The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
This is the final week of questions posed to the seven candidates running for Crested Butte town council. We gave them a chance to address any issue they felt was left hanging out there and a reader wanted a specific goal they would have if elected. We also wanted to let you know what houses your little trick or treaters should hit Thursday night.
Sincere thanks goes out to all seven candidates. Running for office in a small town is a grueling process and puts ones’ ego on full display. For those few who haven’t filled out their ballot, do it soon and remember to mail your ballot by the end of the week. The other option is to run your ballot down to the County election office in the Blackstock building across from the Gunnison Post Office. Good luck to everyone!
—Mark Reaman
Aaron Huckstep
mayoral candidate
Any comments on issues that haven’t been raised so far? Any last-minute thoughts to the voters?
Leadership Experience and Consistency. In the past year, the town has seen substantial change in its staff: a new manager, a new clerk, a new deputy clerk, the retirement of the long-time planner, and now the recruitment of a new planner. The role of mayor is challenging with a seasoned staff, much less a new staff. With the help of a committed staff and council, we have navigated these changes effectively thus far. Consistent and experienced leadership will help ensure that the town’s staffing transitions are truly effective into the future.
The citizens of our community have told me, on numerous occasions, that having a good working relationship with Mt. Crested Butte and CBMR is important. I agree. Over the past two years, these relationships have moved to a much more solid footing than in previous years. Consistent and experienced leadership will help ensure that these relationships continue to grow, serving as the foundation for developing stronger relationships throughout the entire upper valley.
The focus on Mt. Emmons in this election has been valuable. Nearly every citizen in our community believes this is an important issue, for good reason. Consistent and experienced leadership will help ensure that we continue ongoing discussions amongst all of the parties at hand with a focus on realizing a permanent solution.
Serving as mayor for the past two years has given me invaluable experience that will provide the consistent leadership our community needs.
Ethics. Regardless of whether you read my critics in the paper or hear them on the street, please remember the words of the late Paul Harvey and consider “the rest of the story.” Leadership requires a commitment to working together with the entire council, regardless of the election results. I’ve worked together with the entire council in the past two years, and will do the same in a second term.
Knocking on Doors. Do you ever wonder who makes up this little paradise we all call home? I’ve knocked on every door in town, many twice or three times. I’ve heard a diversity of backgrounds, perspectives and opinions that is refreshing and enlightening. When you have the chance, be sure to spend some time with your neighbors (especially those beyond your block)—it is a valuable experience that helps strengthen the fabric of our community.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve as mayor and to run for re-election!
And from one of our readers: Give me something you will get the council to accomplish during your term. No B.S. Be specific.
Establish a plan for solidifying the funding of the Parks and Recreation Department.
Yes or no, Snow banks on Elk?
Yes.
What surprise group or song would someone find on your iPod?
Utah Saints (no, they’re not a religious rock band).
What candy will you be giving out on Halloween?
Candy Corn.
Favorite junk food?
Jelly Belly’s.
Jeremy Rubingh
mayoral candidate
Any comments on issues that haven’t been raised so far? Any last-minute thoughts to the voters?
It truly has been humbling to throw my hat in the ring for this mayoral race and get so much positive support and feedback. I would be honored to serve our community as the next mayor and bring a much different way of doing things to town hall.
It’s time for leadership that will actually get things done in a collaborative way that works effectively with our staff and council. It’s time for leadership that reflects the progressive values of this community and a future that we are ready to proactively move towards while deeply respecting our character and where we came from here. With my background in policy, government and getting meaningful work across the finish line, I will provide leadership that truly understands the political process and culture of government. I will provide leadership that holds sacred the independent spirit of Crested Butte.
As we have seen with the current leadership, unprecedented consultations from the Colorado Municipal League on the appropriate roles of members of the council reveal a need for clarity, better dialogue and more inclusive leadership that understands the function of these roles and does not overstep the boundaries of this position. These are roles that I fundamentally understand and that Gunnison County has endorsed my understanding of as the vice-chair of the Planning Commission. I promise to provide this type of responsible, collaborative, and open leadership and I would appreciate your support in helping to move our town forward.
