COVID-19 Halloween Tips

Pitkin County Public Health is recommending that you and your family avoid the 3 C's over the Halloween weekend:

Avoid the 3 C's:

1. Closed Spaces, with poor ventilation
2. Crowded Places, with a lot of people
3. Close Contact Settings, such as close range conversations.

Getting Green by Going Green

Earlier this month, Sunsense finished installing the final pieces of the solar PV array on the Town's Public Works facility, marking the end of a two year project to install solar photovoltaic panels at four different locations in Snowmass Village. In total, the solar panels are expected to produce approximately 600,000 kWh of electricity annually, which is enough to cover around 70% of the energy used at the Town facilities.

The Town will receive credits and payments for each kWh of electricity produced by the solar panels through the incentive programs offered by Holy Cross Energy. With these payments, combined with various grants and rebates from Holy Cross, CORE, and the Colorado Dept. of Local Affairs (DOLA), the panels are estimated to pay for themselves in approximately 11 years. The solar panels will continue to produce electricity for at least 30 years, which will result in a financial net gain for the Town. The Town's coffers won't be the only beneficiary of the project, however. 

The Town Council approved the project in support of the Town's carbon emission reduction goals to reduce our carbon emissions by 20% by 2020. Planning for these on site renewables began in 2018 through a series of meetings about the Town's efforts to reduce carbon emissions with the Town Environmental Advisory Board (EAB). The EAB recommended various options for renewables in Snowmass Village, and the Town Council approved the project and its nearly $900,000 budget in 2018. 

Phi Filerman, who also is an EAB member and community sustainability manger for CORE, expressed her support for the project in the Snowmass Sun recently. “The reason we really believed in the project was it had a great carbon impact and really showed how the town government is leading by example,” Filerman said. “We felt like it was a showcase project for that very reason.” 

The Town is now encouraging locals to consider going solar, and is actively reviewing their own permitting processes to make it easier than ever. The Town even hopes to gain a SolSmart designation within the next year. "We hope Snowmass Village is just getting started with producing clean renewable energy," said Travis Elliott, Assistant Town Manager.

Town Park Entryway

Town Council Honing in On Entry Design

At a special meeting in October, the Town Council reviewed the latest design for the Town Park Entryway. The design was drafted with support from the Towns POSTR board after collaborating with key Town stakeholders, such as the Snowmass Western Heritage Association, the Nordic Council, and more.

The latest proposal calls for improvements to the wetlands area, expanding the pond with beach, fishing, and gathering areas, adding field space, building a bike skills trail, improving the rodeo fairgrounds, expanding the parking areas, and more. Ultimately, the project aims to beautify the entry to Snowmass Village and provide additional recreation opportunities for the community, while preserving our existing uses for the space - such as the Snowmass Rodeo and providing day-skier parking. 

You can view the latest designs online at snowmassrecreation.com.

Paid Parking & Winter Village Shuttle Schedules Begin

On Thanksgiving Day, The Village Shuttle will begin operating on their Winter Schedule. This means all of the regular routes, 1 - 8, will be in operation, and riders can expect more frequent rides, all day, everyday, at no cost.

The Village Shuttle team is also continuing their strict sanitization, cleaning and safety protocols to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.Learn more about what the Village Shuttle is doing to keep you safe on the bus this winter by visiting Villageshuttle.com.

Paid Parking in the Village Lots Resume for the Winter 

Paid parking in the Village Lots also goes into effect on Thanksgiving Day. Be sure to apply for your residential parking permits as soon as possible to make sure we have your vehicle in our digital parking system before Thursday, November 23rd. 

Parking Information...