{"id":2457187,"date":"2020-04-15T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-15T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/?p=324360"},"modified":"2020-04-15T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2020-04-15T06:00:00","slug":"aspen-electeds-finalize-historic-multi-million-dollar-covid-19-relief-package","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/aspen-electeds-finalize-historic-multi-million-dollar-covid-19-relief-package\/","title":{"rendered":"Aspen electeds finalize historic multi-million dollar COVID-19 relief package"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image p402_hide\">\n<div class=\"caption-container\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"686\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/cover-atw-040920-5-1024x686.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/cover-atw-040920-5-1024x686.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/cover-atw-040920-5-300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/cover-atw-040920-5-768x514.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/cover-atw-040920-5-1536x1029.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/cover-atw-040920-5-2048x1372.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><figcaption><strong>Richard Zuckerwar takes a photos of the closure sign outside of Belly Up Aspen on Thursday, March 12, 2020. <\/strong><br \/><em>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText DropCap\">The $6 million COVID-19 economic relief and stimulus package for local businesses, residents and workers that Aspen City Council passed Tuesday will be distributed at the discretion of <a id=\"N0x1be8c70N0x1c58bf0:N0x1be8c70N0x1cbb978\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/novel-coronavirus-qa-with-aspen-city-manager-sara-ott\/\">City Manager Sara Ott<\/a> in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">How that money is doled out and to whom is still being worked out, and a team of department heads within the municipal government are working on various plans for different sectors of the community.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cCouncil\u2019s role will be to establish criteria. \u2026 I strongly encourage you to not make the decisions on the actual awards \u2026 that you establish expectations,\u201d Ott told council.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Ott, who has been meeting with stakeholders throughout the valley and beyond, will ultimately sign off on any relief plans, with consultation from City Attorney Jim True and Finance Director Pete Strecker.<\/p>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col\">\n<div class=\"row at-donation at-donation-mobile p-0\">\n<div class=\"col-xl-4 p-2\">\n<div data-bg=\"url(https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/AT-logo-white.png)\" class=\"p-0 mt-2 mb-2 h-75 text-center rocket-lazyload\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/AT-logo-white.png\" class=\"logo m-0 p-0 invisible\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-bg=\"url(https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/at-banner-paypal.jpg)\" class=\"col-xl-8 p-3 text-center rocket-lazyload\">\n<h3 class=\"d-inline mr-3\">Support Local Journalism<\/h3>\n<p><button class=\"btn d-inline\" type=\"button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/donate\/?utm_source=article&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_campaign=donation&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=mid-article\">Donate<\/a><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201c(We are working) with them to find out the most expeditious way to release funds through some kind of means testing from here to Parachute to ensure we are getting the money to the people who truly need it and there\u2019s a bit of a vetting process,\u201d she said late Tuesday night.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Mitch Osur, the city\u2019s director of parking and downtown services, said Tuesday prior to council\u2019s meeting that he is working on a $1 million relief plan for local businesses.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIt\u2019s almost ready,\u201d he said, adding he\u2019s gathering feedback from council members and will present to Ott and her team soon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Council approved a resolution Tuesday that authorizes a $3.5 million inter-fund advance from the Wheeler Opera House Fund to the general fund for the purposes of financing relief and economic stimulus efforts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">During a special meeting April 9, council approved on first reading an <a id=\"N0x1be8c70N0x1c58e30:N0x1be8c70N0x1cbbe88\" href=\"https:\/\/d3n9y02raazwpg.cloudfront.net\/cityofaspen\/00ed3262-0fbd-11ea-8baa-0050569183fa-da76106a-2e02-4fe6-bbb2-ae71e53e957b-1586555527.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">emergency ordinance<\/a><i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i> that appropriates money from the city\u2019s housing development fund, the Kids First child care fund and the general fund.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Council also passed last week a <a id=\"N0x1be8c70N0x1c58ef0:N0x1be8c70N0x1cbbfa8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/aspen-electeds-make-historic-vote-for-5m-covid-19-emergency-relief-stimulus-package\/\">resolution <\/a>that approves a multi-pronged objectives and outcomes document that centers around increasing the economic security for vulnerable people by securing shelter, food, utilities, health care, child care and transportation, as well as working proactively to minimize further economic disruption and actively encourage recovery.