Our story is unique when compared to most other Colorado recreation districts.  Met Rec’s foundation as a special district in 1978 was to help finance television infrastructure.  Forty years ago, the Gunnison Valley was much more isolated. There was no internet, and outlying communities had limited or no access to telephone.  A community group, the Gunnison County Television, Inc. (GCT), decided to address the need for better communications through the creation of a translator system to bring television to communities throughout the region.  However, the need for funding required to maintain the infrastructure sparked the formation of a special district.  

At the time of Met Rec’s inception, it was supported by a 1 mil levy property tax.  Like all special districts, Met Rec was bound by a service area, which to this day encompasses almost all of Gunnison County and a small portion of Saguache County.

In 2001, Met Rec’s mission was expanded to include park and recreation services.  This is where the ‘Met’ of Met Rec comes in. Any special district that provides at least two different types of services is considered a metropolitan district.  One of the main motivations for taking on recreation was that it allowed Met Rec to utilize Conservation Trust Funds. These funds come from the Colorado Lottery proceeds and are mandated for distribution to local governments for acquiring and maintaining parks, open space and recreation facilities, inclusive of television relay services.  

Since 2001, Met Rec has worked to uphold its whole mission.  The transition from analog to digital television was completed in 2009 and over $1 million has been awarded in grant funding to organizations in support of community recreation initiatives.  Today, Met Rec continues its work to support local recreation needs.  With a service area that encompasses almost all of Gunnison County, Met Rec harbors the unique ability to facilitate collaborative recreation initiatives across silos and jurisdictional boundaries.  Met Rec seeks to serve as an integrator capable of innovating partnerships to accomplish vital recreation opportunities while also leveraging funding from outside Gunnison County. To learn more about our strategy and approach, please read our 2020 Strategic Plan.