HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-02-14 VLHA Meeting Agenda
Vail Local Housing Authority Agenda
3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday, February 14, 2017 Community Development Large Conference Room Town of Vail 75 South Frontage Road Vail, Colorado 81657
VLHA Attendees: Absent: James Wilkins Town Staff:
I. Review and Approval 1/24/2016 Meeting Minutes II. Budget – Presenter Kathleen Halloran, Finance Director
III. Nexus Study IV. Deed Restriction Purchase Program FAQs
V. EHU Guidelines
VI. Chamonix Deed Restrictions
VII. Matterhorn Inn Purchase Follow Up
VIII. Adjournment
IX. Next Meeting – February 28, 2017
Prepared for:
Town of Vail
Prepared by:
RRC Associates
4770 Baseline Rd, Ste 360
Boulder, CO 80303
303/449-6558
www.rrcassociates.com
2016 Vail Employer Survey
Summary of Results
February 2017
2016 Vail Employer Survey Summary of Results
RRC Associates Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction ............................................................................................... 1
Methodology ............................................................................................. 1
Selected Key Findings .............................................................................. 2
Town of Vail Employment and Employers .............................................. 5
Vail Job Generation Rates........................................................................ 7
Additional Results of the 2016 Vail Employer Survey ............................ 9
Employment and Business Characteristics ....................................................................... 9
Industry Sector ................................................................................................................. 9
Employees by Job Status and Place of Residence .......................................................... 11
Employer Size (number of employees) .......................................................................... 12
Employer Space Characteristics ..................................................................................... 13
Anticipated Future Changes in Employment .................................................................. 16
Housing ........................................................................................................................ 17
Employer Perceptions of Affordable/Employee Housing Situation ............................... 17
Employer Actions and Opinions Regarding Workforce Housing Assistance .................. 20
Additional Comments and Suggestions Regarding Workforce Housing in Vail ............. 21
Transportation .............................................................................................................. 22
Appendix
Survey Questionnaire and Cover Letter
Statistical Tables
Open-Ended Comments
2016 Vail Employer Survey Summary of Results
RRC Associates 1
Introduction
The report summarizes the results of the 2016 Vail Employer Survey. The primary purpose of the survey
was to understand current employment generation rates in Vail – i.e. the ratio of employment to
commercial floor area -- which underpin Vail’s housing mitigation requirements for new commercial
development. In addition, the survey also sought to understand employers’ opinions and actions
regarding workforce housing and transportation. The results of the survey are intended to help inform
and update the Town of Vail’s plans and policies regarding selected housing and transportation issues,
including housing mitigation requirements.
Methodology
The Vail Employer Survey was mailed to employers located in Vail on or around November 12, 2016.
Businesses had the option of completing the paper survey and returning it by mail, fax or email, or
completing the survey online via a password-protected website hosted by RRC Associates (each business
was provided a unique password). The survey was accompanied by a cover letter signed by the Town of
Vail Community Development Director describing the purpose and importance of the survey and
logistics for completing it. The Town of Vail business license list was used to identify and contact
businesses.
A total of 876 surveys were mailed, although the number of unique businesses contacted was somewhat
less, owing to the presence of some duplicate businesses with slightly different addresses and/or
multiple subsidiary operations on the list. A total of 42 surveys were returned as undeliverable, with
834 were presumed delivered. A total of 132 usable responses were received, for a net response rate of
approximately 15.8 percent, a typical response for employer surveys in RRC’s experience. As discussed
in the body of the report, the survey respondents were generally representative employers in Vail on
the basis of industry sector and number of employees.
The 95 percent confidence interval for a sample of 132 (within a universe of approximately 876
businesses) is +/-7.9 percentage points (larger for subgroups of respondents and questions with smaller
sample sizes).1
Included in the appendices to this report are the survey form and cover letter, verbatim responses to
the survey’s open-ended questions, and statistical tables summarizing the survey results.
1 To illustrate the confidence interval, if a given survey result has a value of 50%, we can be 95 percent confident
that the true value (if the responses of all employers were captured) would fall between approximately 42.1% and
57.9%.
2016 Vail Employer Survey Summary of Results
RRC Associates 2
Selected Key Findings
Following are selected notable findings from the research:
Business context: By way of background, in 2014, the Town of Vail had an estimated 10,252-
10,751 jobs, spread across a variety of industry sectors. Also in 2014, the two zip codes which
encompass the Vail area (zips 81657, 81658) were reported to have 552 employers (excluding
most government employers), led by employers in the retail trade (26.3 percent) and
accommodation and food services (17.4 percent) sectors. By a different measure, the mailing
list for the survey, provided by the Town of Vail, had a total of 876 businesses identified,
although a significant number are home occupations and one person entities, and several
businesses are duplicates with slightly different addresses and/or multiple subsidiary
operations. This list was used to mail surveys to local employers.
Job generation rates: An important purpose of the survey was to obtain current information on
peak employment by different categories of employers. Survey results show that employers in
several of Vail’s most prevalent industry sectors have a combined average of 6.3 peak season
employees per 1,000 square feet of floor space, or an estimated 5.3 peak season employees
after controlling for multiple job holding. Employment generation rates vary considerably by
business type. For example, eating and drinking establishment have much higher generation
rates than other sectors. After adjusting for multiple jobholding, the 2016 results are similar to
current regulations for accommodation units, office uses, and retail sales. For eating and
drinking establishments and real estate offices, the 2016 employment generation rates are
somewhat higher than shown the current town regulations. These findings should be considered
as a part of Vail nexus discussions.
Based on the 2016 Nexus survey and a review of findings it is recommended that Vail consider
changing several categories of current regulations. These recommendations include:
o Raise the current standard for Eating and Drinking Establishments.
o Combine Real Estate Offices and Property Management Offices with the general Office
category, but do not change the current office standard.
o Consider creating a multi- level formula for Accommodation units to better represent
survey findings. While the overall average for lodging units is .7 employees per room,
there is a wide range of employment that is a function of the overall service levels and
pricing of hotels/lodging.
Selected employment and business characteristics:
o Industry: The industry mix of responding employers generally resembled the industry
mix of employers in Vail-area zip codes, with accommodation and food services, retail
trade, real estate/ property management, and professional/scientific/technical services
ranking among the top four sectors in each data set.
o Number of employees: Responding businesses employed an average of 22.7 employees
and a median of eight employees in their peak season. Most respondents had 1 – 9
employees (56 percent).
2016 Vail Employer Survey Summary of Results
RRC Associates 3
o Employment needs: There were some indicators in the survey of unmet employment
needs both currently and in the future. Over one-quarter of employees noted that they
currently have unfilled full-time (29 percent) and part-time (26 percent) jobs. Looking
ahead, 20 percent of employers expect to increase their number of employees in the
next five years, while none expect to decrease their employees, and the remainder
expect no change (66 percent) or don’t know (14 percent). Additionally, 28 percent of
employers anticipate having at least one employee retire in the next five years.
o Employee job status: In both summer and winter, the largest share of employees are
year-round full-time (56 percent in winter and 68 percent in summer). A notably higher
share of employees are seasonal in winter (32 percent), the peak employment season
for most employers, than in summer (19 percent). Aggregating the responses by hours,
most employees are full time in both summer (83 percent) and winter (80 percent),
while the remaining 17 – 20 percent are part-time.
o Employee residence: Based on employer estimates, about one-quarter of peak season
employees live in the town limits of Vail (26 percent). The remaining 74 percent live
outside of Vail, including an estimates 16 percent within three miles of Vail, 54 percent
in Eagle County more than three miles from Vail, and 4 percent elsewhere in the region.
o Gross floor area: Responding businesses had an average of 5,619 square feet of floor
area and a median of 1,400 square feet. Roughly three-quarters of all responding
businesses (73 percent) reported floor area of less than 2,500 square feet.
