Official Business Directory & Complete Relocation Guide
O n T h e M ov e Steamboat
Springs 2010/11
Real local life Economic optimism
3 revealing Q&A s
Advice for Uncertain Times
Lesso n s & Le ga cies
Leadership Steamboat www.steamboatchamber.com
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Table of Contents
Official Business Directory & Complete Relocation Guide
O n T h e M Ov e steamboat
springs 2010/11
Real local life
3 revealing Q&a s
economic optimism
a dv ic e for U n c e rta in tim es
L e s s o ns & Le g acie s
Leadership steamboat www.steamboatchamber.com
On the cover: Photographer Corey Kopischke caught the Vertrees family, Kent and Jules with daughters Josephine and Sophie and their dog Roxy, heading out the door of their Steamboat Springs home.
As inviting as our valley. As The Yampa Valley’s locally owned bank we
Departments Welcome Biz Bits Business & the Economy Medical Services Climate & Demographics Transportation Technology, Communications, Utilities & Infrastructure Housing & Building Employment Local Government Education Tax Structure Culture & Community Year-round Recreation Where to Worship Features Real Local Life: Q&As Economic Optimism Leadership Steamboat Business & Relocation Resources Chamber business listing directory www.steamboatchamber.com
realize that we live here not simply for the 4 5 8 9 10 11
amazing vistas and endless activities, but also for a more personable way of life.
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 21
22 28 30
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1
Steamboat Springs
On the Move
Publisher Deborah Olsen Editor Jennie Lay Sales Executives Christina Freeman Dave Lawler Sales & Marketing Adviser Travis Gainsley
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Staff Photographer Corey Kopischke Art Direction/Graphic Design Production Manager Julie Hebard Bookkeeping Sandy Lindsay Jacobs Contributors Eugene Buchanan Amanda DeVos Bo Hall Molly Killien Christine McKelvie Steamboat Springs On the Move is published annually by Ski Town Publications, Inc., in conjunction with the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association. The Chamber distributes this free publication to individuals and businesses considering relocating to the Steamboat area. Additional relocation information is available online at www.steamboat chamber.com or by calling the Chamber at 970-879-0880. Information in this publication is gathered and carefully compiled in a manner intended to ensure maximum accuracy at press time. However, the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association and Ski Town Publications, Inc., cannot, and do not, guarantee the complete accuracy of all information furnished, or the complete absence of errors and omissions, hence no responsibility for same can be nor is assumed. ©2010, Ski Town Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Welcome Are you considering relocating to Steamboat Springs, or perhaps purchasing a business or vacation home here? Or are you a business owner looking for resources for your business plan? This guide contains facts, resources and contacts to make your venture a success. Our rich heritage differentiates us from many of our resort competitors. Our town got its name in the mid-1800s, when fur trappers ventured over the Continental Divide and heard the chugging sound of a mineral spring that reminded them of a steamboat. James Crawford overcame many hardships to settle Steamboat. Steamboat’s economy has evolved from gold mining to ranching, to coal mining, to tourism. In 1960, the first skiers descended the slopes of Storm Mountain; today Mount Werner is a world-class ski area. During the past century, winter and summer tourism have evolved as mainstays of Steamboat’s economy. With high-speed technology, a new industry of
location-neutral businesses populates our community, often as a lifestyle choice. Steamboat’s population doubled in the past two decades, but small-town values still reign. We strongly value our children, who thrive in this safe environment. We passed a half-cent sales tax to ensure small class sizes and enhance school technology. We value our health, as evidenced by a successful capital campaign that funded our state-of-the-art regional medical center. Because we value our land, we purchase development rights to preserve open space. We value housing opportunities; the Yampa Valley Housing Authority strives to provide options for all. We value entrepreneurial spirit. Our business incubator at Colorado Mountain College, a local chapter of SCORE and our business resource center can help you start or expand your business. Volunteerism provides creative solutions to social issues, a sophisticated cultural community, and a Chamber
Resort Association that represents more than 90 percent of local businesses. Over the last few years, Steamboat Springs has experienced a renaissance. The current owner of the ski area, Intrawest, re-graded the base area, installed a new high-speed lift from the base area and made other capital improvements. “Steamboat Unbridled” is bringing new signage, street alignment, a transit center and a promenade to the base area. “Downtown Renaissance” includes six new mixed-use developments and a remodel of the Old Town Hot Springs, a new library and community center. Steamboat is a remarkable place where Western hospitality makes you feel at home. Visit, www.steamboatchamber. com, and let us help with your visit or relocation. Your success is important to us! Sandy Evans Hall Executive Vice President Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association, Inc.
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12:20:46 PM 1 Steamboat Springs On 8/1/07 The Move 2010/1
Biz Bits
Upon completion of the Lincoln Avenue reconstruction in fall 2010, improvements were readily apparent to businesses, drivers and pedestrians. The Colorado Department of Transportation spent $4 million to replace asphalt from Third to 13th streets with longer-lasting and lower-maintenance concrete pavement. Concurrently, the city devoted $1.64 million to improve the underground storm drainage system, prepare for the installation of a synchronized signal system to sense side street traffic and add new safety features. Pedestrian-friendly improvements included new curbs, gutters, bus shelters, corner bump-outs and colored crosswalks. “Now it really will be a brand new highway,” said CDOT Region 3 Transportation Director David Eller. The new look has enhanced the safety, appearance and character of downtown Steamboat for the long-term, while preserving the old-town, Western charm. “This project has been a trial for all of us ... But the outcome is worth it,” Mainstreet Steamboat’s Tracy Barnett said. “The goal is to make downtown even more attractive and to draw more people downtown in the future.” — Amanda DeVos
Quantifying Customer Service Spurs on Service amps ups Steamboat’s Western hospitality In tough economic times, fundamental service is what makes businesses stand out. The Chamber’s Spurs on Service hospitality program encourages local businesses to reconnect with the values that set the Yampa Valley apart. Whether fine-tuning customer service or recognizing hardworking employees for a job well done, businesses hope to gain distinction as thriving companies that meet customers’ needs. Spurs on Service is a multi-pronged program with hands-on training, secret shoppers and rewards for employees www.steamboatchamber.com
Architectural rendering, Steamboat Architectural Associates
Lincoln Avenue’s new look
Friends of the Chief envision returning the theater to its 1940s era look, with glass blocks and a vintage sign.
and employers. Businesses are awarded one to four spurs to rate their quality of service. “The program really resonated with our diverse staff; from individuals who have lived in Steamboat for less than a year to long-time locals,” said Old Town Hot Springs’s front desk manager Diane Hagihara. “The presentation gave our staff the opportunity to reflect on their jobs, why they live in Steamboat, how visitors impact our town and how lucky we are to call this valley home.” — Molly Killien Learn more about getting involved in Spurs on Service at www.steamboatchamber.com.
Transforming the Chief Will the downtown movie house become Steamboat’s next cultural center?
Yesterday, the Chief Theater in downtown Steamboat Springs was the talk of the town – literally. Built in 1926 by Harry Gordon, the movie house was Northwest Colorado’s first to show “talkies.” A grateful community dubbed Mr. Gordon
the “Chief,” although the Miami tribe member was not a chieftain by bloodline. Today, moviegoers catch first-run flicks at the Carmike Chief Plaza 4, the building’s current tenant. Tomorrow, the Chief Theater might return to its roots as a cultural center. The Friends of the Chief, a local nonprofit group, signed a contract in August 2010 to purchase the historic building. It plans to rehabilitate the theater and return it to its 1940s look, including creating a venue for concerts and performing arts groups. Bill Rangitsch of Steamboat Architectural Associates designed preliminary, conceptual plans for the rehabilitation project, which includes a 450-seat theater/concert hall on the main floor and balcony, rehearsal space, a green room and a lobby bar. Removable seats would allow standing room for more than 750 people. Placing the building under contract was only the first step in what will be a multi-year process of fundraising and restoration. Friends of the Chief are currently seeking investors, donations and volunteers. — Deborah Olsen More info at www.chieftheater.org 5
Biz Bits Courtesy of the city of Steamboat Springs
Winter Rising Skier day stats flaunt recession trends
Bicycle Dreams Economic development riding on two wheels and a well-worn motto It was a solid sign that the Yampa Valley’s bike movement has hit its stride when Lance Armstrong showed up for a local ride. Armstrong’s Ride 4 Yellow mountain bike event raised more than $300,000 during its inaugural 26-mile Divide Ride in August 2010, and the seven-time Tour de France champion rode along with the pack. Now the Steamboat Community Cycling Initiative is working to convince 6
Routt County Riders’ safety campaign includes new signage on local roads.
