City & Community Management

The City of Steamboat Springs recently published their annual report for the year ending December 31, 2007. Taking a quick scan it seems that a lot has truly been accomplished over the past year. It’s refreshing to know that our community is not only pouring money into the new developments creating the “buzz” right now. But that a surprising number of initiatives were undertaken that will ultimately strengthen the infrastructure of our town’s growth. Some of the highlights were:

• The Contracting/Purchasing division of the Internal Services Department issued $23 million in contracts in 2007 compared to $11 million in 2006. 59% of these went to local companies!


• Construction of the 8,000 sq. ft. Community Center (scheduled for completion this month) was supervised by Facilities Management and remained on budget. The new building will also be the first LEED Certified in Northwest Colorado.


• $5,022,000 in local grants were awarded:
  Transportation & Transit = $1.4 million
  Public & School Safety = $1.2 million
  Public Works = $750,000
  Parks, Recreation & Open Space = $1 million
  Historic Preservation = $160,000
  Energy Sustainability = $25,000
  Library = $500,000


• The Internal Services Contracting division coordinated several major construction & grant funded contracts including the Community Center, More Barn restoration, Craig Regional Transit Facility, Base Area Redevelopment, FAA Airport Projects, Downtown Streetscape project and Water Utility projects. In addition, there were the Howelsen Snowmaking & Lighting initiatives and Hybrid Transit Bus purchase.

Looking over the financials, I think one of the most important things to keep in mind (related to real estate) is that we are still very much a sales tax based economy. Sales Tax contributed to 37% of overall city revenues, which in effect helps keep our property taxes low (relative to other areas of the country). “Charges for Services” made up another 17% of revenues.

On the expenditures side of the balance sheet, Capital Projects took up 31% of the total city expenses in 2007. This again shows the city’s commitment to infrastructure as we strive to manage growth. All in all, this is a positive sign as we continue to look closely at the future of property value and community sustainability of Steamboat Springs.