It came out of left field when Steamboat Springs City Council President Walter Magill pitched the idea of $1 weekend lift tickets at Howelsen Hill during last week’s budget retreat.

The purpose of the cheap tickets, Magill said, would be to attract more skiers to Howelsen and “get more people using the park.” And the concept seemed to gain traction with other council members at a time when they’re grappling with how to fund some of the expensive improvements needed at the ski hill, including a new chairlift and a new $750,000 waterline that will be used for snowmaking.

In theory, $1 lift tickets seem like a fun, intriguing idea, but in practice, the concept seems more like a gimmick – one that is unsustainable and does nothing to solve the serious questions facing the city on how to make Howelsen pay for itself.

Read more at Steamboat Today.