Alpine continues to work on utility ordinances at the end of the year.

Ordinances, 2025, 12, 13 and 14 came before the town council for third reading discussion at the December 2 meeting.

The ordinances addressed procedure, capacity and rates.

“We’re still kind of deep into figuring out our sewer and water and discussing those as far as either rate increases or just how to better organize,” Alpine Councilman Jeremy Larsen said. “Right now we just started our radio read meter program for our water and so we’ve only had a couple, three months of getting data in from that and we’re really looking to get a solid kind of six to eight months of data before we kind of make any decisions with water and then sewer.”

Larsen continued, “We’re looking at other options and unfortunately it looks like we may have to raise rates on sewer which, I don’t like to do, nobody on the council likes to do, the mayor doesn’t like to do.”

He added, “Unfortunately that’s kind of where things are at in the economy of things going up and it costs us more and unfortunately we have to kind of keep the wheel turning so to speak. But we’re still looking at it.”

Larsen credited the community for their support as the town moves forward. We really are thankful; we’ve had a lot of community come in and instead of just complaining actually put forward ideas and help us out there. We’re always looking for solutions. By all means we do not know all and welcome productive solutions to any issues that we have within town.”

Thanksgiving

Larsen included a recap of the Alpine Thanksgiving Dinner for the town council.

“The town puts on a Thanksgiving dinner for anybody who wants to come or who would like delivery service,” he said. “There were over 270 meals served including deliveries and leftovers taken, so that’s a record for us. Each year it seems to be getting bigger and bigger and really turns out to be a community event.”

Larsen noted the funds raised for the community food bank through the annual event.

“We had about $1,400 raised for the Alpine Food Bank. I really like to give a huge thank you to Top of the Rockies, their volunteers who cooked and served and cleaned. We couldn’t do it without them. Alpine Fire and Star Valley EMS, they did all the deliveries for the meals.”

He added, “They do that every year so not only thank you for delivering the meals but [their help] standing by for any emergencies over the holiday season. They’re integral to our communities and we thank them a lot. A huge and special thank you to Justin Fritz and Alana Horton.”

Larsen summarized, “They go above and beyond to really make this event happen. It was a huge success and every year it gets bigger and bigger. I was just going to say it really is such a great tradition in Alpine.”

Alpine Tourism

Larsen also helps to coordinated activities and events with the Alpine Travel and Tourism Board.

“Our focus, as you know, is based on the lodging tax dollars,” he explained, “So if you book a hotel, motel, Airbnb, RV, guide service within the incorporated boundaries of the town of Alpine, you pay an extra one percent on your lodging tax. Statewide it’s five percent so those who have a lodging tax set in place it’s either an extra one or two percent.”

He continued, “In the Town of Alpine we just have it as one percent. That way we’re able to get monies directly back to our community so we don’t keep all the six percent. We keep essentially two out of the six percent that’s charged and that comes directly back to the town of Alpine and we use that state statute [for} efforts to promote the town of Alpine to bring tourists in.”

He said the promotion is balanced and given consideration for renewal every four years. Alpine’s renewal vote will come in 2026.

Larsen concluded, “So you know we want to show that  not only are we promoting Alpine but we’re also giving back to the community.”

Past funding from the Alpine Travel and Tourism program has assisted with fireworks, Mtn. Days, the Winter Jubilee and other events such as Star Valley Arts program, Trout Unlimited dinners and winter trail grooming for the community’s pathways program.