Pitkin County commissioners approve third quarter budget supplementals

Pitkin County commissioners unanimously approved on Wednesday requests for third quarter budget supplementals.

The board discussed these supplemental requests at length at a Sept. 10 work session, where various county staff were present to answer questions.

These requests will increase the county’s 2024 budgeted expenditures by approximately $3.2 million, which will be offset by an increase in budgeted revenues of around $1.1 million. For the budget, this is a net increase of $2.1 million.

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Supplemental requests from the county’s general fund totaled slightly over $1 million and included a jail line sewer repair, a sustainable aviation fuel feasibility study, and an Elk Run housing unit renovation.

Other requests came from the county’s public safety radio fund for a site in Redstone for $400,000, which would provide better connectivity for public safety radios of the Crystal River Valley. Another also includes the housing fund for an Aspen Airport Business Center employee housing unit renovation for $250,000, the healthy rivers fund for a Lincoln Creek water quality project for $15,550, and the ambulance district fund for HVAC upgrades for $48,000.

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The Aspen-Pitkin County Airport had several requests to make to the board from the airport fund, as well as a combined airport and general fund request. The requests include building a retaining wall at the airport for $267,000; noise monitoring with the Fly With Integrity Program for $219,033; conducting a wind study for $125,000; and conducting a geothermal heating district feasibility study for $475,000, with contributions from a Colorado Energy Office grant and the airport.

Open Space and Trails also had three requests to make to the board from the open space and trails fund, including contribution to the Roaring Fork Safe Passages project for $18,000; the Deer Creek Ranch Solar System for $140,000; and the Gerbaz Bridge for $55,000.

At some point, Commissioner Patti Clapper would like to know what the supplemental requests are to date that increased the overall budget moving into 2024. 

“We set a budget of ‘x’ amount, and every three, four times a year, we do supplemental, so I want to know where we started at the beginning of 2024 to where we are now with our bottom line budget,” she said. “We’ve increased our budget, and we’ve offset it by grants, but I would like to see it.”

This group of supplemental requests stood out to Pitkin County Budget Director Connie Baker because they focus on housing and climate initiatives.

She led the charge for several different groups to present their budget requests to the board of commissioners. County departments can submit these supplemental requests for various reasons, including “when a grant has become available, a new project or acquisition has been identified, the scope of an existing project has changed significantly, or when budgetary changes cross funds,” according to meeting documents.

FBO lease

Commissioners moved forward with an emergency ordinance, which approved a fourth amendment to the lease and use agreement with Trajen Flight Support, L.P., doing business as Atlantic Aviation. The confirmatory public hearing is set for Oct. 9.

The board discussed an extension of the current fixed-base operator lease with Atlantic Aviation at the airport. This amendment extends the term under which Atlantic is operating at the airport by 61 days, or to the end of November. The lease is extended under the same terms as the past 12 months of the lease, with the same monthly terms of the ground rent and the MAG.

A third amendment was made in September 2023.

Before this, a request for fixed-base operator proposals for the airport was announced on Aug. 8, 2022. The deadline for proposals was Feb. 16, 2023. 

Seven firms submitted proposals, and Atlantic Aviation beat its rivals based on certain criteria from the county. 

Negotiations with Atlantic Aviation began on April 14, 2023. 

The existing lease, signed in 1993, was to expire on Sept. 30, 2023. In 2006, Atlantic Aviation acquired the original lease holder, Trajen Flight Support LP, and assumed the rights and responsibilities of the current fixed-base operator agreement, according to previous reporting from The Aspen Times. 

A one-year lease extension was approved with Atlantic Aviation, but this extension is set to expire on Sept. 30.

“The elephant in the room,” as acting County Attorney Ry Neiley called it, is the new 30-year lease with Atlantic that is still undergoing negotiations.

Regan Mertz can be reached at 970-429-9153 or rmertz@aspentimes.com.