Steamboat Springs that being a bicycle friendly destination makes for good economic development. A task force of business and government leaders has latched on to Steamboat’s well-worn winter motto, Ski Town USA™, to get their point across: They hope to tag Steamboat in the summer as Bike Town USA. “Just as Steamboat is a great place to ski, we hope visitors will realize the depth of our biking culture, from making bikes to hosting world class cycling events,” says Routt County Riders spokesperson Riley Polumbus. “We hope to enhance the bicycle friendliness of our streets and trails for the benefit of residents and visitors alike.” Steamboat was designated a silver level Bicycle Friendly Community in 2008, and the city has expressed its desire to bump that up to a gold or platinum award from the League of American Cyclists in 2011. Benefits would include more designated cycling routes, painted bicycle lanes, safe ride-to-school routes and better signage. Increasing cycling tourism would also provide a non-winter boost for local businesses. — Jennie Lay
Rob Perlman replaces Andy Wirth as sales and marketing head The Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. hired long-time industry executive Rob Perlman as senior vice president of sales and marketing, replacing Andy Wirth, who left the company to assume the CEO role at Squaw Valley in California. The former head of Colorado Ski Country USA, Perlman held the same position in 2008/09, when Wirth relocated to Intrawest’s corporate offices in Vancouver. Moving back to Steamboat last summer with wife, Erin, and daughters Amanda, 10, and Morgan, 8, Perlman also retains his senior sales position at Winter Park Resort. “Steamboat’s brand is unmatched in the industry,” Perlman says, stressing air travel and guest satisfaction as top priorities. “With the momentum of Steamboat Unbridled and some of the industry’s best guest satisfaction scores, we’re in a solid position.” — Eugene Buchanan Courtesy of Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp./Larry Pierce
Despite spotty snow and a lurking recession, the 2009/10 ski season saw the second highest number of skier visits ever recorded in the United States, says analyst David Belin of RRC Associates, a market research firm specializing in the ski and snowboard industry. The Rockies account for one-third of all of those visits. People took more lessons too, as snowboarding inched up to claiming nearly a third of all business. Ultimately skiing and riding aren’t dying sports, but they’re changing, Belin says. “The under-35 group is rising and it’s a non-white group. It’s a lot more ethnically diverse,” he says. “If skiing doesn’t tap into those markets, it’s going to be like the dinosaurs.” Vacation planning is starting to look different as well. Belin points to a shifting ski season as more people book last-minute vacations and take advantage of what has increasingly been more abundant spring snow in recent years. Colorado remains the No. 1 skier state by visits, he says. Although the Steamboat Ski Area did not release visitor numbers, Colorado Ski Country USA said its 22 member resorts (including Steamboat) saw 6.74 million skier visits during the 2009/10 ski season, a .4 percent increase over the year before. “Mountain travelers are more affluent and more confident in the U.S. economy as a whole,” Belin says. “You guys are in the right business.” — Jennie Lay
Shifting leadership at Intrawest
Rob Perlman returns to Steamboat Springs as vice president of sales and marketing for the Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp.
More info at www.routtcountyriders.org Steamboat Springs On The Move 2010/11
Courtesy of the City of Steamboat Springs
Biz Bits Creating space for teens Ice arena addition could create gathering space, lounge area “Where do teens have a space where they can meet and relax and not be pushed out?” asked Chris Wilson, Steamboat Springs’ director of parks, open space and recreational services. For years, the community has discussed creating a permanent home-base for teens. Finally, Wilson says, a plan is emerging. A 2009 survey by the Steamboat Springs Teen Council magnified the need for a teen center: Survey results revealed that teens are looking for a dedicated community space where they can relax, eat, do homework and enjoy being with friends after school or on weekends. Teen Council is a group of about 16 teen volunteers. Their survey questioned approximately 400 teens at Lowell Whiteman School and the Steamboat Springs High School. City Council then funded teen center architectural plans as a part of the Howelsen Ice Arena bump-out, earmarked as an ideal location due to its proximity to Howelsen Hill, the Yampa River Core Trail, the skateboard park, the Alpine Slide and downtown businesses. In spring 2010, design plans were approved for an 11,117 square-foot, three-story addition to the ice arena. This expansion will serve other purposes as well, but plans include a 1,668 square-foot space for teens, possibly including table games, affordable food, big screen TVs, video games and space for lounging. At an estimated cost of $3 million, the city has yet to commit to this construction project. The final development permit is valid for three years and can be extended. Wilson said the city is proactively moving forward with the final design plans and permit process, hoping that fundraising efforts and an economic recovery will follow. “I think we’ve taken a couple of great steps in the right direction,” said Matthia Duryea, Teen Council vice president. “But what I hope to see in the next year are more teens and adults collaborating on fundraising ideas and more solidified ideas of what we want this place to offer. www.steamboatchamber.com
A proposed addition to the Howelsen Ice Arena would set aside 1,668 square feet for teens.
It will be used if we do it right the first time around.” And as Wilson pointed out, “This community always comes up with a way to get things done.” – Amanda DeVos
From wasteland to skateland Lincoln Avenue is not the only new concrete upgrade in Steamboat Springs. In June 2010, Bear River Skatepark opened on the west side of town behind the Routt County Justice Center. Land that was once a sewer lagoon has been transformed into a high-quality facility for local skateboarders. It took almost eight years to see the project to fruition. Jon Casson created the Steamboat Skatepark Alliance in 2003 to raise awareness of the need for the skatepark, and gained immense support for the project. The $312,000 concrete skatepark was financed by Great Outdoors Colorado, the Steamboat Skatepark Alliance, the city, the Yampa Valley Community Foundation and the Rotary Club. The versatile concrete bowl and “street” features complement the halfpipe and rails at the Howelsen Skatepark. With proper care, the new skatepark should last 20 years and require little maintenance. Future plans include an expansion with more “street” and flatground features and a vertical pool bowl. Currently the skatepark can only be accessed via the Yampa River Core Trail that runs under the James Brown Bridge along the Yampa River. The city is allocating 2011 funding to build a parking lot and improve Lagoon Court, the access from U.S. 40. The city also hopes to extend the Yampa River Core Trail beyond the skatepark into the
Riverside neighborhood. “My hope is that the new skatepark will be a positive place where skaters of all ages and abilities can skate together and inspire each other,” said Casson. “I hope it becomes a place where you see families enjoying a great activity together.” – Amanda DeVos
Yampa Valley launches Eco-Guide The Yampa Valley Eco-Guide is a new comprehensive resource launched to help keep tabs on community-wide, sustainability-oriented programs, organizations, services and retailers in the Steamboat Springs area. With a wide variety of initiatives emerging regionally, the Yampa Valley Eco-Guide aims to keep updated information about everything locally green and sustainable in one simple up-to-date online format. “The Yampa Valley Eco-Guide is a collaborative tool meant to categorize the many sustainable organizations, initiatives and products in our community,” said Meagan Coates, the Chamber’s community development manager. Check out simple ways to make a Steamboat Springs vacation more sustainable. Find out how to enroll your business in the Sustainable Business and Cents for Steamboat programs. Learn about the Colorado Carbon Fund. Become a volunteer for programs like the Zero Waste Initiative. See what businesses are doing to improve their sustainability. The guide is designed to keep a finger on the pulse of sustainability-minded projects, businesses, events and programs as they evolve throughout the region. — Molly Killien Find the Yampa Valley Eco-Guide at www.steamboatchamber.com/ecoguide. 7
Business & Economy Fly Steamboat
Fast Facts Business & the Economy in Steamboat Springs •Major industries: mining, agriculture and residential, including second-home sector and location-neutral businesses •Tourism’s estimated contribution to Steamboat’s sales tax revenues: 35-40% •350,000-400,000 winter visitors •250,000-300,000 summer visitors •Winter (Nov. to April) generates approxi8
The Fly Steamboat program helps guarantee jet service into Steamboat’s regional airport in Hayden.
