Betsy Suerth

While out-and-about in Glenwood Springs recently, your elected official Trustee Nicky Leigh heard a phrase about Silt: "SILT stands for Simply Irresistible Little Town."  This was perhaps one of the best holiday gifts in history for me.  When a Town Manager hears something like this, it makes our jobs worthwhile.  If you said this, thank you for this gift and please continue to spread the word!

We are looking forward to a new economic development initiative in 2010.  On February 8 and 9, the Silt Board of Trustees has authorized a Community Revitalization Partnership Assessment of our downtown area to analyze our economic development potential and our redevelopment opportunities.  The Town will accomplish this assessment by collaborating with several entities:  Downtown Colorado Inc.  will engage experts from the private sector whom they  have selected with our issues in mind; the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) will partially fund the effort and local business representatives will be invited to participate at any level their schedules will allow.  If you are interested in the effort, please contact Kathleen at Town Hall at 876-2353.

You may have seen a Glenwood Springs Post Independent  article in December about our Great Outdoors Colorado grant application to acquire a 210-acre Colorado River parcel south of the river and north of CR 346.  This grant application is also a collaborative effort with Aspen Valley Land Trust and Antero Resources with generous cash match pledges from Garfield County, EnCana Oil and Gas Inc. and possibly financial contributions from Williams Corporation and the Colorado River District.  Should our grant be awarded, the Town hopes to kick-off a community process to plan park improvements on the parcel.  Again, please contact Kathleen at Town Hall if you are interested in this planning effort.

We welcome 2010 with the projects described above and look forward to more improvements to our irresistible little town!

Betsy Suerth
Town Administrator