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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1991-01-15 Town Council MinutesMINUTES VAIL TOWN COUNCIL MEETING JANUARY 15, 1991 7:30 P.M. A regular meeting of the Vail Town Council was held on Tuesday, January 15, 1991, at 7:30 P.M., in the Council Chambers of the Vail Municipal Building. MEMBERS PRESENT: Kent Rose, Mayor Jim Gibson Mery Lapin Robert Levine Peggy Osterfoss MEMBERS ABSENT: Lynn Fritzlen Tom Steinberg, Mayor Pro-Tem TOWN OFFICIALS PRESENT: Ron Phillips, Town Manager Larry Eskwith, Town Attorney Pam Brandmeyer, Town Clerk The first item on the agenda was Citizen Participation, of which there was none. Item No. 2 on the agenda was Ordinance No. 42, Series of 1990, second reading, an ordinance repealing and reenacting Chapter 8.28 of the Municipal Code of the Town of Vail to expand, strengthen, and clarify in code provisions relating to air pollution control. Applicant: Town of Vail. Mayor Rose read the full title of the ordinance. The staff requested this ordinance be tabled to the February 5, 1991, evening meeting. Peggy Osterfoss made a motion to table Ordinance No. 42, Series of 1990, and Mery Lapin seconded the motion. A vote was taken, and the motion passed unanimously, 5-0. The third item on the agenda was discussion of the proposed changes to Ordinance 42 relating to fireplaces. Discussion by Council suggested revisions would follow. Susan Scanlan stated if the revised proposal reflected the consensus of Council opinion, additional topics needed to be discussed regarding rebate funds. Susan asked Gary Hall, a Public Service District Representative, to speak about gas conversion costs and availability and to answer any other questions that anyone present might have. Gary said the average conversion cost would be approximately $500 plus the price of a log set, which runs from $300- $400. Additional costs could be encountered if extra gas piping lines needed to be installed or for installation of a meter. He also stated that since natural gas lines run throughout the town, installing gas fireplaces in the majority of Vail homes wouldn't be a problem. He said they would work with the Town to create a funding package of some sort to help encourage people to switch from wood -burning to gas - burning fireplaces and would try to prepare the package before the February 5, 1991, meeting. This package would include an education program that outlines the environmental and health problems associated with wood -burning. Susan stated the staff recommendations would include a complete inventory, suggest a three-year time period to require complete conversion or removal of wood -burning units, implementation of a rebate program and establishment of a fund base for that program to encourage early conversion, and provision of safe and proper conversion permits. There were some special circumstances that would need to be considered, i.e., wood -burning in a commercial venture and wood -burning as a primary source of heat in a residence. Commercial circumstances would include Vail restaurants that have up- keep broilers, wood -burning pizza ovens, and similar devices, that create a financial income for the Town through sales tax revenues. Contributing to pollution would be auto emissions, wood -burning, and sand from the road. The Staff said health impacts depend on each person's individual health and outlook. Visual problems due to brown haze are also a personal issue as well as a Town issue. Mayor Rose asked Susan one technical question regarding a memo about carbon monoxide buildup in Steamboat, i.e., what caused a buildup of carbon monoxide in the units with a gas log retrofit? Susan referred the question to Gary Hall. Gary said a properly fired gas burning appliance should not have carbon monoxide buildup. Susan said initial conversions might have been improperly drafted. Gerry Bonser, District Manager for Public Service, said that the issue in Steamboat was prompted by down drafts. Wood combustion would produce more carbon monoxide than gas combustion. Chris Neuswanger, a resident of Vail, expressed numerous concerns, including cost of conversion, running new lines, fireplaces that are electrically heated, minimum charges when no use occurs, damper welding, enforcement, inspections, and education. Builder Pat Dauphinais stated the Town should ban new wood -burning fireplaces. Gas appliances are aesthetically inadequate. Class A fireplaces with a good gas log burning device can be just as aesthetically pleasing as a wood burning fireplace. Charging for a fireplace with a set expiration would be inappropriate. Mayor Rose said we should halt the construction of all new wood -burning fireplaces and stoves within the Town of Vail. We should allow Class A Units to be properly installed within structures with retrofit gas burning log systems. We should try to establish a voluntary program and some educational types of things to get people to convert, and we should try voluntary conversion systems for a period of one year and then review. During that first year, we should find the funds to help people convert existing fireplaces up to one-half of the conversion or $500, whichever is less. He would like to see us work with the County on unincorporated areas on a similar proposal. Kristan Pritz restated the purpose of this meeting was to allow for public discussion and to bring this ordinance back on February 5, 1991, for the evening meeting. Item No. 4 on the agenda was Resolution No. 25, Series of 1990, a resolution declaring the need for a housing authority in the Town of Vail, Colorado. Kristan Pritz requested approval of the resolution. Larry Eskwith had been asked if there was a way to control bonding issues by the Housing Authority. He stated there was nothing in the statute. He suggested entering into an intergovernmental agreement with the authority to provide certain restrictions on what they can do, which is perfectly legitimate. Another option would be to place certain covenant restrictions on the property. Rob LeVine move to approve the motion with a second by Mery Lapin. A vote was taken, and the motion passed unanimously, 5-0. . The fifth item on the agenda was a letter to the Department of Wildlife concerning trapping in the Vail Valley. Blondie Vucich, President of the Eagle Humane Society, thanked the Council for addressing the issue. Her sole suggestion was that the letter be addressed to Perry Olson, Director of the Colorado Division of Wildlife in Denver, with a copy going to the Wildlife Commission and also a copy going to Bill Andree. Following discussion, Mery Lapin moved the Town send the letter to Perry Olson with copies to Bill Andree and the Wildlife Commission. This motion was seconded by Jim Gibson. There was no further discussion, a vote was taken, and the motion passed unanimously, 5-0. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, 6 ATTEST: Pamela A. BrTown Town Clerk Minutes taken by Janet Cassady E � J Kent R. Rose, Mayor