City Sales Tax Collected By Month: 2009 City Sales Tax Collections Compared by Year Sales-tax Revenue
Year
$2,500,000
$2,000,000
Increase from Previous Year
$16,710,433 $19,694,307 $19,726,038 $18,154,751 $16,339,588
2009 2008 2007 2006 2005
-15.15% -0.16% 8.81% 11.11% 8.68%
$1,500,000
$1,000,000
De c
t No v
Oc
Au g Se p
Jul
y Jun
Ma
r Ap r
Ma
$0
Feb
$500,000
Jan
The Yampa Valley Regional Airport is the gateway to Steamboat Springs and the surrounding region. Year-round air service provides essential services for residents and businesses. The Fly Steamboat Program was established in 2000 as a partnership among the Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp., the city, the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association and local businesses to support air service into the Yampa Valley. It retains a central role in the funding of these flights. “In this economy the lodging tax is down and our ability to fund air service is reduced,” said Sandy Evans Hall, executive vice president of the Chamber. “It has never been more imperative that every business support the nonstop flight program.” Fly Steamboat contributions account for nearly $100,000 of the total cost of the $2.5 million regional flight guarantee program negotiated by Ski Corp. each winter, with approximately 150 local businesses contributing. Five major airline carriers serve the Yampa Valley Regional Airport, including American, Continental, Delta, Frontier and United, with nonstop flights from seven major cities: New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Minneapolis and Denver. Steamboat’s total airline seat capacity for 2010/11 is about 125,000 passengers. The airport offers connections with more than 200 domestic and international destinations during the ski season, plus year-round service on United Express via connections in Denver. — Molly Killien
© istockphoto.com
State of the guaranteed airline program
Source: City of Steamboat Springs. For most current monthly report, visit www.steamboatsprings.net.
mately 25-30% of city sales-tax revenues. •Peabody’s Twentymile Coal Mine in Routt County is one of the largest coal-producers in Colorado. •Twentymile Coal Mine employs 515 people and shipped 8.6 million tons of coal in 2008 – more than 25% of Colorado’s total coal production. •Major crops in Routt County: cattle, sheep, horses, hay, alfalfa, wheat, barley and oats •Local ag organizations: CSU Routt County Extension, Community
Agriculture Alliance, Historic Routt County and Yampa Valley Land Trust •10 depository institutions with comprehensive banking services •Local winners of the Colorado Companies to Watch Award: Big Agnes and Boa Technology •Over 90% of local companies have 10 employees or less. •Location-neutral employees’ contribution to the local community: $35 million and $600,000 or more in annual sales tax. Steamboat Springs On The Move 2010/11
Medical Services Fit bodies, fitter minds Promoting healthier lifestyles in Routt County Colorado’s children are not exempt from the nation’s skyrocketing obesity statistics, but that may change if LiveWell Colorado has its way. Routt County is in the second year of a seven-year, $1 million LiveWell Colorado grant designed to reduce obesity through increased access to healthy food and physical activity. “Increased activity increases academic performance. It’s a fact,” says Barb Parnell, LiveWell’s community coordinator. LiveWell programs are already in play. Hayden schools now have a salad bar at lunch. South Routt school cooks went to a five-day culinary boot camp to learn recipes they can cook from scratch and to disguise fresh fruits and vegetables in kidfriendly food. Schools are using Fitness Gram software to assess body mass index,
endurance and flexibility, then track each student’s progress. Preschools are using the Food Friends program to expose preschool kids to fresh foods. ”Activity decks” provide 10-minute classroom breaks filled with physical activity. On the planning front, school wellness policies are evolving, and school fundraisers have followed suite: Soda Creek Elementary hosted a bike and walk event instead of a cookie dough sale.
Fast Facts Yampa Valley Medical Services •The regional 39-bed Yampa Valley Medical Center had more than 128,000 outpatient visits in 2009. •YVMC has about 545 employees and 198 active volunteers. •The Doak Walker Care Center offers skilled nursing in an intergenerational setting with GrandKids Child Care.
”This grant is designed to serve the underserved,” Parnell says. Both Steamboat and Oak Creek have new community gardens. Greenhouses are on the radar. So are county-wide trails, a food co-op and a search for large indoor spaces for winterweary kids to run. “The idea is to make the healthy choice the easy choice,” she says. “Often it’s the most expensive choice, and we don’t want that.”— Jennie Lay More info at www.livewellcolorado.org •The Haven in Hayden provides assisted living for 20 residents. •Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association provides well-child care, immunizations, home health care, grief support, care for the terminally ill, handicapped clinics, prenatal care and a neurology clinic. •Steamboat Mental Health Center provides outpatient and 24-hour emergency mental health services.
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Climate & Demographics Fast Facts Climate & Demographics
Courtesy of Steamboat Powdercats
•Steamboat Springs elevation: 6,795’ •Elevation of surrounding mountains: more than 11,000’ •According to weather records, since 1893 Steamboat has had the least variable weather pattern in Colorado. •Record cold: -54° on Jan. 7, 1913 •Coldest month: January, with an average high of 28° •Record hot: 99° on July 7, 1897, and July 17, 1909 •Warmest month: July, with an average high of 82° •Average snowfall at the Steamboat Ski Area: 310” •Record snowfall at the Steamboat Ski Area: 489” in 2008 • Average snowfall downtown Steamboat: 170” •Steamboat’s population: 12,180 (July 2009 estimate) •Steamboat is the state’s 38th largest municipality •Routt County’s population: 23,989 (2009 estimate) •Growth between 2000 and 2009: 24% in Steamboat, 19% in Routt County and 16.8% in Colorado Population Estimates 2006
2007
Colorado 4,753,377 4,909,568
2008
2009
5,011,390 5,083,249
Routt Co.
21,580
23,060
23,738
23,989
Steamboat Springs
11,083
11,502
11,965
12,180
Ski Season Snowfall at Steamboat Ski Area (inches) 2007/2008
Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr Total
0 17 23 126 129 104 79 11 489
2008/2009
2009/2010
0 5 35 100 109 47 72 37 405
0 16 26 55 39 51 35 40 262
Steamboat’s Buffalo Pass regularly registers the most snow in the state, receiving upwards of 500 inches annually.
Source: Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp. 10
Steamboat Springs On The Move 2010/11
Transportation A bigger and more sustainable fleet
Fast Facts
Steamboat Springs has three hybrid buses in its fleet. Two came on line for the city’s year-round free bus service during late summer 2010 as the result of a $1.2 million federal grant with matching funds from the city. Not only have the quieter and lower-floored hybrid buses made passenger-access easier, they’re increasing fuel efficiency by 27 percent over Steamboat’s standard diesel buses – making the city bus an even more sustainable way to travel for over a million passengers a year.
Transportation
Ken Wright
• Free local bus service hours: 7 a.m. to 1:45 a.m. during the winter, and 6:40 a.m. to 10:40 p.m. during the summer • Distance to Yampa Valley Regional Airport in Hayden : 22 miles • Yampa Valley Regional Airport: 10,000-foot runway with direct jet service from Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, Minneapolis, New York, and Denver. • Steamboat Springs Airport, aka Bob Adams Field: 4,700-foot runway for general aviation
Steamboat Springs Mileage Chart Denver
160
Colorado Springs
240
Fort Collins
160
Grand Junction
196
Salt Lake City
339
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Technology, Communications, Utilities & Infrastructure
Fast Facts Technology, Communications, Utilities & Infrastructure
Jennie Lay
• Steamboat Springs Wi-Fi Hotspots: 15 • Estimated number of location-neutral employees in Steamboat: 600 • Estimated number of location-neutral employees in Routt County: 700 • Estimated annual contribution by location-neutral businesses to the local economy: $35 million and $600,000 in sales tax revenue • In business in Routt County for less than five years: 50% of location-neutral employees and 37% of location neutral businesses
Saving for the future The Upper Yampa Water Conservancy District, south of Steamboat Springs, is raising the 21-year-old dam at Stagecoach Reservoir by four feet. In the short term, the construction project helped raise flows in the Yampa River during late summer 2010. Long-term, raising the 60-foot-wide spillway adds about 3,185 acre-feet of water storage to the existing 33,275 acre-foot reservoir, which is used by local municipalities, agriculture and Tri-State Generation and Transmission’s coal-fired power plant in Craig.
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Steamboat Springs On The Move 2010/11
Housing & Building Greener building Sustainability-minded programs raise the bar for Yampa Valley construction The city of Steamboat Springs committed itself to a greener way of doing business in 2006, resolving to “use a sustainability framework for making decisions and emerging opportunities that contribute to our goal of becoming a sustainable city.” Results include the city’s growing hybrid bus fleet, water conservation plans
Fast Facts Housing & Building • Average cost of a three-bedroom single-family home: $486 per square foot (2008) • Median sales price for a single family home: $603,000 (2009)
and increased recycling programs. But no where is it more evident than in local efforts to make buildings more sustainable. Steamboat Springs and Routt County adopted a voluntary green building code in January 2009. Steamboat built Northwest Colorado’s first LEED-certified community center. Both city and county buildings are receiving performance upgrades for efficiency. The new courthouse has a 26 kilowatt solar installation on the roof – and other installations are on the library and botanic garden, CMC, Strawberry Park, Oak Creek and Hayden schools.
