, in which Ski Corp. agreed to contribute $2.75 million annually for 20 years to help fund capital and operational costs for Steamboat Springs Transit.

Macys argued that the lift tax negotiations should not affect the Ski Corp.’s RTA pledge, yet the timelines appear intertwined.

“You guys told us that the lift ticket tax had nothing to do with this discussion and within 12 hours of signing the agreement with the city, you changed your tune on what we’re dealing with,” said Macys. 

Hunter acknowledged the overlapping timelines but insisted the timing was a matter of priority — not a conflict of interest. “We were focused on finalizing our negotiations and going to City Council on Tuesday night to be there for the vote and make sure that that agreement moved forward,” said Hunter. “That’s the only way they’re tied together.”

Macys pressed Steamboat officials to put lift tax language on the November ballot in light of Ski Corp.’s shift on their RTA pledge, noting that the $2.75 million deal does not preclude the city from submitting a ballot question.

“I don’t see a way forward without regulating and passing the lift ticket tax as the way that we affirm this (long-term) commitment,” she said.

Buccino pushed back against Macys, saying she was “outside” of her “role” by trying to influence the city’s agreement with Ski Corp. 

Steamboat Springs City Councilor Bryan Swintek, however, said the city should put lift tax ballot language back on Tuesday night’s City Council agenda in light of Ski Corp.’s pullback on its RTA pledge.

“When you can’t collaborate and you have to regulate, that’s kind of where I feel like we are,” Macys added. “I am incredibly saddened that we are at this point … I really thought we were in a good place as a community, and clearly we are not.”

Next steps

While officials from Steamboat, Hayden, Craig and Yampa indicated agreement on moving forward with the one-year, $1 million pledge, with an implied – but not committed – longer-term pledge in the future, Macys remained firm on her stance that the city include the lift-tax question on the November ballot.

“We don’t have to do this all together … any entity that wishes to choose not to put this on the ballot can make that choice,” said Macys near the close of the meeting. “If people have a level of discomfort that feels as though they’re being dishonest with their voters, such as I do, they can choose to not put this on the ballot.”

Following a discussion of the proposed pledge during the commissioners’ work session on Monday, Aug. 18, Macys sent an email to the other members of the formation committee requesting their support to present a three-year commitment to Ski Corp.

“We believe a three-year commitment, commemorated by a signed pledge agreement, represents a reasonable compromise,” Macys wrote in the email. “We ask for your support in advancing the request to (Ski Corp.)”

Whether the other municipalities agree to the three-year proposal remains to be seen.

With a fast-approaching state of Colorado deadline of Sept. 5 to submit ballot language, the involved municipalities appear to remain divided on whether Ski Corp.’s retreat from the long-term commitment is sufficient grounds to abandon the RTA altogether, given that voter support — and its success at the ballot box — may hinge on an extended funding pledge.