Yampa Valley Electric Association employee Steve Vestal positions a solar panel at a new solar array being build near YVEA s headquarters on Routt County Road 129 in 2016. (File photo)
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS Steamboat Springs City Council voted unanimously at its regular meeting Tuesday to use $630,157 from the city’s reserves to match a grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs for the installation of solar panels on the city’s wastewater treatment facility.
While council members have preached caution when using funds from the city’s reserves after a drop in sales tax collections in 2020 due to COVID-19, Steamboat Finance Director Kim Weber told council the investment will eventually save the city money in the long term. The money will also come specifically from the fleet fund, an internal service fund used to replace and maintain city fleet, which has $5.1 million in unappropriated reserves.
John F. Russell / Steamboat Pilot & Today
Yampa Valley Electric Association employee Steve Vestal positions a solar panel at a new solar array being build near YVEA s headquarters on Routt County Road 129 in 2016. Thanks to a $2.1 million grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs Energy Impact Fund 14 governmental agencies from Craig to Yampa will be installing solar arrays beginning this spring. (file photo)
The installation of 14 solar arrays at governmental agencies from Craig to Yampa will begin this spring thanks to a $2.1 million grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs Energy Impact Fund as part of a regional solar project.