The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Between now and the end of October, the Crested Butte News will be asking the six candidates for Gunnison County Commissioner questions related to issues in the community. We have requested they keep their answers to 400 words or less.
If you have any specific question you’d like to see the six candidates address, email it to editorial@crestedbuttenews.com and we will consider posing the query to the politicos. Remember, all qualified county voters get to cast a ballot for one candidate in each district.
Also…everyone is invited to the Crested Butte News Candidates Forum being held on Thursday, October 18 at 6 o’clock at the Center for the Arts. Everyone is welcome.
—Mark Reaman
Stu Ferguson
district 1 candidate
Q: Health care is a big issue nationally and locally. With changes on the horizon from the Affordable Care Act and the recent troubles at Gunnison Valley Health, what do we need to do as a valley to ensure access to quality healthcare? And what role should the Board of County Commissioners play in guiding that process?
County government has a statutory authority (and responsibility) to provide for the health, safety, and welfare of its residents. It is in the best interest of the people of Gunnison County to provide access to quality hospital level health care working within whatever state and federal programs rain down from above. Our remote location makes emergency and hospital services vital for our residents and our visitors. The County Commissioners are accountable for the success of Gunnison Valley Health through setting the vision for the level and quality of service, adopting an appropriate budget, appointing responsible trustees, monitoring performance, and holding the trustees accountable for achieving the mission they have been given. The recent issues surrounding our hospital do not seem to be fully resolved and that should be a very high priority.
Q: Tell us about your views on natural gas development in the county and the local leadership’s management of it.
I believe natural gas development is important for four reasons. First, domestic production supports our national security by making us less dependent on unstable foreign powers for energy. Second, affordable energy developed within our county keeps dollars flowing into our county. Third, gas production may help offset the loss of revenue that will occur as coal mining moves into Delta County. Finally, and most important for the long term, it buys us time to develop alternative renewable energy sources to the point they are reliable and competitive. These new, desirable energy resources must be competitive with fossil fuels in the marketplace worldwide to be sustainable. I believe the state and federal regulations governing the industry are adequate for our needs and the higher levels of government have the clout necessary to assure accountability. The penalties and cleanup costs for a spill seriously affect profit margin. Energy producers have a powerful motivation to avoid incidents. The authority to inspect operations at the county level is an important protection that bridges the gap left by state and federal agencies.
Q: If your life were a movie, what actor would play the leading role?
My life would be a dull, unexciting movie about a typical American working to have a good life for my family and make my world a better place just like most Americans. I struggle with actors because they play a role, sometimes very well, but in real life may be someone quite different. WYSIWYG describes me, What You See Is What You Get—I’m not an actor who changes into someone else off camera.
Steve Schechter
district 1 candidate
Q: Health care is a big issue nationally and locally. With changes on the horizon from the Affordable Care Act and the recent troubles at Gunnison Valley Health, what do we need to do as a valley to ensure access to quality healthcare? And what role should the Board of County Commissioners play in guiding that process?
Gunnison Valley Health (GVH) is vital to the local economy. A quality hospital and associated services is an expectation for visitors, students, and residents, as well as people looking into relocating, investing, or retiring in our county. We all want and need a well-staffed, well-run, financially sound hospital.
The passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was crucial for our family for we have a son with a pre-existing condition who will now always be able to find coverage and remain insured. Without the ACA my child would face a deteriorating condition, and Lyda and I could be forced into bankruptcy trying to keep him healthy. Beyond its help for families like ours, the ACA should help the hospital stay more financially sound. As more people become insured under its provisions, GVH should experience less indigent care expense.
The BOCC appoints board trustees to GVH and approves any debt. The BOCC and the GVH board need to develop protocols and qualifications to find potential trustees who have well-rounded financial expertise, without conflicts of interest. Reading and understanding the financials, in order to spot problems well before they become a crisis, is an essential board qualification. Staffing, physician contracts, and services provided must be flexible and affordable. Like all businesses in the valley, GVH faces seasonal and national economic cycles, and must work out ways to adjust to these cycles.
Q: Tell us about your views on natural gas development in the county and the local leadership’s management of it.
