City Council passes Brown Ranch annexation ordinance

The Steamboat Springs City Council passed an ordinance to annex Brown Ranch during a marathon meeting Tuesday.

After more than five hours of discussion, public comments, questions to city staff and, at times, heated back- and- forth between council members, the ordinance passed 4-3 in a vote recorded in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Council members Joella West, Dakotah Mginlay, Michael Buccino and Gail Garey voted to approve the annexation outright.

Ed Briones, Heather Sloop and Robin Crossan voted against approving the annexation after stating their preference that it be sent to voters.

At a first reading of the annexation ordinance last week, a 4-3 vote approved the agreement with a stipulation that it be voted on at a referendum scheduled for next June.

The difference at the second reading came with West switching her vote based in part on updated information provided by the city’s finance director that addressed a projected $52 million funding gap facing the city over the 20year lifespan of the project.

The Brown Ranch annexation could still be put to a voter referendum if a successful citizens petition with 1,125 signatures of registered voters is filed within 30 days of the decision.

On Nov. 7, ballot question 2I would direct 75% of the city’s short-term rental tax revenues to the Yampa Valley Housing Authority to fund most of the Brown Ranch project.

If completed, the development would see the construction of 2,264 affordable housing units built on 420 acres of land purchased by the housing authority in 2021 with a $24 million anonymous donation.

Should the funding ballot question fail next month, future council members would need to decide to fund the project on an annual basis.

Forty members of the public offered public comments in person at the meeting and via Zoom.