My Focus

During my more than 5 years on City Council, we have:

•Completed Burlingame Phase 3 (79 units),

•Approved the Lumberyard project (270+\- units) and started construction 

•Implemented Building IQ (measuring building’s energy consumption),

•Implemented Short Term Rental regulations,

•Implemented new APCHA programs including grants for home repairs,

•Oversaw the completion of a new public park, Dolinsek Gardens, and the completion of the new Maroon  Creek Trail,

•Instituted a city wide composting program,

•Supported moving the Entrance to Aspen forward

•Implemented the Armory conversion to community hub

BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS 

For my first 4 years on Council I  served on: 

•CAST (Colorado Association of Ski Towns)

•CORE (Community Office of Resource Efficiency) 

•CML (Colorado Municipal League) 

•Aspen Snowmass Nordic Council 

After 2 years on Council, I took on a few more boards:

• Pitkin County Board of Health 

• RWAPA (Ruedi Water and Power Authority)

• APCHA (Aspen Pitkin County Housing Authority)

I want to preserve what we have left of Pitkin County’s rural character. As a community representative, I believe it is my job to think long term about what will be the most sustainable, resilient way forward  for the Roaring Fork, Frying Pan and Crystal River Valleys and our future.

The Colorado River Basin is in crisis. All of Pitkin County is currently in the highest level of drought. We have just endured the warmest and driest winter in 131 years of record keeping. As of July 3rd, Lake Powell and Lake Mead are at 23% and 28% full respectively. Our man-made system is failing.

I believe water will be the most critical issue we have moving forward. Pitkin County and the City Of Aspen should be working together to increase our water storage. Any increase or proposed trans basin diversions on the Western Slope should be vehemently opposed. We must find ways to adapt to a future with less water.

In the 40+ years I’ve called Aspen home, we have lost 30 days of winter. Over the next 40, we are projected to lose at least that many more. Also during the last 40 years, the Roaring Fork Valley’s population has more than doubled. People will continue to move here as climate refugees, escaping the heat from other places.

As your County Commissioner, my overriding goal will be to help the Roaring Fork, Frying Pan and Crystal River Valleys become more resilient in the face of increasing temperatures and a growing population.

I’ve served on RWAPA (Ruedi Water and Power Authority) board for the last 3 years. This experience has made me acutely aware of our Western Slope water issues and the challenges facing us as we face a warmer, drier future. After this past winter, we are going to have to make some adjustments to our water use. Fire mitigation and preparation is being take extremely seriously now and I will continue to support all of our local firefighting efforts in any way I can.

Housing remains one of our most critical issues, both locally and regionally. As the conversion of residential rentals into second homes, investment vehicles and vacation rentals continues, we will continue to need more housing to replace these losses. It is critical to have our workers live as close to their jobs as possible. With the cost of real estate in our region it is extremely difficult for the average resort worker to own free market real estate.

During my time on City Council, I believe I’ve voted for every single housing issue that has come before me: the Lumberyard housing project, the conversion of the Mountain Rescue building on Main Street to housing, the purchase of units in the ABC and elsewhere for housing, contributing funds to the purchase of mobile home parks in the Roaring Fork Valley, housing for the Aspen Meadows/Aspen Center for Physics/Aspen Music Festival, Aspen Valley Hospital housing and more.

I have served on the Aspen Pitkin County Housing Authority (APCHA) board for the last 3 years; this has me acutely informed of our housing issues.

Traffic is a significant issue, not just at the Entrance to Aspen but valley wide. To reduce the amount of Single Occupancy Vehicles, we must provide better public transportation. For now, I’m happy that our local transit provider, RFTA, has embraced electrification and provides such amazing service, but I believe we need to think farther ahead.

Currently, the Entrance to Aspen project, as proposed, includes a light rail component. At the same time, our Pitkin County Airport is being redeveloped and will also have the option for light rail built into it. What an opportunity to connect downtown Aspen to the airport. And in the future, connect to the Brush Creek park-and-ride, and then all the way to Glenwood.

As I said in our most recent Elected Officials Transportation Committee meeting, I would like to see polling done up and down the valley to see what the appetite for the return of passenger rail to the valley is.