Mountain Vista Metropolitan District

Mountain Vista Metropolitan District is located within the Town of Avon by the Sheraton Hotel. It collects property taxes to support the District and the gondola transportation service to Beaver Creek Resort from the Westin.

In accordance with Section 32-104.5(3)(X), C.R.S., the following general explanation in plain, nontechnical language, is provided.  This information is intended to be read in conjunction with all applicable legal requirements, governing documents, agreements, resolutions, and determinations of the Board of Directors of the District.

1.             A metropolitan district is a special district that provides any two or more of the following services:

(a) Fire protection;

(b) Mosquito control;

(c) Parks and recreation;

(d) Safety protection;

(e) Sanitation;

(f) Solid waste disposal facilities or collection and transportation of solid waste;

(g) Street improvement;

(h) Television relay and translation;

(i) Transportation; and

(j) Water.

2.       In accordance with the District’s Service Plan, the District may provide the following public improvements and services as follows:

The District was formed with the express intent of executing the Confluence IGA (an intergovernmental agreement among Confluence Metropolitan District, Avon Station Metropolitan District, and the District, collectively, the “Districts”) to assist in the funding of Regional Improvements derived from the District’s certification of a limited mill levy.  The Confluence Metropolitan District is responsible for constructing, operating and maintain the Regional Improvements, which consist of:

(a)    A public gondola connecting the property within the Districts to the Beaver Creek Landing Site, together with related public transportation improvements, systems and supporting facilities;

(b)    A public plaza and associated public restrooms;

(c)    A public park located along the banks of the Eagle River, together with a network of pedestrian and bicycle paths providing access to the park from property located with the Districts; and

(d)    At-grade and/or separated railroad crossings providing pedestrian access to other Regional Improvements.

In additional to funding the above Regional Improvements, the Service Plan allows the District to construct, operate and maintain all facilities and improvements describe below including, but not limited to, a 15,000 square foot conference center, a pedestrian overpass connecting the Confluence area with the Town core area, and the Avon Town Center Mall.  The following improvements shall be permitted:

(a)    Park and Recreation improvements including parks and open space;

(b)    Sanitation improvements, including a sanitary sewer collection system;

(c)    Water improvements, including drainage facilities;

(d)    Street Improvements, including grading and parking facilities; and

(e)    Traffic and Safety Controls.

The District currently does not provide any services.

 3.       In accordance with the District’s Service Plan, the total amount of debt the District can incur to provide and pay for public infrastructure is as follows:

The District’s new money general obligation bonded debt limitation is $16,000,000, exclusive of costs of issuance, organizational costs, inflation and other similar costs.

The Confluence IGA further provides that the maximum principal amount of bonds or other indebtedness for which the Mountain Vista shall be obligated to impose the debt service mill levy for Regional Improvements shall be $12,000,000.

4.       In accordance with the District’s Service Plan, the following revenue may be used to pay for the District’s debt: 

In addition to ad valorem property taxes, and in order to offset the expenses of the anticipated construction as well as operations and maintenance, the District will also rely upon various other revenue sources authorized by law and may form non-profit corporations to assist with the issuance of bonds.  Additional revenue sources will include the power to assess fees, rates, tolls, penalties, charges as well as tax and other rebates or credits.

 5.       In accordance with the District’s Service Plan, the maximum mill levy that the District may assess to pay for its debt is as follows:

The Service Plan does not provide for a maximum mill levy that the District may assess to pay for its debt.   The total mill levy for the improvements and services proposed for the District is expected initially be approximately 45 mills.  The actual mill levy will vary from this depending on final costs, variations in the total assessed valuation within the District under the current method of valuation, and the amount of revenue which may be generated from user fees.

Pursuant to the Confluence IGA, the District was required to certify a debt service mill levy equal to the lessor of (a) 25 mills, less the mill certified by the District for operations and maintenance provided in the Confluence IGA, or (b) the debt service mill levy imposed by Avon Station Metropolitan District for the Regional Improvements.  The debt service mill levy is subject to adjustment as provided for the operations and maintenance mill levy below.   The District’s obligation to impose this debt service mill levy ended in 2020.

Pursuant to the Confluence IGA, the District is required to certify an operations and maintenance mill levy for assisting in the payment of Confluence Metropolitan District’s budgeted operational and maintenance expenses for the Regional Improvements that is equal to the operations and maintenance levy imposed by the Avon Statin Metropolitan District, but not in excess of 5 mills, subject to automatic adjustment to the extent of any change with respect to the assessment of property taxation purposes as a result of any legislative, constitutional, administrative or judicial change in the method of, or percentage used in the calculation of, such assessed valuation so that the property taxes paid by the owner of property subject to such mill levies neither increases or decreases as a result of such changes in the method of or calculation of assessed valuation.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the maximum mill levy shall never exceed 50 mills.

6.       Residents within the District may serve on the Board of Directors of the District if they are eligible electors of the District. A resident is an eligible elector of the District if the resident lives within the boundaries of the District and is registered to vote in Colorado.