Basalt officials hope that residents will be motivated by a sense of civic engagement to help determine what big projects the town government should pursue, but they’re offering free pizza and beverages as extra incentive.
Basalt is entering the home stretch on an aggressive process called Basalt Forward 2030 to prioritize desired projects and identify their costs and time required to complete them.
“We’re definitely getting closer to decision time for Basalt Forward 2030,” Town Manager Ryan Mahoney told the Town Council on Tuesday night.
As part of the process, an appointed Capital Needs Committee is scheduled to determine its final recommendations on projects on Aug. 2.
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The town of Basalt was the target of an unemployment claim scam that has been sweeping Colorado since the pandemic hit last year.
The town government successfully snuffed out the fraud and didn’t incur any expenses, according to finance director Christy Chicoine.
“There were 13 claims filed with the Town that we believe are fraudulent over the past four months,” Chicoine said in an email. “We don’t anticipate the Town will incur any actual losses for claims.”
She said the town notified the state about the claims and also alerted the individuals who were targeted so they could also notify the state. The total number of claims filed had a maximum benefit of about $130,000, Chicoine said.
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The town of Basalt anticipated reaping $480,000 in revenue from a tax on tobacco products in 2020, so it is planning to put the funds to good use in 2021.
The Town Council voted 6-0 Tuesday night to provide $150,000 to the Aspen Hope Center for various counseling programs, $100,000 to the Roaring Fork School District to fund a mental health and behavioral health therapist at Basalt Elementary School and $80,000 for grants of as much as $10,000 for nonprofit organizations that serve Basalt and have programs related to tobacco use prevention or cessation.
Town Manager Ryan Mahoney said the expenditures align with the uses outlined in an April 2018 ballot question. Voters passed a $2 tax on a pack of cigarettes and a 40% tax on other tobacco products.