Local News

Aspen Recreation Programming Survey

Quality of Life issues are important to the real estate community and your input is needed to continue helping the city provide recreational opportunities that our residents enjoy. 

Over the years, feedback from citizens has been instrumental in helping to bring recreational programs and services to the Aspen community. In order to continue offering programs that citizens support, the Aspen Recreation Department has contracted with a third-party research company to conduct a study of randomly selected households. Input is necessary to ensure programs continue to meet the needs and desires of our community. At the end of the survey, to say thank you for your time and feedback, you can enter a drawing to win (1) $500 Visa gift card for fully completing the survey.

The survey is confidential and individual responses will not be shared. All responses will be reported collectively after tabulation by ETC Institute surveyors and data processing agents in Kansas. Every voice matters. To ensure our survey results represent all of our citizens, it is vital that you complete the survey. Even if you do not use the City’s Recreational programs or facilities, your participation is still very important. The survey should only take about 10 minutes to complete.

Once we have collected the survey responses, the results will be used to complete the Aspen Recreation Department recreational operations and programming study to ensure that this department is ready to best serve our residents. Thank you in advance for your participation and for making this survey a success. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Desiree Whitehead at (970) 429-2083 or email via desiree.whitehead@aspen.gov.

Pitkin County Publishes Pros/Cons of Local Ballot Issues being Considered for November Ballot

Pitkin County has published the following information on the county website to help local residents understand the five ballot tax issues on the November ballot in Pitkin County:

Local election officials are now collecting comments from the public detailing the pros and cons of five ballot tax issues in the Pitkin County Coordinated Election, Nov. 7.  The comments collected from the public will be published in the TABOR (Taxpayer Bill of Rights) Notice and mailed to all voters 30 days before this November’s election.   

“The Clerk and Recorder Office is required by the Colorado Constitution to publish a TABOR Notice for ballot tax issues,” said Pitkin County Clerk and Recorder, Ingrid K. Grueter.  “Any elector registered in each of the districts who wishes to submit a pro or con statement regarding the five financial issues on this year’s ballot may submit their comments to the Designated Election Official of each district. The submitted comments will be included in the published TABOR Notice,” Grueter said.

Local tax issues on the November ballot come from the following four jurisdictions, and comments should be emailed to the designated election official (DEO) of each district as indicated below:

Base Village Metro District #2, DEO Charles Wolfersberger at charles@wolfersbergerLLC.com

Starwood Metropolitan District, DEO Jeffrey Conklin at jjc@mountainlawfirm.com

Snowmass Water & Sanitation District, DEO Kit Hamby at khamby@swsd.org

Basalt and Rural Fire Protection District, DEO Jennifer Thompson at Jthompson@roaringforkfire.org 

Only registered voters residing in the political subdivision and eligible to vote on the issues may submit comments on the issue, and comments must include a signature where the signer is registered to vote. The deadline for written comments for the TABOR Notice shall be filed by noon on Friday, Sept. 22. TABOR Notices will be mailed to all registered voters no later than Friday, Oct. 6. 

For more Pitkin County election information, including a soon-to-be-posted sample ballot with the text of all ballot races and measures, go to www.pitkinvotes.com .

The Pitkin County Ballot Issues read as follows:

Base Village Metropolitan District No.2 Ballot Issue No. 6A

SHALL ALL UNUSED DEBT AUTHORIZATION GRANTED BY THE VOTERS IN ALL PRIOR ELECTIONS TO BASE VILLAGE METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NO 2 BE FOREVER REPEALED AND RESCINDED EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY?

Snowmass Water and Sanitation District Ballot Issue No. 6B

WITHOUT ANY INCREASE IN THE CURRENT TAX RATE, SHALL THE SNOWMASS WATER AND SANITATION DISTRICT’S EXPIRING MILL LEVY CURRENTLY IMPOSED FOR GENERAL OPERATIONS BE EXTENDED THROUGH TAX COLLECTION YEAR 2038, WITH THE REVENUES FROM THE EXTENDED TAX RATE OF 2.135 MILLS TO BE DEPOSITED INTO THE DISTRICT’S GENERAL FUND TO PAY OPERATION, MAINTENANCE, REPAIR AND CAPITAL COSTS FOR THE LIMITED FIFTEEN-YEAR EXTENSION PERIOD, TO CONSTITUTE A VOTER-APPROVED REVENUE CHANGE UNDER ARTICLE X, SECTION 20 OF THE STATE CONSTITUTION AND TO BE AN EXCEPTION TO THE LIMITATIONS SET FORTH IN SECTION 29-1-301 OF THE COLORADO REVISED STATUTES AND ANY OTHER LAW? 

Starwood Metropolitan District Ballot Issue No. 6C - Water

SHALL STARWOOD METROPOLITAN DISTRICT DEBT BE INCREASED UP TO $1,000,000, WITH A REPAYMENT COST OF UP TO $1,885,000, AND SHALL DISTRICT TAXES BE INCREASED BY UP TO $95,000 ANNUALLY FOR THE PURPOSE OF FINANCING:

-    WELL DRILLING, EQUIPPING AND SECURING OF A WATER SUPPLY AND OTHER WATER SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS, 

