City administrator Phillip Puckett opened the working session by updating the board of directors on the latest developments regarding Chaffee County’s short-term rental policy decisions.

The county capped STR licenses at 6% of the housing stock or 310, whichever is less. The measure is seen by county officials as a temporary fix while land use codes are updated.

“We’ve been talking about housing as a problem for several years,” said Joel Benson, the city’s director of special projects. “Over time, short-term rental continues to become a topic of interest to many people and recognition of housing is not necessarily causally related to short-term rental – it can be correlated but it does there is no such causality – us. I worked with all of you and identified the issues we were trying to resolve.

Benson reiterated the goals of the short-term rental policy for the town of Buena Vista, which centered on protecting community sentiment and against outside control and profit-collecting based on ownership and licensing. .

The discussion throughout the working session focused on the percentages of the total housing stock to set as limits and on whom to limit. The prevailing view among council and city staff is to limit licensing to out-of-county and non-primary residents and not within county primary residents.

Towards the end of the regular meeting, Mayor Duff Lacy strongly objected to an emailed request by The Times asking administrators whether statistics on vacant housing had been requested from city staff by council of administration and why these and related numbers were not part of the short-term rental. political debate.

“At no time, as far as we could see, was it presented to the board or anyone that short-term rentals and lack of housing are associated,” Lacy said. “It may have an impact on the cost of housing, but it does not affect the availability of affordable housing. “

Lacy highlighted demographic research in 2015, the 2016 Housing Needs Assessment and subsequent training from the Chaffee Housing Authority, saying it is now the data source for housing-related statistics for the council. Admin David Volpe responded similarly via email.

Editor’s Note: It was because we couldn’t find answers via County Housing that we asked Reader Admins if there was anything new to update, what their instructions were. to city staff and why. Thank you. – DS

Joseph Teipel, the city’s new town planning director, was on hand to outline the bidding plans in October and November for affordable housing grants through the Ministry of Local Affairs. Puckett added that the grants would be used to subsidize the development of the city’s property on Carbonate Street adjacent to Collegiate Commons.

Other opportunities for apartment development and renewal of the city’s working relationship with the Chaffee Housing Trust were also mentioned.

Mike Glade of Wright Water Engineers presented a draft water master plan for the city. The timing of the plan involves a detailed board review in mid-October and the publication of the final report in late October or early November.

The board also made its final changes to the trustee manual, deciding on guidelines for participation, and proposed its adoption through the consent agenda at its next meeting.

Administrator Norm Nyberg has expressed interest in appointing a community member to the board of directors of the Chaffee Housing Authority and Puckett pointed out that the airport advisory board currently has a vacant seat.