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Steamboat Springs City Council sets goals at retreat

Scott Franz
Steamboat Springs City Council members applaud during a groundbreaking ceremony for the Yampa Street improvement project.
Scott Franz

— With a big development on the horizon, the Steamboat Springs City Council wants to engage the public next year in a conversation about the future character of the downtown area.

The council will also continue to discuss the future of downtown parking,

Councilwoman Kathi Meyer noted that the RiverView project, as well as the potential for redevelopment of the Western Lodge property, could greatly impact the look and feel of the downtown area.



The council made it a goal to gauge the community’s views on such things as density, building height and land uses downtown.

Council members set other goals at their retreat at the Sheraton Steamboat Resort on Friday morning. They included water planning, continuing the planning for a shared law enforcement facility, improving community trust and coming up with a sustainable vision for Howelsen Hill.



On the goal of improving community trust, council members said they felt they had made some progress recently by working to update their code of ethics. They also noted they have made themselves more accessible at events such as the Farmers Market and at cocktails and coffee with council events.

But council members said they see room for improvement.

Councilwoman Robin Crossan said she felt the council could do a better job of holding more public discussions following their executive sessions.

Councilman Tony Connell also continued to advocate for a better dashboard where community members could track certain performance measures of the city.

The council also spent some time at its retreat talking about how members work together and how council meetings should be conducted.

At the request of council, City Manager Gary Suiter said he will work to have agenda packets for Tuesday council meetings ready on Thursdays, a day earlier than they currently are.

Council members said getting the packets on Friday sometimes doesn’t give them enough time to fully vet the information and ask questions of city staff.

Connell noted the public will also benefit from having the agenda packets earlier.

To reach Scott Franz, call 970-871-4210, email scottfranz@SteamboatToday.com or follow him on Twitter @ScottFranz10


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