Telluride Ski Resort sues town officials, alleging they ‘harassed’ owner to sell

Telluride Ski Resort Sues Elected Officials Over Alleged Conspiracy

Recently, Telluride Ski Resort filed a lawsuit against three current and former elected officials from the towns of Telluride and Mountain Village. The lawsuit, submitted in San Miguel County District Court on Feb. 24 by TSG Ski and Golf LLC, claims that former Mountain Village mayor Martinique Prohaska, former Telluride Town Council member Meehan Fee, and acting Mountain Village town manager Paul Wisor conspired to pressure owner Chuck Horning into selling the ski area. The resort alleges that the officials leveraged a recent ski patrol strike to force a sale.

The lawsuit accuses the three officials of using their positions to harass and pressure the resort into selling a majority share, while offering incentives worth millions of dollars in violation of municipal ethics codes. As a result, Telluride Ski and Golf, also known as Telski, claims to have suffered damages estimated at several million dollars. Resort spokesperson Nancy Clark declined to comment on the matter due to the ongoing litigation.

Prohaska and Fee declined to comment when reached by phone, while Wisor was unavailable for comment.

The allegations stem from December when the Telluride Professional Ski Patrol Association went on strike after failed negotiations with Telski over a new union contract. The strike, lasting 13 days during the holiday tourism season, forced the resort to close as it could not operate without essential patrollers.

During an interview, Prohaska mentioned that she and Fee traveled to California to discuss the strike with Horning and explore potential resolutions. They presented a purchase offer to transfer a 51% stake in the resort to the Telluride Ski Resort Fund for $127.5 million. Prohaska clarified that they were acting as private citizens, not elected officials, during this process.

The lawsuit alleges that the officials claimed to have the power to control the labor strike, preventing the resort from operating. Prohaska resigned in January, and both towns are investigating the matter. Fee initially stepped back from her duties but later announced her resignation post-inquiry. Wisor is on administrative leave after connecting the women with potential investors.

Aside from civil conspiracy and tortious interference claims related to the strike, Telski accuses the officials of intentional interference with a contract by suggesting that the towns would not raise the price of water for snowmaking if a sale went through.

The lawsuit highlights the ongoing tensions between Horning and the towns over various issues, including land usage, gondola upgrades, and affordable housing projects.

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