​ Leadership Through a Difficult Winter in Telluride

This past year has been one of the most emotionally difficult and professionally demanding periods I have experienced in our community.

In September, I was installed as President of the Telluride Association of REALTORS®. The very next day, I received notice from a colleague that a local group was petitioning to place a ballot question on the Town of Telluride’s November ballot to amend the Home Rule Charter. The proposed amendment was positioned as an anti-growth initiative, but one of its primary objectives was to derail the Lawson Hill project that included the future regional medical center.

For many of us, the medical center is not simply another development project. Our region’s current medical facility is operating under a lease that will not continue beyond the next couple of years, and our community has spent nearly a decade searching for a viable solution to provide long-term healthcare infrastructure for residents, visitors, and our workforce. At the same time, the ballot initiative sought to slow or prevent several other community projects, including workforce housing for teachers, improvements to the gondola station, and development proposals intended to support the long-term vitality of Telluride.

In response, a coalition of local business owners, community members, and organizations came together to provide factual information and encourage productive dialogue. I served as chair of that coalition, Neighbors for Telluride. It was an exhausting and emotional few months. The community became deeply divided, conversations became increasingly hostile, and many individuals on all sides experienced significant personal stress. I was personally the recipient of a great deal of criticism and negativity throughout the process.

Despite the tension, our coalition remained focused on facts, outreach, and one-on-one conversations. Ultimately, the ballot question was defeated, allowing the regional medical center project to continue moving forward. I remain grateful to everyone who dedicated their time, energy, and voices toward ensuring healthcare remains a priority in our region.

At the same time this ballot fight was unfolding, another major challenge was emerging within our community: the labor dispute between Telluride Ski & Golf and the ski patrol union.

Members of ski patrol approached community leaders and organizations seeking financial assistance for meeting facilitation and negotiation support. Negotiations between patrol and resort ownership had already been ongoing for more than a year regarding wages and compensation structure. Patrol members were seeking what they described as a livable wage and compensation more in line with comparable mountain resorts.

The situation highlighted a difficult reality: ski patrollers are highly trained professionals responsible for avalanche mitigation, mountain safety, emergency medical response, and guest protection, but they are not necessarily trained negotiators or labor strategists. Meanwhile, resort ownership held significant leverage within the negotiations.

As discussions continued to deteriorate, tensions escalated publicly. The possibility of a strike became increasingly likely, and ultimately ski patrol walked out for 12 days during peak winter season. The impact was immediate and devastating for most local businesses because they depend on winter tourism revenue.

At the same time, there were already broader concerns surrounding the long-term sustainability and infrastructure of the resort itself. Discussions throughout the community increasingly centered around deferred maintenance, aging lift infrastructure, operational costs, snowmaking expenses, and the future financial direction of the ski company. Public disagreements between resort ownership, local governments, and community leaders became more visible and increasingly contentious.

During the height of the dispute, local officials, who stated they were acting on their own accord and not in the roles of government officials, attempted to facilitate conversations and explore potential partnership ideas aimed at reopening the resort and stabilizing operations. Unfortunately, those efforts later became part of broader legal disputes and public accusations that only intensified community tensions and generated additional negative national media attention.

The result was months of negative press surrounding Telluride at a time when our economy depends heavily on tourism confidence and destination perception.

Then came one of the most difficult winters in recent memory. Snowfall was historically low. Chuck decided not to blow snow because he was in a dispute with the Mountain Village and did not want to pay the water rates. Warm temperatures and lack of snowpack forced operational challenges across the mountain, and the season ended early as terrain conditions deteriorated rapidly. Businesses that had already suffered through the ski patrol strike now faced shortened visitation and significant economic losses.

The effects extended beyond the mountain itself. Visitors canceled trips. Restaurants, retailers, lodging operators, and service providers experienced reduced revenue. Community morale suffered. Many businesses were still trying to recover when broader global economic uncertainty and international conflict further slowed consumer confidence and discretionary spending.

It felt like one difficult challenge layered on top of another.

And yet, despite everything, I remain hopeful.

As we move into summer, our community needs a strong tourism season. Local businesses need visitors returning. Families need stability. Employees need opportunity. And after such a difficult winter, many people simply need optimism again.

From a real estate perspective, the market itself remains remarkably stable. Inventory levels have improved, buyer activity continues, unemployment remains low nationally, and interest rates have stabilized into a healthier balanced market environment. While outside factors — including wildfire risk, economic uncertainty, and continued negative press — remain concerns, the underlying fundamentals of our region continue to show resilience.

This winter tested our community in many ways. It revealed fractures, frustrations, and vulnerabilities. But it also reminded me how deeply people care about this place and how important it is that we continue finding ways to work together, communicate respectfully, and focus on long-term solutions rather than division.

Telluride’s future depends on it.