Selected findings regarding affordable / employee housing:
o Employer perceptions of affordable/employee housing situation: Over half of
employers say it is “very difficult” for employees at all levels of their organization to find
affordable housing in the Vail area, ranging from 79 percent for seasonal employees to
55 percent for upper management employees.
o Seriousness of the issue of affordable/employee housing for local residents: Fully 37
percent of employers feel that affordable/employee housing for local residents is “the
most critical problem in the Vail Valley,” and 45 percent rate it as “one of the more
serious problems.” Smaller shares feel that it is “a problem, but there are others which
also need attention” (10 percent) or it is “one of our lesser problems” (4 percent), while
just 4 percent of respondents “don’t believe it is a problem.”
o Impacts of lack of affordable housing on employees:
Hiring/ retention: Roughly half (51 percent) of employers said there were
people they had not hired or who had left their employment in the past 12
months because they lacked affordable housing. Among this group of impacted
employers, an average of 8.1 employees were not hired or left employment due
to housing.
Performance: Nearly three-quarters of employers (72 percent) reported that
the availability of affordable housing in Vail has affected the work performance
of their employees, with most citing displeasure with wage rates due to high
housing costs (53 percent). Other notable impacts include high turnover (36
percent) and tardiness from long commutes (33 percent).
2016 Vail Employer Survey Summary of Results
RRC Associates 4
o Does your business offer your employees any housing assistance? Roughly one-quarter
of employers (28 percent) said they provide workforce housing assistance. The most
prevalent type of assistance provided is a company-owned housing program (12
percent), followed by subsidized rents (9 percent), wage differential for housing (4
percent), and down payment assistance for home purchase and cash incentives (1
percent each).
o Would you consider partnering or investing in a housing project to obtain master leased
units for your employees? Eighteen percent of employers responded “yes,” they would
consider partnering or investing in such a project, a larger 44 percent said “no,” and 37
percent were uncertain. Proponents frequently indicated that such a plan was
necessary, opponents tended to feel it wasn’t financially feasible for them to
participate, and many who were uncertain wanted more information on the proposal.
Transportation:
o Employee commute mode by season: Employees’ commute modes vary between
summer and winter, with notably greater usage of busses in winter. The most common
mode in both seasons is driving alone (57 percent in summer and 46 percent in winter).
Following is riding the bus, which is more prevalent in winter (38 percent) than summer
(24 percent). The next most common mode of transport is carpool/ vanpool (12-13
percent in each season), with modest shares walking (3 percent in each season), biking
(2.2 percent summer, 0.3 percent winter), and using other modes (2.3 percent and 0.4
percent respectively).
o Employee incentives for using transportation modes other than driving alone: Forty-six
percent of employers offer incentives for encouraging alternate modes, such as bus
passes (20 percent), employee cash out program for parking (9 percent), on-site
company vehicle for employee errands (6 percent), carpooling program (4 percent), and
cash incentives (4 percent), among other incentives.
2016 Vail Employer Survey Summary of Results
RRC Associates 5
Town of Vail Employment and Employers
Following is a brief overview of total businesses and jobs in the Town of Vail, to help provide context for
interpreting the survey results.
Based on U.S. Census Zip Code Business Patterns, in 2014, there were approximately 552 employers
(excluding most government employers) in the two zip codes which encompass Vail and portions of the
surrounding area (81657, 81658). The largest share of employers were in the retail trade sector (26.3
percent), followed by accommodations and food services (17.4 percent) and real estate and rental and
leasing (15.2 percent), together comprising 58.9 percent of employers.
Table 1
Town of Vail establishments: by industry, March 2014
Source: U.S. Census Zip Code Business Patterns. Note: most government employers and self-employed individuals
excluded.
Industry Number Percent
44-45 Retail Trade 145 26.3%
72 Accommodation and Food Services 96 17.4%
53 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 84 15.2%
54 Professional and Technical Services 51 9.2%
81 Other Services, except Public Administration 49 8.9%
23 Construction 35 6.3%
62 Health Care and Social Assistance 25 4.5%
56 Administrative and Waste Services 22 4.0%
71 Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 10 1.8%
52 Finance and Insurance 8 1.4%
51 Information 7 1.3%
42 Wholesale Trade 6 1.1%
31-33 Manufacturing 5 0.9%
61 Educational Services 3 0.5%
55 Management of Companies and Enterprises 3 0.5%
48-49 Transportation and Warehousing 3 0.5%
21 Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction 0 0.0%
92 Public Administration Not reported
Total, All Industries 552 (ex. pub. admin)100.0%
NAICS
Sector
Establishments in zip codes
81657, 81658: March 2014
2016 Vail Employer Survey Summary of Results
RRC Associates 6
In addition, U.S. Census Zip Code Business Patterns showed approximately 10,252 to 10,751 jobs in the
two zip codes which encompass Vail in March 2014. This job count excludes self-employed individuals,
employees of private households, and most government employees.
Table 2
Vail-area employment, by zip code: as of pay period including March 12, 2014
Source: U.S. Census Zip Code Business Patterns.
Note: Self-employed individuals, employees of private households, and most government employees excluded.
Exact employment in zip code 81658 is reported as a range of 500 to 999 for confidentiality purposes.
Jobs
Zip 81657 9,752
Zip 81658 500-999
Total 10,252 - 10,751
2016 Vail Employer Survey Summary of Results
RRC Associates 7
Vail Job Generation Rates
An important objective of the survey was to document the intensity of employment among different
types of industries in Vail, by calculating the ratio of employment to floor space. This results in
estimates of job generation rates, expressed as the number of total jobs (full-time/part-time and year-
round/seasonal combined) per 1,000 square feet of space. The research program was designed to
obtain data to reevaluate the Vail nexus requirements that are currently contained in code.
Additionally, the results can be used to help plan for the number of employees that are likely to be
generated when new commercial space is built.
A “ratio of sums” approach was used to calculate the number of jobs generated per 1,000 square feet of
floor area, the same approach used in similar research for Vail in 2006. Specifically, for responding
employers in each industry sector, total peak season employment2 and total gross square footage of
floor area were each summed. The raw employment generation ratio for each industry sector was then
calculated as the ratio of total employment to total floor area, multiplied by 1000.
In a further calculation, the employment generation rates have been adjusted for multiple job holding
by dividing the raw employment generation rates by an assumed average of 1.2 jobs per worker, to
allow for apples-to-apples comparison to current regulations. The composite results, shown in Table 3,
show that employers in Vail overall have an average of 5.3 peak season employees per 1,000 square feet
of floor space, after adjusting for multiple job holding.
The employment generation rates show significant variations by industry sector and type of space
occupied. For example, businesses occupying space classified as “eating and drinking establishment”
have notably higher employment generation rates (10.2 employees / 1,000 sqft) than businesses
occupying retail / merchandising space (2.4 employees / 1,000 sqft) after adjusting for multiple job
holding. In an important set of findings, after adjusting for multiple jobholding, the 2016 results are
similar to current regulations for accommodation units, office uses, and retail sales. For eating and
drinking establishments, the 2016 employment generation rates are somewhat higher than the current
town regulations. Additionally, for accommodations/lodging units, while current findings are similar to
current regulations, the data suggest that there could be an adjustment made for certain types of full
service hotel properties that are measured to have employee levels over 1 employee per room. In other
words, a two-tiered system of regulating lodging properties might be warranted.
As part of the analysis, RRC also evaluated current survey findings from Vail in relation to previous
survey findings from past studies from Vail and elsewhere. These comparisons are made using the RRC
Merged Database and are also summarized in Table 3.
Results show that current employment levels in Vail are consistently higher than the overall averages
obtained through previous studies. These findings are likely explained by the high land values in Vail
and the corresponding high service levels that local visitors expect and demand. This finding supports
2 Peak season employment was defined as the greater of either winter season employment or summer season
employment for the respective employer. Year-round full time, year-round part-time, seasonal full-time, and
seasonal part-time jobs were each included in the employment count.
2016 Vail Employer Survey Summary of Results
RRC Associates 8
the conclusion that it is appropriate for Vail to be using locally obtained employment estimates rather
than drawing on national or state/regional averages.
Table 3
Summary of job generation rates (Employees / 1000 square feet of floor space) based on 2016 study
Note: Businesses that reported their business type as “hotel/lodging” or “real estate/property management” were excluded
from the calculation of “Overall” employees per 1,000 sqft of floor space.