If hydraulic fracturing is safe, it would not have been necessary for the Cheney Energy Task Force to acquire exemptions for “fracking” in the Safe Drinking Water Act of 2005. Only recently has the EPA begun to study the effects of “fracking” on drinking water. I believe we have a state legislature and a Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission that put industry profits above public health and safety. This leaves it up to the BOCC to ensure public health and protect drinking water. No county board should be put in this position. I thank the BOCC for finding the fortitude and resolve to bring more accountability to O&G development in Gunnison County and for negotiating with the state and industry to find common ground for greater oversight. I do not believe our surface water, ground water, and clean air are adequately protected with industry regulatory exemptions and ongoing accidents. At some point the BOCC, state officials and the federal government will have to revisit regulations.
Q: If your life were a movie, what actor would play the leading role?
A leaner Santa Claus.
Paula Swenson
district 1 candidate
Q: Health care is a big issue nationally and locally. With changes on the horizon from the Affordable Care Act and the recent troubles at Gunnison Valley Health, what do we need to do as a valley to ensure access to quality healthcare? And what role should the Board of County Commissioners play in guiding that process?
Colorado state statutes are very specific in outlining the roles and responsibilities of the governance of a county-owned hospital. The role of the BOCC in this statute is to appoint the trustees with very specific guidelines as to who can and cannot serve as a trustee. The BOCC can also remove trustees, but only with cause. The BOCC cannot and do not have oversight of the operations of the health care system. With all that said, the BOCC has taken a very active role in monitoring the actions and progress of the hospital this past six months. I did sit in on all of the management firm presentations and believe that the proper firm was hired by the hospital to move our system forward in a fiscally positive manner. I have also had the opportunity to visit with the new CEO who starts this week and I have the utmost confidence in him. We (BOCC) are also in the process of re-appointing to two trustees and are working diligently to ensure that we have the best possible candidates to choose from. Yes, it has been a bumpy road, but I do believe we are heading in the right direction.
Q: Tell us about your views on natural gas development in the county and the local leadership’s management of it.
The development of natural gas needs to happen in this county. Not only for economic development reasons, but also to assist in making our country less dependent on foreign energy while we continue to explore and develop alternative energy sources. However, it must be done in a responsible manner, which is why we, in Gunnison County, have regulations for the industry. I have worked diligently for the last two years to ensure that Gunnison County continues to have a seat at the regulatory table and continue to pave the path for other local entities to also have a say in their communities. I have worked many hours with the Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) on a memorandum of understanding and an intergovernmental agreement that puts into writing that we do have a right to regulate. One of my greatest accomplishments to date has been the delegation by the state to Gunnison County the right to inspect well sites during development and operations. This gives us the ability to see how development is happening and to know firsthand if issues do arise.
Q: If your life were a movie, what actor would play the leading role?
My husband says, “Julia Roberts—she is a little tall, but she did play Erin Brockovich quite well!”
Jonathan Houck
district 2 candidate
Q: Health care is a big issue nationally and locally. With changes on the horizon from the Affordable Care Act and the recent troubles at Gunnison Valley Health, what do we need to do as a valley to ensure access to quality healthcare? And what role should the Board of County Commissioners play in guiding that process?
This is a big area of concern for residents of the Gunnison Valley. There have been quite a few letters to the editor and articles in the paper dealing with the issues Gunnison Valley Health is facing at this time. The County Commissioners are responsible for appointing the board of GVH; but, in my opinion, their responsibility does not stop there. The commissioners need to understand the workings of the hospital to the point that they are appointing the right board members with the right backgrounds; whether that is business, management, finance, healthcare or organizational leadership. The commissioners should make sure that the questions and concerns of the citizens are adequately answered and addressed. We are in a tough transition right now and it is important that patient care remains the priority and we feel secure in knowing that our health system can meet our needs.
Quality healthcare is a must, because all investment in our county depends on it. When someone considers where to locate (either part time or full time), where to go to college, where to vacation or where to open a business they consider healthcare. We know that our healthcare professionals in this community are amazing and dedicated; we need a system that functions at a high level as well. The commissioners are tasked to make sure the right tools exist to get there.
Q: Tell us about your views on natural gas development in the county and the local leadership’s management of it.
First, we need to acknowledge that we will have natural gas development in Gunnison County. One of this county’s strengths is our diversity of resources. One of our other strengths is that we have citizens who demand clean air, water and land. The current BOCC has made, what I feel, are great strides in clearing up and defining a process that allows development but provides buffers and best management practices to safeguard our water. The 150-foot setback allows no technical infeasibility waivers and the 150 to 300-foot setback is very specific to what can occur and how. We have local inspection authority granted by the state. We have the best regulations in Colorado and need to continue to evaluate if we are protecting our land, air and water. I think the public will become more interested in this when we see applications in our watershed, not just the far corner of the county.
