Uncategorized
Resort Tax board discusses fire department, performing arts center, town hall meeting
Published
12 years agoon
Posted By
AdminBy Tyler Allen Explorebigsky.com Staff Writer
BIG SKY – The Resort Tax Board held its monthly meeting Sept. 12, addressing topics including the Big Sky Fire Department, the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center, an upcoming town hall/community meeting, and administrative issues concerning the board.
In attendance were board members Les Loble, Mike Scholz, Jamey Kabisch, and administrative officer Whitney Brunner. Board member Ginna Hermann and tax board attorney Mona Jamison participated via conference call and board member Jeff Strickler was absent on vacation.
The meeting began with a presentation from Big Sky Fire Chief William Farhat, who thanked the board for its support in the form of $437,000 last year. Farhat wanted to discuss what “the best path is going forward,” noting he hopes to expand resources and personnel available to the department.
“There are a number of capital improvements coming in the next 15 years,” Farhat said. More immediately, he said, the department is in “critically poor shape” going into winter since two firefighters recently left and a third will be gone in November.
“The department will have a very difficult time responding to the multiple calls we get during the winter,” he said. “The closest help we have is the Yellowstone Club, which is 20 minutes away.” If they’re busy, the next closest help is 40 – 50 minutes away, which he later described as a “devastatingly long time.”
The board agreed some of the shortfall should be made up by an increase in the mill levy.
“There is a perception that the mill levy serves the native population sufficiently,” said board chairman Loble. “We have to make the case that the increase will serve the [local] population.”
“A mill levy increase could prove that [Big Sky] wants to be a world-class community,” Kabisch said.
Next, Loren Bough, President of Friends of Big Sky Education, explained that the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center has met its fundraising goal of $1.353 million. The remaining $494,415 in cost will be paid this fall by resort tax, which allocated the money contingent upon WMPAC reaching its fundraising objective. Construction began on Aug. 14 and should be completed in December, Bough said.
Hermann raised a concern that nonprofits would be charged $200 per day to use the facility, pointing out that fee structure was a discrepancy with the application presented to the board, which stated a fee of $150. “I’m afraid of a slippery slope here,” Hermann said. “Our goal is to provide entertainment to the community.”
The money would be used to fix broken light bulbs and pay the janitorial staff for general upkeep of the facility, Bough said. None of the other board members present agreed with Hermann’s contention.
The board also discussed holding a town hall or community meeting in December or January, because it’s “in everybody’s interest to have a dialogue with the community,” Loble said.
In the administrative report, Whitney Brunner noted there had only been $163,000 in resort tax collected (by the Sept. 11 meeting) in July, the lowest for that month since 2005. Loble suggested there may have been more delinquencies than usual.
Loble also brought up the Big Sky Institute, which received resort tax funding in 2008 and 2009. In 2008, the board approved $43,000 for architectural drawings – despite the fact the building was never constructed – and in 2009 the board approved $57,000 to fund the first year of the MSU and Big Sky Community Education Partnership.
“I find it troubling this stuff happens,” Loble said. “Montana State University has the ground next to the [Ophir] school and won’t relinquish it, even though it was donated.”
The next Resort Tax Board meeting will be Wednesday, Oct. 10 at 11 a.m.
Upcoming Events
april, 2024
Event Type :
All
All
Arts
Education
Music
Other
Sports
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before 9/10/2024:
more
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before
9/10/2024: Kindergarten
enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year can be completed by following the
registration process now.
Children
born on or after September 11, 2019: 4K enrollment is now open for
families that have a 4-year-old they would like to enroll in our program for
the 2023-2024 school year. Please complete the 4K Interest Form to
express your interest. Completing this form does not guarantee enrollment into
the 4K program. Enrollment is capped at twenty 4-year-olds currently
residing within Big Sky School District boundary full time and will be
determined by birth date in calendar order of those born on or after September
11, 2018. Interest form closes on May 30th.
Enrollment now is critical for fall preparations. Thank you!
Time
February 26 (Monday) - April 21 (Sunday)
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
more
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
Time
March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
Location
Santosha Wellness Center
169 Snowy Mountain Circle
Event Details
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a
more
Event Details
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a limited palette to create different color combinations? Are you tired of carrying around 15-20 different tubes when you paint plein air? Have you ever wanted to create a certain “mood” in a painting but failed? Do you create a lot of mud? Do you struggle to achieve color harmony? All these problems are addressed in John’s workbook in clear and concise language!
Based on the bestselling “Limited Palatte, Unlimited Color” workbook written by John Pototschnik, the workshop is run by Maggie Shane and Annie McCoy, accomplished landscape (acrylic) and plein air (oil) artists,exhibitors at the Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery and members of the Big Sky Artists Collective.
Each student will receive a copy of “Limited Palette, Unlimited Color” to keep and take home to continue your limited palette journey. We will show you how to use the color wheel and mix your own clean mixtures to successfully create a mood for your paintings.
Each day, we will create a different limited palette color chart and paint a version of a simple landscape using John’s directives. You will then be able to go home and paint more schemes using the book for guidance.
Workshop is open to painters (oil or acrylic) of any level although students must have some basic knowledge of the medium he or she uses. Students will be provided the book ($92 value), color wheel, value scale and canvas papers to complete the daily exercises.
Sundays, April 14, 21 and 28, 2024
Noon until 6PM.
$170.
Time
14 (Sunday) 12:00 pm - 28 (Sunday) 6:00 pm
Event Details
Come join us at Cowboy Coffee as we celebrate a fun night of drinks, games, and meeting others within the community. This event is from 6-8 and all are welcome
Event Details
Come join us at Cowboy Coffee as we celebrate a fun night of drinks, games, and meeting others within the community. This event is from 6-8 and all are welcome to come, if you don’t know who to bring come alone this is a great mixer event! This is an event hosted by Big Sky OUT as we work to provide queer safe spaces throughout the community.
Time
(Sunday) 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Location
Cowboy Coffee
25 Town Center Ave. Big Sky, MT 59716