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Colorado - Tue. 08/27/24 |
A Free Business Publication from Alpine Bank
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DENVER RELEASES FOURTH ROUND OF E-BIKE VOUCHERS TODAY
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Denver’s next round of e-bike vouchers is set to be released today, Aug. 27. This marks the fourth of five planned releases for the calendar year, with the final one scheduled for Oct. 29. Denver residents can access a limited supply of e-bike rebate vouchers every other month. The vouchers are applied directly at the point of sale, reducing the purchase price of an e-bike or e-cargo bike at participating bike shops. For 2024, the program has been expanded into three income tiers divided as follows:
- Low-income rebate: $1,200 for an e-bike, $1,400 for an e-cargo bike. The household income needs to be below 60 percent of the area median income (AMI). For example, a one-person household amount would be $52,140 and below.
- Moderate income rebate: $700 for an e-bike, $900 for an e-cargo bike. The household income needs to be below 100 percent of the AMI. A one-person household amount would need to be above $52,140 but below $86,900 to be eligible.
- Standard: Remains at $300 for an e-bike, $500 for an e-cargo bike
City data shows that e-bikes purchased through the program have displaced more than 3,300 tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year and eliminated nearly 170,000 miles of vehicle travel. Residents looking to get the vouchers can visit online at denvergov.org.
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WHEN & WHERE TO SEE PEAK FALL COLORS IN COLORADO
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Come the beginning of September, Colorado's high country starts experiencing its annual leaf change. The golds, reds and oranges of Colorado's famous aspen trees popping across mountain sides from Steamboat to Silverton are a sight to see. Typically, colors peak in Colorado's northern mountains — the Park, Mummy, Never Summer and Rabbit Ears ranges — throughout the month of September. The central mountains — the Flattops, Gore, Sawatch, and Front ranges — peak the last week of the month. The southern mountains — San Juans, Sangre de Cristo, Wet and Spanish Peak ranges — peak the first and second weeks of October. According to the US Forest Service, the amount and brilliance of the colors developing in any particular autumn season are related to multiple weather conditions. Following the Forest Service's 'loose rule', the expected above-average temperatures with below-average precipitation could bring about a good fall foliage showing in 2024.
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THEATRE ASPEN PRESENTS THE SOLO FLIGHTS FESTIVAL
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Theatre Aspen presents its fifth annual Solo Flights Festival Sept. 5-11 at the Hurst Theatre. Solo Flights is the only festival dedicated to one-person shows. The plays cannot have been played before in front of a paying audience. In 2022, Theatre Aspen created the Solo Flights Project Advancement Fund, which provides $10,000 grants to two chosen festival works to support future development. The plays chosen for the upcoming festival are: “The Binding of Lilly,” written by Joseph Dougherty, directed by Emily Maltby and starring Oona Laurence; “Long Drive Home,” written by Stephen Kaplan and directed by Hannah Ryan; “The Great Thirst,” written by and starring Justin Tranter and directed by Niegel Smith; “From Kabul With Love,” written by Safi Rauf and Sammi Cannold and directed by Sammi Cannold; and “Sugarbelly and Other Tales My Father Told Me,” written by and starring Guy Davis and directed by Dean Irby. For showtimes and more information, visit theatreaspen.org.
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TWO FINALISTS FOR GJ CITY MANAGER
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Two finalists have been chosen for the vacant position of Grand Junction City Manager: Mike Bennett, current city manager of Fruita, and Scott Trainor, current city manager of Fountain. Bennett has been City Manager of Fruita since 2014. Prior to that, he worked in the administration for the city of Hickory, North Carolina from 2007 to 2014. He has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Utah State University and a master's degree in public administration from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Trainor has been city manager of Fountain since 2007. Before that, he was the city manager of Ontario, Oregon from 2002 to 2007, and the city manager of Cedar Hills, Utah from 1997 to 2002. He has a bachelor's degree in urban planning and resource management from Brigham Young University, and also has a master's degree in public administration from Brigham Young University. A public meet and greet is scheduled for 10 a.m. Sept. 5 at the Grand Junction Convention Center.
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COLORADO TRUST AWARDS $30K IN FUNDING
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The Colorado Trust, a private statewide foundation, has granted $30,000 to six nonprofit organizations ($5,000 each) on the Western Slope as part of the June 2024 iteration of Rural Philanthropy Days. Rural Philanthropy Days connects funders with nonprofit organizations and government agencies that serve rural Colorado. The Colorado Trust awarded general operating grants of $5,000 to each of the following organizations:
- A Way Out, Inc.: Support for providing free substance-use and addiction counseling, transitional housing, case management and other services to people and families.
- Center for Independence: Support for promoting community solutions and empowering people with a disability to live independently.
- Counseling & Education Center: Support for providing professional, affordable counseling services to any community member in need, regardless of ability to pay.
- Harmony Acres Equestrian Center: Support for ensuring access to evidence-based, equine-assisted therapy services at the center’s 24-acre property in Loma.