And from one of our readers: Give me something you will get the council to accomplish during your term. No B.S. Be specific.
We need to improve our broadband access and service beyond its current limited capacity in our valley. This has been demonstrated to be an important economic driver and is something that we can accomplish in one term if we work collaboratively. This is the type of investment that supports the infrastructure for higher quality employment at our end of the valley that impacts and benefits all of our local businesses.
Another thing that I will get the council to accomplish in my term will be to open the discussion on our parks and recreation funding to the possibility of a regional district. We need to address properly funding this absolutely crucial aspect of our economy and our way of life here in Crested Butte and we will find a way to not only fund this part of our budget appropriately, but also expand it so that we can have a real discussion about the possibility of a new facility like a Rec Center. Addressing our Parks and Rec funding is something we will accomplish in the next two years and is something that will help benefit us for generations to come.
My own experience in working on successful public lands legislation, on the Planning Commission moving development projects forward responsibly, and serving as a volunteer in our community prepares me well and gives me the background to accomplish these things and many more as a consensus builder on town council.
Yes or no, Snow banks on Elk?
Yes.
What surprise group or song would someone find on your iPod?
Bill Withers. I love Motown!
What candy will you be giving out on Halloween?
Kit Kats, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Crunch Bars.
Favorite junk food?
Ice cream sandwiches.
Chris Ladoulis
Council candidate
Any comments on issues that haven’t been raised so far? Any last-minute thoughts to the voters?
I hope that we can get the community to engage with the council on a more regular basis. I’ve had some great conversations lately, where people shared with me why they chose to live here, what they appreciate most and some great ideas about how it could be even better. There are strong opinions about what the town council should or shouldn’t be doing. And one of the most common confessions: “I’ve never attended a council meeting.”
We should always know where members of our community stand and give them a forum to share their thoughts, regardless of whether they can show up for a hearing on a Monday night. If the meetings aren’t widely attended or we don’t have a good sense of local opinion, then the council might need to find other ways to get people involved. If that requires that we stream the council meetings online, or solicit feedback through surveys and outreach to residents and businesses, or request input from an advisory board, then we should evaluate those options.
There are encouraging steps taken by the town recently, including more active web and social media presence. The upcoming community summit November 11 will begin a dialogue about “where we go from here.” I hope we can build on these and see more regular involvement from a broad spectrum of our community.
And from one of our readers: Give me something you will get the council to accomplish during your term. No B.S. Be specific.
There should be a quantifiable measure of our progress toward the big objectives, so we can hold ourselves accountable. If we believe that goals like “affordable housing opportunities,” “improved business climate” and “less traffic congestion on Elk during July”’ are important, then we should translate them into a baseline measure of where we are today. When we discuss making any series of changes, this can be in the context of setting a goal—the more visible the better—so we can share what we attempted and demonstrate if it worked. I’ll work to get the council’s support for a “scorecard” on key initiatives that we can implement as a planning tool.
We’re all in this together, so I hope we can all be involved early in the process. While reading letters to the editor after the fact might be entertaining, I’m looking forward to getting input in advance on how to get things accomplished and make corrections based on what we learn along the way.
Yes or no, Snow banks on Elk?
Yes, please.
What surprise group or song would someone find on your iPod?
Yo Gabba Gabba.
What candy will you be giving out on Halloween?
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, if I don’t eat them all first.
Favorite junk food?
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
Roland Mason
council candidate
Any comments on issues that haven’t been raised so far? Any last minute thoughts to the voters?
I want to take this time to let the public know I am committed to equally weighing both sides of all issues that come before the council. I use the town’s established codes and zoning, as well as public input to make policy decisions that will lead Crested Butte into a prosperous and balanced future.
