News

• Meehan Fee Resigns from Telluride Town Council
• Mountain Village to Launch Investigation into Former Mayor Marti Prohaska
• Coming Up on Council

---

Meehan Fee Resigns from Telluride Town Council

Telluride Mayor Pro Tem Meehan Fee is resigning from Telluride Town Council.

The town of Telluride shared a letter of resignation on Monday.

In the letter, Fee said it is “our responsibility to put the needs of the larger community above our own.” Fee maintains she acted in good faith and said, “At no time violated any ethical, moral, or legal boundaries.” She goes on to say, however, that “it is impossible to ignore the rift that this episode has caused in our community.” As such, she said, “I feel it is in all of our interest to move forward, which will be easier for the community upon my stepping down.”

During the labor dispute between the Telluride Ski Resort and the Telluride Ski Patrol Union, Fee, along with former Mountain Village Mayor Marti Prohaska, traveled to California to hold conversations with Telski owner Chuck Horning. Fee and Prohaska said they went as private citizens.

Following that visit, the ski company filed a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain correspondence in connection to “a purchase offer of the ski company.”

The request included a contract that indicates an agreement for Horning to sell 51% of the Telluride Ski Resort to the Telluride Ski Resort Fund — an entity controlled by Fee and Prohaska. The contract was signed by Fee and Prohaska. It was not signed by Horning.

Last week, Telluride Town Council decided to move forward with a third-party investigation into Fee’s actions in the matter.

Addressing the reason for her trip and discussions with Horning, Fee said, “It is no secret that the economic model under which we have been operating no longer serves the needs of most of our residents, families, businesses and workforce. This is not the result of any single group or individual, but a systemic challenge — one that requires collective responsibility and collective action to resolve.”

Fee concluded by saying, “It is, and continues to be, a profound privilege to be part of such an extraordinary community.”

KOTO News reached out to Fee for further comment but did not receive a response by broadcast deadline. The Telluride Ski Resort declined to comment further on the matter.

Telluride Town Council will hold a regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday, Jan. 27.

---

Mountain Village to Launch Investigation into Former Mayor Marti Prohaska

The town of Mountain Village will conduct an investigation into former Mountain Village Mayor Marti Prohaska’s conversations and actions regarding a proposed purchase of the Telluride Ski Resort.

“We have learned new information with respect to the events that led to Mayor Prohaska’s resignation,” said Mountain Village Mayor Pro Tem Scott Pearson.

Pearson made the remarks during a special Mountain Village Town Council meeting on Sunday, Jan. 25.

“Without in any way prejudging the propriety or impropriety of any actions taken, we now believe it is appropriate to undertake a thorough, all-encompassing, independent investigation into the events and actions that took place with regard to our former mayor’s efforts to purchase a portion of the ski company,” Pearson said.

“We need to understand what happened so that we can determine an appropriate response. And we believe the people of Mountain Village deserve transparency,” he said.

Prohaska resigned from her position earlier this month after learning that Mountain Village was considering an investigation. In her resignation letter, Prohaska said it would not be fair for Mountain Village staff and taxpayers to “shoulder the burden” of an investigation.

Mountain Village previously decided it was not necessary to hold an investigation. At its meeting Sunday, the council shifted its position.

“Our pledge to our residents is to make the results public to the maximum extent possible,” Pearson said.

“This council and the dedicated staff of the town are focused on running an effective and transparent government for the benefit of our residents, workforce and visitors. There is so much we are working on to improve our town. But all that work depends on the public’s trust. We are committed to continually earn that trust and hope this investigation is a step in that direction,” he said.

Mountain Village’s town attorney will prepare recommendations for an independent investigator. More information on the investigation process will be shared as it becomes available.

---

Coming Up on Council

Telluride Town Council will meet Tuesday with intergovernmental agreements, e-bikes and grant allocations on the agenda.

In this installment of Coming Up on Council, Telluride Communications Manager Lindsey Mills shares what to expect.

Story beings at 4:55.

---

Telluride Holds Candlelight Vigil

Telluride will hold a candlelight vigil for victims of ICE, Border Patrol and Homeland Security on Wednesday.

The vigil is being organized by Telluride’s Indivisible group, a nationwide grassroots progressive advocacy organization.

Community members are encouraged to join the silent candlelight vigil to honor people who have died as a result of the Department of Homeland Security’s campaign to remove undocumented people.

Participants are asked to bring their own candles and meet at the San Miguel County Courthouse in Telluride on Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 5:30 p.m.

---

Public Health Urges Radon Testing During National Awareness Month

Radon is a colorless, odorless gas — it has no taste and triggers no immediate reaction.

But it is radioactive, highly toxic and a leading cause of lung cancer in Colorado, with roughly 500 deaths a year attributed to radon exposure. While it may be undetectable without equipment, a simple test can identify its presence.

January is National Radon Action Month, and San Miguel County Public Health is encouraging residents to test their homes.

The public health department notes that testing is the only way to determine whether a building or home is at risk for radon. If a test shows levels that require action, mitigation work can lower radon levels in a building by up to 99%.

More information is available by emailing [email protected].

Public Health will also participate in a Coffee and Climate conversation, in collaboration with EcoAction Partners, at the Wilkinson Public Library on Thursday, Jan. 29, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.

Free radon test kits will be available at the event.

---

ICE, Law Enforcement Investigate Racist Playing Cards Near Vail

ICE and local law enforcement are investigating an incident near Vail.

A Latino advocacy nonprofit reported that “racist” playing cards were left in abandoned cars after the drivers had been detained, according to the organization.

As Aspen Public Radio’s Halle Zander reports, the Ace of Spades is sometimes called the death card. U.S. soldiers used it as an intimidation tactic during the Vietnam War by attaching the card to the bodies of dead enemy soldiers as a death omen.

Printed on the cards found this week were the phone number and physical address of an ICE processing center in Aurora.

It is unclear if ICE officials left the cards.

An ICE spokesperson condemned the behavior in an email Friday afternoon and said the agency is investigating.

The Eagle County Sheriff’s Office also is looking into the incident and called it disturbing.