- Life Inter-Faith Team on Unemployment and Poverty (LIFT-UP): Support for providing equitable food security for people and families, as well as for educating, building understanding and supporting an end to hunger from Parachute to Aspen.
- Response: Help for Survivors of Domestic Violence: Support for providing trauma-informed, nonjudgmental advocacy in English and Spanish to survivors of domestic and sexual abuse, stalking and human trafficking who live or work in the upper Roaring Fork Valley.
Since 2009, The Colorado Trust has provided $963,000 in grants to rural Colorado nonprofit organizations via Rural Philanthropy Days and CRC to support the statewide Rural Philanthropy Days program.
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MEET THE ARTIST MATIAS DI CARLO IN TELLURIDE
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Contemporary international artist Matias Di Carlo joins the Telluride community to share art, conversation and a mastery class during a week of events that kick off Aug. 29, with the opening of his solo exhibition, The Golden Chain, at Telluride Arts HQ West from 3 to 7 p.m. Telluride Arts says Di Carlo “breathes new life into metal, creating sculptures that blend traditional craftsmanship with modern innovation. His works explore the profound connections between creation and destruction, offering viewers an immersive experience into the alchemical transformation of materials.” Di Carlo has already been suffusing himself in the region’s colors, textures and landscapes while in a month-long art residency at Steeprock Joinery above Sawpit. The Telluride exhibit will include pieces that Di Carlo created in his workshop in Málaga, Spain, and pieces he is creating during his residency in San Miguel County. For more information, visit TellurideArts.org.
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BLM PLAN FOR REGIONAL CAMPGROUND & DAY FEES
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The Bureau of Land Management released a draft business plan that proposes charging a fee at eight existing and proposed developed campgrounds and eight day-use sites managed by the Uncompahgre Field Office. There would also be a site-specific annual pass for day-use sites. Field manager Dan Ben-Horin presented the plan at the San Miguel Board of County Commissioners’ work session. The BLM is accepting public feedback through an open comment period until Sept. 16. The new fees would go toward improving BLM facilities, including cleaning up campsites, installing new fire rings and restroom facilities and supporting park ranger salaries, as park rangers are responsible for much of the maintenance. The new fees are being kept relatively low compared to other sites. The $12 per night at the campground and $4 vehicle fee at day-use sites is about half the price of many comparable sites. Feedback may be sent to BLM_CO_UFO_Recreation@blm.gov.
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DURANGO CHAMBER NAMES NEW CEO
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The Durango Chamber of Commerce has hired a new CEO. Former Fort Lewis College Dean of Student Engagement Jeff Dupont will take the helm after Jack Llewellyn stepped down in April to take a job with Hutton Broadcasting. Llewellyn led the chamber for 17 years. The chamber cited Dupont’s commitment to community development and economic stability as reasons for the hire. Dupont has spent the last 15 years as FLC’s Dean of Student Engagement overseeing student services for mental health, housing and campus lifestyle. Dupont will officially resign from his position at FLC on Sept. 27. FLC Vice President for Diversity Affairs Heather Shotton will step in as the acting Dean of Student Engagement, with Kendra Gallegos Reichle and Doug Ewing overseeing Student Wellness and Auxiliary Services. Dupont will begin full-time with the Chamber on Oct. 14.
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U.S. AGRICULTURE SHRINKS, LA PLATA COUNTY GROWS
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High and increasing costs are barriers to establishing operations for new or young farmers and ranchers. As a result, there are fewer agricultural producers nationwide, and the average age of those producers is rising. The problem is worse in Colorado, where land has become extraordinarily expensive, and water access incredibly valuable. But data from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture shows growth in Southwest Colorado, especially La Plata County. Farms and ranches are opening and expanding, and the average age of local agricultural producers is dropping. By the numbers:
- As of July 1, the price of feeder cattle was more than $100 over the five-year-average for July. The price of slaughter steers was more than $50 over the five-year-average and well over last year’s peak prices.
- The value of agricultural land statewide rose 8.92 percent from 2022 to 2023.
- From 2017 to 2022, the average age of U.S. agricultural producers rose from 57.5 to 58.1, and there were 25,790 fewer producers, representing a 0.75 percent drop. In 2022, just 8.7 percent of U.S. agricultural producers were younger than 35.
- In 2022, the average age for agricultural producers in Colorado had grown from 57.6 to 58.3, and there were 2,321 fewer agricultural producers than in 2017. Only 8 percent of Colorado agricultural producers were under the age of 35.
- But the numbers from 2017 to 2022 in Southwest Colorado trend the opposite direction. In La Plata County, 251 new producers emerged, an increase of 12.6 percent, and the average age of La Plata County agricultural producers fell from around 60 to 57.9.
- Of 2,242 agricultural producers in La Plata County in 2022, 205 or 9.1 percent were younger than 35, over the national average and rising since 2017, when only 7.1 percent of La Plata agricultural producers were under the age of 35.
