Health and Recreation Committee Materials 7.21.20
(970) 748-4061 cbishop@avon.org
TO: Health and Recreation Committee members FROM: Charise Bishop, General Government Intern
RE: Eagle County and Town of Avon Relevant Information
DATE: February 4, 2020
SUMMARY: This report is meant to inform the Health and Recreation Committee about current documents
and initiatives that guide the Town of Avon, Eagle County, and the state of Colorado. This report also
includes statistical information about the health of Eagle County residents. This is submitted as an
informative report and no action is requested.
BACKGROUND: As part of the 2020 Strategic Plan for Community Engagement, Town Council adopted
Resolution 19-16 on July 9th, 2019 establishing an Ad Hoc Health and Recreation Committee. The Health
and Recreation Committee is intended to involve community members to review, research and study
“health community” issues; comparison to peer community recreation facilities and programs; and design,
programming and estimated costs for remodeling and potential expansion of the Avon Recreation Center.
On November 19th, 2019, Town council formally appointed Kathy Ryan, Pat Nolan, Thomas Kiddo, and
Pam Warrant to the Ad Hoc Health and Recreation Committee. Councilor Jake Wolf, as well as two
alternates, Mayor Sarah Smith-Hymes and Councilor Scott Prince were named the ex-officio non-voting
members of the committee.
CURRENT LOCAL DOCUMENTS:
Healthy Eating and Active Living Master Plan Policy Scan for the Town of Avon: This document was
created in collaboration with the Healthy Communities Coalition of Eagle County, Open Plan,
PLAN4Health, and the Town of Avon in 2015. The purpose of this booklet was to provide planners
guidance for being collaborators in fostering a healthier community. The Policy Scan reviews town policies
relating to topics of relevance for the Plan4Health project including: Healthy Food Access; Active
Transportation and Public Transit; and Community Design and Land Use. After policy review, the policy
scan provides recommendations for municipalities to ensure that we are meeting goals for healthy eating
and active living.
Healthy Food Access Policies: No healthy food access policies exist for the Town of Avon. The
Town of Avon has a City Market grocery store, Walmart, and some local food producers such as
Eaton Valley Ranch. Open Plan recommends that the Town of Avon consider adopting food
access policy language in the future.
Active and Public Transportation Policies: The Plan4Health document commends Avon’s
commitment to active and public transportation policies. There are six pages of language from town
documents stipulating Avon’s commitment to these initiatives.
Community Design and Land Use Policies: While Open Plan and Plan4Health commended Avon
for some of our successes in this category, such as street connectivity, a distinctive built form,
generating traffic towards transit facilities, and maintaining Eagle River in accordance with the
Eagle River Watershed Plan, there were still some recommendations for improvement. Specifically,
the need for providing attainable housing that incorporates both rental and ownership opportunities;
that are affordable for local working families; and that are attractive, safe, and integrated amongst
the community. Avon will likely need to expand on the theme of accommodating aging populations
for community design policies in the future, as well.
Community Engagement Policies: The report mentions the different methods of community
engagement used by the Town of Avon such as our community survey, marketing plans, use of
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social media, websites, and print media. Avon has a goal to encourage the broad participation of
citizens in planning efforts and decision-making.
Initiatives, Programs and Resolutions: At the time of the publishing of this document, the Town of
Avon had recently completed a walkability plan and began the reconstruction of Beaver Creek
Boulevard. This document also mentions the recreation center, food banks, ECO Trail, and the
Town’s support of Plan4Health objectives.
This document lists all the accomplishments up until 2015 the Town has achieved in pursuit of the
aforementioned topics and lists some areas of opportunity for the future. While this document is barely five
years old, it seems a bit out of date because of the strides Avon has made toward being a community that
fosters healthy living. It is still a very thorough assessment of town documents and initiatives and is specific
to the Avon community.
You can find this document at:
http://plan4health.us/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Policy-Scan-Colorado_Avon.pdf
Avon Comprehensive Plan May 2017: There are many goals, values, policies, and visions that align with
the intentions of the Health and Recreation Committee. While this document is formulated as guidance for
town planning and land use, it could also be a guide for this committee in the pursuit of a more active and
healthy community.