There were several industry sectors for which employment generation rates were calculated based on
survey results but these sample sizes were too small to be reliable as categories for regulatory purposes.
These sectors are summarized below. Due to small sample sizes, we recommend caution in interpreting
results; however, if the Town of Vail would like to consider specific additional findings these results will
be provided under separate cover.
Table 4
Job generation rates based on 2016 study: business sectors with small sample sizes
Based on the 2016 Nexus survey and a review of findings it is recommended that Vail consider changing
several categories of current regulations. These recommendations include:
Raise the current standard for Eating and Drinking Establishments.
Combine Real Estate Offices and Property Management Offices with the general Office
category, but do not change the current office standard.
Consider creating a multi- level formula for Accommodation units to better represent
survey findings. While the overall average for lodging units is .7 employees per room (.6
when controlled for multiple job holding), there is a wide range of employment for
hotels that is a function of the overall service levels and pricing of hotels/lodging. The
data could be used to create such a tiered approach.
RRC Rates
2016
RRC Rates 2016,
Adjusted for
Multiple Job Holding
Current
Regulations
RRC
Merged
Database
Eating and drinking establishment 12.3 10.2 6.8 7.8
Office (Finance/Banking, Legal, Medical, Professional Services)4.0 3.3 3.2 3.1
Accommodation unit/limited service lodge unit/housekeeping 0.7/room 0.6/room 0.7/room 0.7/room
Retail sales 2.9 2.4 2.4 3.0
Overall 6.3 5.3 NA 3.9
RRC Rates
2016
RRC Rates 2016,
Adjusted for
Multiple Job Holding
Amusement, arts, entertainment, recreation, spas 3.8 3.2
Construction 61.3 51.0
Government (excluding public schools)2.7 2.3
Other 3.1 2.6
2016 Vail Employer Survey Summary of Results
RRC Associates 9
Additional Results of the 2016 Vail Employer Survey
The remainder of this report discusses additional results of the 2016 Vail Employer Survey.
Employment and Business Characteristics
Industry Sector
The 2016 Employer Survey resulted in 132 useable responses. Employers represented a broad variety of
industry sectors, led by retail trade (28 percent), bar/ restaurant (19 percent), real estate/ property
management (18 percent), and hotel/ lodging (14 percent), with a diverse array of other industries
represented as well.
Figure 1
Survey respondents by industry sector
28%
19%
18%
14%
6%
4%
2%
2%
2%
2%
1%
2%
Retail trade (grocery, sporting goods, etc.)
Bar/restaurant
Real estate / property management
Hotel / lodging
Professional, scientific, technical services (legal,
accounting, architecture, etc.)
Finance/banking/insurance
Amusement, arts, entertainment, recreation
Construction
Health care/social assistance (medical, dental,
ambulatory, psychiatric, shelters, etc.)
Other services (personal, daycare, auto repair,
information/publishing, etc.)
Government (excluding public schools)
Other
0%5%10%15%20%25%30%
Percent of Employers
2016 Vail Employer Survey Summary of Results
RRC Associates 10
The mix of survey respondents by sector generally resembled the industry mix of all employers in zip
codes 81657 and 81658 (based on U.S. Zip Code Business Patterns data). Survey respondents were
somewhat overrepresented in the accommodation and food services sector, and somewhat
underrepresented in the construction and “other” sectors, but were reasonably representative in other
sectors.3
Figure 2
Share of responding employers by industry vs. share of total establishments by industry
*Source of employers in zips 81657, 81658: U.S. Zip Code Business patterns (most government employers
excluded).
3 To the extent that there are differences between the survey response and all employers, they could be due to
variations in survey response by sector, and/or other factors such as variability in how survey respondents
classified themselves by industry, and possibly differences in the coverage of the TOV business license database
and the U.S. Census Zip Code Patterns database.
33%
28%
18%
6%
4%
2%
2%
2%
1%
4%
17%
26%
15%
9%
1%
2%
6%
5%
18%
Accommodation and food services
Retail trade (grocery, sporting goods, etc.)
Real estate / property management
Professional, scientific, technical services (legal,
accounting, architecture, etc.)
Finance/banking/insurance
Amusement, arts, entertainment, recreation
Construction
Health care/social assistance (medical, dental,
ambulatory, psychiatric, shelters, etc.)
Government (excluding public schools)
Other
0%5%10%15%20%25%30%35%
Percent of Employers
Percent of survey respondents
Percent of employers in zips
81657, 81658: 2014*
N/A
2016 Vail Employer Survey Summary of Results
RRC Associates 11
Employees by Job Status and Place of Residence
Full-time / part-time and seasonal job status: At responding employers, most employees are
full-time (32 or more hours/week) year-round in both summer (68 percent) and winter (56
percent). An additional 13-12 percent in each season are year-round part-time, 15-24 percent
are seasonal full-time, and 4-9 percent are seasonal part-time.
Aggregating the responses by hours, most employees are full time in both summer (83 percent)
and winter (79 percent), while the remaining 17 – 21 percent are part-time.
Aggregating the responses by seasonality, more employees are year-round in summer (81
percent) than winter (68 percent). Conversely, a higher share of employees are seasonal in
winter (32 percent) than summer (19 percent), as many employers meet peak winter demand
by hiring additional winter seasonal employees.
Figure 3
Share of employment by job status and season
Place of residence of employees: In aggregate, respondents estimated that 26 percent of their
peak-season employees live in Vail, 16 percent live in unincorporated Eagle County within three
miles of Vail municipal limits, 54 percent live elsewhere in Eagle County, and 4 percent live
elsewhere in the region.
Figure 4
To the best of your knowledge, where do your employees live? (Peak season)
68%
13%15%
4%
56%
12%
24%
9%
Year-round, full-time
employees
(32+ hrs/week)
Year-round, part-time
employees
(<32 hours/week)
Seasonal, full-time
employees
(32+ hrs/week)
Seasonal, part-time
employees
(<32 hours/week)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%Percent of EmployeesShare of employees in summer (Jun-Sep)
Share of employees in winter (Nov-Apr)
26%
16%
54%
4%
Within town limits of Vail
Unincorporated Eagle County, within 3 miles of Vail
municipal limits
Elsewhere in Eagle County
Elsewhere in region
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%
Percent of Employees
2016 Vail Employer Survey Summary of Results
RRC Associates 12
Employer Size (number of employees)
Number of employees: Most responding businesses employ 1 – 4 (25 percent), 5 – 9 (30
percent), 10 – 19 (15 percent), or 20 – 49 workers (21 percent), together comprising 91 percent
of responding employers. Smaller shares employ 50 – 99 workers (5 percent) and 100+ workers
(3 percent). This preponderance of smaller employers roughly parallels patterns for private
sector employers in zip codes 81657 and 81658, except that the survey somewhat
overrepresented employers with 5 – 49 workers, and underrepresented employers with 1 – 4
workers (Figure 5 to follow).
Altogether, responding businesses employed an average of 22.7 workers in their peak season,
and a median of eight workers. In aggregate terms, responding businesses employed a total of
2,417 workers in winter, 1,950 workers in summer, and 2,605 workers in greater of their winter
or summer season.
Figure 5
Share of responding employers by seasonal maximum employment (greater of winter or summer) vs.
Share of private employers in zip codes 81675 and 81658 by employment in 2014*
*Source of employers in zips 81657, 81658: U.S. Census Zip Code Business Patterns (employment as of April 1,
2014); most government employers excluded.
How many jobs are currently unfilled? As of the time they completed they completed the
survey (November / December 2016), 29 percent of employers had unfilled full-time jobs, and
26 percent had unfilled part-time jobs. Combined, these unfilled positions were equivalent to
16 percent of total peak season employment at responding employers. (Stated another way,
staffing at responding employers was up to 16 percent short of their peak needs.)
25%
30%
15%
21%
5%
3%
53%
20%
10%
10%
4%
3%
1-4
5-9
10-19
20-49
50-99
100+
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%Number of EmployeesPercent of Employers
Percent of responding employers (based on
seasonal maximum employment)
Percent of private sector employers in zips
81657, 81658 (2014)*
2016 Vail Employer Survey Summary of Results
RRC Associates 13
Figure 6
Number of full-time and part-time jobs currently unfilled
Employer Space Characteristics
Business location: The survey was designed to reach employers within the Town of Vail.
