Gunnison County Metropolitan Recreation District (MetRec) Executive Director Derrick Nehrenberg updated the Board of County Commissioners during a Feb. 10 work session, focusing on recreation priorities, the television system, funding structures, recent investments and findings from the 2025 Regional Recreation Master Plan.

Nehrenberg began by outlining the central role recreation plays in the district: many residents live here because they value outdoor activity and connection to place. Drawing on his background as a neuro researcher, Nehrenberg described recreation as “a biological imperative,” noting humans are built to move, use their hands, map landscapes and engage with one another.

“I think of it as connecting to myself, the land, other people,” added Commissioner Elizabeth Smith.

MetRec operates with one district-wide mill levy and an additional two mills in the North Subdistrict dedicated solely to recreation. The district’s projected 2026 budget is $2.8 million, and officials said they are not planning major new projects until corridor planning efforts are further along.

Part of the conversation covered the discontinuation of over-the-air television; the translator system towers have reached end of life and market forces have shifted.  

Nehrenberg then walked commissioners through major findings from the 2025 Regional Recreation Master Plan, which builds on a 2023 district-wide survey of residents. The community noted outdoor recreation as important and generally available, while indoor recreation was identified as important but lacking.

“None of these are surprises, we’ve been hearing this for years at MetRec,” Nehrenberg said.

The master plan identifies a strong desire for an indoor multiuse facility, particularly in the North Subdistrict, where municipalities are too small to address the need independently. A potential recreation center, currently modeled in projected 2030 cost estimates, would require a North Subdistrict bond ballot issue.

Recreation paths also emerged as a significant priority. Demand in the South appeared especially strong, and commissioners discussed an ideal Gunnison-to-Gothic connection someday. Nehrenberg noted plans to resurface the North Gunnison path and continued work on the CB-to-CBS shared-use path.

Nehrenberg emphasized the need to align MetRec initiatives with community-identified implementation priorities.