More info at www.yvsc.org
• Eligibility for affordable housing assistance: up to 150% of the area’s median income •Yampa Valley Housing Authority affordable housing programs: rental housing, deed restricted multi-family housing, selfhelp building projects and down payment assistance programs
OPPORTUNIITY IS KNOCKING!!! It’s a “BUYERS” AND “RENTERS” MARKET IN STEAMBOAT!! FORECLOSURES & BANKRUPTCIES ARE AT AN ALL TIME HIGH!! Time to Rent or Buy? (Rental costs are down 20 to 50%!) Deals are being made Daily!... Don’t miss your chance! Timing is everything! For Sales and Rentals of both Private and Commercial Properties Contact: Steamboat Home Management Jim Funk – Broker/Owner Over 25 Years Experience in the Steamboat Area!! Phone: 970-879-1982 Fax 970-879-1988 E-Mail: Be_Funky@Yahoo.com www.steamboatchamber.com
The city and county also partnered with the University of Colorado Denver to conduct an inventory of Routt County’s greenhouse gas emissions as a baseline assessment for future comparison. Ideally Routt County’s current baseline of 895,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions will be offset by more sustainable and efficient building practices by the next inventory. Meanwhile, Steamboat is the recipient of a grant for the Energy Star New Homes Program for the third year in a row. — Jennie Lay Median Sales Price for Property in Steamboat Springs 2007
Single Family $849,500 Home Townhome $649,000 Condo $345,000 Lot $550,000
2008
2009
$960,750 $725,000 $360,000 $560,000
$630,000 $685,000 $385,000 $445,000
Source: Steamboat Springs Multiple Listing Service
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970-879-6645 www.babybusiness.org
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Employment Slow economy, still hiring Registered nurses Dawn Leipold and Jessica Stevenson have more in common than caring for patients at Yampa Valley Medical Center. They exemplify the hospital’s commitment to career advancement. Both nurses juggled parttime YVMC jobs and full-time college classes as they pursued their dream. They say they could not have done it without tuition assistance, flexible work schedules and support from the hospital. Leipold and Stevenson are not alone. YVMC Recruiter Mary Wirta can name many employees who have climbed career ladders at the hospital, thanks to opportunities including on-site classes, tuition reimbursement and on-the-job training. The regional hospital has filled more than half of its 2010 job postings internally and with rehires. “I know it’s called the...Yampa Valley curse when someone who spends time in our beautiful valley is fated to return, but we like to call it the YVMC curse,” Wirta said. “People come back for the great work environment and excellent benefits.” Since opening in November 1999, YVMC has completed a $13 million expansion and added numerous services. Strategically growing to meet the increasing health care needs of the region, the hospital has become one of the area’s largest year-round employers with a team of 550 employees. — Christine McKelvie More info at www.yvmc.org/careers
Corey Kopischke
Hospital promotes careers
Registered nurses Dawn Leipold and Jessica Stevenson received support from Yampa Valley Medical Center as they pursued their education.
Fast Facts Employment
•Routt County’s unemployment rate in May 2010: 10.4% •Routt County’s unemployment rate in May 2009: 9.3% •Estimated Routt County labor force in May 2010: 13,453 (Bureau of Labor Statistics) •Estimated Routt County labor force in May 2009: 14,075 •Routt County busenesses in 2007: 2,006 •Routt County Businesses as of the third
Average Annual Wage
quarter of 2009: 1,838 •Routt County businesses with fewer than nine employees: 1,753 •Routt County’s largest employer: Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp., with nearly 1,800 wintertime employees •Steamboat Springs’ largest year-round employer: Yampa Valley Medical Center •Average annual wage in Routt County: $43,940 ($21.13 per hour) •Average annual wage in Colorado: $50,180 ($24.13 per hour). • The Colorado Workforce Center provides employment services and job referrals.
Per Capita Income
Routt County
Routt County
Colorado
Colorado $50,000
$50,000
$40,000 $40,000
14
20 08
07 20
20 06
05 20
Source: Steamboat Workforce Center
20 04
09 20
20
20
08
$10,000
20 07
$10,000
06
$20,000
20 05
$20,000
20 03
$30,000
$30,000
Steamboat Springs On The Move 2010/11
Local Government Fast Facts Local Government
•Steamboat Springs is governed by an elected, seven-member city council that appoints a city manager. •Steamboat’s volunteer boards include a planning commission, board of adjustment, historic preservation, and parks and recreation commission. •Steamboat primarily generates revenue through sales, use and lodging taxes. •Steamboat does not have a municipal property tax. •In addition to normal municipal services such as police, fire, utilities, a general aviation airport and community development, Steamboat also provides public transit and parks and recreation services and facilities including an Olympic-size ice arena, an
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18-hole golf course, a six-court indoor tennis center, a professional rodeo facility, hundreds of miles of community walking and bike trails and the Howelsen Hill Recreation Complex. •Routt County encompasses 2,331 square miles or 1,491,840 acres. More than 735,000 acres (47%) are publicly owned, and most of that is in Routt National Forest. There are four state parks in Routt County – Stagecoach, Steamboat Lake, Pearl Lake and Yampa River. •An elected three-member board of county commissioners with staggered four-year terms governs Routt County. Volunteers are appointed for the planning commission, board of adjustment, purchase of development rights advisory board, airport advisory board, right to farm and ranch mediation board, Extension
advisory board, fair board and Yampa Valley Housing Authority board. •Routt County raises money from property, use and sales taxes, in addition to various state and federal sources. County services include law enforcement and jail, planning, building permits and inspection, environmental health, road and bridge, clerk and recorder, motor vehicle, treasurer, assessor, agricultural extension office, county and district courts, regional airport, multi-agency emergency communications center, coroner, district attorney and health and human services. •Steamboat is the county seat. The three other incorporated municipalities in the county are Hayden (pop. 2,000; 22 miles west), Oak Creek (pop. 950; 23 miles south) and Yampa (pop. 500; 30 miles south).
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Education
Educator emphasizes academics Chris Taylor, an experienced educator with degrees from the University of Rochester, Wesleyan University and Harvard, took the reigns of the Lowell Whiteman School in July 2010. The private boarding/day school north of Steamboat combines rigorous college preparatory courses with experiential education, foreign travel and a ski/ride program for competitive skiers. “It’s the best of both worlds,” Taylor says. “The experience is extraordinary. Students are in the classroom one day, and then they may spend a month in Switzerland or Bolivia. Talk about global awareness!” Taylor plans to focus on academic excellence. “I want a top-notch skier to be able to go to Dartmouth, with no problem, to know he or she is prepared with skills for life. In the end, that’s far more important than a competitive ski
Fast Facts Education •Routt County School District RE-2 operates two elementary schools (grades K-5), one middle school (68), one charter school (K-8), one high school (9-12), and one alternative high school. •Student to teacher ratio: 20:1 in elementary school and 25:1 in high school •The Education Fund Board administers proceeds of a one-half cent city sales tax. •A Montessori strand was incorporated into Strawberry Park Elementary School in 2004. •Average spending per student for the 2009/10 academic year: $10,237 •Total K-12 enrollment for 2009/10: 2,152 students. •Colorado Mountain College Alpine Campus offers two-year associate of arts degrees, community education, on-campus living and a four-year education degree. •High school students are able to enroll concurrently at CMC – 30 did so during the 2009/10 school year. •Two private schools offer K-12 education in Steamboat: The Lowell Whiteman School and the Christian Heritage School. 16
career,” he says. “My goal is to evaluate our programs and make sure we are providing absolutely the best programs we can.” While his emphasis is on the classroom, Taylor is also looking forward to the school’s outdoor activities. “I am looking forward to hiking with the kids,” he says. “And I’d like to start a fly fishing club.” Just like LWS students, Taylor plans to pursue both a rigorous academic curriculum and the opportunities offered by the mountain environment surrounding the school. —Deborah Olsen
Courtesy of Chris Taylor
New headmaster at LWS
Chris Taylor is the new headmaster at LWS.