Virtually all responding employers (97.0 percent) are physically located within the town limits of
Vail, while 0.8 percent are in unincorporated Eagle County within three miles of Vail town limits,
1.5 percent are in unincorporated Eagle County more than three miles of Vail town limits, and
0.8 percent have locations elsewhere.
Figure 7
Physical location of business
71%
10%7%12%
74%
9%12%
5%
None 1 2 - 4 5 or more None 1 2 - 4 5 or more
How many FULL-TIME jobs, if any, are currently
unfilled?
How many PART-TIME jobs, if any, are currently
unfilled?
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%Percent of Employers97%
1%
2%
1%
Within town limits of Vail
Unincorporated Eagle County, within 3 miles of Vail town
limits
Unincorporated Eagle County, more than 3 miles from Vail
town limits
Other
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%
Percent of Employers
2016 Vail Employer Survey Summary of Results
RRC Associates 14
Single-tenant vs. multi-tenant buildings: Eighty-one percent of employers share a building
occupied by other tenants, while 19 percent are in building(s) exclusively occupied by them.
Figure 8
Is your business located in:
Gross square footage of floor area (lodging businesses included): Responding businesses
reported occupying a median of 1,400 square feet of floor area, and a much larger average of
5,619 square feet – with the average lifted by a small number of relatively large businesses.
Roughly three-quarters of responding businesses (73 percent) reported floor area of less than
2,500 square feet, while 20 percent had 2,500 – 9,999 square feet, and 7 percent had 10,000+
square feet.4
Figure 9
Gross square footage of floor area occupied by your business?
4 In asking respondents to report gross square feet of floor area, the survey instructed businesses to “please
exclude garages primarily used for parking, exterior/outdoors spaces, and unenclosed spaces. If your business is
renting space in a multi-tenant building, your gross square footage will likely be equivalent to your leased square
feet of interior space.”
81%
19%
A building shared with other tenants
A building occupied exclusively by my business
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%
Percent of Employers
34%
39%
14%
6%
7%
0-999 sq ft.
1,000-2,499 sq ft.
2,500-4,999 sq ft.
5,000-9,999 sq ft.
10,000+ sq ft.
0%5%10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%Floor AreaPercent of Employers
2016 Vail Employer Survey Summary of Results
RRC Associates 15
Type(s) of space occupied: The largest share of respondents indicated that they occupied retail
/ merchandising (34 percent) or hotel/ lodging (30 percent) space. Smaller numbers of
businesses used space best categorized as restaurant/food service/ bar (20 percent), office (15
percent), home office (12 percent), services (5 percent), and various other types of space. On
average, respondents reported using an average of 1.23 different types of space, with most
employers using just one type of space, and others using a mix of space types.
Figure 10
Which of the following best describes the type(s) of space your business occupies?
(Multiple responses permitted)
34%
30%
20%
15%
12%
5%
2%
1%
5%
Retail / merchandising
Hotel / lodging
Restaurant / food service / bar
Office (including government, private, and medical office)
Home office / business is located in my home
Services (bank, hair salon, gas station, automobile care,
etc.)
Industrial (incl light/heavy industrial, manufacturing,
utilities, etc.)
Recreational (theater, athletic club, recreation center, etc.)
Other
0%5%10%15%20%25%30%35%40%
Percent of Employers
2016 Vail Employer Survey Summary of Results
RRC Associates 16
Anticipated Future Changes in Employment
Anticipated change in employees during the next five years: Over the next five years, two-thirds
of employers expect their employment to remain about the same (66 percent). Of the
remainder, notably more employers plan to increase (20 percent) than reduce (0 percent) their
number of employees, while 14 percent don’t know.
Taking into account all respondents’ future expectations, employment is projected to increase
by a total of 5.9 percent in the next five years.
Anticipated employee retirement in the next five years: Twenty-eight percent of responding
employers anticipate having one or more employees retire over the next five years. In
aggregate, employers anticipate that retiring employees will be equivalent in number to about 3
percent of their total peak-season employees.
To the extent that retiring employees remain in the area and continue to occupy their existing
housing units, the amount of housing available for replacement workers could become
correspondingly tighter without a commensurate increase in supply.
Figure 11
Anticipated changes in employment and employee retirement in the next five years
20%
0%
66%
14%
72%
13%
7%
7%
Increase your number of employees
Reduce your number of employees
Stay about the same
Don’t know
No employees
One employee
Two employees
Three or more employeesDuring the next fiveyears, do you plan to:Approximately howmany of your employeeswill be retiring in thenext five years?0%20%40%60%80%
Percent of Employers
2016 Vail Employer Survey Summary of Results
RRC Associates 17
Housing
A series of survey questions focused specifically on housing issues, the results of which are summarized
below.
Employer Perceptions of Affordable/Employee Housing Situation
A portion of the employer survey was dedicated to understanding employer experiences and opinions
related to employee housing issues. This section summarizes employer responses to these questions.
Degree to which affordable/employee housing is problematic for local residents: Ninety-six
percent of employers said that affordable/employee housing for local residents is a problem to
some degree, most of whom consider it to be a serious issue. Thirty-seven percent say it is “the
most critical problem in the Vail Valley,” and 45 percent indicate it is “one of the more serious
problems.” An additional 10 percent characterize it as “a problem, but there are others which
also need attention.” Four percent consider housing to be “one of our lesser problems,” and 4
percent “don’t believe it is a problem.”
Figure 12
Do you feel affordable/employee housing for local residents is:
How difficult is it for your employees to find affordable housing in the Vail area? On a scale
where 1 = “not at all difficult,” 3 = “moderately difficult,” and 5 = “very difficult,” most
employers indicated that it was “5 - very difficult” for their employees at all levels to find
affordable housing in the Vail area, including seasonal employees (79 percent), general/labor
service employees (74 percent), retail/service clerks (73 percent), entry-level professionals (66
percent), office support staff (64 percent), mid-management (55 percent), and upper
management (55 percent).
4%
4%
10%
45%
37%
I don't believe it is a problem
One of our lesser problems
A problem, but there are others which also need
attention
One of the more serious problems
The most critical problem in the Vail Valley
0%10%20%30%40%50%
Percent of Employers
2016 Vail Employer Survey Summary of Results
RRC Associates 18
Figure 13
How difficult is it for your employees to find affordable housing in the Vail area?
How, if at all, has the availability of affordable housing in Vail affected the work performance of
your employees? Twenty-eight percent of employers believed that housing has not affected
employee performance. Conversely, nearly three-quarters (72 percent) of employers feel that
performance has been affected, most commonly citing displeasure with wage rates due to high
housing costs (53 percent), followed by high turnover (36 percent), tardiness from long
commutes (33 percent), high absentee rates (12 percent), and other issues (12 percent,
primarily difficulty finding/recruiting employees).
79%
73%74%
66%64%
55%55%
10%16%15%
18%20%
14%7%
8%11%8%11%11%
15%
16%
3%5%4%
11%13%
5%9%4.7 4.6 4.6 4.4 4.4
4.0 3.9
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Seasonal
employees
Retail/
service clerks
General labor/
service
Entry level
professionals
Office support
staff
Mid-
management
Upper
management Mean Difficulty Rating(1 = Not at all difficult / 5 = Very difficult)Percent of Employers1=Not at all difficult
2
3=Moderately difficult
4
5=Very difficult
Mean difficulty
2016 Vail Employer Survey Summary of Results
RRC Associates 19
Figure 14
How, if at all, has the availability of affordable housing in Vail affected the
work performance of your employees? (Multiple responses permitted)
How many people, in your estimation, were not hired or left your employment in the past 12
months because they lacked affordable housing? About half (51 percent) of employers said
there were people they had not hired or who had left their employment in the past 12 months
because they lacked affordable housing. Among this group of impacted employers, an average
of 8.1 employees were not hired or left employment due to housing, which is equivalent to 20
percent of peak season employees at these impacted businesses, and 17 percent of peak season
employees at all businesses.
Figure 15
How many people, in your estimation, were not hired or left your employment in the past 12 months
because they lacked affordable housing?
