Fraser — Trustees approved initial rents, fees and community rules for St. Louis Landing on Wednesday, Oct. 21, as staff prepared to accept applications for the first apartments.

Acting as the Fraser Housing Authority, the board approved rental rates for Buildings C, D and E and amended guidelines governing parking, community room use and other resident activities. Staff outlined a Nov. 6-15 application period for Building C, followed by a Nov. 17 lottery if enough qualified households apply.

Town Manager Sarah Catanzarite said staff planed for leases to begin Jan. 1, 2027, subject to construction progress and occupancy approvals. Initial leases were expected to run from nine to 12 months.

The decisions give prospective residents initial rents to consider after earlier discussions focused on the highest amounts the project could charge. As Sky-Hi News reported in “What affordability looks like at St. Louis Landing,” those maximum rents renewed questions about who would be able to afford the town’s affordable housing.

The first phase includes 129 apartments in three buildings serving households at different income levels. Eligibility depends on household income and size, with units assigned based on percentages of area median income, or AMI.

Building C’s initial monthly rents range from $1,635 to $1,675 for studios, $1,773 to $2,076 for one-bedroom apartments and $2,580 to $2,750 for two-bedroom apartments, depending on the unit’s income designation. Its units serve households at 80%, 100% and 120% AMI.

The approved schedule also covers Buildings D and E, including Building D units designated for lower-income households.

Maximum gross rents set the ceiling under applicable housing programs. The authority approved initial monthly net rents, which must remain within those limits after utility allowances and other charges are included.

During the October presentation, Catanzarite said water, wastewater, trash service and liability coverage were included. Residents would pay separately for electricity and internet.

The fee schedule includes a $28.75 application fee per applicant, a $200 holding fee and a $200 administrative preparation fee. Refundable security deposits range from $750 to two months’ rent, depending on screening.

The January lease target and November application period update the timetable outlined in September, when staff anticipated earlier applications and December move-ins. Catanzarite said a lottery would be held only if demand warranted one.

The housing authority also approved community guidelines with amendments following an extended discussion of parking, shared spaces and building rules.

The parking plan would provide one guaranteed space for studio and one-bedroom apartments and two spaces for two- and three-bedroom apartments. Additional permits could be offered for a nominal charge when spaces are available.

Staff will investigate whether ticketing can supplement warnings and towing. Catanzarite said she would check enforcement options with property manager Griffis/Blessing.

For community-room use, the board supported a $250 refundable cleaning deposit and flexibility to charge a reservation fee of $50 to $100. Staff also supported reducing the notification requirement for extended absences from 60 days to 30 days.

Staff will return with options for window coverings and shared grills after consulting the property manager. Staff recommended proceeding without Murphy beds in studio apartments.

Other town business

Finance Director Laurie Waters reported August sales tax receipts of $502,380, down $132,669, or 20.9%, from August 2025. She reported an average decline of 8.51% from January through August.

August short-term rental tax revenue was $43,305, about 32% below the previous August. Remote seller receipts totaled $31,434.64, about $4,770 lower than a year earlier.

Waters reported about $13.69 million across town funds with varying purposes and restrictions.

Catanzarite also reviewed six Business Enhancement Grant awards totaling $124,850. Four completed projects accounted for $91,771 in reimbursements, while two projects remained underway.

Trustees supported retaining $24,257 in unused grant money in the donor-advised funding pool and reducing the proposed 2027 Business Enhancement Grant allocation from $125,000 to $75,000. Trustees Ken Jensen and Adam Cwiklin volunteered for the donor-advised fund committee. The direction will inform the draft budget, which has not been adopted.

The board approved a consent agenda that included a mediation submission agreement in the Cornerstone litigation and an initial $7,500 payment toward mediation costs. The action authorized mediation but it did not settle the dispute. Sky-Hi previously covered the town’s litigation history in “Fraser wins five-year court fight to protect Cozens Meadow.”

Trustees also recorded votes by Mayor Pro Tem Peggy Smith and Cwiklin that were not captured during the Oct. 7 meeting because of technical problems.

During staff updates, Town Planner Jack Seward said a gas line conflict would leave part of Twilight Drive unpaved until the line could be relocated and paving completed. Catanzarite said staff was working on a redesign of the Park Avenue and U.S. Highway 40 intersection following concerns about vehicles cutting the corner.

Catanzarite announced that Olivia Holden would join the town as assistant town manager after Thanksgiving. The assistant town planner position will remain vacant for now.

2027 budget workshop

At the budget workshop earlier that day, trustees weighed anticipated St. Louis Landing repayments against declining revenue and project costs.

Catanzarite said roughly $6.5 million in housing-related reimbursements and repayments was expected over several years. The money was not immediately available for next year’s projects.

The working general fund budget had just over $9 million in expenditures and about $6.8 million in new revenue. It included $4 million from the unassigned fund balance, with about $2.26 million expected to remain unassigned while required strategic reserves were retained.

Staff said approximately $200,000 in estimated hotel sales taxes was missing from printed materials. Catanzarite outlined up to about $925,000 in possible revenue or savings, including reimbursements, legal-cost recovery and stronger tax collections. Those estimates remained conditional.

Trustees supported removing a $100,000 sledding hill construction allowance while retaining about $75,000 for conceptual design involving the hill, a playground and parking. Hauling, wetlands constraints and grants remained unresolved.

The board supported continuing utility work for the proposed public works facility while staff pursued design, grants and financing. An approximately $192,000 Town Hall bathroom project remained under review. A bike park water tower had been removed, while existing water totes remain in use.

The draft did not fully account for a possible Clayton’s Court property acquisition or transit center renovations. It also excluded Mountain Man Park restoration estimated at $230,000 for the barn and $82,000 for the cabin.

Staff discussed a roughly 13% increase in health-insurance premiums and preliminary compensation assumptions. Catanzarite proposed a five- to 10-year financial plan.

Staff will revise the draft before the next workshop. Trustees discussed rebuilding reserves and possible revenue changes but adopted no new tax measure or long-term funding plan.

Trustees favored another workshop on Nov. 4 before a planned Nov. 18 public hearing, potentially continuing on Dec. 2. The budget was not adopted.