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FOUR NORTHWEST COLORADO CENTENNIAL RANCHES HONORED AT STATE FAIR
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Four Northwest Colorado families and their ranches were honored for their longevity at the opening day of the Colorado State Fair in Pueblo on Friday. Centennial farms and ranches are those that have been owned or operated by a family for 100 years or more, and they are honored each year at the Colorado State Fair in Pueblo through the Centennial Farms and Ranches program presented by History Colorado and the Colorado Dept. of Agriculture. The program honors the important role agriculture has played in state history, economic development and modern-day-well-being. The awards were presented to:
- The Windler/Schlatter Family Ranch, which began operating in 1881
- The Frye Ranch, located north of Steamboat Ranch, founded in 1901 and owned by the Carpenter family
- The Legget Hedes Ranch in Moffat County, founded in 1898
- The Wellman Ranch, in Moffat and Rio Blanco counties, which has been run by the Wellman family since 1912
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SUMMIT COUNTY HOME SALES OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS
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Between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2024, there were 720 sales of single-family homes in Summit County. Based on that data, the median sale price of a single-family home in Summit County was $1.89 million. Compared to the previous two-year reappraisal cycle, that is a 26 percent increase in single-family home prices.
- At Copper, the median sale price for a single-family home was about $3.3 million, compared to about $2.4 million in Keystone, $2 million in Breckenridge and the surrounding area, and $1.7 million in Dillon and Silverthorne. North of Silverthorne, near Heeney, the median single-family home price was $1.14 million.
- There were 28 sales of single-family homes in Summit County with a sales price in excess of $5 million.
- A ski-in, ski-out home in the Snowy Ridge subdivision near Breckenridge sold for $12 million in December 2023, making it the most expensive sale over the reappraisal cycle.
- In December 2022, a single-family home in the Dudley Hill subdivision adjacent to the Green Mountain Reservoir sold for $185,000, marking the cheapest single-family home sale of the two-year reappraisal period. Nearby, the second-lowest sale of a single-family home in Summit County during that time period occurred when a home sold in the Green Mountain-Haldorsen Tracts subdivision for about $346,000.
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WESTERN SLOPE COUNTIES RANK IN BEST PLACES TO RETIRE LIST
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A recent study on best places to retire in Colorado was full of Western Slope locations in the top 10, including Mesa County at No. 8. The criteria for the study by smartasset.com included tax burden, medical centers per 1,000 residents, recreation centers per 1,000, retirement communities per 1,000 and percentage of seniors in the county. The criteria then came up with a “Retire Index” number. Four western Colorado counties made the top 10 with Montezuma County in southwest Colorado at No. 2, Montrose County at No. 4, Delta County No. 6, and Mesa County at No. 8.
- Kit Carson County on the far Eastern Plains ranked No. 1.
- For tax burden, Montezuma County was the smallest on the Western Slope at 15.5 percent. Mesa was listed at 17.4 percent.
- Mesa was second on the Western Slope for medical centers at 1.29 and third for rec centers at 0.48.
- Kit Carson was top in retirement communities at 0.42 with Mesa, Jefferson and Arapahoe all next at 0.14.
- Mesa’s 19.2 percent for seniors ranked fifth in the top 10 with Delta at the top with 25.9 percent.
- For the overall Retire Index, Kit Carson was at 67.87, Montezuma 53.87, Montrose at 49.17, Delta at 46.48 and Mesa at 45.31.
- The rest of the top 10 included Larimer County at No. 3, Boulder County 5, Jefferson County 7, Pueblo County 9 and Arapahoe County No. 10.
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HOTEL BLISS? WHERE TO STAY
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There are lots of reasons to stay at one hotel over another, and when you're trying to decide where to book, it often comes down to which hotel has the best features. To find the hotels with the best features and amenities, USA TODAY 10Best asked an expert panel to nominate their top picks in each of five categories. Then, readers voted for their favorites to decide the winners.
- Best Eco-Friendly Hotel: The Cliffs at Princeville in Princeville, Hawaii
- Best Hotel Bar: Carousel Bar & Lounge at Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans, Louisiana
- Best Hotel Pool: Koloa Landing Resort at Poipu in Koloa, Hawaii
- Best Hotel Restaurant: Chez Philippe at The Peabody Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee
- Best Hotel Spa: The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Orlando, Grande Lakes in Orlando, Florida
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MARKET UPDATE - 08/26/2024 Close
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(Courtesy of Alpine Bank Wealth Management*)
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Canadian dollar (per U.S. dollar)
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Mexican peso (per U.S. dollar)
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30-year fixed mortgage rate (Freddie Mac 08/22/2024)
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*Not FDIC insured. May lose value. Not guaranteed by the bank.
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Alpine Bank is an independent, employee-owned organization with headquarters in Glenwood Springs and banking offices across Colorado's Western Slope, mountains and Front Range. Alpine Bank serves customers with retail, business, wealth management*, mortgage and electronic banking services. Learn more at alpinebank.com.
*Alpine Bank Wealth Management services are not FDIC insured, may lose value and are not guaranteed by the bank.
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