***(Please note that many of these goals may have already been accomplished because this document was published in 2016.
This is just a review of our goals and vision that are relatable to the Health and Recreation Committee.) ***
Avon’s Vision is guided by our values, which include:
o Respecting the Natural Environment
o Being a Thriving Center of Activity and Entertainment
o Supporting a Vibrant Economy
o Fostering Attainable Housing
o Promoting Diversity
o Connecting to Culture and Heritage
o Providing an Exceptional Transportation and Transit Network
o Fostering Cooperative Partnerships throughout the Eagle Valley
Opportunities that Avon continually is working towards improving are:
o Development of a Transit Connection directly Connecting the Town Center with Beaver
Creek Village
o Improvement of Connections between Avon’s Town Center District and the Eagle River
o Promotion of Recreational and Mobility Options to and from Avon with the Regional Trail
through Avon along the Eagle River
o Utilization of Nottingham Park as a Strong Anchor and Destination to the Main Street
Pedestrian Mall
o Improvement of Various Trail Connections to the Town Center
o Study of the Railroad Right-of-Way for Other Uses
The Goals Outlined in the Comprehensive Plan Include and Elaborate upon:
o Built Form
o Land Uses
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o Community Character
o Economic Development
o Housing
o Multi-modal Transportation & Parking
o Environment
o Parks, Recreation, Trails, and Open Space
o Public Services, Facilities, Utilities, and Government
o Regional Coordination
All these goals are relevant in some way to this committee, but specifically Parks, Recreation, Trails, and
Open Space seem to fit most specifically to its purpose. The main goals for this topic are:
Providing an Exceptional System of Parks, Trails, and Recreational Programs to Serve the Year-
Round Needs of Area Residents and Visitors
Coordinating and Collaborating with Surrounding Jurisdictions and Agencies to Develop
Recreational Opportunities.
This document is a wealth of information about the town and its future trajectory. I highly encourage you all
to review it and become familiar with it. It can be found at:
https://www.avon.org/DocumentCenter/View/83/Comprehensive-Plan?bidId=
Waiting for Health Equity: This is a graphic novel published by the Center for Health Progress, that
discusses the many complex issues that Coloradans face in attempting to obtain healthcare, as well as the
various obstacles, challenges, and disparities that different demographic groups cope with while trying to
achieve health equity. This information is very relevant to Avon, as half of our population are Latinx.
This very interesting read can be found at:
https://issuu.com/medicallyunderserved/docs/wfhe_-_complete_-_web2
Eagle County 2017 Health Priorities:
Healthy Living: Good Nutrition and Physical Activity
Goal: Prevent chronic disease through the reduction of overweight and obesity risk factors.
Independently Aging in Place
Goal: Create an environment that enables older adults to independently age in place.
Connection to Preventative Care
Goal: Connect all residents to prevention focused primary care resources and services.
Mental Health and Substance Abuse
Goal: Increase awareness of mental illness as an important public health problem, the importance
of mental health, and mental illness prevention.
Radon Awareness and Mitigation
Goal: Reduce the risk of lung cancer caused by radon gas exposure.
This information was derived from the Eagle County Community Health Improvement Plan. This document
includes a community profile which includes information on county demographics and socioeconomic
information. It also includes information about the progress made toward accomplishing the goals that were
stipulated in Healthy Eagle County 2010. These goals included: improving access to healthcare; reducing
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the number of motor vehicle crash injuries; increasing oral health resources; increasing mental health and
substance abuse treatment services; and reducing premature deaths from chronic diseases. The county
made significant progress in all these objectives. The Eagle County Community Health Improvement Plan
also includes a Community Health Assessment which includes the following information: the leading
causes of death in Eagle County, compared to the state and country; leading causes of injury
hospitalizations; leading types of communicable diseases; behavioral and other health risks; and maternal
and infant health. This document also lists all the strategies they intend to follow to achieve their health
priorities.
This document is very informative and can be found at:
https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/OPP_Eagle-County-CHIP.pdf
Regional Community Health Assessment 2018-2022 for Eagle, Garfield, and Pitkin Counties: In 2008
the Colorado Public Health Act was passed requiring that local public health agencies (LPHA) conduct a
community health assessment (CHA) and a public health improvement plan (PHIP) every five years, also
known as the Community Health Assessment and Planning System (CHAPS), by using population level
data and analysis to describe the communities they service, their health status, and to identify the major
health concerns. The goal of CHAPS is to direct changes at the local level which can have the greatest
impact on the health of residents through capitalizing on the inherent strengths and assets of the
community.
Prior to this regional CHAPS process, Eagle, Garfield, and Pitkin counties worked on individual plans.
Acknowledging that there is very fluid movement among populations between all three counties (many
people live in a different county than where they work and often play in all three counties), this assessment
was a collaboration between the three counties to develop a CHA that integrates physical (natural and built
environment) and social determinants of health.
The determinants of health used in this assessment and defined by Healthy People 2020 includes:
Genes and Biology
Social and Economic Factors
Physical Factors (Natural and Built Environment)
Clinical Care
Health Behavior
This assessment acknowledges that other factors such as education, housing, transportation, agriculture,
and environment can also play a role in health outcomes. There is a strong relationship between health and
wellbeing and factors such as income, wealth, income inequality, education level, community environment,
housing conditions, and being a member of a vulnerable population.
Facts about Eagle County:
Eagle County’s median family income is $86,729 which is higher than the state’s $73,817.
7.8% of residents live at or below the Federal Poverty Line
Between 10% and 19% of Eagle County residents do not have a high school diploma, but a larger
percentage of people have a college degree than do in Colorado.