2010 CSAP Scores for Colorado and Steamboat Springs SODA STAWBERRY CREEK PARK ELEMENTARY ELEMENTARY
% Proficient or Advanced
CO
10th Grade Writing
47% 65%
10th Grade Reading
66% 83%
10th Grade Math
30% 61%
10th Grade Science
47% 69%
9th Grade Writing
49% 69%
9th Grade Reading
68% 87%
9th Grade Math
39% 60%
8th Grade Writing
55%
84%
8th Grade Reading 8th Grade Science
68% 51% 48%
92% 80% 75%
7th Grade Writing
58%
77%
7th Grade Reading
68%
84%
7th Grade Math
49%
70%
6th Grade Writing
57%
84%
6th Grade Reading
72%
90%
6th Grade Math
61%
86%
5th Grade Writing
5th Grade Science
57% 70% 66% 47%
78% 86% 82% 68%
75% 88% 88% 77%
4th Grade Writing
50%
56%
69%
4th Grade Reading
66%
81%
80%
4th Grade Math
70%
82%
81%
3rd Grade Writing
50%
44%
64%
3rd Grade Reading
70%
73%
86%
3rd Grade Math
71%
77%
83%
8th Grade Math
5th Grade Reading 5th Grade Math
High School
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Source: Colorado Department of Education Steamboat Springs On The Move 2010/11
Tax Structure Rebounding Revenues 2011 turnaround for tourism and tax collections City officials and hotel managers listened closely as analyst David Belin of RRC Associates, a market research firm specializing in the ski and snowboard industry, spoke at the 2010 Economic Summit. You could hear a collective sigh of relief when Belin finally proclaimed positive news: “Occupancy is coming back. We’re encouraged by the potential of what we see,” he said. Not only is occupancy rising, but the base rate for rooms is rising too – which stands to help bolster businesses and tax revenues. Belin predicted an ongoing rise in both occupancy and rates in the coming year, citing a resilience and economic confidence in mountain travelers compared to the average U.S. traveler. He noted a continuous rise in leisure travel spending over the past year, and a high crossover rate between Steamboat’s summer and winter visitors. “This is good. It shows a lot of balance,” Belin said, noting that Steamboat also ranks among the top resorts recommended by word-of-mouth. He predicted an ongoing positive trend for 2011.—Jennie Lay
Fast Facts Tax Structure • Sales tax: Steamboat Springs 4%, Colorado 2.9%, Routt County 1% and Routt RE-2 School District 0.5% • Short-term lodging tax: 1% •Local marketing district lodging tax: 2% •School tax: 0.5%, allocated by the Education Fund Board • Routt County reappraises property every odd year for the two following years. This market value is multiplied by the assessment rate of 7.96% for all residential properties (29% for all other properties). • Commercial property accounts for four times the amount per $100,000 in valuation as residential property tax. • Colorado income tax: 5% of taxable federal income www.steamboatchamber.com
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS CAMPUS
A year-round comprehensive community college offering transfer, occupational and career programs Associate of Arts Degrees Associate of Science Degrees Career and Technical Education Adult Basic Education Small Business Development 1330 Bob Adams Drive, Steamboat Springs
www.ColoradoMtn.edu www.facebook.com/ColoradoMtnCollege
Phone 970-870-4444
www.twitter.com/ColoMtnCollege 17
Culture & Community
Twenty religious organizations, more than 60 clubs and service organizations and more than 24 nonprofit human services provide opportunities for community involvement and cultural enhancement. Parks and Recreational Facilities Steamboat Springs’ 19 parks include playgrounds, tennis and volleyball courts, softball, soccer, rugby and lacrosse fields, picnic areas, a botanic park, fishing ponds, rodeo grounds, kayak courses and a skate park are publicly available. The city also operates an indoor ice rink, year-round tennis center, Haymaker golf course and the Howelsen Hill Sports Complex. The Yampa River Core Trail connects several parks throughout town. Info: Parks and Recreation, 970-879-4300, www.ci.steamboat.co.us/recreation
The Steamboat Springs Arts Council Established in 1972, the Arts Council is a nonprofit organization that produces art and cultural events and serves as an adviser and advocate for more than 30 affiliated organizations. Housed in the historic train depot along the Yampa River (1001 13th St.), the Arts Council manages the Eleanor Bliss Center for the Arts at the Depot, which encompasses two galleries and a community resource center for arts and cultural information. Info: 970-879-9008, www.steamboatspringsarts.com
Fine Art More than 17 art galleries are located downtown and near the base of the ski area. Some feature nationally renowned artists while others showcase regional and local visual artists. The Steamboat Art Museum and the Depot also host exhibits. Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School and Camp Founded in 1913, the nation’s oldest operating performing arts camp offers summer programs taught by an international faculty in dance, theater, musical theater, dramatic writing and equitation for ages 8 through college. Master workshops for adults also are offered. Perry-Mansfield presents performances throughout summer. Info: 970-879-5823, www.perry-mansfield.org 18
Courtesy of Strings Music Festival
Culture & Community
Tread of Pioneers Museum The museum celebrates the Yampa Valley’s rich and diverse heritage, from Native Americans to Olympian skiers. Info: 970-879-2214, www.treadofpioneers.org
Emerald City Opera Emerald City Opera brings artists from the world’s great opera houses to Steamboat to collaborate with local artists. Additionally, ECO presents the Resident Artists Spotlight and Outstanding Artists The Golden Dragon Acrobats perform at Strings Music Pavillion. concert series throughout the year. Info: 970-879-1996, www.emeraldcityopera.com
Strings Music Festival Strings produces summer and winter music series featuring classical and contemporary artists, with performances held in the Strings Music Pavilion. Info: 970-879-5056, www.stringsmusicfestival.com
First Friday Art Walk Art venues and supporting businesses extend their hours the first Friday of each month to showcase visual and performing artists. Appetizers and refreshments are served. Info: 970-879-9008 www.steamboatspringsartwalk.com
Sister Cities Steamboat Springs has two sister cities: Saas Fee, Switzerland, and San Martin de los Andes, Argentina. Steamboat Symphony Orchestra Steamboat boasts a professional orchestra that performs throughout the fall and winter months, under the direction of conductor Ernest Richardson. Info: 970-870-3223, www.steamboatorchestra.org
Literature Literary Sojourn is the oldest established literary festival in the Rocky Mountains. Nominees and recipients of literary awards, including the National Book Award, the
Edgar Award and the Pulitzer Prize, have presented here. Info: 970-879-0240, www.literarysojourn.org Politics The free, non-partisan Seminars at Steamboat are casual talks with high-caliber experts that focus on domestic and foreign policy, social issues, health, economy, natural resources and the environment. Info: 970-879-1589, www.seminarsatsteamboat.com
Music, Theater, Comedy and Dance A free year-round concert series is presented at the Steamboat Ski Area and Howelsen Hill. Nightclubs and restaurants on the mountain and downtown regularly bring in national and local talent. Local dance, music, choral and theater groups put on annual performances. Pro Rodeo Professional rodeo performances are held Friday and Saturday nights from June through August at the Romick Rodeo Arena at Howelsen Hill. Events include bull riding, barrel racing, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, team roping, tie-down roping, steer wrestling, calf scramble, ram scramble and pee-wee barrel racing as part of the PRCA ProRodeo Series. Info: 970-879-1818, www.steamboatprorodeo.com Steamboat Springs On The Move 2010/11
Promote Philanthropy Support the Nonprofit Sector Provide for the Future of the Yampa Valley Value our Community
Connecting People Who Care with Causes That Matter Visit us at www.yvcf.org | 970-879-8632 | info@yvcf.org 465 Anglers Drive, Suite 2-G | P.O. Box 881869 | Steamboat Springs, CO 80488 www.steamboatchamber.com
Year-round Recreation Deborah Olsen
Fast Facts Year-Round Recreation More than 1,000 square miles of public lands including the 520,000-acre Routt National Forest, four state parks and two wilderness areas surround Steamboat. Winter Steamboat is best known for skiing or snowboarding at the Steamboat Ski Area and Howelsen Hill. Other activities include snowshoeing, snowmobiling, horseback riding, ice climbing, dog sledding, ice skating, hockey, fly fishing, hot air ballooning and hot springs soaking. • Steamboat Ski Area has 2,939 skiable acres accessed from 164 trails. • City-owned Howelsen Hill Ski Area is the home of the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, the oldest winter sports club in the West and the training center for 69 Winter Olympians. • Howelsen Hill features a complete natural ski-jumping complex, cross country ski trails and international Nordic events. • Steamboat has five Nordic ski areas within a 30-mile radius. Spring Kayak, raft and canoe on the Yampa River through meandering class II and III rapids. Other rivers in the region include the Colorado Elk, Eagle and Green. Summer Warm days and cool nights are ideal for hiking, backpacking, bicycling, fishing, in-line skating, golf, tennis, boating, swimming, horseback riding, water skiing, soaking in the natural hot springs, gondola rides and scenic drives. • The Steamboat Springs Running Series is Colorado’s biggest, with 13 runs. • Steamboat Lake, Pearl Lake, Stagecoach and Yampa River State Parks offer abundant camping, boating and fishing. Fall Changing aspen leaves invite scenic drives and hikes. Hunters come in search of plentiful elk, deer and antelope. • Routt County has one of the largest elk herds in the West.
20
Marko Ross-Bryant maneuvers a single-track mountain bike trail through the aspens on Mount Werner.
Steamboat Springs On The Move 2010/11
Where to Worship Anchor Way Baptist Church 40650 Anchor Way, 970-879-7062 The Buddhist Center of Steamboat Springs 2550 S. Copper Frontage, 970-871-6135
Go Straight to
THE SOURCE
the official steamboat springs visitors’ guide™
The Ultimate Resource • EvEnTs
Christian Science Church Seventh and Oak, 970-879-5028
• ActivitiEs
Church of Christ 1698 W. Lincoln Ave., 970-879-6670
• Art
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints 1155 Central Park Dr., 970-879-0220
• Lodging
Concordia Lutheran Church 755 Concordia Ln., 970-879-0175
• dining
• shopping • nightLifE
Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses 3000 Elk River Rd., 970-879-4075
• outdoors
Euzoa Bible Church 32305 County Road 38, 970-879-0123
• WEddings & rEunions • MAps
First Baptist Church 3200 Divine Way, 970-879-1446 Har Mishpacha 970-879-2082
THE OFFICIAL STEAMBOAT SPRINGS VISITORS’ GUIDE
Holy Name Catholic Church 524 Oak St., 970-879-0671 St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Ninth and Oak, 970-879-0925 Seventh Day Adventists Church 347 12th St., 970-871-4927 Steamboat Christian Center The Log Church on East U.S. 40 970-879-0063
THE SOURCE Your SOURCE for the perfect stay in Steamboat
Steamboat Springs Evangelical Free Church Christian Heritage School, 970-879-3020 (970) 879-0763 (800) 522-9120
United Methodist Church Eighth and Oak, 970-879-1290
MRRealtySteaMboat.coM 2150 ResoRt DRive, suite 200 steamboat spRings, Co 80487
Long Term renTaLs Homes & Condominiums
Home Care serviCes rental & non-rental
CommerCiaL Leasing serviCes www.steamboatchamber.com
21
REAL LOCAL LIFE
Q
Three locals share thoughts about work, play and making it in Ski Town U.S.A.
