With the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) delaying the reconstruction project of U.S. 160 through downtown Pagosa Springs until the spring of 2025, the Pagosa Springs Main Street Advisory Board has been left with excess funds in its budget for 2024.
During a meeting held by the board on Sept. 12, Main Street Coordinator Kat McFadden explained that there were a couple of new items on the agenda under new business that consisted of purchasing additional promotional materials and improving the board’s website.
McFadden explained that the town and the Pagosa Springs Community Development Corporation each contribute half of her salary.
She noted the town has also provided the Main Street Advisory Board with funding.
“They also have generously given us $20,000 of programming funds,” McFadden said, explaining that the board has spent approximately $4,000.
Board president Rick Holter commented, “We got money to spend, folks.”
“We definitely have some program funds to spend,” McFadden added.
She explained that the board anticipated more expenses this year, with the CDOT reconstruction project initially slated to begin this past spring.
After receiving just one bid on the project, which was over budget, CDOT decided to delay the project until spring of 2025.
During the meeting, McFadden mentioned that one thing of utmost importance is a website for the board to share information to the public about the reconstruction project.
McFadden stated that the board could pay $3,500, or less, to have a website designed and developed to meet its needs.
She noted that would not include hosting fees for the website.
McFadden explained that the Main Street board has positioned itself to be a central point of communication for all things CDOT relating to the reconstruction project.
“I think it’s really critical that we have that single point of contact for everybody to be able to easily find us and navigate from our page to any other resources they may want,” she said.
Board member Haz Said suggested some other options the board could explore in getting a website developed.
He explained that the board is currently paying nothing for “brochure-ware” through the town’s website, noting the service is very basic.
“We need something more robust than that,” he said, adding that he is not sure he could support a proposal to increase expenses from zero to $3,500 for a website.
McFadden mentioned that $3,500 would be the max, and that it is possible to get that cost down.
Said mentioned that unless the board would be supporting a local business in the town or county, “I really think we can do much less than that.”
He suggested the board could spend a couple thousand dollars on gift cards to support local business through promotional events.
“If we’re gonna go to Durango and spend up to $3,500, I have a real problem with it,” he said.
Pagosa Springs Mayor and Main Street board member Shari Pierce asked if the board had inquired with the town about options to host the board’s website.
McFadden indicated that she would look into it.
“We just need to see what the options are,” Pierce said, reminding that the Main Street board is under the town.
In order to spend the remaining funds available to the board, it also discussed purchasing promotional materials such as tents, an outdoor flag for events and a Main Street board tablecloth.
Holter indicated that the board could potentially carry more than $5,000 in its budget to the next fiscal year.
Pierce explained that she was not sure if the board had that option and she would need to see if “that’s really something we can do.”
McFadden also suggested the board can purchase hand warmers for this year’s Old Fashioned Christmas event as a way to use the remaining funds.
She noted that, “As a result of all of these things combined, that pretty much puts us at budget in terms of expenses.”
“And the carryover should allow us to do some more ambitious things for cone zone next year, which obviously is going to need to be a priority,” Holter added.
The board then unanimously approved a motion to purchase promotional items in the amount of up to $8,000.
clayton@pagosasun.com
