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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05. Town_Manager_Report_12.28.17_Suz TOWN MANAGER REPORT - Jan. 2nd TOWN COUNCIL MEETING Newsletter Date TOPICS • BOCC Meeting • Council Retreat • Scenes from the Holiday Season • Tree Lighting • Teamwork • DEVO • Coffee with Cops • Annual Homeowners Association Meeting Meeting with Eagle County BOCC On December 20th, Mayor Chapin and I met with Commissioner Jill Ryan to start formulating a list of topics to be discussed at a soon-to-be-planned joint meeting with the Board of County Commissioners. Topping the list was … wait for it … transit and housing. Stay tuned as we put the final touches on this very important meeting. Council Retreat Preparations continue for the Council retreat with the management team on January 9th. The meeting will occur from 8 am until 1 pm at the Grand View with food and lots of coffee being provided. Our facilitator, Dr. Karah Maloley with the Vail Centre, met with Patty McKenny and myself to discuss the proposed agenda, meeting format, and desired outcomes. She will contacting individual councilmembers to solicit their input into the agenda. We are excited to have her assist with this important meeting, and we are confident that you will appreciate her services. Tis the Season … While it is now behind us, a few images and accountings from the Holiday Season will continue to warm the heart. It was a joyful time with many festivities and Holiday cheer throughout the community. Town Hall was visited by the local school kids who filled our halls with merriment and music. The carols were enjoyed by all, including of course our Municipal Judge Buck Allen, who was buried with Holiday cards from the carolers. On December 22nd the Public Works crew hosted the annual prime rib holiday lunch that was very well attended by throngs of famished town employees. Susie Hervert and others were responsible for the fine layout of food. Town Manager’s Report Page 2 Tree Lighting As part of the Holidaze festivities, Mayor Dave Chapin greeted a very large crowd in Slifer Square, where the annual Tree Lighting event occurred on December 17th. The tree is absolutely beautiful, and the lighting went off per plan with Santa Claus performing the duties. Ralph, the world’s tallest elf, is seen behind the Mayor in the accompanying image. Teamwork, Innovation & Excellence The first annual Town of Vail gingerbread decorating competition was a success! This was not your average holiday fare. Employees built large ski-in and ski-out properties, log cabins (recently turned into short-term rental by owners), artistic creations, iconic Vail structures and more. Community Development, Public Works, Administration, Library, Human Resources/Safety, and Finance all participated in a 45-minute challenge. The final work was judged by Buck Allen (Municipal Judge) and Molly Eppard (Art in Public Places). Prizes were awarded to Admin and Community Development. DEVO And so it begins … The Vail Development Team - DEVO is a program that seeks to create lifelong skiers and riders while introducing young athletes to mountain safety and etiquette in a social, team oriented environment. Participating members are encouraged to develop their skiing and riding skills to the highest level possible while having fun and being exposed to a variety of experiences. An institution in Vail, the DEVO program started in full force on December 16th, transforming the top deck of the Vail Village Parking structure into, in the words of our Public Works crew, “organized chaos”. It was indeed a spectacle to witness, and organized it was! Masses of young skiers were organized into lines and groups, ultimately uniting with their coaches and then placed on transit buses for their journey to Lionshead and the awaiting lifts up the mountain. Town Manager’s Report Page 3 Coffee with the Cops During the aforementioned DEVO affair, one could quickly escape the bedlam and slip into nearby Starbucks to share a cup of brew with Vail’s finest. Representatives of the Vail Police Department were on hand to share coffee and chat about …whatever. It was a nice gesture and a very effective way to connect to the community. Annual Homeowners Association Meeting The meeting was conducted on May 27th, and the Mayor and I presented an in- depth account of 2017 in review, as well as a peek into what lies ahead for 2018. It was very informative and questions were entertained touching on various topics. The Association appreciated the presentation and it was a successful event by all measures. Thanks to the Communications Department for providing the year-end review material that was very helpful in putting together the presentation.