RESIDENT / OCCUPANT PRSRT STD ECRWSS US POSTAGE PAID LYONS, CO PERMIT No 2053
Redstone stands with President Zelensky and the people in Ukraine VOLUME 25, NUMBER 10
LYONS, COLOR ADO
$.50
NOVEMBER 15 / DECEMBER 12, 2024
B •R •I •E •F •S Holiday Parade of Lights
LYONS – The Parade of Lights will be held on the evening of Saturday, December 7 along Main Street. This year’s event will feature a fabulous holiday-themed drone show, presented by the students at the St. Vrain Valley School District’s Innovation Center. Main Street will be closed in the early evening and the parade will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m. Register your float or entry today, online at townoflyons.com/holidays. The weekend of December 7 and 8 is the Lyons Holiday Artisan Market, held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Lyons Elementary School with over 45 local craft vendors. Stonebridge Farm Christmas Fair
LYONS – You’ll find Christmas gifts and more at the Stonebridge Holiday Fair, Saturday, December 14, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Local handmade crafts by Stonebridge CSA farm member artists include Lia Pileggi ceramics and art; Amber Lights 100 percent beeswax candles; Apple Ridge soaps, salves, and wooden spatulas; Good Medicine Sheep Ranch hand-dyed yarns and felted fashion; Lucy Designs handcrafted jewelry and folk-inspired ornaments and accessories; Such & Co. hand-drawn art cards and bird boxes; and Stonebridge Farm’s hand-cranked socks, wristers, and yoga socks, holiday crafts; and farm honey. Chickenhouse Red and Cottonwood White wine grown and vinted at Stonebridge Farm Winery will also be available, as well as raspberry and golden meads brewed from Stonebridge honey, demonstrations of circular sock making on a vintage knitting machine, and treats too. Stonebridge Farm is located at 5169 Ute Hwy. east of the junction of Highways 36 and 66. Look for the big red farmhouse on the north side. For more information, contact Kayann Short at kshort@greenspeedisp. net. Continue Briefs on Page 2
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I •N •D •E •X LYONS MAYOR’S CORNER OPTIONS CONTRAST LOOKING UP INSIGHT CONSENSUS ART & ENT TALK OF THE TOWN NATURE CHOICES WHAT’S COOKIN’
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Autumn’s vibrant hues mirror perfectly on Golden Ponds in Longmont, with the majestic Longs Peak rising in the background. A stunning reflection of Colorado’s fall beauty. Special thanks to local photographer Mark Altmeyer for capturing this moment. Explore more of his stunning work on his Facebook page at Mark Altmeyer Photography. MARK ALTMEYER
Lyons Town Board takes on the affordable housing issue, the mill levy for Lyons and looks forward to survey results By Susan de Castro Gierach Redstone Review Editor LYONS – At a recent Lyons Town Board meeting in November, the board got into a discussion on how and if creating more affordable housing is possible in Lyons. The discussion was a follow-up to a workshop held just prior to the regular meeting on affordable housing where the board heard from a group of experts who had built various successful housing projects in and around Boulder County using creative ideas, such as infill projects and other ideas, to create more affordable housing. The board has had numerous discussions on affordable housing and I distinctly remember that at the candidates’ forum for the last town board election in 2023, I wrote that question (Does Lyons need more affordable housing?) on a piece of paper for the candidates to answer and it turned out to be the first question the moderator asked each candidate. The majority of candidates agreed that more affordable housing is needed in Lyons. But like everything else, its easier said than done. Trustee Tanya Daty was quick to point out that out, saying these are difficult questions that need answers. She gave an impassioned speech to the board saying that everyday she hears from people who work in Lyons but can’t qualify for subsidized housing, and can’t afford any housing in Lyons. It’s a catch-22. “I won’t give up on them,” she said. “I refuse to give up on them.” The board did not disagree with her, but the available solutions were complicated. Lyons is a small town with limited resources, especially the amount of land available to build on. The Area Median Income AMI) in Boulder County is $100,000 a year for one person. People can qualify for affordable housing if they make up to 60 percent of the AMI or $60,000 for one person per year.
The board has a survey on the Town website, asking residents to fill out an affordable housing survey. The survey asks residents where or what section of town they would like to see more affordable housing; it asks if residents would be willing to build an additional dwelling unit, what type of dwelling they would like to see built, what percentage of town housing should be affordable, and other things. Mayor Hollie Rogin told the board she wants to see the results from the housing survey before they make any decisions. Mayor Rogin suggested having a type of town meeting such as a charette, where residents can discuss, make suggestions, listen to experts on housing and perhaps create a wide range of ideas to work with. A charette suggests a multi-facetted approach to a problem. In other news the town board passed two ordinances approving a lease-of-property agreement between the town and Telluride Bluegrass Festivals for both the RockyGrass and Folks Festivals in Lyons. The board went on to discuss whether or not to implement its right to raise the mill levy by 5.5 percent. Currently the town property tax mill levy is 12.9 percent for residential and commercial properties. According to Finance Director Cassey Eyestone, if the mill levy were to remain at the 2024 level, then 2025 revenue would be $898,515. The town’s total taxable assessed value is decreasing by approximately $1,375,683 from last year. Director Eyestone told the board that there are currently $122,000 in funds that are now freed up because the board decided not to do a proposed stream bank improvement project. This money could be used as backup for an emergency. The board discussed the implications on businesses if the mill levy were increased by 5.5 percent and expressed concerns about how businesses in Lyons struggle to survive in
Lyons. Some board members were concerned about an emergency situation that could possibly arise where Lyons would incur some unexpected expenses. The discussion started with Trustee Greg Lowell saying he would like to keep the mill levy the same next year as it is this year and not raise it by the allotted 5.5 percent. Trustee Mark Browning told the board, “We need to set an example that Lyons will not max out its mill levy every year.” He said that the town did have funds to back up any shortfalls if any emergency came up. “This is what Gov. Polis has asked municipalities to do (not to raise their mill levy this year) and very few have done it,” he said. “We raised our sales tax, we raised our lodging tax, our marijuana tax; we have gone overboard – we can afford to keep the mill levy the same as 2024 tax levels. We can way offset the money we would get from raising the mill levy. I would like to not increase the mill levy this year.” Mayor Rogin agreed with Trustee Browning. Trustee Tanya Daty started out by saying although she did not like the idea of raising the mill levy, she felt it was a necessity or the town might fall behind and not be able to fund projects that the town needed. But after Trustee Browning’s comments, she decided to switch sides and keep the mill levy the same as it is now. Trustees Dave Hamrick expressed concern about a potential unexpected situation that the town would need extra funds for and Trustee Glen Delman suggested raising the mill levy to 2.7 percent as a compromise. Trustee Paula Williams wanted the 5.5 percent mill levy hike. The board decided to go with the majority of four and keep the mill levy at the same rate next year and not implement a raise. The board gave direction to staff to draw up an ordinance for the board to officially vote on the issue.