Wastewater treatment plants may have to start testing for presence of PFAS “forever chemicals” in biosolids as early as next year, and those plants may be required to investigate upstream sources of the toxic substances, Colorado regulators say. State water quality officials also said Colorado’s PFAS grant program is also open to help communities test […]
Frisco
Posted inEducation, News
“At a crisis point”: Homes are out of reach for many Colorado teachers. What does that mean for schools?
Fewer than one-fifth of homes across Colorado are affordable to teachers who make an average salary in their district, even as average teacher salaries have increased by about 25% in the past seven years, according to a report published Tuesday by the nonpartisan Keystone Policy Center. The report puts numbers to a problem that prices […]
Posted inEnvironment, News, Water
South Adams County water district is buying Denver’s water to dilute “forever chemicals”
The South Adams County Water and Sanitation District, anchored by Commerce City, will be paying Denver Water $2.75 million this year for enough supply to dilute local well water tainted by PFAS “forever chemicals” from firefighting foam runoff, officials said Tuesday. The district serves 65,000 people, and said it needs a new $130 million treatment […]
Posted inNews
New EPA guidelines on PFAS “forever chemicals” put Frisco far over drinking water limits
Drinking water in Frisco is tainted with dangerous levels of the PFAS “forever chemicals” from suspected firefighting foam runoff into nearby creeks, according to new EPA guidance that radically lowered safety levels and sent state officials in search of cities with similarly compromised water systems. More than 100 city and town water systems across the […]
Posted inBusiness, Housing, News
Colorado mountain communities vote “yes” on new short-term rental fees but reject heavier regulation
Colorado voters in several resort communities approved increased fees and taxes meant to squeeze more revenue for affordable housing from short-term rentals. But voters in end-of-the-road Crested Butte and Telluride stopped short of heavier restrictions intended to slow and limit short-term rentals in the tourist-dependent communities. Jim Day, who is retired and lives part time […]
Posted inHousing, News, Outsider
A flurry of policy experiments in Colorado serves as “regional laboratory” for regulating, limiting short-term rentals
Winter Park and Breckenridge are offering big incentives to homeowners who convert their short-term rental properties to housing for locals. A program called “Short-Term Fix” offers homeowners up to $20,000 for converting their Winter Park vacation homes to housing for locals. The Town of Breckenridge and Summit County last week unveiled a similar program. The […]
Posted inEnvironment, News
Dog searches Colorado mountains for bees, the canaries in the coal mine for climate change
By Lindsey Toomer, Summit Daily FRISCO — Jacqueline Staab found a way to combine her two passions in her conservation research efforts: bees and dogs. Staab’s dog Darwin was trained as a conservation detection dog to seek out bumblebees and their nests, and Staab said he’s the only conservation dog in the country that specializes […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Why our Colorado mountain town supports Biden’s 30×30 public lands goals
Because we love our public lands and want to protect them for future generations, the Frisco Town Council recently unanimously passed a resolution that states that we stand with President Biden, U.S. agencies, members of Congress, state and local officials, and others in support of science-based, locally-led conservation efforts that help the country achieve the […]
Posted inBusiness, Housing, News, Newsletters, Outdoors, Outsider
How emergency declarations in Colorado’s high country housing crisis smooth the path to more homes for locals
Ali Fuchs wants to build two, deed-restricted one-bedroom units behind Big Al’s Bicycle Heaven, her shop in downtown Crested Butte. The town’s zoning code requires two parking spaces per unit. But she doesn’t need four spaces. With only two tenants, she needs two spaces. “Because that makes sense,” she said. The impasse led Fuchs to […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, News
Unemployed Coloradans want work that pays a livable wage as employers struggle to fill openings
With the summer season just days away, Island Grill at the Frisco Bay Marina is short 70% of its usual seven-person kitchen crew. Owner Bob Kato, who also operates the Tavern West restaurant on West Main Street, says the labor crunch is especially hard this year. Both restaurants are hiring just as other businesses in […]