By Jennie Lay
As a remote rural town, Steamboat posses its own challenges and presents opportunities for entrepreneurs and families alike. Conversations with a working mom, a fisherman who turned his hobby into a career and a city planner who is puzzling our community’s future offer insight into local life.
Photo Š Corey Kopischke
22
Steamboat Springs On The Move 2010/11
Career & kids, Steamboat style Jules Vertrees
Q& Jules Vertrees moved to Steamboat 16 years ago and like most aspiring ski bums she worked a lot of jobs – many of them at the same time: Ambassador for an Australian ski wholesaler, hostess and server at Harwigs/L’Apogée, car detailer, sales and marketing representative of Australian giftware – headquartered in her mother’s spare bedroom. The career with her mom’s company was the one that stuck. Today, Vertrees is an international businesswoman and mother of two – but she still ranks making Caesar salads tableside at L’Apogée as her favorite Steamboat job. As for her husband, Kent, and her two girls, Sophie and Josephine, Vertrees says, “They are my absolute pride and joy!”
On the Move: Favorite local amenity – especially with your kids? Jules Vertrees: Mount Werner, without a doubt! We are all very keen skiers and love to ski each and every weekend in the winter. OTM: Ski or snowboard? J.V.: I do both, but if I want to keep up with my husband, I am better off skiing. This will be my 32nd year on skis. The girls both ski, but have shown some interest in “converting.” OTM: Mountain bike or road bike? J.V.: Neither, but I do have a lovely pink town cruiser. OTM: Describe your business. J.V.: We run the American sales office of a UK-based design and manufacturing company in the gift industry. I am the sales and marketing manager. We employ eight full-time people here in the Steamboat office and outsource all of our customs brokerage warehousing. There is a team of 30 in our London, UK office. OTM: How did you get your start in this business? J.V.: I grew up with entrepreneurial parents who were in the importing and distribution business. From a very early age, my education in sales and marketing was ingrained. When my mother moved to Steamboat from Australia in 1991 and started a small sales and distribution business, it was just a matter of time before I would follow. OTM: How do you make it work from Steamboat? J.V.: We work with retailers across the
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country, from Restoration Hardware and Old Navy in San Francisco to Borders Books in Michigan and Urban Outfitters in Philadelphia. No matter where our office is based, I would have to travel to present to my major customers. If we have to travel to major cities consistently, we may as well be based in paradise. Almost all of our communication is done via email. I am on Skype with my London office each morning and much of my research is done on the Web. Thirty years ago, operating a business such as ours would not have been possible, but times and technology have changed. OTM: How do you make it work as a working mother with two kids? J.V.: Two words – Sauvignon Blanc. OTM: Backpack or car camp? J.V.: Definitely car camp. There are certain luxuries I don’t want to have to do without, like sleeping without two pillows at night. OTM: Best advantages of being a mom in Steamboat? J.V.: I love that we are raising our children in one of the most beautiful parts of the world! Steamboat’s climate offers four very distinct seasons, all of which offer amazing recreational activities. OTM: Biggest challenges to childcare in Steamboat? J.V.: The expense. I think this puts a great financial strain on families in Steamboat. Also there are not many options for the little ones. We had a nanny for our girls in the early years. As soon kids reach 2.5 (and are potty trained) there are some great daycares in town, but waiting lists can be very long. I had to pretty much “stalk” the director of the day care that we really wanted for our kids. The persistence worked and we had a wonderful experience at Holy Name. OTM: Any thoughts on Steamboat’s schools? J.V.: Just yesterday I was at my girls’ elementary school at an ice cream social and I was astounded at the sheer beauty of where this school is located – certainly very different from my school experience in an urban environment. The Steamboat school district is very highly ranked academically. If there is a downside, Steamboat can be a little isolated. OTM: What would your advice be to
someone who wants to start a locationneutral business in Steamboat? J.V.: Do lots of research and be aware of how much you’ll need to travel and make sure you don’t mind the commute. Get a very high speed internet connection. OTM: As a mother, are there any programs you especially rely on for education, pooled resources, expanded recreational opportunities? J.V.: I rely heavily on my wonderful husband. We both work full-time and we both equally share the running of our home and family. The camps at PerryMansfield are amazing, the library, the Core Trail to hike and bike, the Winter Sports Club and the Steamboat Ski and Snowboard School. I don’t recommend teaching your kids how to ski. Use professionals and minimize family fighting. OTM: Do you have a mentor in Steamboat, or elsewhere, who you look to for advice? J.V.: My mother is my mentor, business partner and best friend. We have worked together for 16 wonderful years and I know there is not a person I trust or respect more. OTM: What’s the hardest part of doing business from a resort community? J.V.: The lure of the powder clause…. OTM: The easiest part? J.V.: The lure of the powder clause… OTM: Looking at Steamboat’s growth in the past few years, what do you feel hopeful about and what worries you? J.V.: With growth comes opportunities for the community in terms of work, resources and exposure to more variety. That growth needs to be planned with the big picture in sight and not impaired by special interests or naivete. OTM: What’s key to balancing your career and your family? J.V.: I am a believer that we work to live, not the opposite. Although I love my work, I keep my family the priority and make sure I am home in time for the school bus and that we share a family dinner every (or most) nights. OTM: What is Steamboat lacking in terms of infrastructure that would aid in the success of your business? J.V.: Nothing. We’re location neutral. It wouldn’t matter if we were based in Timbuktu. 23
& QA Fishing for more than fun Tim Kirkpatrick
Photo © Corey Kopischke
24
Tim Kirkpatrick moved to Steamboat Springs with seven friends in 1998 and took odd jobs in retail and running errands. Fishing was his hobby. Within a decade he’d turned his passion into a dream job. “I knew that I liked to teach, but I didn’t want to be in a classroom. I knew that I liked to work with people, but I didn’t want to work in an office. I knew that I liked to be outside, but I am terrible at landscaping and construction. It just sort of happened and made sense,” said the Steamboat Flyfisher owner loves to go to work every day – even when that means 14-hour day after 14-hour day. “Ninety eight percent of the time, people who come in the store are very happy. They are going fishing, just went fishing or are preparing to go fishing, so most everyone is in a very good mood…. It is the opposite of working customer service for an airline.”