28%
53%
36%
33%
12%
12%
I don’t believe housing has affected employee performance
Displeasure with wage rates due to high housing costs
High turnover
Tardiness from long commutes
High absentee rate
Other
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%
Percent of Employers
49%
9%9%5%7%
11%11%
None 1 2 3 4 5 - 9 10 or more
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%Percent of Employers
2016 Vail Employer Survey Summary of Results
RRC Associates 20
Employer Actions and Opinions Regarding Workforce Housing Assistance
Does your business offer your employees any housing assistance? Twenty-eight percent of
employers said they offer workforce housing assistance. The most prevalent type of assistance
provided is company-owned housing (12 percent), followed by subsidized rents (9 percent),
wage differential for housing (4 percent), down payment assistance (1 percent), and cash
incentives (1 percent).
Figure 16
Does your business offer your employees any housing assistance? (Multiple responses permitted)
Would you consider partnering or investing in a housing project to obtain master leased units
for your employees? Eighteen percent of employers said they would be willing to consider
partnering or investing in a housing project to obtain master leased units for their employees.
Over twice as many indicated they would not (44 percent), while 37 percent said they were
uncertain.
Figure 17
Would you consider partnering or investing in a housing project
to obtain master leased units for your employees?
72%
12%
9%
4%
1%
1%
10%
My business does not offer housing assistance
Company-owned housing program
Subsidized rents
Wage differential for housing
Down payment assistance for home purchase
Cash incentives
Other assistance
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%
Percent of Employers
Other: Higher wages, per
diem, real estate services,etc.
18%
44%
37%
Yes
No
Uncertain
0%10%20%30%40%50%
Percent of Employers
2016 Vail Employer Survey Summary of Results
RRC Associates 21
Employers had the opportunity to provide comment on their responses. Selected comments are
provided below in order to illustrate the sentiments behind the various positions taken by employers:
Yes:
o “Already involved in solving our own issues, would welcome conversation about any
viable alternatives.”
o “It's the only real problem with Vail. Some of my employees live in Eagle, which in the
snow is 1+ hour drive.”
o “There were times last winter that I almost just closed my business rather than deal with
having no staff.”
o “We have purchased two homes this year to keep them off VRBO.”
No:
o “Housing is NOT the business of government. I make more money on owning my own
housing.”
o “My business can't afford that for part-time seasonable workers, which is who needs
housing.”
o “Not financially feasible.”
o “Why does the government think it should find me a place to live?”
Uncertain:
o “Business in Vail is too seasonal for small business owners to buy or subsidize housing.”
o “Need more data, of course.”
o “We would probably not be able to afford this.”
o “Would need to see benefits of that vs. privately buying property.”
Additional Comments and Suggestions Regarding Workforce Housing in Vail
At the end of the survey, responding employers were asked to provide any other comments or
suggestions concerning workforce housing in Vail. Many employers used it as an opportunity to provide
suggestions of how or where to develop affordable housing options, and a sample of these comments
are excerpted below. All comments are provided in the Appendix to this report and should be read in
their entirety in order to grasp the full range of respondents’ opinions.
o “Build more, even if you build 5 more apartment complexes, you would need more.”
o “Don't concentrate on 'workforce' housing but on 'local affordable' housing.”
o “Focus on seasonal short term facilities. The front line employee is the most important asset we
have. Take care of this and you take care of a lot of other problems - parking and poor customer
service being the main two.”
o “For workers to get into town, once parking starts charging, buses should go to full schedule.”
o “I think employee housing should be built on top of the transportation centers.”
o “I think Vail employees need housing west of Vail - Avon, Edwards, not in Vail.”
o “Limit or monitor VRBO housing, increase minimum wage.”
o “Need more housing with underground parking! Don't be like Avon!”
o “Tiny homes on trailers might work.”
2016 Vail Employer Survey Summary of Results
RRC Associates 22
Transportation
Two questions on the employer survey focused specifically on transportation issues, the results of which
are summarized below.
Employee commute mode by season: Employees’ commute modes vary between summer and
winter, with notably greater usage of busses in winter. The most common mode in both
seasons is driving alone (57 percent in summer and 46 percent in winter). Following is riding the
bus, which is more prevalent in winter (38 percent) than summer (24 percent). The next most
common mode of transport is carpool/ vanpool (12-13 percent in each season), with modest
shares walking (3 percent in each season), biking (2.2 percent summer, 0.3 percent winter), and
using other modes (2.3 percent and 0.4 percent respectively).
Figure 18
Please estimate how your employees typically travel to your business in summer and winter
2016 Vail Employer Survey Summary of Results
RRC Associates 23
Does your business offer your employees incentives for using transportation modes other than
driving alone? Nearly half (46 percent) of employers offer incentives which encourage use of
alternate modes, such as bus passes (19.8 percent), employee cash out program for parking (9.4
percent), an on-site company vehicle for employee errands (5.7 percent), a carpooling program
(3.8 percent), cash incentives (3.8 percent), a van pooling program (2.8 percent), preferential
parking for carpools or vanpools (1.9 percent), and parking restricted to carpools and vanpools
(1.9 percent), and other incentives (16 percent, although most respondents indicated this
consisted of onsite parking or parking passes).
Figure 19
Does your business offer your employees any of the following incentives
for using transportation modes other than driving alone?
(Multiple responses permitted)
19.8%
9.4%
5.7%
3.8%
3.8%
2.8%
1.9%
1.9%
16.0%
53.8%
Bus passes
Employee cash out program for parking
On-site company vehicle for employee errands
Carpooling program
Cash incentives
Van pooling program
Preferential parking for carpools, vanpools
Parking restricted to carpools, vanpools
Other
None of the above
0%20%40%60%80%100%
Percent of Employers
Other:parking passes, paid-for
spots, private parking, etc.
APPENDIX:
QUESTIONNAIRE, TABLES & COMMENTS
November 1, 2016
Dear Vail Area Employer:
The Town of Vail is conducting a study designed to gather information to address workforce
housing conditions. As part of that program the Town is surveying the business community to
better understand employers’ needs and to collect some quantitative information to assess the
current situation. The results of the survey will help us understand local employment patterns,
housing needs and some associated transportation information.
The survey is strictly confidential. RRC Associates, an independent company, is assisting with
this research to tabulate, analyze and summarize the information provided.
Please return your survey in the enclosed postage-paid envelope within 10 days of receipt. If
you prefer to take the survey online, you can go to www.vailemployer.com and enter the
passcode XXXXX. If you take the survey online, please recycle this paper copy (only one
response per business will be accepted).
If you have any questions regarding the survey, please contact Chris Cares with RRC Associates
at 303-396-1615. If you have questions on how this relates to Town of Vail Housing or planning
efforts, please contact Alan Nazzaro, Housing Manager at 970-479-2146.
We thank you in advance for your participation in this process.
Sincerely,
George Ruther, AICP
Community Development Director
Town of Vail
TOWN OF VAIL EMPLOYER SURVEY
If you operate more than one type of business listed under question #1 in Vail, please complete a separate survey for each business.
If you operate more than one business of the same type in Vail, please use one survey and combine information.
ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS
1. Please describe your type of business:
01) Amusement, arts, entertainment, recreation
02) Bar/restaurant
03) Construction
04) Educational services (schools, training programs, etc.)
05) Finance/banking/insurance
06) Government (excluding public schools)
07) Health care/social assistance (medical, dental,
ambulatory, psychiatric, shelters, etc.)
08) Hotel/lodging How many lodging units do you have?
_____ units (please count a multi-bedroom suite as 1 unit)
09) Manufacturing
10) Oil & gas
11) Other services (personal, daycare, auto repair,
information/publishing, etc.
12) Professional, scientific, technical services (legal,
accounting, architecture, etc.)
13) Real estate/property management How many total
rooms/units do you manage? _______rooms or units
14) Retail trade (grocery, sporting goods, etc.)
