S T E A M B O AT
TODAY
TUESDAY
APRIL 21, 2009
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
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Vol. 21, No. 95
RO U T T
C O U N T Y ’ S
DA I LY
N E W S PA P E R
S T E A M B O AT S P R I N G S
Gas station pending Successful negotiations could see downtown store open in a month Page 5
COLORADO
Water under pressure Court: Pumping liquid from gas drilling needs to be regulated Page 13
SPORTS
JOHN F. RUSSELL/STAFF
Steamboat Springs city worker Levi Wisecup uses a powerful saw to cut the sidewalk near Third Street and Lincoln Avenue on Monday. The city is considering cuts to its capital improvement budget that could limit projects this summer.
Project predicaments
Council looks at URA bond while also cutting $4M from capital budget Brandon Gee
PILOT & TODAY STAFF
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS
Capitals take game Page 19
■ LOTTO
■ INDEX Briefs . . . . . . . . .10 Business. . . . . . .14 Classifieds . . . . .24 Colorado. . . . . . .13 Comics . . . . . . . .22 Crossword . . . . .23
Declining revenues are forcing the Steamboat Springs City Council to consider cutting nearly $4 million in capital projects on the same day council members will be asked to take on as much as $16 million in new debt. In an effort to sustain the momentum of public improvement projects at the base of Steamboat Ski Area, the Urban
Happenings . . . . .7 Horoscope . . . . .22 Scoreboard. . . . .21 Sports. . . . . . . . .19 ViewPoints . . . . . .8 Weather . . . . . . .18
Monday night’s Cash 5 numbers: 14-16-17-19-23 Drawings are held Monday through Saturday.
Redevelopment Advisory Committee will present three financing options to City Council today. Without the issuance of new debt this year, projections show the city’s URA running out of design and construction money by June. A $16 million bond measure would allow the construction of a promenade around the immediate ski base and other large projects to be completed in time for the start of the 2011-12 ski season. The URA is funded by sales
■ WEATHER
Plenty of sunshine. High of 64.
Page 18
and property tax increments within its base-area boundaries, but its debt also is backed by the city to achieve lower interest rates. A bond measure as large as $16 million also could require the city to commit reserves to back a portion of the offering. City Council President Loui Antonucci said Monday that a $16 million bond measure is “scary.” “I don’t ever want to put the city in the position of not being able to pay its debt,” he said.
However, Antonucci said he could be supportive of an $11.2 million financing option. A bond measure that size still would allow for the construction of the promenade and a rerouting of Burgess Creek through the ski base. Perks such as the snowmelt system, a major fountain at Gondola Square and a boulder play area in the creek would have to be eliminated. However, each could be constructed at a later date if new
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See Council, page 12