On the Move: When did you start fishing? Tim Kirkpatrick: I started fishing when I was five or six with my grandmother in Wisconsin, paddling around in a canoe on a lake and taking her fish off the line for her. Steamboat Springs On The Move 2010/11
A Q&A OTM: How did you get started in turning a plan into reality? T.K.: I formulated a very basic business plan, using a mission statement, goals, competition analysis and monthly cash flow spreadsheet. I met with several local financial advisers, who were helpful in identifying common problems and oversights. OTM: Biggest props to starting a business here? T.K.: Most of the business owners I interact with in Steamboat have made a lifestyle decision prior to opening a business here. They have placed a value on living in Steamboat, and if this value combined with the salary you earn equals a balanced, happy life, then it is worth it. OTM: How do you keep passionate about what used to be a pastime? T.K.: The time I have available for fun fishing has become much more valuable. Catching fish has become much less important – just being outside with friends and sharing laughs becomes the most fun. OTM: What would your advice be to someone who wants to get into the recreation business in Steamboat? T.K.: Make that personal lifestyle decision – how much money do you need to earn to live comfortably and how much time are you willing to put into it? There are many places and many professions where one will get rich quicker, but often at significant costs. As a business owner, you don’t ever truly have a “day off.” OTM: Ski or snowboard? T.K.: Ski, although rarely. Can winter fishing be a choice? OTM: What’s the best perk you can offer an employee in Steamboat? T.K.: I would love to offer benefits although the business can’t support that yet. So, the best perks have been entertainment and travel. The biggest perk for them is working for a business where the owners lead by example and create a fun, although still efficient, work environment. And the occasional party at Snow Bowl, the Craig golf course or Tequila’s goes a long way! OTM: What kind of green or sustainable business practices have you put into place? T.K.: The guides are required to bring drinks for the customers on guide trips. We have steered away from plastic bottles in favor of metal bottles that they wash nightly. We recycle aluminum and plastic when we’re forced to use them. In www.steamboatchamber.com
the bigger picture, the guides are showing the customers a great time outdoors. Urban customers are forced to get out of their comfort zones and into wilderness areas where you don’t hear car horns or police sirens. These customers leave with a first-person view of nature and how it is all of our collective responsibilities to respect the rivers, forests and oceans. OTM: Do you have a mentor in Steamboat, or elsewhere, who you look to for advice? T.K.: Some of my closest friends are people that I started off meeting for professional reasons such as attorneys, real estate agents or CPAs. You won’t hear it in too many other places that a friendship was developed after five or six meetings with an attorney! OTM: What’s the hardest part of doing business in a resort community? T.K.: The seasonality. The big hurdle is to make enough money in your busy season to carry you through the slower season. Success will often depend on the entrepreneurial spirit of the owner – what you do during the slow times to create revenue while still maintaining the integrity of your business model. OTM: Got a pet volunteer project around town? T.K.: Humble Ranch Education and Therapy Center and STARS. They are both people-oriented, and I look for groups where the highest percentage of donations actually goes into the program rather than administrative costs. OTM: Favorite local amenity? T.K.: In the summertime, I love the rodeo. I love that you’ll see local kids and local families interacting with out-of-town visitors. Kids are kids, whether you grow up in Routt County or Los Angeles. To see a boy in Wrangler jeans and cowboy boots and a girl in a pink dress standing up on the railings in the concrete grandstands watching the same rodeo is a pretty cool deal. OTM: Looking at Steamboat’s changes in the past few years, what do you feel hopeful about and what worries you? T.K.: Balancing the Western heritage with the resort lifestyle is a crucial issue. I am hopeful that development brings likeminded individuals to the Yampa Valley, but worried that this same development will overshadow the true Western heritage that originally put Steamboat on the map. I am also worried that development will make it more and more unfeasible to live here. Locals
give this town the colorful character that attracts tourists. Most of our fishing customers return to Steamboat Flyfisher to be with the same guide, rather than to be at the same section of river. OTM: What business practices do you regularly reevaluate in the off-season? T.K.: We’re getting much more active in travel planning and destination fishing. Our customers develop bonds with the guides. Now, we are hosting trips to the Bahamas, Honduras, Mexico, Alaska and beyond. When the fishing is slow around Steamboat, we’ll have a guide host a trip to where the fishing is good, and the customers can still have that same awesome fishing experience. OTM: What are the biggest challenges in attracting and retaining employees? T.K.: Ninety five percent of guiding, whether it is fishing, skiing, snowboarding or backpacking, is having exceptional people skills. The guides can’t control the fish, so I hire and retain guides who can turn a very slow day of fishing into a tremendously fun and educational experience. Anybody can feel like a great guide when the fish are biting anything. The best guides are the ones who can make any group, any day, enjoy fly fishing. OTM: What is your favorite Web site as a business resource? T.K.: The Chamber has a very nice site with good information about expected numbers of visitors with historical figures as well. It’s also a great place to see the upcoming events and how your business could tag along with each weekend’s events. If there is an art fair in town, a business owner would be stupid not to highlight the artwork, even if it’s just a mom‘n’pop fly shop. OTM: What technology constraints do you face doing business in Steamboat? T.K.: We’ve got some very bright techies here in town. I feel like we’re on par with any urban area. OTM: How important is the local ski industry to your fishing business? T.K.: Skiing is what people think of first when they think about Steamboat. Skiers should be an important part of any upand-coming business in town. When a family comes to town in the winter, they probably buy a four-out-of-six day ski pass. What are they going to do on those other two days? It is your responsibility as a business owner to make sure they know what the options are. And fly fishing is a great option!
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QA Planning FOR THE FUTURE Jonathan Spence
Photo © Corey Kopischke
Unlike many folks who land in Steamboat for recreational reasons, Steamboat city planner Jonathan Spence put down roots here when he married a local. “Kristi grew up here so the chance to move back and raise our family here couldn’t be passed up,” he says of his wife, a second-grade teacher at Soda Creek Elementary, and two school-age kids, Hanna and Ethan. The Boston native was a city planner for Portland, Maine, before moving to Steamboat nearly eight years ago to help shape our city. Since joining the planning staff, he has seen both the busiest and quietest ends of the development spectrum. Professionally speaking, as far as Spence is concerned, the only thing Steamboat’s lacking is “a crystal ball.”
On the Move: What attracted you to city planning, and how did you get your start? Jonathan Spence: I was looking for a career that could have a positive impact on the community. I received a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from University of Colorado Denver and began as a intern at Jefferson County. OTM: Describe your job today. J.S.: As a senior planner for Steamboat Springs, I do a variety of things including development review, code work and long-range planning. OTM: What are Steamboat’s greatest planning challenges? J.S.: Steamboat’s greatest challenge is maintaining the great sense of community that makes this place so special. Community character means something different to everybody but everybody agrees it’s important. It means having great open space and parks, quality compatible development, housing for our teachers and firefighters, a great library, great schools, a world-class ski resort and on and on. OTM: What do you see as Steamboat’s long-term, planning hurdles? J.S.: Maintaining housing opportunities for our working families. OTM: The voters recently rejected the largest expansion of Steamboat in decades. What happens with Steamboat 700 now? J.S.: Good question. I don’t know. OTM: What’s the best perk you can offer
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As senior planner for Steamboat Springs, Jonathan Spence helps to define the community’s character.
an employee in Steamboat? J.S.: Time off to enjoy the valley. OTM: What are a few things you’d like to do to make the city more green or sustainable? J.S.: We’ve got a great Green Team that is working on green initiatives. We are going LED on our tree lights this year. It would be nice to see our stop lights all go to LED also. OTM: Got a favorite business advice book? J.S.: Power of Full Engagement OTM: What’s the hardest part of city planning in a resort community? J.S.: Probably recognizing the varied
stakeholders: full-time residents, parttime residents, temporary residents, local businesses, developers. OTM: Do you have any helpful tips about how you address employee vacation time, maternity leave, injuries and second-job scheduling conflicts in Steamboat? J.S.: Cross-train so we can all pitch in. OTM: Got a pet project around town? J.S.: Mainstreet Steamboat OTM: What is it about that group that grabs your heart? J.S.: Tracy Barnett’s (exectutive director) Steamboat Springs On The Move 2010/11
A unwavering passion for all that is downtown. OTM: Favorite local amenity? J.S.: Old Town Hot Springs. My kids can’t get enough of it. OTM: Looking at Steamboat’s changes in the past few years, what do you feel hopeful about and what worries you? J.S.: The push towards mixed-use downtown is great. It has some kinks to work out, but it will lead to a more vibrant downtown in the end. The base area worries me a bit, as when redevelopment will occur is a big unknown. OTM: From a planner’s perspective, what makes Steamboat different from other Rocky Mountain ski towns? J.S.: Steamboat is a ski town with a resort, not a resort with a ski town. It’s cliché, but so true. OTM: What is your favorite Web site as a business resource? J.S.: Congress for New Urbanism, www.cnu.org OTM: What is your favorite Web site as a guilty pleasure? J.S.: The Steamboat Pilot blogs OTM: How important is development farther out in the county – Stagecoach, Oak Creek, Yampa, Hayden – to your decision-making process in Steamboat? J.S.: Development out in the county is important because it has effects on Steamboat, especially on transportation. OTM: What are the biggest challenges in attracting and retaining employees? J.S.: The high cost of living. OTM: What percentage of your business deals with tourists and second-homeowners vs. full-time residents? J.S.: It’s probably 50/50. OTM: What would help promote more green construction projects? J.S.: Fellow planner Bob Keenan is working on outreach and education. It probably comes down to dollars and cents. Businesses can borrow against future savings to do energy improvements. If we could do that with people’s homes, it might have a real impact. OTM: What do you see as the most promising aspects of the current slowdown in construction? J.S.: A chance to regroup our planning efforts and be ready for when activity returns. www.steamboatchamber.com
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Lessons from the Recession Advice and optimism from career coach Todd Musselman
