The Pagosa Springs Main Street Advisory Board met on Thursday, June 12, approving funds for its heritage and culture committee’s time capsule project, cone zone promotional materials and the allocation of funds to be dedicated for the Main Street business assistance fund.
Mayor and board member Shari Pierce presented the time capsule project to the board, explaining the idea was to purchase a gun safe to be used as the time capsule that would be sealed on Aug. 1, 2026 — the 150th anniversary of Colorado becoming a state — and would stay closed for 50 years.
Pierce explained that the request was for $2,000 of the advisory board’s budget to go toward purchasing books to be put into the time capsule.
Also included in the time capsule project request was $1,200 to be used to purchase a gun safe.
Board member Mario Garcia mentioned that local businesses could possibly be interested in making an in-kind donation on a gun safe, asking if Pierce had considered that option yet.
“I will not do that because of my job, and I feel like businesses in this town get hit up way too much for donations,” she said, explaining that she intended to purchase a gun safe on her own, but Main Street Coordinator Kathleen McFadden indicated to her that “Main Street has money.”
Board president Rick Holter expressed concerns over purchasing a gun safe, noting that a “significant chunk of money” would be spent on the safe, “and then we’re gonna lock it up.”
He added, “Doesn’t that seem exactly the opposite of what we want to do?”
Pierce explained the idea was to have a time capsule and that the committee decided to call it a history vault.
“This is just preserving those items in it for that amount of time,” she said.
Garcia asked if the items placed in the vault would be scanned to be preserved digitally.
Pierce explained that oral interviews will be placed in the vault and also be available on the town’s website.
Holter commented that he would like for the board to somehow be able to take advantage of the history vault work between now and in 50 years.
“It just feels to me like it goes on a shelf and gets a bunch of dust on it,” he added.
Pierce explained that the thought behind including books in the history vault is the concern that some books are becoming harder and harder to find, specifically noting one about the logging history of Pagosa Springs.
Pierce also mentioned that another idea is to have children from the community record their perspective of life in Pagosa Springs and what it is like to grow up here around this time.
“I love the kid element. I think that’s great,” Holter said.
Garcia suggested that anything more “hands-on” or virtual learning experiences would “go far” for kids at the museum.
Pierce commented that is a great idea, but explained that is out of the scope of the history vault and intent behind the project.
Holter mentioned another concern about the amount of money requested for the project, commenting, “I think it’s a lot of money to spend in this town when businesses are going out of business.”
He explained he would have trouble defending that decision and suggested that $1,200 for a safe is “ridiculous.”
“We’re certainly open for discussion,” McFadden said in reference to obtaining a safe.
Board member Rosanna Dufour indicated she would be in favor of approving funds for purchasing books and tabling the request for a gun safe, supporting Garcia’s suggestion of possibly having a local business make an in-kind donation for that.
“I think that sounds great,” Holter said.
McFadden then reviewed the board’s budget, explaining that it has spent a total of $4,211.11 so far this year, with $15,788.89 still available.
She also mentioned The Springs Resort raised $7,052 that was donated to the Main Street Advisory board to go toward the Main Street Business Assistance fund, noting those monies are currently in a “restricted account.”
“Our intent is to grow that amount so that we have as large of a grant fund as we can and provide access to that after the county’s funds are depleted,” she added.
Holter suggested that, of the approximately $15,700 the board has left to spend, it could spend a chunk of that to go toward matching funds raised by The Springs for the business assistance program.
Board member and county commissioner Warren Brown noted that the board cannot roll any money over in the next fiscal year.
“I think we need to spend it and not sit on it,” Holter said, explaining the situation for downtown business may change over the next year, and “we know people need it now.”
Holter suggested approving $2,000 to be used to purchase books for the history vault, $4,000 to be spent on cone zone promotional materials and for $9,500 to be allocated for the business assistance fund going forward.
Garcia motioned to approve the budget items and allocation of funds, which was unanimously approved by the board.
clayton@pagosasun.com
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