15) Transportation/warehousing/utilities
16) Wholesale trade
17) Other:___________________________________
2. Physical location of business:
Within town limits of Vail
Unincorporated Eagle County, within 3 miles of Vail
town limits
Unincorporated Eagle County, more than 3 miles from
Vail town limits
Other: __________________________________________
3. Approximately, how many employees do you have in summer
and in winter (including yourself)? (Include contract labor; if sole
proprietor, insert “1”)
Employees in
summer (Jun-Sep)
Employees in winter
(Nov-Apr)
Year-round, full-time (32+ hrs/wk)
Year-round, part-time (<32 hrs/wk)
Seasonal, full-time (32+ hrs/week)
Seasonal, part-time (<32 hrs/wk)
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
4. To the best of your knowledge, where do your employees live?
Please enter the approximate number or percentage (not both)
of employees in your peak season that reside in each location.
(ENTER 0 IF NONE)
#_______ OR ______% In town limits of Vail
#_______ OR ______% Unincorporated Eagle County,
within 3 miles of Vail municipal limits
#_______ OR ______% Elsewhere in Eagle County
#_______ OR ______% Elsewhere in region
#_______ in total OR 100%
5. How many jobs are currently unfilled? (Enter 0 if none)
______ Full-time ______ Part-time
6. Is your business located in:
A building shared with other tenants
A building occupied exclusively by my business
7. What is the approximate gross square footage of floor area
your business occupies? Please estimate your building space
as accurately as possible.
_______________ Gross square feet of floor area
Note: Please exclude garages primarily used for parking, exterior/outdoors
spaces, and unenclosed spaces. If your business is renting space in a
multi-tenant building, your gross square footage will likely be equivalent to
your leased square feet of interior space.
8. Which of the following best describes the type(s) of building
space your business occupies? (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY)
01) Home office/business is located in my home
02) Retail/merchandising
03) Restaurant/food service/bar
04) Office (including government, private, and medical office)
05) Medical (hospital/clinic, nursing home, vet clinic, excl. med. office)
06) Industrial (incl. light/heavy industrial, manufacturing, utilities, etc.)
07) Warehouse
08) Hotel/lodging
09) Recreational (theater, athletic club, recreation center, etc.)
10) Services (bank, hair salon, gas station, automobile care, etc.)
11) Institutional (school/college, church, museum, day care, etc.)
12) Other: _____________________________
9. During the next five years, do you plan to:
Increase your number of employees: By how many? #_____
Reduce your number of employees: By how many? #_____
Stay about the same
Don’t know
10. Approximately how many of your employees would you
estimate will be retiring in the next five years?
# employees
11. How difficult is it for your employees to find affordable housing
in the Vail area?
NOT AT ALL MODERATELY VERY NOT
DIFFICULT DIFFICULT DIFFICULT APPLICABLE
Seasonal employees 1 2 3 4 5 x
Retail/service clerks 1 2 3 4 5 x
General labor/service 1 2 3 4 5 x
Office support staff 1 2 3 4 5 x
Entry level professionals 1 2 3 4 5 x
Mid-management 1 2 3 4 5 x
Upper management 1 2 3 4 5 x
Other _____________ 1 2 3 4 5 x
OVER
12. Does your business offer your employees any housing
assistance?
Wage differential for housing
Cash incentives
Subsidized rents
Company-owned housing program
Down payment assistance for home purchase
Other: Please explain__________________________
13. How, if at all, has the availability of affordable housing in Vail
affected the work performance of your employees?
High turnover
High absentee rate
Tardiness from long commutes
Displeasure with wage rates due to high housing costs
Other: ________________________________
OR I don’t believe housing has affected employee performance
14. How many people, in your estimation, were not hired or left
your employment in the past 12 months because they lacked
affordable housing? ________ persons
15. Do you feel affordable/employee housing for local residents is:
One of our lesser problems
A problem, but there are others which also need attention
One of the more serious problems
The most critical problem in the Vail Valley
OR I don't believe it is a problem
16. Would you consider partnering or investing in a housing
project to obtain master leased units for your employees?
Yes
No
Uncertain
Any comments on your response?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
TRANSPORTATION
17. Please estimate how your employees typically travel to your
business in summer and winter. (INSERT PERCENTAGE OF
EMPLOYEES BY MODE)
Summer Winter
______ ______ % drive alone
______ ______ % drive with at least one other person (i.e.
carpool or vanpool)
______ ______ % walk
______ ______ % ride a bike
______ ______ % ride the bus
______ ______ % other:________________________
100% 100% TOTAL
18. Does your business offer your employees any of the following
incentives for using transportation modes other than driving
alone? (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY)
01) Bus passes
02) Cash incentives
03) Carpooling program
04) Van pooling program
05) Preferential parking for carpools, vanpools
06) Parking restricted to carpools, vanpools
07) Transportation coordinator
08) On-site company vehicle for employee errands
09) Employee cash out program for parking (i.e., employee
can opt to receive cash, free/subsidized transit, or other
benefit in lieu of a parking space)
10) Bike fleet
11) Other: _____________________________
12) None of the above
19. Do you have any other comments or suggestions concerning
workforce housing in Vail?
_______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
20. Name of business (confidential and optional – for tracking
survey completions only):
____________________________________________________
That’s all! Thank you very much for your time and input. Please
return the survey to RRC Associates, the company assisting Vail,
by one of the following methods:
• Enclosed postage-paid envelope
• FAX: (303) 449-6587 (please remember to fax both sides)
• Email: david@rrcassociates.com
Vail 2016 Employer Survey
OVERALL
Please describe your type of
business:
Amusement, arts, entertainment, recreation
Bar/restaurant
Construction
Finance/banking/insurance
Government (excluding public schools)
Health care/social assistance (medical, dental, ambulatory, psychiatric, shelters, etc.)
Hotel / lodging
Other services (personal, daycare, auto repair, information/publishing, etc.)
Professional, scientific, technical services (legal, accounting, architecture, etc.)
Real estate / property management
Retail trade (grocery, sporting goods, etc.)
Other:
TOTAL
n =
Physical location of this
business:
Within town limits of Vail
Unincorporated Eagle County, within 3 miles of Vail town limits
Unincorporated Eagle County, more than 3 miles from Vail town limits
Other
TOTAL
n =
2%
19%
2%
4%
1%
2%
14%
2%
6%
18%
28%
2%
100%
131
97%
1%
2%
1%
100%
132
02 Feb 17
Source: RRC Associates
Page 1
Vail 2016 Employer Survey
OVERALL
(If hotel/lodging) How many
lodging units do you have?
1-25
26-50
76-99
100+
TOTAL
Average
n =
(If real estate/property
management) How many total
rooms/units do you manage?