“Not since the Great Depression have there been so many victims,” says Steamboat Springsbased life coach and leadership trainer Todd Musselman. The 48-year old former sales manager is not unsympathetic, but he does offer an alternate outlook for dealing with the current economic challenges. By Musselman’s account, everything is manageable. “Until you’re dead, you’ve handled everything. None of this is going to kill you,” he says, offering everyone a substantial reality check. He speaks from experience. Musselman personally survived the bankruptcy of a long-standing, multi-million dollar family business with 220 employees just a few years ago. But he did better than survive – he and his extended family all came out better off, stronger and more loving, he says. As the board’s chief officer, Musselman was on the receiving end of the kind of organizational training and development he offers folks today, and he credits it for not only getting him through a tough time but ensuring his successful evolution as both a life coach and entrepreneur. In Musselman’s lingo, a “victim” is anyone who is locked in indecision — reacting to life rather than creating it. You know you’re a victim when you don’t know what to do so you don’t do anything. Certainly a weak economy and slow construction industry have put more than a handful of Steamboat professionals in this kind of limbo: When you can’t do what you’ve always done, what will you do? Musselman suggests taking an action, any action to move you back into creating your life. 28
For those at a crossroads, Musselman offers two allimportant questions: “What do you want? What are you willing to give up to get what you want? Some people never get past the first question.” The key is creating a new future that you want, not the one you just came from – a philosophy that he says applies not just to business, but to life. He ranks that as equally important perspective for husbands, wives, bosses and co-workers. “Expectations create resistance,” Musselman says. Instead, he suggests making agreements with employees, co-workers and even your entrepreneurial self, putting everyone and everything on the same level. “It gives everyone a buy-in,” he says. Locally, Musselman has done training programs for the city and Yampa Valley Medical Center management teams, Smartwool, Intrawest, startup restaurants like Sweetwater Grill, and the police department through his Timberline Leadership consulting business. And because the heart of the matter is really about being an owner instead of a victim – creating your life vs. reacting to life – he says local sessions don’t necessarily differ from the skills he offers a group session at Coors. Steamboat Springs On The Move 2010/11
Corey Kopischke
“Change happens every day, but transformation is onedirectional,” he says, noting that he is merely an agent for transformation for individuals, teams and corporations. Musselman’s method is to simply ask questions and tell stories. And people visibly relate. A packed crowd at the 2010 Economic Summit at the Steamboat Grand could barely tear themselves away for a session break. Members of the audience nodded knowingly and offered revealing testimonials. “I get fierce. I don’t have the answers, but I have the questions,” Musselman says. www.steamboatchamber.com
“Most people are shooting for comfortable, but then you get there and there’s nothing going on,” he says. “Money isn’t oxygen. It’s just money and it doesn’t guarantee you anything.” Instead, he suggests creating opportunities one conversation at a time. Consider words and how important they are – and make sure each conversation is effective: “The conversation is the relationship.” — Jennie Lay 29
Lessons & Legacies Leadership Steamboat leaves positive lasting impacts throughout the Yampa Valley By Bo Hall
Leadership Steamboat class of ‘04’s Rivers to Ridges project, fundraising at the Carpenter Ranch to raise awareness of The Nature Conservancy’s desire to purchase a conservation easement on the other side of the Yampa River, was a catalyst to help purchase over 6,100 acres of conservation easements on Wolf Mountain Ranch, east of Hayden. 30
Steamboat Springs On The Move 2010/11
Mark Godfrey/The Nature Conservency
Every September, students enroll in courses designed to produce well-rounded and highly informed individuals. For almost two decades Leadership Steamboat has enticed professional adults with a promise of getting schooled – a nine-month commitment designed to produce community leaders. When Tammie Delaney (’95) enrolled in the program, she was working at the Steamboat Ski Corp. “I felt a strong need to become more involved in my community,” Delaney says. “But up to that point I was just sitting on the sidelines because I didn’t know exactly how to get involved.” Delaney knew Leadership Steamboat was an opportunity that was too good to pass up. She convinced Ski Corp. to sponsor her tuition and enrolled. Delaney became the chair of that year’s group project, an event dubbed The Ranch Tours. The group saw a disconnect between two of Steamboat Springs’ biggest businesses: the resort industry and ranching. Even though the resort markets “Western lifestyle and ranching” to tourists, the resort industry didn’t understand the deep connection ranching had to the community: “We had the idea to take the major players of the resort industry on tours of local ranches. It really opened up eyes on both sides, and started a dialogue between the two industries,” Delaney says. Delaney now owns and operates Yampa Valley Feeds in Hayden and serves on the boards of the Community Agriculture Alliance and Colorado State University’s Routt County Extension. “Leadership Steamboat helped me understand how to get things done around here,” says Delaney. “It helped me understand the process and introduced me to a cross-section of the community I wouldn’t have met otherwise. It’s a great place to start making a difference.” The Community Agriculture Alliance continues to www.steamboatchamber.com
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Leadership Steamboat Community Projects Steamboat’s Community Garden on Oak Street
The Hillside Village Playground
The Nature Conservency’s Carpenter and Wolf Mountain Ranches.
Deborah Olsen
Caitlyn Patrick
Jennie Lay
Hal Malde/The Nature Conservency 32
Steamboat Springs On The Move 2010/11
sponsor the ranch tours, a.k.a. Cow Town mate fruits of their labor. munity infrastructure, public service and Ranch Tours, to this day. Scott Ford, now with the Small the Chamber’s annual Economic Summit. Leadership Steamboat has been a co- Business Development Center, was a “We spend time on all those different operative effort by the Steamboat Chamber Leadership Steamboat co-facilitator for aspects of the community so that the group and Colorado Mountain College since its eight years. “Process always trumps the understands what needs they can fulfill,” inception in 1992. It’s an in- outcome,” he says. “The dynamics of how Hall says. “Their individual projects are tense program open to Steamboat a project gets done are more important tied to the nonprofit community. The idea residents regardless of age. Admission that actually completing the project.” Ford is that hopefully we can fill some of the requires a serious time commitment. recalls one project that was supposed to need out in the community for volunteer Though the program may be unknown establish a recycling program for busi- leadership.” to residents, Leadership Steamboat’s nesses and restaurants. The project never Leadership Steamboat graduates often impact can be seen every day. Steamboat’s materialized the way the group hoped it go on to fill more permanent positions with community garden project on Oak Street, would. “But they learned a great deal,” these nonprofit organizations. Don Kaplan the playground at the Hillside apartment Ford said. This immediately unrealized (’08) was 68 years old and a newcomer to complex and Habitat for Humanity’s group project eventually led to the creation Steamboat when he enrolled. He had just annual Carpenter’s Ball all originated of the Yampa Valley Sustainability Council started the process of taking over Galaxy within Leadership Aviation and thought the Steamboat. Chamber program would provide Executive Vice President him with an introduc“The program taught me how to use the Sandy Evans Hall has been tion to the region. Kaplan involved from the start. The skills I had already acquired to benefit the quickly got caught up in initial idea was to gather spirit of community. community instead of just my business.” the young professionals and “Everyone I met from city determine how they could officials to community make a positive difference. Her initiative and the Steamboat Ski Area’s Zero Waste organizers gave so freely of themselves,” got that ball rolling: “We sent out letters Initiative, led by Leadership Steamboat Kaplan says. “A history was shared, and to local businesses and asked them if they graduate Liz Wahl (’02). that history opened my eyes to a commuhad any strong, supervisory, management Wahl remembers the experience nity that cared deeply for one another.” types that they wanted to see more in- vividly. “The group was a fabulously Kaplan worked with Rotary for his volved in the community,” she says. diverse mix of young and old, bankers and individual nonprofit project, but the time In its early years, the program was ranchers, all political spectrums,” she said. constraints of starting a new business premostly classroom-based and featured a few “We could disagree and still get along. vented him from becoming as involved as community-centered activities. Participants We learned to talk about what we agree he would have liked. After completing his were required to pay tuition, but they also upon first. I still do that today.” Wahl says enrollment in Leadership Steamboat, received college credits for their efforts. Leadership Steamboat taught her how to Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School Now, the program runs parallel to the keep from getting emotionally attached & Camp contacted him for advertising asschool year from September to June, but to the issues, to collaborate and to listen sistance. Kaplan agreed, and eventually classroom time has been downscaled and respectfully. She was recently honored landed on their board of directors. “I had community involvement has become top as the 2010 Recycler of the Year by the been a businessman for many years before priority. Colorado Association for Recycling. taking part in Leadership Steamboat,” says “When we looked at the results from Leadership Steamboat begins in Kaplan. “The program taught me how to our exit surveys, it became obvious,” Hall September with an orientation retreat. The use the skills I had already acquired to says. “What everyone really wanted to group meets all day on Fridays through benefit the community instead of just my know was what makes Steamboat tick, and June, when there is a final retreat and business.” how do I get involved in this community. graduation ceremony. To achieve their Leadership programs are common in But more importantly, how do I become lofty goals, much more time and energy many cities across the country. However, effective in this community?” are required beyond Friday’s meetings. Leadership Steamboat is as unique as Facilitated by Hall along with Grant Each person participates in the class the community it serves. The common Fenton and Randy Rudasics from CMC, project and an individual project that is sentiment expressed by participants Leadership Steamboat increasingly became tied directly to the nonprofit community. always comes back to the balance involved in on-the-ground activities. An Friday meetings include intensive sessions between a fierce individuality and complex “issues day” session early in the term helps led by community leaders in everything interconnectedness that makes Steamboat each new class determine what is most from affordable housing, development and work. As Kaplan says, “Everything you do important to them. Ultimately, each class growth, to agriculture, land conservation in Steamboat is a personal relationship. plans and develops a single major group and an annual field trip to Twentymile Coal People care, they are willing to share and project. It’s no small commitment – and Mine. Students glean lessons from business willing to help, but you have to be willing sometimes it takes years to realize the ulti- and industry, political action groups, com- to ask.” www.steamboatchamber.com
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