Published: 3/6/19
At Tuesday’s town council meeting, Mayor Ann Leppanen brought up a legal concern related to the resolution passed last week to impose an 180-day building moratorium on all new residential, commercial, and industrial development in Bluff.
Attorney Chris McAnany, who has been assisting the Bluff Town Council with legal matters, told Leppanen that an interlocal agreement Bluff recently signed with San Juan County states that county planning and zoning codes will be enforced in Bluff until the town’s own planning and zoning ordinances are in place. McAnany suggested that agreement could weaken the town’s argument for needing a full moratorium.
The council held a work meeting on Tuesday to discuss amending the moratorium to apply to new industrial, commercial, and multi-family residential building for up to 180 days. The revised resolution does not apply to single-family homes, accessory structures, or remodels. The resolution, which can be rescinded by the council at any time, can be read in full here.
Beer License
Bluff Dwellings Resort, a 54-unit motel currently under construction in Cow Canyon, approached the council to request its signature on an alcohol license. A representative for the resort said Bluff Dwellings hopes to serve beer and wine in its 120-person banquet facility as well as provide package sales of beer for consumption off-premises. The beer sales would be open to the public. The council said they’d vote on the application at their March 19 meeting.
Office Hours
Leppanen announced plans to begin holding regular office hours in the Bluff Community Center from 2 to 6 p.m. every Tuesday. She said that she would like to begin meeting with town residents in an official space as opposed to at her home.
Tax Menu
Councilmember Brant Murray reported on his initial research into tax options, and presented a provisional $225,000 town budget for 2020 that would not require property tax increases. The revenue could potentially be raised through a sales tax, the property taxes currently flowing to Bluff Service Area, and a 1.1 percent resort tax, Murray said.
Canyon Echo 