Childcare, Public Art, Climate Action

What's happening...

(ACC - Aspen City Council, BOCC - Pitkin Board of County Commissioners)

🧱 Building blocks for new childcare

The Burlingame Early Childhood Education Center project looks to move through ACC's 1st reading towards approval to develop a 39k sf facility that will accommodate 94 children and generate 24 full time employees.

🎪 Aspen Institute seasonal structures

The 30-acre Aspen Institute campus has 16 permanent structures and seeks approval to allow for 14 seasonal structures for up to 48 days to accommodate events like the Aspen IDEAS Festival, which draws over 3,000 visitors to the campus each June.

🎨 Painting a Public Art Plan

ACC will hear an information update on the Public Art Plan that was presented in December with a $187,000 budget plus salary for one full-time employee. The memo covers the selection and development process, examples of budgets for other similar communities funding and staffing levels, and budget allocation.

♻️ Climate Action Plan kick-off

The BOCC will review hear from staff about kicking-off a new 2024 Climate Action Plan with a 5 year horizon, which includes updating the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory show below from 2020.

💰 City of Aspen budget bump

The ACC will be asked to approve the revised spending plan for 2024 that will increase total spending authority for 2024 by $58.4 million, offset by $16.9 million in additional revenues in 2024, along with $81.8 million increase to beginning fund balances for 2024. The net impact is an additional $40.4 million added to projected ending fund balances in 2024, totaling just over $294.5 million.

🏠 Homelessness support

The BOCC will consider hiring a consultant to help provide a strategy for addressing homelessness in the County. The memo states that while progress has been made the county lacks two items: 1) a comprehensive strategic approach, and 2) a lack of funding to construct or improve buildings.