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The council on Tuesday finalized the ordinance and resolution on second reading with a unanimous vote.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The money will cover everything from rent and mortgage relief for local workers and residents to child care subsidies for working families to possible bridge loans or grants to Aspen businesses, along with costs associated with disease testing and personal protective equipment for health care workers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The city\u2019s relief fund will be funded with $1.5 million from the housing development fund, and $1 million from the Kids First child care fund; both have reserves to cover the expenditures, according to city officials.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Because the general fund doesn\u2019t have sufficient fund balances, council is planning to borrow from the Wheeler Opera House fund, which has roughly $33 million in it and is funded by real estate transfer taxes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The money will be paid back in installments over 10 years at an interest rate that will be set equal to the 10-year Treasury rate at the time of the initial advance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Council on March 30 voted to appropriate an additional $200,000 toward <a id=\"N0x1be8c70N0x1c58fb0:N0x1be8c70N0x1cbc398\" href=\"https:\/\/pitkincounty.com\/1319\/COVID-19-Relief\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pitkin County\u2019s relief fund<\/a><i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i>, which has seen more than 1,200 applicants and is drawing from a <a id=\"N0x1be8c70N0x1c59010:N0x1be8c70N0x1cbc428\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/close-to-1000-people-apply-for-covid-19-relief-in-aspen-area\/\">$1.3 million account<\/a> with most of the dollars coming from the county, along with a $100,000 contribution from Snowmass Village.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Another $300,000 will be put into that fund, as appropriated in the emergency ordinance passed by council Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The city declared a local disaster emergency March 12, which was two days prior to Gov. Jared <a id=\"N0x1be8c70N0x1c59070:N0x1be8c70N0x1cbc5d8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/aspen-skiing-co-shuts-down-all-four-mountains-after-colorado-governor-orders-closure\/\">Polis shutting down all ski areas<\/a> in Colorado and <a id=\"N0x1be8c70N0x1c590d0:N0x1be8c70N0x1cbc668\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/new-pitkin-county-order-limits-business-and-asks-tourists-to-leave-area\/\">weeks before local public health orders<\/a> closing dine-in restaurants and bars, as well as non-essential business were put into place.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Ott declared that emergency partly because it would put the city in the front of the line if and when federal and state aid comes to municipalities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">There\u2019s no guarantee, however, that Aspen will get any federal stimulus money.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">City officials are lobbying their state and congressional representatives to not let rural mountain communities be forgotten.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThis continues to be a real concern of mine,\u201d Ott told council, adding that the recovery of entire state of Colorado\u2019s economy is on the line.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The <a id=\"N0x1be8c70N0x1c59130:N0x1be8c70N0x1cbc9c8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/city-of-aspen-projecting-massive-revenue-losses-expenditure-cuts\/\">city anticipates a reduction<\/a> of $277 million in the sales and lodging tax base this year, translating into a revenue shortfall of nearly $13 million in revenue.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Tagline\"><a href=\"mailto:csackariason@aspentimes.com\">csackariason@aspentimes.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/aspen-electeds-finalize-historic-multi-million-dollar-covid-19-relief-package\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Richard Zuckerwar takes a photos of the closure sign outside of Belly Up Aspen on Thursday, March 12, 2020. Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times The $6 million COVID-19 economic relief and stimulus package for local businesses, residents and workers that Aspen City Council passed Tuesday will be distributed at the discretion of City Manager Sara Ott [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2457187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-18 04:09:20","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley&#039;s Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2457187","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2457187"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2457187\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2457187"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2457187"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2457187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}