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SteamboatToday.com •

Property managers say conditions at YVHA affordable housing complexes have stabilized

Nearly eight months after this past winter’s controversy over living conditions at three Yampa Valley Housing Authority affordable housing complexes in Steamboat Springs, property management representatives are assuring city and YVHA officials that they have made “significant progress on all items.” 


Steamboat city leaders, along with YVHA Acting Executive Director Elliot Lawrence, met with representatives from Mission Rock Residential and Overland Property Group on Monday. 


It is the firs...
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Regional Transportation Authority half-cent sales tax measure approved for November ballot

The Yampa Valley Regional Transportation Authority Board of Directors voted 5-1 on Wednesday to submit a 0.5% sales tax funding measure to the ballot this November, positioning voters in nearly every Yampa Valley municipality to consider their financial support of regional transit service.


Oak Creek Mayor Melissa Dobbins cast the sole nay vote, citing apprehension from many Oak Creek residents to support a half-cent sales tax measure on top of the 2% municipal sales tax question submitted to...
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Routt County planners issue second corrections letter regarding Stagecoach Mountain Ranch proposal

The Routt County Planning Department has issued a second corrections letter to Discovery Land Company regarding its Stagecoach Mountain Ranch proposal, identifying more than 120 questions, conflicts and missing materials that must be resolved before the county completes its review of the project’s 10 pending land-use applications, according to a Monday update on the county’s Stagecoach Mountain Ranch page. 


The 11-page letter, dated Aug. 10 and signed by Routt County Assistant Planning Direct...
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Town of Hayden becomes first Routt County municipality to add data center language into development code

The Hayden Town Council has voted 4-1 to amend the town’s municipal code to include language around data centers, making it the first Routt County municipality to add language directly addressing data centers into its development code. 


The formal decision, with council member Elaine Hicks casting the sole “nay” vote, came at the Aug. 6 town council meeting after a series of July discussions regarding how the town should regulate potential data center development and close gaps in its land us...
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Yampa Valley Housing Authority officially launches search for executive director

The Yampa Valley Housing Authority has officially launched its search for a new executive director as of Thursday, Aug. 20, according to Interim Executive Director Elliot Lawrence. 


The search comes following the mutual separation agreement signed in the spring between former Executive Director Jason Peasley and the YVHA Board of Directors.


YVHA’s Executive Director Search Committee, which has utilized search firm Bridge Partners, includes Steamboat Springs City Council President Steve Mun...
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Inside the Piceance-East Douglas wild horse gather: A fight over horses, habitat and Western lands

A helicopter buzzes over the trees near an oil refinery in Northwest Colorado’s Piceance Basin, veering strategically around power lines toward a small band of wild horses as it seeks to drive as many as it can across the rugged landscape into a catch pen. 


A white horse flips around, running the opposite direction. The helicopter follows suit and cuts off its escape. 


“It’s too close,” says one wild horse advocate of the helicopter. “It’s too low.” 
The wild horses — the white horse inclu...
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Steamboat Springs City Council holding Friday meeting to discuss half-cent sales tax measure for Regional Transportation Authority

Steamboat Springs City Council is holding a special meeting at 10 a.m. this Friday, Aug. 21, to formally discuss a potential ballot measure this fall that would ask voters in Steamboat — and virtually all other Yampa Valley municipalities — to pay a 0.5% sales tax to fund the Yampa Valley Regional Transportation Authority. 


The decision to hold the meeting was made after the RTA board’s regular meeting on Monday, Aug. 17, where board members reviewed polling results, with the aim of holding a...
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National report recognizes Routt County for wildlife habitat planning

The National Association of Counties released a report last month on county planning for wildlife habitat connectivity, which featured Routt County as one of only five counties in the United States as notable case studies.


Routt County Commissioners Sonja Macys and Tim Redmond attended the 2026 National Association of Counties Conference from July 17-20, where the commissioners spoke on a panel about the county’s progress in updating its planning codes and policies, among other strategic init...
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Routt County purchases $3.2 million gravel pit, securing 100+ years of gravel for South Routt roads

Routt County has officially acquired the Hewes gravel pit in a $3.2 million purchase approved unanimously by county commissioners on July 28, which will provide at least 100 years’ worth of gravel for South Routt roads as a long-term, inflation-resistant resource, according to county officials.


