Telluride and Mountain Village Investigations
Both Telluride and Mountain Village town councils are now investigating the same meeting involving Telluride Mayor Pro Tem Meehan Fee and former Mountain Village Mayor Marti Prohaska.
Earlier this month, the two officials traveled to California to meet with Telluride Ski and Golf owner Chuck Horning. During that meeting, Fee and Prohaska signed an offer to purchase a majority stake in the Telluride Ski Resort on behalf of unnamed investors.
Both officials say they were acting as private citizens. However, the written offer — later posted online — included commitments on behalf of both town, that would typically require public hearing, town council (if not voter) approval. Those included freezing water rates for snowmaking, entering housing partnerships for resort employees, increasing regional spending on air service, and taking steps to resolve the ski patrol strike, that was active at the time of the offer signing.
Prohaska resigned shortly after questions surfaced. Telluride has launched a third-party investigation, and Fee has taken a temporary leave of absence. Mountain Village has now reopened its own inquiry, citing new information.
Project 7 Water Authority Resiliency Project
The Project 7 Water Authority is moving forward with its Resiliency Project, even as concerns continue to grow.
The plan would add a second water treatment plant south of Montrose, drawing from Ridgway Reservoir. The existing plant relies on a single raw water source through the Gunnison Tunnel.
When first proposed, the new facility was estimated to cost about sixty million dollars. That projection has now climbed to roughly one-hundred-eighty-five million dollars. Board members questioned affordability and asked whether other options should still be considered. The authority has agreed to form a technical committee to evaluate risks and alternatives.
Climate Solutions and Clean Energy
The newscast also features a conversation with the Rocky Mountain Institute, a Snowmass-based nonprofit focused on climate solutions.
RMI leaders say renewable energy is now the most affordable option worldwide, but warn that major challenges remain — particularly in cutting methane emissions and decarbonizing heavy industry. They say technology exists for much of the problem, but cooperation and political will remain the biggest hurdles.