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The population of adults aged 65 or over is supposed to grow by 39% in this region by 2026-
currently the median age is 35.6
Approximately 30% of Eagle County residents are Hispanic. Hispanic populations are more than 2x
likely to have fair to poor health outcomes compared to Caucasian adults in Colorado. There are
many complex reasons that lead to this outcome such as income and education disparities, as well
systemic structures that make it harder to live healthier lifestyles and obtain healthcare.
Eagle County has a lower employment rate than the state- 3.5% compared to 4% respectively, but
has double the employment in the entertainment, recreation, and hospitality industries, leading to a
more transient population.
The current median home value within Eagle, Pitkin, and Garfield counties is $411,000,
approximately $180,000 higher than the state average.
The income self-sufficiency standard for Eagle County is $51,614, which is 324% above the
Federal Poverty Line.
4-5% of residents live in overcrowded homes.
17.48% of Eagle County residents said they had low or limited food access. That is lower than the
22.64% of Colorado residents and 22.43% of US residents in the survey conducted in 2015.
Half of Eagle County residents are overweight or obese, which is lower than the state’s totals.
53.3% of Eagle County adult residents report having dental insurance. The percentage of adults
who have lost any teeth due to decay or periodontal disease in Eagle County is 30.7%, compared
to the state, which is 36.5 percent. 7.1% of adults in Colorado have lost six or more teeth, but only
3.6% of adult Eagle County residents have.
5.8% of Eagle County residents have reported poor mental health for 14 or more of the last 30
days reported. 11.3% of all residents are reported to have a depressive disorder diagnosis, and
6.9% of Eagle County mothers reported experiencing post-partum depression.
11.5% of Eagle County adults are smokers and 26% of residents are considered adult binge
drinkers.
12.3% of Eagle County residents are marijuana users.
22.4% of Eagle County youth have admitted to binge drinking, 20.6% of youth have reported using
marijuana, and 10.9% of youth reported smoking cigarettes. (There was no data in this report
related to vaping).
On average, between Eagle, Garfield, and Pitkin counties, 23 people die of suicide every year.
21.4% of Eagle County mothers do not receive prenatal care until after their first trimester.
The top health concerns ranked by residents were mental health, lack of access to mental health
services, suicide, lack of access to substance abuse services, and bullying.
The top strengths and assets ranked by community members were an engaged community,
collaboration, non-profits, natural environment and recreation, and our existing healthcare
infrastructure.
Leading Causes of Death in Eagle County:
Heart Disease
Cancer
Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease
Unintentional Injuries
Alzheimer’s Disease
Cerebrovascular Diseases
Suicide
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While this is a lot of information and statistics, the assessment digs even deeper into these issues. While
some of this information may be depressing, it is important to understand the challenges of the community
so we can help everyone live healthier, happier, and longer lives. You can find the entire report at:
https://www.eaglecounty.us/uploadedFiles/ECG_Website/PublicHealth/Documents/Regional%20Health%2
0Assessment%202018%20-%202023.pdf
ThrivingColorado.com: The Thriving Colorado Dashboard is a statewide community portal for sharing
data, information, and strategies about health and wellness throughout the state. The three purposes for
this website are stated:
To Track and Support Community and Statewide Goals
To Connect and Collaborate with Other Communities and Agencies
To Share and Align Strategies, Effort, and Resources
This is meant to support the collective impact of shared goals. Thriving Colorado’s three main focuses are:
Active Living
Healthy Eating
Mental Health and Substance Abuse
LiveWell Colorado: LiveWell’s purpose and programming is focused on overcoming inequitable access to
healthy food and physical activity in Colorado. Every day we are confronted with the reality that not all
Coloradans have equal access and opportunities to be healthy due to inequitable policies, environments,
and systems. Therefore, LiveWell works with agencies, organizations, businesses, and community
coalitions to influence these systems and improve opportunities for health and wellness in under-resourced
communities and among people of color in urban, suburban, and rural parts of our state.
LiveWell’s mission is to increase access to healthy eating and active living by removing barriers that
inequitably and disproportionately affect low-income communities and people of color by advancing the
4P’s: Programs, Partnerships, Policy, and Promotions.
COMMUNITY CONTACTS & STAKEHOLDERS:
Katie Haas- Healthy Communities Coordinator for Eagle County katie.haas@eaglecounty.us
Chris Lindley- Eagle County Public Health & Environment Director chris.lindley@eaglecounty.us
The Vail Valley Salvation Army Office and Food Pantry info@salvationarmyvail.com
Susie Davis- Director of Community Impact for Eagle Valley Community Foundation
susie@eaglevalleycf.org
Chef Kelly Liken- Community Market Manager kelly@eaglevalleycf.org
Vail Health- https://www.vailhealth.org/community/community-outreach
Thank you, Charise
HEALTH AND RECREATION COMMITEE
Thank You