Government
The purpose of the City of Gunnison is to provide outstanding public service to our residents, Western students, and guests so they can experience a safe, prosperous, and welcoming mountain community that embraces its natural surroundings.
To support that purpose, the Gunnison City Council has outlined the following key priorities:
- Infrastructure and Public Safety
- Economic Prosperity and Housing
- Multi-modal Transportation
- Environmental Sustainability and Resiliency
- public safety & community resiliency
- public engagement which fosters racial and cultural equity, inclusivity, and diversity
- achieving the City’s environmental sustainability goal
By 2030 Gunnison’s residents and guests will experience a vibrant western community where we live, learn, and earn in harmony with our incredible natural surroundings. Gunnison and Western Colorado University will be recognized together as a strong and vibrant premier “university town” in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. In the future, we will realize:
- Increasing prosperity through an abundance of entrepreneurs creating and bringing jobs and investments to our community.
- Attainable housing for each of our residents and employees.
- Thoughtfully planned development which is supported by our natural and man-made resources, enhanced by our character and image as a charming mountain community, and maintained by our exceptional sense of place.
- Safe interconnected trails, sidewalks, roads, and transit systems which provide enjoyable and intuitive access to all areas of the community.
- A sustainable, carbon neutral future addressing energy and water resource consumption to be resilient to climate change.
- A long term growth plan for the City to incrementally and responsibly expand beyond the current City limits and make informed decisions in conjunction with the County for the three mile area
Here are some of Council's recent initiatives:
Instead of proposing an increase to the existing sales tax, the City is considering reallocating a portion of the existing 1% Parks and Rec sales tax to continue funding recreation facilities and improvements and to also support maintenance of existing streets and related improvements. Click here for more information.
The City's 2022 Strategic Plan identifies the key issues that the City will address over the next 1-5 years. It specifies desired results and strategies related to each of the City's key priorities. The Strategic Plan was first adopted in 2020 and updated in April 2022.
In addition to providing feedback on City services from a cross section of the community, the 2021 Community Survey provides feedback on Gunnison’s strategic priorities and direction
View the 2021 Community Survey Results
View the 2021 Community Survey Results
2021 Housing Needs Assessment
A leading priority for the City of Gunnison is creating greater diversity in the local housing inventory and securing more housing as attainable for the workforce. Toward this goal, the City has committed 4.3 acres of City-owned land at the Lazy K Property site for housing and community park adjacent to the Gunnison River.
By December 31, 2022, the City plans to deliver 43 affordable housing units to buyers at Lazy K. The housing project will be funded in partnership with High Mountain Concepts. Sale of homes will repay High Mountain Concepts for their investment in the project, while City of Gunnison funds, along with a large grant from DOLA, will support increased affordability.
A leading priority for the City of Gunnison is creating greater diversity in the local housing inventory and securing more housing as attainable for the workforce. Toward this goal, the City has committed 4.3 acres of City-owned land at the Lazy K Property site for housing and community park adjacent to the Gunnison River.
By December 31, 2022, the City plans to deliver 43 affordable housing units to buyers at Lazy K. The housing project will be funded in partnership with High Mountain Concepts. Sale of homes will repay High Mountain Concepts for their investment in the project, while City of Gunnison funds, along with a large grant from DOLA, will support increased affordability.
As part of the City's Strategic Plan, the City Council is pursuing projects to promote safe multi-modal transportation in the City of Gunnison.
- In 2023, the City will complete a traffic safety plan.
- In Summer 2023, the City hopes to begin construction of its Ohio Ave multi-modal project to improve pedestrian and bike connection from Western Colorado University to downtown Gunnison.
- Passage of Ordinance No. 7, Series 2020, Reducing the Speed Limit to 25 on residential streets
- Installing Driver Feedback Speed Limit Signs for Tomichi Avenue and Main Street
- Safe Routes to School: The City completed sidewalks along Virginia Avenue (between Spruce and 11th), Spruce Street (from Tomichi to Arthur), and Arthur Avenue (from Spruce to 11th) to create a safe way for kids to get to school and to provide connectivity for the community as a whole. A ribbon cutting was held in September 2020.
Gunni Cares 2030 Environmental Sustainability Plan: View Final Gunni Cares Plan 2030
Gunni CARES 2030 Traducción Española
Wastewater Treatment Plant Modernization and Energy Efficiency Improvement Project
Gunni CARES 2030 Traducción Española
Wastewater Treatment Plant Modernization and Energy Efficiency Improvement Project
- The City of Gunnison together with Tetra Tech and J.R. Filanc Construction Company, Inc. are working on the City of Gunnison WWTP Modernization and Energy Efficiency Improvements Project. The preconstruction phase has been completed and the construction phase was kicked off by a groundbreaking ceremony on August 7, 2019. This multi-year improvement and renovations project is scheduled to be completed in 2021. Current operations will continue through the duration of this project.
- The goal of the conference was to define future specific goals for carbon reduction and strategies to achieve those goals for the Gunnison Valley.
In September, 2020, Council authorized an incentive program to help property owners fund necessary renovations to homes not meeting the City’s minimum maintenance standards in its building code.
CORE Act Support, October 11, 2020
111 local elected officials in Colorado, including Gunnison's City Council, sent a letter to Senator Cory Gardner asking him to actively support the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy (CORE) Act this year. The CORE Act will protect 400,000 acres of Colorado public land and designate nearly 80,000 acres as new recreation and conservation management areas that preserve existing outdoor uses such as hiking and mountain biking. It is the most significant and broadly-supported effort to protect Colorado’s most cherished lands, waters, and forests in a generation.
Listen to elected official discuss the CORE Act.
111 local elected officials in Colorado, including Gunnison's City Council, sent a letter to Senator Cory Gardner asking him to actively support the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy (CORE) Act this year. The CORE Act will protect 400,000 acres of Colorado public land and designate nearly 80,000 acres as new recreation and conservation management areas that preserve existing outdoor uses such as hiking and mountain biking. It is the most significant and broadly-supported effort to protect Colorado’s most cherished lands, waters, and forests in a generation.
Listen to elected official discuss the CORE Act.