Following a birthday surprise with party hats and a round of “Happy Birthday” for Mayor Gary Hall, the Town Board turned its attention to a resident’s complaint against a Trustee, then voted to maintain seasonal parking rates and advance plans to relocate the Estes Park Police Department to town-owned property near the fairgrounds.
The board approved the Chase Minor Subdivision Plat at 173 Stanley Circle Drive, renewed contracts with Atlas Unlimited LLC, dba Superior Trash Company, for waste and recycling services, with Mountain View Commercial Cleaning for janitorial services, and granted a fee waiver for a new rezoning application for 440 Valley Road.
Additionally, the Board voted 5-2 to move the Estes Park Sister Cities Association’s park renaming request forward. Trustees Brown and Mark Igel opposed the motion.
Board reviews complaint and deems no disciplinary action
The board members addressed a complaint from Estes Park resident Christy Jacobs, who alleged that Trustee Bill Brown violated the board’s code of conduct at a Jan. 27 rezoning hearing.
The complaint stated that Brown’s remarks singled out residents for their civic and legal activity and conflicted with expectations of impartiality and respect.
After a public discussion requested by Brown about the complaint, the Board of Trustees decided not to take any action to reprimand or censure Brown. Several members indicated that Brown’s statement was factual with no malicious intent.
“I am going to be forthright in what my opinion is, because I think the populace is entitled to know, and even if that is a perspective that may offend somebody, that’s who I am, and I try to be respectful,” Brown said during the meeting. “I think I was respectful despite the complaint.”
The board directed staff to design a process for handling citizen complaints.
Parking rates to remain unchanged for now
The Board voted 6–1, with Trustee Igel voting against the motion, to maintain the $2-per-hour parking rate and the existing permit structure for the 2026 season.
While they discussed a data‑collection system and a dynamic‑pricing pilot at two downtown lots that would set hourly rates based on demand, Trustees Igel and Lancaster raised concerns about visitor confusion, fairness, and community perception.
“This is not just a money thing, and it’s not just a parking management thing,” Igel said in the meeting. “This is community perception, and this is as much as important to businesses as moving people around.”
Town Attorney Dan Kramer clarified that any switch to dynamic pricing would need a separate board vote, so such a program was not approved at this meeting.
Location for updated public safety facility approved
The board unanimously voted to designate town‑owned land at the northwest corner of Community Drive and Manford Avenue as the preferred site for a new public safety facility, replacing the cramped, 1930s‑era police headquarters housed in the town hall building.
Paul Fetherston, internal services director for the Town, noted the 3.9-acre parcel offers central access, room to modernize operations, and expansion potential, but will require relocating the horse barns.
“There’s easy access for residents, victims, reporting, parties, and service needs,” Fetherston said during the meeting. “[It] supports the long-term capital goal of replacing the Event Center stall barns, and strategically uses a scarce, town-owned, billable site. It allows for future expansion capacity, so you might be able to make 52 plus more years and has access to utilities and infrastructure.”
The board also approved submitting a $200,000 DOLA grant application for design costs, noting that decisions on full design funding, construction, and financing will require future approval.
The board ended the meeting with a closed executive session with its attorney to discuss the town’s role in noise regulation under state law and the finality and reconsideration of quasi‑judicial land‑use decisions.