Newspaper staff reached out to county staff following the publication of the July 30-Aug. 5 real estate transactions, which notes the county commissioners as having purchased an approximately 2,000-squ...
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Home health campaign nears $1M goal as Northwest Colorado Health warns of funding strain

Northwest Colorado Health has raised nearly $800,000 toward its first-year fundraising goal for home health and hospice services since the campaign’s October 2025 launch, and a newly announced $300,000 matching grant could push the nonprofit past its target by year-end.


Chief Executive Officer Steph Einfeld shared the fundraising update with the Steamboat Springs City Council at its meeting last week, framing the nonprofit’s home health and hospice programs as essential infrastructure that en...
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Oak Creek trustees put 2% sales tax on November ballot

The Oak Creek Board of Trustees voted 3-1 last week to put a 2% sales tax measure for capital improvement funds on the November ballot, as town leaders weigh how to fund a backlog of costly infrastructure repairs.


The measure comes after months of discussion about how to address Oak Creek’s aging infrastructure, rising utility costs and limited revenue base.


The conversation around a sales tax ballot measure this fall began in April, when trustees floated one of two options for a 1% sales...
SteamboatToday.com •

City of Steamboat Springs faces likely slower sales tax growth in 2027 budget preview

Steamboat Springs Finance Director Kim Weber gave City Council a sobering preview of the 2027 sales tax budget last week, setting the stage for 2027 to potentially be the city’s slowest-growth year in nearly a decade. 


At council’s meeting on Tuesday, July 21, Weber proposed a budget flat to the current budget year. She said currently, the city is roughly $463,000 down from projected 2026 revenues. Weber is suggesting starting the 2027 budget at $40.6 million of sales tax, or about $300,000 l...
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High costs, low supply: Steamboat Springs’ early childhood challenges laid bare

Steamboat Springs parents and educators urged local officials this week to prioritize early childhood care, describing a system strained by high costs, low wages and limited availability — and calling for creative, community-wide solutions.


At Tuesday’s meeting of the Steamboat Springs City Council, parent Greer Van Dyck opened public comment by walking council through her family’s daily routine: early alarms, drop-offs, work, pickups, dinner and playtime.


“While it can feel like Groundhog...
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2 Yampa town employees resign, accuse trustee of hostile conduct

Yampa Town Administrator/Clerk Sheila Symons and Treasurer Mary Alice Page-Allen have resigned after filing separate harassment complaints against Trustee Ken Montgomery. 


Page-Allen filed her complaint May 7, followed by Symons on May 20. Their resignations take effect Aug. 1 and Aug. 9, respectively.


Both women stated in their resignation letters that they could no longer effectively perform their duties due to the negative impacts of Montgomery’s behavior on their personal and professio...
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2 Steamboat Springs City Council members submit letter opposing 13,850-acre oil and gas lease sale proposal

Two members of the Steamboat Springs City Council have joined the Routt County commissioners in opposing a proposed federal oil and gas lease sale north of Hayden, arguing the move could threaten water, wildlife, recreation and the region’s long-term economy. 


In a comment letter submitted Friday, City Councilors Gail Garey and Amy Dickson urged the U.S. Forest Service to deny consent for the lease sale covering about 13,850 acres in the Hahns Peak-Bears Ears Ranger District.


The councilor...
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Steamboat Springs City Council member submits formal comments on Stagecoach Mountain Ranch

Steamboat Springs City Councilor Michael Buccino has submitted formal comments on Discovery Land Company’s Stagecoach Mountain Ranch proposal to Routt County commissioners and the Planning Commission, underscoring expected benefits of the development while avoiding any mention of explicit support. 