1-25
26-50
76-99
TOTAL
Average
n =
61%
6%
17%
17%
100%
38.2
18
88%
6%
6%
100%
13.2
17
02 Feb 17
Source: RRC Associates
Page 2
Vail 2016 Employer Survey
Summer: Employee Counts OVERALL
Year-round, full-time (32+
hrs/wk)
0
1-9
10-24
25-49
50-99
100+
TOTAL
Average
n =
Year-round, part-time (<32
hrs/wk)
0
1-9
10-24
25-49
TOTAL
Average
n =
6%
64%
15%
11%
2%
2%
100%
12.0
110
65%
28%
4%
4%
100%
2.4
110
02 Feb 17
Source: RRC Associates
Page 3
Vail 2016 Employer Survey
Summer: Employee Counts OVERALL
Seasonal, full-time (32+ hrs/wk)
0
1-9
10-24
25-49
50-99
TOTAL
Average
n =
Seasonal, part-time (<32 hrs/wk)
0
1-9
10-24
TOTAL
Average
n =
Total employees in summer
1-9
10-24
25-49
50-99
100+
TOTAL
Average
Median
n =
80%
13%
4%
3%
1%
100%
2.7
110
82%
17%
1%
100%
.7
110
60%
18%
14%
5%
3%
100%
17.0
7.0
115
02 Feb 17
Source: RRC Associates
Page 4
Vail 2016 Employer Survey
Winter: Employee Counts OVERALL
Year-round, full-time (32+
hrs/wk)
0
1-9
10-24
25-49
50-99
100+
TOTAL
Average
n =
Year-round, part-time (<32
hrs/wk)
0
1-9
10-24
25-49
50-99
TOTAL
Average
n =
Seasonal, full-time (32+ hrs/wk)
0
1-9
10-24
25-49
100+
TOTAL
Average
n =
8%
59%
18%
11%
1%
3%
100%
12.2
110
63%
29%
5%
2%
1%
100%
2.6
110
76%
15%
5%
1%
2%
100%
5.2
110
02 Feb 17
Source: RRC Associates
Page 5
Vail 2016 Employer Survey
Winter: Employee Counts OVERALL
Seasonal, part-time (<32 hrs/wk)
0
1-9
10-24
50-99
TOTAL
Average
n =
Total employees in winter
1-9
10-24
25-49
50-99
100+
TOTAL
Average
Median
n =
74%
20%
5%
1%
100%
1.9
110
59%
19%
14%
4%
3%
100%
21.0
7.0
115
02 Feb 17
Source: RRC Associates
Page 6
Vail 2016 Employer Survey
OVERALL
Maximum total employees
during year (greater of summer
or winter seasons; FT and PT
employees counted equally)
1-9
10-24
25-49
50-99
100+
TOTAL
Average
Median
n =
56%
19%
17%
5%
3%
100%
22.7
8.0
115
02 Feb 17
Source: RRC Associates
Page 7
Vail 2016 Employer Survey
Share of peak season employees by place of
residence OVERALL
Share of employees living in
town limits of Vail
Average
n =
Share of employees living in
unincorporated Eagle
County, within 3 miles of Vail
municipal limits
Average
n =
Share of employees living
elsewhere in Eagle County
Average
n =
Share of employees living
elsewhere in region
Average
n =
25.8%
2,420
15.7%
2,420
54.5%
2,420
4.1%
2,420
02 Feb 17
Source: RRC Associates
Page 8
Vail 2016 Employer Survey
Unfilled jobs OVERALL
How many FULL-TIME jobs, if
any, are currently unfilled?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
10+
TOTAL
Average
n =
How many PART-TIME jobs, if
any, are currently unfilled?
0
1
2
3
4
5
10+
TOTAL
Average
n =
71%
10%
3%
2%
2%
3%
2%
2%
2%
2%
100%
1.8
121
74%
9%
8%
2%
2%
3%
2%
100%
1.5
121
02 Feb 17
Source: RRC Associates
Page 9
Vail 2016 Employer Survey
OVERALL
Is your business located in:
A building shared with other tenants
A building occupied exclusively by my business
TOTAL
n =
What is the approximate gross
square footage of floor area
your business occupies?
0-999 sq ft.
1,000-2,499 sq ft.
2,500-4,999 sq ft.
5,000-9,999 sq ft.
10,000+ sq ft.
TOTAL
Average
Median
n =
81%
19%
100%
119
34%
39%
14%
6%
7%
100%
5618.8
1400.0
111
02 Feb 17
Source: RRC Associates
Page 10
Vail 2016 Employer Survey
OVERALL
Which of the following best
describes the type(s) of
building space your business
occupies?
Home office / business is located in my home
Retail / merchandising
Restaurant / food service / bar
Office (including government, private, and medical office)
Industrial (incl light/heavy industrial, manufacturing, utilities, etc.)
Hotel / lodging
Recreational (theater, athletic club, recreation center, etc.)
Services (bank, hair salon, gas station, automobile care, etc.)
Other:
TOTAL
n =
12%
34%
20%
15%
2%
30%
1%
5%
5%
123%
128
02 Feb 17
Source: RRC Associates
Page 11
Vail 2016 Employer Survey
OVERALL
During the next five years, do
you plan to:
Increase your number of employees:
Stay about the same
Don’t know
TOTAL
n =
(If expect to increase) How
many employees do you expect
to add over the next five years?
1
2
4
5
6
8
9
10+
TOTAL
Average
n =
(If expect to reduce) By how many employees do you expect to reduce your workforce over the next five years?
TOTAL
Average
n =
Approximately how many of
your employees will be retiring
in the next five years?
0
1
2
3
4
5
10+
TOTAL
Average
n =
20%
66%
14%
100%
128
4%
35%
9%
9%
9%
4%
4%
26%
100%
6.7
23
.
0
72%
13%
7%
5%
1%
1%
1%
100%
.6
121
02 Feb 17
Source: RRC Associates
Page 12
Vail 2016 Employer Survey
How difficult is it for your employees of the
following types to find affordable housing in the
Vail area?OVERALL
Seasonal employees
2
3=Moderately difficult
4
5=Very difficult
TOTAL
Average
n =
Retail/service clerks
3=Moderately difficult
4
5=Very difficult
TOTAL
Average
n =
General labor/service
1=Not at all difficult
2
3=Moderately difficult
4
5=Very difficult
TOTAL
Average
n =
3%
8%
10%
79%
100%
4.7
72
11%
16%
73%
100%
4.6
64
2%
2%
8%
15%
74%
100%
4.6
61
02 Feb 17
Source: RRC Associates
Page 13
Vail 2016 Employer Survey
How difficult is it for your employees of the
following types to find affordable housing in the
Vail area?OVERALL
Office support staff
1=Not at all difficult
2
3=Moderately difficult
4
5=Very difficult
TOTAL
Average
n =
Entry level professionals
2
3=Moderately difficult
4
5=Very difficult
TOTAL
Average
n =
Mid-management
1=Not at all difficult
2
3=Moderately difficult
4
5=Very difficult
TOTAL
Average
n =
2%
4%
11%
20%
64%
100%
4.4
55
5%
11%
18%
66%
100%
4.4
56
5%
11%
15%
14%
55%
100%
4.0
74
02 Feb 17
Source: RRC Associates
Page 14
Vail 2016 Employer Survey
How difficult is it for your employees of the
following types to find affordable housing in the
Vail area?OVERALL
Upper management
1=Not at all difficult
2
3=Moderately difficult
4
5=Very difficult
TOTAL
Average
n =
Other
1=Not at all difficult
3=Moderately difficult
4
5=Very difficult
TOTAL
Average
n =
9%
13%
16%
7%
55%
100%
3.9
69
17%
17%
17%
50%
100%
3.8
6
02 Feb 17
Source: RRC Associates
Page 15
Vail 2016 Employer Survey
OVERALL
Does your business offer your
employees any housing
assistance?
None of the above (inferred)
Company-owned housing program
Other (please explain)
Subsidized rents
Wage differential for housing
Cash incentives
Down payment assistance for home purchase
TOTAL
n =
How, if at all, has the
availability of affordable
housing in Vail affected the
work performance of your
employees?
High turnover
High absentee rate
Tardiness from long commutes
Displeasure with wage rates due to high housing costs
Other
I don’t believe housing has affected employee performance
TOTAL
n =
72%
12%
10%
9%
4%
1%
1%
109%
116
36%
12%
33%
53%
12%
28%
172%
112
02 Feb 17
Source: RRC Associates
Page 16
Vail 2016 Employer Survey
OVERALL
How many people, in your
estimation, were not hired or
left your employment in the
past 12 months because they
lacked affordable housing?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
8
10+
TOTAL
Average
n =
Do you feel
affordable/employee housing
for local residents is:
One of our lesser problems
A problem, but there are others which also need attention
One of the more serious problems
The most critical problem in the Vail Valley
I don
TOTAL
n =
Would you consider partnering
or investing in a housing
project to obtain master leased
units for your employees?
Yes
No
Uncertain
TOTAL
n =
49%
9%
9%
5%
7%
5%
5%
2%
11%
100%
4.2
105
4%
10%
45%
37%
4%
100%
115
18%
44%
37%
100%
115
02 Feb 17
Source: RRC Associates
Page 17
Vail 2016 Employer Survey
Share of employees by commute mode: Summer OVERALL
Percent of employees drive
alone
Average
n =
Percent of employees drive
with at least one other
person
Average
n =
Percent of employees walk
Average
n =
Percent of employees ride a
bike
Average
n =
Percent of employees ride
the bus
Average
n =
Percent of employees use
other modes
Average
n =
56.6%
1,253
11.7%
1,253
2.9%
1,253
2.2%
1,253
24.3%
1,253
2.3%
1,253
02 Feb 17
Source: RRC Associates
Page 18
Vail 2016 Employer Survey
Share of employees by commute mode: Winter OVERALL
Percent of employees drive
alone
Average
n =
Percent of employees drive
with at least one other
person
Average
n =
Percent of employees walk
Average
n =
Percent of employees ride a
bike
Average
n =
Percent of employees ride
the bus
Average
n =
Percent of employees use
other modes
Average
n =
45.9%
1,502
12.7%
1,502
3.1%
1,502
0.3%
1,502
37.5%
1,502
0.4%
1,502
02 Feb 17
Source: RRC Associates
Page 19
Vail 2016 Employer Survey
OVERALL
Does your business offer your
employees any of the following
incentives for using
transportation modes other
than driving alone?
