“Influencing Positive Economic Change For Minturn”

Results of the February 21, 2006 Workshop

(Final Workshop in the Series with Clarke Becker, CRDC)

Proposed actions for the Minturn Community as a result of this and previous meetings:

• Historic Preservation Committee Action Items

Mission: Preserving and Enhancing the History of Minturn

Short Term Goals

• Fill some of the empty windows in downtown buildings with historical pictures/murals
• Identify buildings and landmarks for historical value-placement of plaques on front of some for Historic Walking Tour
• Invite Seniors to participate on the Historic Preservation Committee

Long Term Goals

• Railroad theme info center and museum

“Implementation”
Karen will distribute the photos collected for review by the committee (possible photos to be enlarged by C&B)

Committee will develop a list of landmarks for specific recognition. Next meeting: Tues, March 7th at 6:30PM

2.            Business to Business CommitteeAction Items

Mission: Taking care of the Businesses in Minturn (Bring a cohesiveness and a voice to Minturn Business)

Short Term Goals

• Help create an awareness of the importance of business in Minturn - Write a letter outlining the impact of business (Sales Tax) on the Town finances. Send the letter to all P.O. Boxes and addresses in Minturn. This could be part of a campaign to “Shop Minturn”.  Maybe Jay could help write the letter.
• Appearance of “empty windows” – Hold a contest at the area schools and ask the kids to paint the history of Minturn in the empty windows.  This will engage the schools in the history of Minturn, it will bring the community together (small town character), and it will be a discussion piece for the people on the street.

May also be press worthy and help to bring people to town. Could be coordinated with the Events Committee.

• Open up Dialogue with the Railroad

Long Term Goals

• Put a plan on paper for traffic calming (and harvesting) and present to the Town.
• (Coordinate Ginn/C&B Traffic studies for future planning)
• Work with the Town to revise signage regulations
• As part of the orientation program for the incoming new Town Council members, educate them on the impact of business on the Town finances.
• Create a document which outlines the advantages of doing business in Minturn.
• Public relations: Productions?  More info to the towns people about “what is the budget” and where does the money come from?  Sales tax and Property tax.

3.  Events and Activities Action Items

Mission: Attracting people and money to Minturn to include the local community while enhancing the quality of life.

Short Term Goals

• Promote Minturn Park as a community gathering place
• “Park” party (music, etc)
• live concerts
• children’s theater
• Gore Range Science talks
• Seniors
• Lectures (Minturn’s history)
• Arts & Crafts festivals
• Extend the bus system during special events
• Staging place for sporting events
• Investigate parking

• Promote Eagle River Activities
• Assess suitability of Eagle river (as is or modified) for boating and/or floating (inner tubes).  Bring together a team of local experts for assessments
• Research how Steamboat uses river & how it handles the liabilities
• Activities:  Tubing, Kayak play park
• Explore collaboration with TEVA and untraditional marketing to include Minturn

• Dances (evening events)
• Work with local business to establish the best times and locations for events
• Street Dances
• Park Dances
• Utilize local bands

Long Term Goal

• Information Center
• At Dowd Junction – staging for the first portion of the Scenic By-Way

4. Miscellaneous Items Specific to the Town:

Parking:

• Identify Stakeholders and establish a parking Task Force with the Town Planning Department to determine the most effective use of available space (community and business buy-in is important to this process)
• Public Relations campaign to educate citizens on available parking options
• Sidewalks/Crosswalks:
• Put up the signs that you have!
• Increase safety: ice, snow removal-public relations reminders
• Work with the business community to develop a Master Plan/Program for consistent sidewalk installation including potential funding options, Public and Private

Additional Items raised at the end of the meeting:

• Interest in the Railroad and parking, leasing to business-council communication?
• There needs to be an effort to create a common vision for Minturn and the Town Council needs to be a leader in this effort.  What are the city’s priorities for the city?
• Streets and roads, a sidewalk south? of  town
• Caution by the town to put in sidewalks that could be torn out in the near future….
• Better utilization of the Master plan; consider revisiting the master plan?

Economic Development Roundtable Summary

September 20, 2005

Present:  Chad Ermel,  Ann Capela, Bill Reis, Harry Gray, Nancy & Tom Ricci, Tom Sullivan, Jennifer Burkey, Andy Kaufman, Jerry Healy, Shelly Bellm, Lael Engstrom, Matt Scherr, Nancy Andresen, Laura Wolf, Kristin Kenny Williams, J.K. Perry, Dominic Maunello, Bill Burnett, Jim Kleckner, Cliff Thompson, Karen Earley.

The purpose and general goals of an economic development program were reviewed so everyone would start the Roundtable “on the same page.”  The group reviewed the issues that were raised in the Community Survey. 

Also addressed, were the closing of several businesses in town.  Currently losing SOKE, Two Elk Gallery and Eagle River Trading Company all at once time, is a big hit for the Town.  Lack of foot traffic was identified as the single most important factor.  Even existing businesses are suffering from it.  Increasing tourism and bringing people to Minturn was identified as a key “need”.  Much discussion over needing more businesses (and attractions) to attract people and vice versa, needing more people to keep businesses.

Parking (or lack of it) was a much discussed issue as well as traffic. Parking solutions are being looked at currently by Town Council.  Tom Sullivan shared many of the ideas.  It was suggested that we use Steamboat as a benchmark for many solutions to like problems.

Speeding is a significant problem on Main Street, especially on the south end of town.  With the Battle Mt. Development coming on line in the near future, it was suggested that the Town plan now for five to ten years out, for even more traffic on the highway and additional parking. (It was suggested that the Master Plan be updated, too.) CDOT met with the Town last week and the Town is currently purchasing two “yield to pedestrians” signs to be placed in our two south crosswalks.  The Ginn Company is currently conducting a traffic study.  The Town’s consultants, Carter & Burgess, will be reviewing the study, therefore there is no real need to hire an outside independent consultant.

It was brought up that our residents don’t understand how much businesses contribute to the Town budget, to the overall economy of the Town.  And, it was noted that even though we had a turnout of twenty two for the Roundtable, there were not many residents (that didn’t also own a business).  The suggestion for the next Roundtable is to personally recruit residents so they may be part of our economic development planning process.

Suggestions for Council:  become more business friendly and work with the businesses on the parking issue.

Solutions for increasing tourism and the parking/traffic issue began to be identified and an umbrella “Economic Development Committee” was formed.  The committee will meet on Thursday, September 29 at 6pm in Town Council Chambers. They will address these issues as well as look at overall goals for Economic Development in Minturn and report back at the next Roundtable.   Interested residents or business owners are welcome to join this committee. 

Feel free to contact Ashley King, Economic Development Director at 970-827-5645 with any questions.