Gondola Opens 5/24, Improving the Market in MV, Water Conservation

Gondola Opens 5/24
The gondola opens Thursday, May 24 – just in time for the first festival of the season.

Held every Memorial Day weekend, Mountainfilm (5/24-28) is a documentary film festival that showcases nonfiction stories about environmental, cultural, climbing, political and social justice issues that matter. You can view the festival schedule here.

TMVOA is Committed to Improving the Market in Mountain Village
Since 2006, there has been a grocery market located in the Town Hall Building of Mountain Village, with the market conveniently located just steps away from gondola terminal and parking garage. The market is a tenant of TMVOA, as TMVOA is the owner of the commercial space in which the market resides.

Over the years, TMVOA has worked closely with the current grocery market tenant to ensure that our members, residents, and guests have a positive experience when shopping at the market with respect to quality, selection, price and service. However, in 2009 and 2010, TMVOA issued notices of default for failure to provide certain required services and failure to sell goods at competitive and reasonable prices. Mediation followed that ultimately resulted in a 2012 amended lease that included terms that the market is required to operate a first-class fully stocked grocery store, with competitive prices, among other items designed to ensure a positive shopping experience.

In a proactive effort to ensure the market is operating to the standards of its lease and provide a first-class market, TMVOA has performed audits since the amended lease, as well as met with the tenant to review findings and discuss potential areas of improvement. In 2017, TMVOA unfortunately began to receive additional negative feedback about the market, most commonly about high prices, poor selection, and deli quality.

In order to validate the market’s performance and compliance with the lease, TMVOA contracted with an independent CPA firm and food industry expert to audit the market. Over the past 4 months, these consultants performed three separate audits, with each of their reports showing that the market was not compliant with terms of the lease. Specifically, the pricing audit showed that the market’s prices, in many instances, were substantially higher for the exact same item (same SKU) at Clarks in Telluride, and out of compliance with lease terms of prices being no more than 7.5% higher than Clarks. Also, the deli and some related grocery services were noncompliant.

As a result of the market’s continued failure to meet pricing and other service level items in the lease, the TMVOA board unanimously decided to pursue legal action against the market. TMVOA understands the importance of having a high-quality market in Mountain Village for residents and guests to buy their groceries and general supplies, and TMVOA is committed to improving the market and ensuring that the market operator provides the highest level of service and competitive prices that our community demands.

Water Conservation Measures in Effect
Earlier this month, both the Towns of Telluride and Mountain Village initiated water restrictions in an effort to conserve water rather than waiting until June when the area could be potentially in a more sensitive drought situation.

Today, MV provided additional information through its Mayor’s Minute update that highlights water conditions of our local area, as well as throughout southwest Colorado. Additionally, their communication discusses the threshold of in-stream flow requirements on the San Miguel River and the Town’s water rights.

See full details on the water conservation measures in effect for Mountain Village


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