Stagecoach Mountain Ranch is a 6,100-acre proposed private ski area and luxury residential development near Stagecoach Reservoir in South Routt County. Plans for the development include 613 luxury...
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Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. launches ‘Steamboat Hospitality,’ drawing pushback from councilor

Steamboat Springs City Councilor Amy Dickson had choice words Tuesday night regarding Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp.’s launch of “Steamboat Hospitality,” an expansion of the resort’s operations into property management and hospitality. 


Ski Corp. Director of Communications Maren Franciosi announced the launch in a statement released July 1, calling Steamboat Hospitality “a new business division bringing together lodging and property management, homeowner services, real estate and association ma...
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City, Ski Corp. nearing deal on addressing paid parking impacts

The Steamboat Springs City Council is close to finalizing an agreement with Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. pertaining to impacts of Ski Corp.’s new paid winter parking program announced in March.


At the end of Tuesday’s regular meeting, council went into executive session for roughly 1 hour and 15 minutes to discuss both tenant negotiations regarding the Campbell property — now known as the Stockbridge Campus housing project — and the repercussions of Ski Corp.’s forthcoming paid parking progra...
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Yampa Valley Regional Transportation Authority sets stage for potential November ballot question

The Yampa Valley Regional Transportation Authority notified the Routt County Clerk and Recorder’s Office this week of its intent to go to the ballot this November with a funding question.


The notification marks another milestone reached this month for the recently formed authority as it inches toward bringing regional bus service to residents valleywide. 


Whether the RTA ultimately submits a ballot measure for this fall will depend on the results of polling, set to take place over the next...
SteamboatToday.com •

Steamboat Springs City Council talks ‘managing expectations’ around Slate Creek Neighborhood

The Steamboat Springs City Council reacted to the Yampa Valley Housing Authority’s decision to opt against pursuing a November 2026 annexation ballot measure for Slate Creek Neighborhood (formerly known as Brown Ranch) at their meeting Tuesday, igniting a somewhat tense discussion around process, timing and managing the expectations of the public. 


The housing authority’s decision in late June came after an hour-and-a-half discussion at a special meeting, where board members and staff discuss...
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Yampa Valley Housing Authority redesignating 12 units at The Cottonwoods to lower income levels

The Yampa Valley Housing Authority is redesignating 12 for-sale units at The Cottonwoods at Mid-Valley from 140% of area median income to a mix of 120% and 100% AMI, citing less demand for a certain “product type” at higher income levels, according to a statement released Tuesday. 


In a follow-up statement to the newspaper, YVHA Communications and Community Engagement Manager Laraine Martin said the redesignated units are comprised of seven one-bedroom, four two-bedroom and one three-bedroom...
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Routt County Wildfire Mitigation Council, Community Ag Alliance pursue polling efforts, potential ballot measure

Nonprofit leaders in Routt County, collectively known as the Environmental Coalition, are preparing to poll voters on a possible countywide funding measure that could support wildfire mitigation, land stewardship and related environmental projects. 


But the proposal hit a familiar local nerve: how much voters might be asked to pay, what exactly the money would fund and whether this year’s ballot is already too crowded.


During the Routt County commissioners’ June 22 work session, representa...
SteamboatToday.com •

Discovery Land Company responds to Steamboat Springs City Council comments on Stagecoach Mountain Ranch

Discovery Land Company’s most recent response to Steamboat Springs City Council addresses just one portion of the city’s lengthy list of concerns about the proposed Stagecoach Mountain Ranch development, focusing narrowly on workforce housing while leaving other issues largely unaddressed.


The response, submitted as part of Routt County’s ongoing second-round review of the proposed 6,100-acre private ski and residential development near Stagecoach Reservoir, follows a detailed letter council...
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Routt County commissioners raise concerns regarding proposed 13,850-acre oil and gas lease sale north of Hayden

Routt County commissioners are raising concerns about a proposed federal oil and gas lease sale covering nearly 14,000 acres of national forest land north of Hayden, with Commissioner Sonja Macys calling it potentially the “largest extractive resource play” in the county during her lifetime. 


The U.S. Forest Service is analyzing an expression of interest for oil and gas development on approximately 13,850 acres in the Hahns Peak/Bears Ears Ranger District of the Routt National Forest, accordi...
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