Journal 05/14/2006
Summary

We'll see how far I get.

First: No GVCA meeting next Sunday. Too many of us have other obligations,
so we'll just take a pass. We are meeting during the Memorial Day weekend,
however.

1) RE-1J
    It appears that the board misused an executive session, and that the
board may not be clear on the part where board philosophies need to be
discussed in the open, rather than in secret sessions and possibly via
e-mail. The board (I think) made a commitment to keeping reserves at 12%,
but this still leaves over $800,000 of unfunded requests within the
district, including new textbooks.

2) City Council
    The council received an update on WSC from President Jay Helman, and on
May 31 will hold a work session on affordable housing. Stu Ferguson is
interested in persuing the US Mayors Climate Agreement. The council last
week passed a resolution in support of former City Manager Bob Filson's
tenure in Gunnison. Mr. Filson succumbed to cancer three days after the
meeting.

3) City Planning Commission
    The commission provided input on two projects within the three-mile
area, one an increase of the really arttractive airplane hangars that back
almost directly onto Highway 50, reverberating a lot of noise and destroying
the viewshed and one for more townhomes and condos west of Gunnison. Draft
chapters of the master plan will be available soon, but city applictions are
booming, keeping the staff hustling. Jonathan Houck appears to be the lone
applicant for his planning commission seat.

4) County Doings
    Our reports were sparse here this week. The commissioners hosted a
lengthy meeting on essential housing last Monday. The detention facility
committee will meet May 24.

5) Immigrant Integration
    It was on our agenda, but no one present knew what "evaluation team
visit May 22-23" meant. Perhaps someone who does know could offer an
explanation to the list.

6) Recycling
    We talked briefly about a conference in early June at Keystone, but
decided that if we're going to put effort into a recyling project, it ought
to be on education, especially what constitutes recyclable cardboard and
plastic. But better to be overzealous about recycling than underenthused.
Oh, and remember: batteries can be dropped at either Gunnison or CB Post
Office.

Hmm . . . fewer topics than usual. Maybe this is all doable today.

Details

1) RE-1J
    The board went from a work session into an executive session a half-hour
earlier than scheduled, and then remained in executive session for two
hours. Later motions suggested that the board had been using at least some
of this time to formulate policy, which is completely not kosher.

Leila Calkins moved to create a full-time position for art and math at
Gunnison Middle School, and MJ Vosburg attempted to correct her, telling her
she meant a three-quarters time position. Leila went ahead with her motion,
which passed on a 3-2 vote. It was the first non-unanimous vote the board
has made in at least nine months.

Prior to the meeting, Narcissa had been rebuffed in her attempt to request a
copy of the budget from the administrative office, and that is one document
that needs to be available to any taxpayer at all times.

So we're seeing an opportunity for education, and feel the board ought to be
reaquainted with the provisions of Colorado's Sunshine Law (Open Meetings
Act). It wouldn't hurt for GVCA members (all citizens, actually) to be
informed on this as well, so that as situations come up, boards and public
officials can be called on the spot.

The school board should know that had one member of the public felt that
district policies (which includes staffing discussions at the middle school)
were discussed in secret, that's all it takes for the board to end up in
front of a judge. And the board had better have minutes available for that
judge to review, even if it was an executive session.

As we heard from Chris last week, it isn't necessarily just a school board
problem. Maybe those of us who attend meetings should carry a copy of the
Colorado Press Association pamphlet with us at all times, in case a
reference is needed.

In other school news, the District Accountability Committee, which is open
to any interested citizen, meets next Tuesday at 4 p.m. in the Lake Building
to further discuss the budget.

CSAP scores for this year's third graders, who are different kids than last
year's third graders, were up 11%. Scores were actually better in Gunnison
than Crested Butte this year, despite the higher percentage of ESL students
in Gunnison.

The district is going to start up the Junior Achievement program again,
which teaches financial literacy to students. The program will start at the
third-grade level.

And we reached no resolution on our discussion of better traffic management
both near the schools and around parks, since the city council received a
complaint from a resident of the Legion park neighborhood. We did agree that
kids should not be taught to ride on the sidewalks, which is illegal and
dangerous for pedestrians. Bike lanes on the arterials to the schools and
near the park, although that may be problematical with diagonal parking, may
be a good place to start.

Jaclyn did note that even high school students are afraid to cross 11th
Street on school mornings, and that several wait for her arrival with a
stroller, because cars won't stop for high schools students, but they will
stop for grandmothers with small children in tow. Perhaps some of the "Stop
for Pedestrian" signs that are semi-successful on Main -- and probably not
much at all on Tomichi -- would be helpful.

2) City Council
    Jay Helman had a positive report for the council this year, thanks in no
small part to the passage of Referendum C. The college just graduated 300
students, and is expecting 7,000 conference attendees this summer.

For the first time in several years, rather than having to cut faculty, the
college will be able to do some adding. The college will also play host to
the Small Business District, which lost its housing in Montrose two years
ago.

Out-of-state recruting is up for the fall, although work remains to be done
in-state. The company FCI will start work on Borick Hall, I think this
summer.

In council business, the council will devote a work session to a discussion
of "tools" for use in affordable/essential housing. This will be May 31, the
fifth Tuesday of the month.

3) City Planning Commission
    The commission has continued its work on the master plan, and got a look
at potential densities through maps put together by Steve Westbay. The
commission may begin reviewing draft chapters as early as this week,
depending on whether the Board of Zoning and Appeals meets this week (it's
not clear if the BOZA applicant has withdrawn his application or not. He's
withdrawn requests from both planning commission and the city, and while
he's already talking to the county about help paving his West Gunnison
project, he has no building permit from the city yet).

Otherwise, the commission is getting ready to gear up for the summer
development season. One application that will reach the commission soon: the
county has applied for the courthouse to be included in the Central Business
District. The CBD does not require any off-street parking, but if the city
grants this, it ought to strongly considering bumping up parking patrol from
a part-time to full-time position. Or two.

And that seems to be what I know -- and probably some of what I made up, but
I'm sure people will correct me as needed -- this morning.

TL