This election has attracted some very bright candidates. Aside from a few personal attack tactics, this has been an all-around good race. I want to thank the other six candidates for stepping up and volunteering to participate in our town government. In addition, this election marks the first in three cycles (six years) where we have had a mayoral race. It says a lot about our community and the commitment of our residence to give us two well-spoken, energetic people to choose from.
And from one of our readers: Give me something you will get the council to accomplish during your term. No B.S. Be specific.
As I have mentioned before, I have already proposed that the town fund a transportation study. In the 2014 budget the council put money toward a traffic flow master plan. This will set a baseline for future councils to refer to when deciding on things like bridges on the northeast side of town, structures vs. lots, public transit routes, and Elk Ave. congestion.
In addition, here are a few projects I will help complete during my next four-year term. The projects include finding a stable funding source for our Parks and Recreation Department, expanding the Nordic Center to accommodate hockey teams and Nordic skiers, and upgrading our tennis court and skate park.
Yes or no: Snow banks on Elk?
Yes and no. I enjoy the snow banks when they are white and fluffy. I say keep them up if our storm cycles are close together as they add to the charm of Elk Avenue. Visually and for safety reasons (ice on the sidewalks), I would like to see them removed as they deteriorate. Brown and black snow banks do not add to the town’s ambiance. Plus, who wants to see where every dog in town has marked his or her territory? Last, having a plan for when banks are eliminated (including the banks getting too tall), keeps the Elk Avenue businesses in view when the weather is nice and then frames them in a winter wonderland when the snow flies.
What surprise group or song would someone find on your iPod?
My wife has taken liberty to add a few of my daughter’s music class songs to my iPod. You can imagine the embarrassment of being on a construction site, listening to rock and roll, when all of a sudden “I’m so happy to see Leroy… everyone has fun in music class!” comes up.
What candy will you be giving out on Halloween?
Chewy Jolly Ranchers and Baby Ruths. Actually—it’s looking more and more like just the chewy Jolly Ranchers will be left!
Favorite junk food?
Chocolate milk and doughnuts.
Danica Ramgoolam
council candidate
Any comments on issues that haven’t been raised so far? Any last minute thoughts to the voters?
One issue that has recently been brought to my attention is the dangerous school intersection. We are counting on one overworked crossing guard to protect our children on their way to school. She is awesome and does a great job but the intersection itself is really dangerous. There are 60 new kids at the school and most of them are young children. As our town and school grow, I think it would be good to address this issue before there is an accident. I hope to get all involved parties together (the marshals, the school, the crossing guard, the town) and figure out a viable solution so that we can provide a safe journey to and from school for our children.
My last-minute thought to voters would be to let them know how much Crested Butte means to me, and even if I’m not elected I will continue to be involved. If elected I will work hard to stick by our shared values and listen to my fellow community members about what they think needs attention. Also, I am a business owner and I have many qualifications that would make me a good councilperson, including working as a team, budgeting, organizing, management, and working with other businesses. To conclude my campaign I would just like to say, vote for who you think represents this community the most and try not to let this election be a popularity contest. Thanks to everyone who has supported me and I hope that I can have the opportunity to represent my community.
And from one of our readers: Give me something you will get the council to accomplish during your term. No B.S. Be specific.
I have heard a lot about transparent government these last couple months and I was surprised to find out that the Town Council doesn’t have a Facebook page. I think in order to encourage community involvement and create a platform for public comment we need to have a Facebook page and maybe even Twitter. This is the 21st century and we need to keep up with what people use to communicate. Most people don’t have time to come to the meetings and I think the agendas and the important issues that arise are not as accessible as they could be. If we post the agenda on our Facebook page every week and maybe highlight an issue that we would like public comment on we could get more feedback on which to base our decisions. If I am elected I will make sure that we create some sort of presence on social media to get more people involved.
Yes or no: Snow banks on Elk?
I think the compromise the previous council has come to is working. Leave the snow banks during the holidays, then take them away unless they are needed for an event.
