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Rescuers seek funds for station project

Brad Bolchunos/Steamboat Pilot

— Routt County Search and Rescue continues its search for funds supporting its station expansion.

Secretary James Heckbert said the group received only half of its request for a grant from the Colorado Energy Impact Fund, leaving a $90,000 shortfall for the $250,000 project. Both the city and Routt County have already contributed $25,000.

Heckbert asked the council to include additional funds for the project in the 1993 budget.



Meanwhile the Steamboat Springs Rural Fire Protection District has suggested contributing left-over funds from a proposed mill-levy increase to go to election this fall.

Don Grant of the fire district board said how much the fire district can contribute to the ambulance and Search and Rescue expansion depends on the exact cost of purchasing two fire trucks. The exact costs are not yet known, he said, but he estimated as much as $45,000 could be allocated from the board election.



Council member Bill Martin asked if Search and Rescue ever considered user fees for its service. A former member of the Steamboat ski patrol, he noted improvements when the ski area initiated user fees for finding lost skiers.

“Colorado Search and Rescue opposes user fees,” Heckbert said. Unlike lost skiers, he added, lost hunters and hikers would only wait until possibly too late to take advantage of Search and Rescue if they had to pay a subscriber or user fee.

“I think that this is a service the public should provide,” said City Council President Mary Brown.

City council appeared likely to allocate up to $45,000 for the 1993 budget so the organization could seek its remaining funds in a planned fashion.


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