BV BOT Approve Liquor License on East Main, Regional SWAT … – The Ark Valley Voice
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Posted by Carly Winchell | Oct 3, 2023
The Buena Vista Board of Trustees (BOT) approved a new liquor license for a sports bar on East Main Street at their Tuesday, September 26 regular meeting. An intergovernmental agreement (IGA) between the county, Salida, and Buena Vista also passed to create a regional SWAT team.
The rest of the meeting consisted of public comment, regular department reports, and an overview of the Elk Run major subdivision’s water supply protection district application. The recreation department confirmed the postponement of construction for Pocket Wave 2.0 until 2024 during their staff report.
Public Hearing Tavern Liquor License
The Board approved a liquor license for a new establishment located at 308 and 310 East Main Street. The license for Collegiate LLC. Doing Business As (DBA) Main Street Tavern was granted during a public hearing in which an outpouring of support was delivered by members of the public.
The applicants Lori May and Siana Mayer spoke about their dream of opening up a family-friendly sports bar on Main Street. Siana explained that the ultimate goal is to bring the town together a build a community through a space where locals and travelers could let loose and have some fun.
The goal is to have consistent business hours regardless of the season and remain open five days a week from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Thursday through Monday. The tavern will provide drinks and “small bites.”
Multiple members of the public expressed support for the business. “I think with confidence and conviction that everyone who knows these families adores these wonderful people and we think that the business concept they are proposing will be an amazing asset to our community, so we are in full support of what they are doing,” said Asian Palate Owner Eddie Sandoval.
JJ Kinsfather, Robin Vega, Sara Anderson, and Victoria and Phillip Palmer also spoke during the public comment portion of the hearing in support of the family and the business model.
“Personally, I’m excited for this to happen because it brings something different that we don’t have right now,” said Trustee Gina Lucrez who emphasized the desire to increase the vibrancy of Main Street.
Trustee Sue Cobb noted that the concern with liquor licenses is adding another location that serves alcohol on Main Street; however, this location has been licensed before as Push and Pull, which mitigates that concern.
The motion to approve the license passed unanimously.
IGA for Special Weapons and Tactics Team
The BOT voted to approve an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) between the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office, City of Salida, and Town of Buena Vista to create a regional Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team and share resources.
According to Chief Dean Morgan, there have always been mutual aid policies, but the IGA formalizes these policies and addresses specifics for training, equipment, and repair costs to make it equitable and ensure those costs are shared fairly among the agencies.
Trustee Andrew Rice moved to approve the agreement with a second from Lucrezi. Trustee Devin Rowe was the sole opposition to the vote. “I just don’t support these kinds of teams,” said Rowe when asked to explain his dissenting vote. “I didn’t support the vehicle.”
The vehicle in question is a Ballistic Armored Tactical Transport (BATT) vehicle, which was collectively purchased by the organizations. The IGA includes details of its maintenance and storage in addition to the creation of the regional SWAT team.
The full agreement is available in the meeting packet beginning on page ninety-nine.
Public Comment
Public comment for the meeting featured a funding request from Buena Vista Heritage, a plug for an October Art Walk in Buena Vista, and an update on the Legacy Stage.
The budget season brings budget requests for the Town. President of Buena Vista Heritage Victor Kuklin stood up during public comment to request money for BV Heritage to hire a full-time staff member next season to “save staff’s health and sanity.” The request was for $15,000 to cover the position.
At the end of the meeting, Treasurer Phillip Puckett reminded the Board that the staff would need to be specifically directed to consider any funding requests from public comment.
Amy Eckstein invited the public to the Fall Art Walk in downtown Buena Vista on October 21. The hope for the event is to celebrate art, bring the community out and together, and increase vibrancy during the off-season.
Related to downtown’s vibrancy, Eckstein also asked the Board to reconsider building a large Town Hall Campus in the “heart of the business district.”
Eckstein said the project seemed like it was moving forward but that she had also heard that it should be up for community feedback. “Nobody knows this is going to happen,” said Eckstein. “What I’m gathering is that it’s happening.”
Last up during public comment, Chris Martin reported that the new Legacy Stage had a good year. He outlined a few needs for the Town to consider for next year, including free wi-fi, handicapped parking, landscaping, sun shading, and more.
Consent Agenda and Staff Reports
The consent agenda for the meeting passed unanimously. It contained a previously discussed IGA between Buena Vista Police and the school district to create a Law Enforcement School Partnership (LESP) and a resolution to confirm those who can make changes to town accounts.
Reports were given by the new Town Administrator Brian Berger, Treasurer Phillip Puckett, Recreation Director Shane Basford, and Airport Director Jack Wyles.
Brian Berger makes his case to the board for his candidacy as Town Administrator. Photo by Carly Winchell
Berger kept things short and sweet having stepped into the position on September 18. Four days in he already wrote his first memo. “I’m still getting my feet under me,” said Berger, though he added that he’s feeling comfortable and that it has been a smooth transition thus far.
Puckett reported that the year-to-date (YTD) sales taxes have increased by just under seven percent with things flattening out a bit in July. Puckett also welcomed Berger, stating that his first week went well. “It feels like he’s been here for a while already,” said Puckett, who is assisting Berger with his transition from Poncha Springs to Buena Vista.
Basford reported that meetings are underway planning for the construction of Billy Cordova Memorial Park.
Work on the Pocket Wave 2.0, a much-anticipated recreation project, was postponed until next year due to increased water flow by the Bureau of Reclamation and a rejected request by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) to extend a permit to allow more time to work in the water this fall. This possibility was floated at the August meeting to update the public on the project.
Wyles reported that construction for the Aron rehab is still underway through the month of October. The High Altitude ARNG Aviation Training Site (HAATS) barbeque on August 14 was successful with the addition of vintage cars. The event had about one hundred attendees with approximately $8,000 made in fuel sales.
Elk Run Subdivision Water Supply Protection District Application Review
Public Works Director Shawn Williams provided an in-depth overview of the Elk Run Major Subdivision’s water support protection application. The application is currently under review by Public Works. Elk Run initially provided a draft application in the fall of 2022.
Dan Niemela with BV Water Consultants went into detail about the application and the work they’ve done to ensure it is done correctly and risks to the Buena Vista water supply mitigated.
Williams explained that Public Works is waiting on the hydraulic report and a chance to catch the new town administrator up on the application before being able to give a definitive answer. Williams described the application as a “premium example” of what one should look like and said that it currently checked all the necessary boxes.
More information about the application is available in the meeting packet. The full discussion can also be viewed along with the rest of September 26’s meeting on the Town’s YouTube channel once the meeting has been uploaded.
The next regular meeting for the BV BOT is set for Tuesday, October 10.
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ReporterCarly Winchell is a rookie reporter based out of Buena Vista. She attended college at Truman State University with a focus on painting and creative writing. She has a background in telecommunications, hospitality, and the fine art of making coffee. When she isn’t busy writing, Carly can be found fishing for trout, playing video games, or crocheting amigurumi with the help of her cat, Yuki.
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