What surprise group or song would someone find on your iPod?
Glee cast singing Teenage Dream.
What candy will you be giving out on Halloween?
Hot chocolate at the KBUT Fright Night Parade.
Favorite junk food?
Chocolate.
Jim Schmidt
council candidate
Any comments on issues that haven’t been raised so far? Any last minute thoughts to the voters?
The hiring of the town manager has come up. As I stated at the meeting the vote was taken, local candidates were my number one and two choices. However, when the formal vote was taken the majority of the council had voted for Todd Crosett and I feel that it is important to support the person chosen. It is important to move on from a decision that does not go one’s way. I have watched council members try to sabotage projects when votes didn’t go their way. That does not serve the town well. A councilperson needs to do his or her best to make any decision work for the citizens of Crested Butte.
I must mention experience and a strong institutional memory one more time. The three-seated council members have only two years each on the council and the manager has less than six months. In addition, one of the most senior staff members has recently resigned. It is important to have someone on council who can bring up the pros and cons of issues that have been discussed in the past, to know when circumstances might demand a new look at something, and someone who knows where all the bodies are buried—I am chairing the cemetery committee.
I would also like to thank all those who are running and who have served. It is very humbling to put yourself and your ideas in front of everyone. I would also like to thank all the support and words of encouragement I’ve received from the people of this valley. It makes me feel that I am doing the right thing. Many people say that public service is a thankless job but I have received thanks from many over the years.
And from one of our readers: Give me something you will get the council to accomplish during your term. No B.S. Be specific.
A couple of things I would like to see done. 1. The ice rink is a victim of its own success. We need to improve the locker rooms and bathrooms as well as address the fire safety issues. 2. We need to complete the Deli Trail to Brush Creek by widening the single track section. 3. More trails on the Kochevar parcels, including hopefully a connection to Washington Gulch. 4. Resurface the tennis courts. 5. A resolution of the Red Lady situation. All of these are on the radar screen but it’s important to keep the throttle on.
Yes or no, Snow banks on Elk?
Yes, I love them.
What surprise group or song would someone find on your iPod?
I have a couple of Marlene Dietrich songs as well as Two Cat Trailer.
What candy will you be giving out on Halloween?
Snickers, Reece’s, Three Musketeer’s, all the good stuff that I unfortunately have been addicted to since I went trick or treating.
Favorite junk food…
Ice cream—strawberry ice cream with hot fudge sauce.
Josh Schumacher
council candidate
Any comments on issues that haven’t been raised so far? Any last-minute thoughts to the voters?
By this point in time I think that most people have decided who they are going to vote for. I want to say thanks for taking the time to fill out your ballots and send them off. If you still haven’t sent yours in, please take the time to vote YES on Amendment 66. K-12 education statewide will benefit if this is passed. Let’s look out for our kids!
And from one of our readers: Give me something you will get the council to accomplish during your term. No B.S. Be specific.
As I have stated from the start of this campaign process, I am not running in order to get any one specific thing done during the next four years. I feel like this is part of what is wrong with politics—every one seems to have their interests and agendas. I am running in order to represent my community and make educated decisions on all of the issues that are presented to the council. Maybe I am a little naïve, but I feel that town politics should be as simple as taking input from the community as well as town staff, and the various boards and organizations in town and then working with fellow council members in order to maintain our town and help it grow in a manner that is good for the community. So, “What am I going to get the council to accomplish?” I honestly don’t know. I feel that if elected it would be in the community’s best interest for any new council person to take office with an open mind while further educating themselves on current issues as well as what the town’s future wants and needs may be. Only after this can someone determine what truly needs to be accomplished.
Yes or no: Snow banks on Elk?
Yes. I like the character that the snow banks add to town.
What surprise group or song would someone find on your iPod?
Neil Diamond.
What candy will you be giving out on Halloween?
Skittles and Starbursts.
Favorite junk food…
Skittles and Starbursts.