Q: If your life were a movie, what actor would play the leading role?
When I posed this question to my wife, Roanne, she responded Robert Redford! She’s such an awesome wife!
Polly Oberosler
district 2 candidate
Q: Health care is a big issue nationally and locally. With changes on the horizon from the Affordable Care Act and the recent troubles at Gunnison Valley Health, what do we need to do as a valley to ensure access to quality healthcare? And what role should the Board of County Commissioners play in guiding that process?
I believe the commissioners should play a big role in oversight of our health care facilities always. The current issues we are facing at Gunnison Valley Health should not have happened, and they are not something that happened overnight. The billing procedures were askew and the hospital lost surgeons whose use of our facilities was critical to the financial health of the hospital.
Probably the single most important thing the hospital can do now is to get a general surgeon back on call, and soon a permanent general surgeon and an additional orthopedic to get stable revenue flowing again and keep our money from going out of town. We do not want a tax issue over this and should not have to ask for one if things go right.
Hiring a “victim’s advocate” might be something they should consider so that the complicated Medicare and Medicaid and general insurance claims are processed more smoothly, enabling a more steady flow of revenue and helping the billing staff to run more efficiently.
They seem to be headed in the right direction, but have a ways to go. We cannot afford to lose nursing staff or the facilities because they support all of us, and without us traveling for many calamities. Our health care facilities are a huge employer in Gunnison County and need to stay.
Q: Tell us about your views on natural gas development in the county and the local leadership’s management of it.
The extraction industry is a messy business and here to stay in many forms from oil and gas to rare earth minerals so we need to be vigilant. We are the headwaters so extra care is needed to ensure protection of our water, but blanket regulation I think will be hard to enforce because of the terrain involved when drilling in the mountains. The new setbacks for drilling are going to be hard to work around depending on the season… spring for instance, when surface water is abundant.
I do have a different approach to the extraction boom, and that is working closely with these companies so that we know what they are doing day to day and we have a better understanding of the business. If we have a closer relationship with the rig operators we stand a much better chance of having them understand how important it is to protect the land and water.
No one wants an accident; it costs us all and leads to long-term damage.
Q: If your life were a movie, what actor would play the leading role?
John Wayne, of course.
Warren Wilcox,
district 2 candidate
Q: Health care is a big issue nationally and locally. With changes on the horizon from the Affordable Care Act and the recent troubles at Gunnison Valley Health, what do we need to do as a valley to ensure access to quality healthcare? And what role should the Board of County Commissioners play in guiding that process?
Health care is part of the primary mandate for county government for health and safety. The future of the Affordable Care Act is still clearly in question. It appears to me that the board made some financial decisions involving construction of a new wing to “make this a world class facility,” that could have been a severe misjudgment of economic timing. Due to indigent care, slow payment of billings and poorly renegotiated service agreements, and raises in pay for current staff, budgetary issues exploded. These issues appeared to escape the notice of the board and apparently were not timely forwarded to the County Commissioners for review. By statute the County Commissioners may appoint and remove board members at will, but are further limited to have no day-to-day involvement in the administration of the hospital. My suggestion would be to strongly suggest to the hospital board to have the chief financial officer keep the Commissioners better informed whenever any unusual financial imbalance occurs. Furthermore by a predetermined limit, to make known to the Board of County Commissioners any such change in financial condition. Moving from about $400,000 in the black at the end of the year to $600,000 in the red within just a few months should have been a red flag before it became critical. Changes are being made, and the financial condition of the hospital is said to be reversed for the better. Hopefully we will grow into the enlarged facility as we work to improve the local financial condition.
Q: Tell us about your views on natural gas development in the county and the local leadership’s management of it.
Natural gas development is a natural progression of mineral development under the watchful eyes of the EPA, the State of Colorado, and Gunnison County. We are very fortunate to have companies that are not only willing to be good stewards of their mineral leases, but understand the importance of successfully operating clean projects. Good operations not only create good will within the community, but also are more profitable than having sloppy operations, that require expensive clean-ups. I am hopeful that natural gas will eventually replace the tax base that diminishing coal reserves will no longer be generating, and provide high paying jobs that will enhance the cash flow, and broaden the tax base.
Q: If your life were a movie, what actor would play the leading role?
Burt Lancaster would be my preference.