BY THE ISSUANCE AND PAYMENT OF A GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND OR NOTE WHICH SHALL BEAR INTEREST AT A MAXIMUM NET EFFECTIVE INTEREST RATE NOT TO EXCEED 7.0% PER ANNUM, MATURE, BE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, WITH OR WITHOUT PREMIUM, AND BE ISSUED AT SUCH TIME, AT SUCH PRICE (AT, ABOVE OR BELOW PAR) AND IN SUCH MANNER AND CONTAINING SUCH TERMS, CONSISTENT WITH THIS BALLOT ISSUE, AS THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MAY DETERMINE; SHALL AD VALOREM PROPERTY TAXES BE LEVIED WITHOUT LIMIT AS TO THE MILL RATE TO GENERATE AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT IN EACH YEAR TO PAY THE PRINCIPAL OF, PREMIUM IF ANY, AND INTEREST ON SUCH DEBT AND TO FUND ANY RESERVES FOR THE PAYMENT THEREOF; AND SHALL ANY EARNINGS FROM THE INVESTMENT OF THE PROCEEDS OF SUCH TAXES AND DEBT CONSTITUTE A VOTER-APPROVED REVENUE CHANGE?

Starwood Metropolitan District Ballot Issue No. 6D – Road Entryway

SHALL STARWOOD METROPOLITAN DISTRICT DEBT BE INCREASED UP TO $1,500,000, WITH A REPAYMENT COST OF UP TO $2,835,000, AND SHALL DISTRICT TAXES BE INCREASED BY UP TO $145,000 ANNUALLY FOR THE PURPOSE OF FINANCING:

-    THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROAD AND ENTRYWAY IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO PAVING, GRADING, DRAINAGE, LIGHTING, LANDSCAPING, ENTRY GATE AND OTHER ROAD IMPROVEMENTS, TOGETHER WITH APPURTENANT EQUIPMENT AND EXTENSIONS OF, AND IMPROVEMENTS, TO SAID FACILITIES, 

BY THE ISSUANCE AND PAYMENT OF A GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND OR NOTE WHICH SHALL BEAR INTEREST AT A MAXIMUM NET EFFECTIVE INTEREST RATE NOT TO EXCEED 7.0% PER ANNUM, MATURE, BE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, WITH OR WITHOUT PREMIUM, AND BE ISSUED AT SUCH TIME, AT SUCH PRICE (AT, ABOVE OR BELOW PAR) AND IN SUCH MANNER AND CONTAINING SUCH TERMS, CONSISTENT WITH THIS BALLOT ISSUE, AS THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MAY DETERMINE; SHALL AD VALOREM PROPERTY TAXES BE LEVIED WITHOUT LIMIT AS TO THE MILL RATE TO GENERATE AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT IN EACH YEAR TO PAY THE PRINCIPAL OF, PREMIUM IF ANY, AND INTEREST ON SUCH DEBT AND TO FUND ANY RESERVES FOR THE PAYMENT THEREOF; AND SHALL ANY EARNINGS FROM THE INVESTMENT OF THE PROCEEDS OF SUCH TAXES AND DEBT CONSTITUTE A VOTER-APPROVED REVENUE CHANGE?

Basalt and Rural Fire Protection District Ballot Issue No. 7A 

SHALL BASALT AND RURAL FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT DEBT BE INCREASED $26 MILLION, WITH A REPAYMENT COST OF UP TO $42 MILLION, AND SHALL DISTRICT TAXES BE INCREASED $2.1 MILLION ANNUALLY TO PAY SUCH DEBT, SUCH DEBT TO BE USED FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS OF THE DISTRICT, INCLUDING:

•    EXPANSION, RENOVATION, AND MODERNIZATION OF FIRE STATION 42 IN EL JEBEL, INCLUDING ADDING CREW QUARTERS TO ALLOW ADDITIONAL 24 HOUR STAFFING AND RESPONSE CAPABILITY, AND ADDING TRAINING AND MAINTENANCE FACILITIES AND EMPLOYEE HOUSING; 

SUCH DEBT TO BE EVIDENCED BY THE ISSUANCE OF GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS OR ANY OTHER MULTIPLE YEAR FINANCIAL OBLIGATION OF THE DISTRICT; SUCH BONDS TO BE SOLD IN ONE SERIES OR MORE, FOR A PRICE ABOVE OR BELOW THE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF SUCH SERIES, ON TERMS AND CONDITIONS, AND WITH SUCH MATURITIES AS PERMITTED BY LAW AND AS THE DISTRICT MAY DETERMINE, INCLUDING PROVISIONS FOR REDEMPTION OF THE BONDS PRIOR TO MATURITY WITH OR WITHOUT PAYMENT OF THE PREMIUM OF NOT TO EXCEED THREE PERCENT; AND SHALL SUCH TAX REVENUES AND THE EARNINGS FROM THE INVESTMENT OF SUCH BOND PROCEEDS AND TAX REVENUES BE COLLECTED, RETAINED AND SPENT AS A VOTER APPROVED REVENUE CHANGE UNDER ARTICLE X, SECTION 20 OF THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION OR ANY OTHER LAW?

National News

NAR Responds to Proposed Rule on Automated Valuation Models

NAR sent a response to the joint banking and finance regulators on their proposed joint rule to implement the statute on automated valuation models (AVMs) regulation mandated by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act).

In the response, NAR largely agrees with the flexible approach from the regulators, but recommends the regulators:

• Should provide clear guidance for AVM practitioners;
• Consider variations in data quality used by AVMs and how to raise the bar across the market;
• Apply these rules to the government-sponsored enterprise (GSEs);
• Provide more legal clarity around behavior that constitutes bias and should be removed from AVMs;
• Provide consumers with AVM estimates used in their origination transactions.

Read the full response here: https://narfocus.com/billdatabase/clientfiles/172/3/4785.pdf