Wildfire Mitigation Drop-Off Day this Saturday
Residents of Estes Valley are invited to participate in Wildfire Mitigation Drop-Off Day Saturday, Sept. 20, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Estes Park Fairgrounds East Entrance. The event, coordinated by the Estes Valley Watershed Coalition and the Estes Valley Fire Protection District, provides homeowners with an opportunity to dispose of pine needles, cones, and invasive weeds that contribute to wildfire risk.
Participants may bring up to 10 paper bags filled with pine cones and needles to the Fairgrounds East Entrance. Noxious weeds will be collected separately at the skate park area across the road. Free copies of the “Twenty Ob-Noxious Weeds” guide are available at the Estes Valley Library, Ace Hardware, or online at estes.org/weeds.
Development code update open house on Saturday
Finalization of an updated development code for the Town of Estes Park isn’t scheduled to occur for another year, but in the quest to create the updated development code, a community open house will be held Saturday, Sept. 20.
The meeting is scheduled from 9 to 11 a.m. in the Estes Park Middle School cafeteria.
During the gathering, community members will learn more about the update and provide their opinions through conversations and exercises that will help staff, the consultant, and appointed and elected officials evaluate changes being considered. Based on the conversations and public input, decisions will be made about whether concepts will be formalized and adopted as part of the new code.
The development code sets regulations and standards to guide the decision-making of development and land use within the community. It includes zoning, land use, subdivision standards, building design, and other land-related activities.
More conversations will be conducted, but the next formal meeting about the code is currently scheduled for April 2026. Final adoption and implementation of the revised code is not anticipated until late 2026.
Details about the plan process are available on the town’s website.
Public participation in budget process is encouraged
Following strategic planning sessions that were held late this summer, the town board will review how its desires have been included in the proposed 2026 town budget during two upcoming budget study sessions.
The board’s review periods don’t provide time for citizen input, but the public is encouraged to attend for informational purposes. The first of those meetings will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18. A second study session will be on Oct. 3.
Public hearings on the budget will occur at the Oct. 14 and Nov. 12 town board meetings with final adoption anticipated on Nov. 12. Final adoption of the budget is scheduled to take place during the Nov. 12 meeting.
Meeting agendas and materials are provided at estes.org/boardsandmeetings.
eNotices tax statements are now available
Larimer County property owners can now opt to receive eNotices tax statements to reduce paper clutter. The system allows streamlined online payments and constant access to statements and is an environmentally friendly alternative to printed mail.
Tax statements and postcards for 2025 taxes payable in 2026 will be mailed by the end of January 2026. Traditionally, nearly 90,000 full-page statements – including payment coupons and envelopes – are mailed each year, along with more than 70,000 postcards for property owners whose mortgage companies pay their property taxes.
Property owners can click here to enroll in eNotices. If you do not receive your 2025 tax statement by January 31, 2026, or have questions about your property taxes, contact the Larimer County Treasurer and Public Trustee’s Office at 970-498-7020, by emailing lctreasurer@larimer.org, or by clicking here.