Instead of writing a thank-you note, Chief Tyler Lambert brought the gift from the Downtown Development Authority to the meeting last week. Parked in front of city hall, the 2003 ladder truck served as an expression of gratitude.

The board recently donated $150,000 to Northeast Teller County Fire Protection District for the ladder truck.

Lambert secured the truck for $64,000 during an auction in Longmont and plans to spend the remainder of the gift to replace the concrete pad in front of the station bays. 

“The new tower truck drags the rear stabilizers on the concrete bay floor when backing into the station because the truck is about 14 feet longer in total length,” he said.

It was an ooh-and-ah time for Jon Gemelke, DDA chair, and the authority board as they gathered outside to view their donation. In addition to Lambert, Deputy Chief Dave Rial, engineer Josh Summeril and board chair John Gomes joined the celebration.

In other news, Gemelke and the board balked, at first, at the request from city manager Aaron Vassalotti to contribute $165,000 to continue work on the city’s Re-Imagining Bergstrom Park project. The work includes engineering, utility work and road construction around the parking lot.

“We’re adding 71 parking spots, re-imagining the park and adding green space while moving the park more west from its current position and move the parking lot,” Vassalotti said. “We’ll add a new connection at Saddle Club Drive and eventually connect it to West Street.”

Before going ahead with the work, the city will seek community engagement, Vassalotti added.

At issue is the responsibility of a DDA in a town where surveys show that residents view growth as something that includes nature and open space.

“We have overwhelming support for the fact that we need a park on that side of the road,” Vassalotti said. “We also need additional parking and walkability, two major initiatives that the (DDA) board has spoken about over the last year.”

Board member Jerry Good questioned the need for additional funds.

“Didn’t we put in $25,000 for the design?” he said. “I’m just surprised, didn’t see it coming.”

Vassalotti responded that the city matched the DDA’s $25,000 for the design, in addition to the city’s $695,000 expense to purchase additional property for the project.

“We’d look for the DDA to match that and in the meantime, we’ll look for grants as we go through the process, so hopefully we’ll have other matching funds,” Vassalotti said.  “The city will put in money as needed in whatever shortfall we have.”

Yet the DDA board also looked at the future of a place where the Tava House dining/event center/steakhouse/culinary school/just opened on the adjacent property in the center of downtown.

“I think the project is in the definite mission of the DDA but I also want to make sure of the survivability of the DDA. Will it beautify main street? Yes,” said DDA’s Al Born, an original member.

Gemelke assured Born that the DDA did have the available funds.

“To put the money back into the community is our goal,” Born said.

Gemelke appeared to struggle with the request.

“I can see the benefit of the project; I’m looking at the pros and cons,” he said. ‘There is a definite benefit for the downtown area.”

David Mijares added. “I think we have to be cautious but the original intent of the DDA was to promote growth and investment in the town, and this qualifies,” he said.

George Jones, the city’s current liaison to the board, was in.

“I think this is great thing for the city to start to put in motion, a project funded in phases with grants,” said Jones, who was elected mayor in April.

Jones, who termed the project a “mini-Memorial Park” on the other side of the highway, highlighted that the land once held a propane tank.

“Once we retire the debt in 2028, the fund balance for the DDA will escalate,” he said.

Vassalotti pressed on.

“With additional parking, for RVs as well, the plan changes the way people can interact with our community,” he said. “That is a priority of the DDA, so we saw this project as something you want to be a part of and contribute to. No one likes the cost.”

Rather than approving the request for $165,000, the board tabled the motion until the July meeting.

On the issue of beautifying downtown, the DDA recently approved allocating $200,000 for the microgrant program, an increase of $50,000 from last year. Gemelke, who pushed the program last year, announced that 48 downtown businesses had applied for microgrants.