None of the above
Bus passes
Other
Employee cash out program for parking
On-site company vehicle for employee errands
Cash incentives
Carpooling program
Van pooling program
Preferential parking for carpools, vanpools
Parking restricted to carpools, vanpools
TOTAL
n =
54%
20%
16%
9%
6%
4%
4%
3%
2%
2%
119%
106
02 Feb 17
Source: RRC Associates
Page 20
Appendix: Open-Ended Comments
TOWN OF VAIL EMPLOYER SURVEY 2016
Table of Contents
Does your business offer your employees any housing assistance? (other) ............................................................1
How, if at all, has the availability of affordable housing in Vail affected the work performance of your
employees? (other) ...................................................................................................................................................1
Would you consider partnering or investing in a housing project to obtain master leased units for your
employees? (comments) ..........................................................................................................................................1
Does your business offer your employees any of the following incentives for using transportation modes other
than driving alone? (other) .......................................................................................................................................3
Do you have any other comments or suggestions concerning workforce housing in Vail? .....................................3
Town of Vail Employer Survey 2016
RRC Associates 1
Does your business offer your employees any housing assistance? (other)
Housing Assistance Offered (other)
EHU onsite, but no employees occupy- others do
Employee is family member
Extra pay
Higher wage
Home business
Increased wage
Large salaries
not offered
Owner rents apt for employee
Per diem daily
Real estate professional services for free
How, if at all, has the availability of affordable housing in Vail affected the work
performance of your employees? (other)
Housing Availability Effects on Work Performance (other)
Difficult to find!
Hard to find employees
Hard to get them to move here
Hard to hire
Major stress
no employees
Not yet affected
Owner will provide housing
Poor customer service because of lack of staff
Small employee pool
You mean subcontractors...they\'re all Eagle County outside of Vail
zero employees
Would you consider partnering or investing in a housing project to obtain master
leased units for your employees? (comments)
Would
Consider? Master Leased Units
Yes Already involved in solving our own issues, would welcome conversation about any viable
alternatives
Yes If I had employees, it is important to have a good workforce to provide good service to our
guests!
Yes It's the only real problem with Vail. Some of my employees live in Eagle, which in the snow is 1+
hour drive.
Town of Vail Employer Survey 2016
RRC Associates 2
Would
Consider? Master Leased Units
Yes Please allow companies to lease deed restricted units and then sublease to their employees.
Yes Stop trying to fix a problem that is beyond the scope of the Town's resources and responsibilities.
Not everyone gets to own a home in Hollywood. Some people have to buy in Pasadena. Focus
on short term seasonal housing for the bulk of our employee housing needs. The county
overwhelmingly voted against government subsidized housing for purchase.
Yes There were times last winter that I almost just closed my business rather than deal with having
no staff
Yes We already provide apt living for our employees.
Yes We are actively involved in helping to solve our own employee housing issues and would listen to
any reasonable alternative
Yes We have purchased two homes this year to keep them off VRBO.
No Because ECS just got a tax increase I can't afford to invest.
No Housing is NOT the business of government. I make more money on owning my own housing.
No I have started purchasing my own housing!
No My business can't afford that for part-time seasonable workers, which is who needs housing.
No No employees
No Not financially feasible
No Our business at this time is too small to worry about the $ for housing.
No While I would consider it, US Bank is a national organization and decisions like these are not
locally determined
No Why does the government think it should find me a place to live?
Uncertain Affordable housing has been an 'issue' since I can remember...1966.
Uncertain Board of Directors would vote.
Uncertain Business in Vail is too seasonal for small business owners to buy or subsidize housing.
Uncertain Need more data, of course
Uncertain Not in a position to say
Uncertain Vail has been loved to death.
Uncertain We have a rental condo, no employees.
Uncertain We provide long-term employee housing for others. 3 wks to rent a unit 11/10-12/01.
Uncertain We would probably not be able to afford this.
Uncertain Would be a corporate decision, not mine
Uncertain Would need to see benefits of that vs. privately buying property.
I am the sole employee for my company
Not up to me, contact our corporate office in Denver.
We do not hire.
zero employees
Town of Vail Employer Survey 2016
RRC Associates 3
Does your business offer your employees any of the following incentives for using
transportation modes other than driving alone? (other)
Transportation Incentives Offered (other)
2 parking passes (blue)
4 paid parking spots
Discounted bus passes
Extra $10/day if they walk or take bus
On site employee parking
On site parking provided
One parking spot for manager
One parking spot for manager
Parking
Parking onsite
parking pass
Parking pass for structure
Parking passes
Parking passes
Parking passes for $150
Parking space
private parking
Do you have any other comments or suggestions concerning workforce housing in
Vail?
Additional Comments
Affordable employee parking is critical also for clients.
Build more, even if you build 5 more apartment complexes, you would need more.
Bus schedule improvement would help
Don't concentrate on 'workforce' housing but on 'local affordable' housing.
Don't quit, keep working on it. I am interested in seeing how the deed restriction initiative will work. Very
Interesting idea.
Employees do not have to live next to their employers!
Focus on seasonal short term facilities. The front line employee is the most important asset we have. Take
care of this and you take care of a lot of other problems - parking and poor customer service being the main
two.
For workers to get into town, once parking starts charging, buses should go to full schedule.
Help
Help with taxes and health care
I have no American help- I employ J1-Visa foreigners who wnat extra work. No American help has applied.
I just know if discourages people from moving here to work here, and has gotten worse over the last few
years. Ex: Landlords raising rent by 15% each year just because they can. People getting paid sometimes $10-
12 cannot afford rent in the $800-900 range.
Town of Vail Employer Survey 2016
RRC Associates 4
Additional Comments
I own an investment condo in East Vail. So this either doesn't affect me or not for me to answer.
I think employee housing should be built on top of the transportation centers.
I think Vail employees need housing west of Vail - Avon, Edwards, not in Vail.
If TOV is subsidizing the housing for employees, these people need to work in the TOV not just the county.
If you want your town to have employees you must give affordable housing.
Let private segment provide housing, not a town business.
Limit of monitor VRBO housing, increase minimum wage.
My business is small only sole proprietor. No employees- I wish but just do not make enough $.
Need action, Now!
Need employee housing!
Need more housing with underground parking! Don't be like Avon!
Parking is a nightmare.
Something needs to give!
The nicer and more affordable it is, the more of a normal town it will be.
This valley is very expensive to live and work in.
Tiny homes on trailers might work.
Too expensive, not enough!
TOV subsidized housing makes new employee housing by us impossible.
Trouble of our area. Micro efficiency apts. like 330 sq. ft.
Vail ski prices does not correlate food princes increasing.
We have had employees leave for a job making #5+ less but had to take because of housing included (but not
free).
We need a solution to this and we are different since we offer apartments for them.
We need seasonal housing, not middle manager housing
We need to stop surveying! As if the town doesn't know we desperately need housing! Build employee
housing. They don't need parking, don't need open space, don't need a spare bedroom. Seasonal employees
only need a place to sleep! Please build seasonal housing now!
We own 1 rental condo in East Vail. No employees.
We will not have any more employees to work the business if we keep raising rent so high and paying way
less.
work at home
Work in yard landscaping, approx. 1/2 acre yard area
Would like affordable housing as a business owner.
Yes, the town should stay out of it, by subsidizing housing the town allows employers to pay lower wages. By
the way, I am in construction and I employ Hispanic guys. Not racist, just pay my guys a living wage.