A hose sits unused on Wednesday, May 26, 2021, in Aspen. Restricted water use will remain intact throughout the summer as drought conditions persist. Photo by Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times.
Due to severe drought conditions, the city of Aspen will remain in stage two water restrictions, which it has been in since last fall.
Aspen and Pitkin County are experiencing extreme drought conditions, and local stream flow is running at between 35% and 70% of median, according to Steve Hunter, the city’s utility resource manager.
Snowpack, or snow water equivalent, is 70% of average for the Roaring Fork watershed with much of Western Colorado around 60% of average or below, Hunter informed Aspen City Council of in a recent informational memo.
Aspen Elks Lodge #224 presented awards to members of the community at a dinner held at the lodge May 11.
Ann Mullins received the Citizen of the Year award for her volunteer work with Aspen Family Connections. The nonprofit group set up a weekly drive-through food distribution program at numerous locations in Aspen during the pandemic to help needy families.
Rick Head, PER and trustee, Aspen Elks; Mark Murphy, PER, Aspen Elks and recipient of a Grand Lodge Outstanding Service Commendation; Diane Spicer, exalted ruler, Aspen Elks; Barry Bromka, recipient of the Elk of the Year award; Ann Mullins, recipient of the Citizen of the Year award; and Tom Moore, recipient of the Grand Lodge Outstanding Service Commendation. (Michael Faas/Special to the Aspen Times)
The Aspen Times published an article on May 18, whereby the Aspen City Council wants to expedite its building code update to get to carbon neutral (“Aspen’s building code headed toward net zero”). Therefore I…
Clouds roll in over Galena Plaza in Aspen on Tuesday, May 18, 2021. (Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times)
As costs have tripled on the potential build-out of Galena Plaza, Aspen City Council members agreed Tuesday to start with the basics of a lawn and sidewalks.
That will allow the new 37,500-square-foot new City Hall building the egress paths required by code to receive a certificate of occupancy.
The space will remain flexible until money is found in the city budget to finish off the open space in more detail.
The original plan was estimated to cost around $900,000 but a group of citizens convinced council in 2019 to reconsider the space so it could provide a strong connection to Rio Grande Park, the Roaring Fork River and downtown.
Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times
Editor’s note: This story is part of an ongoing series highlighting voters throughout Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District. Through the month of May, The Aspen Times, the Glenwood Springs Post Independent, Steamboat Pilot & Today, Craig Press and Vail Daily will be running stories highlighting democratic and Republican voters in our communities.
Erin Smiddy has lived in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District nearly all her life.
Most of those 45 years have been spent in Aspen, where she lives in employee housing, previously served as a deputy with the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office and has been a volunteer at the Aspen Fire Department for roughly 15 years.