Mt. CB votes against virtual council member participation

Kolodziej silently watches via Zoom

By Kendra Walker

During its March 21 meeting, the Mt. Crested Butte town council decided not to change its current policy regarding virtual attendance by council members, which does not allow council members to participate or vote virtually when they are unable to attend in person. 

At a previous meeting, the council was split on whether to allow council members to tune into council meetings via Zoom to participate in discussions and vote. Council member Roman Kolodziej was an advocate for the change; however, he was unable to attend the March 21 meeting in person. He tuned in remotely but was not permitted to say anything or vote on the issue. Town attorney Gerald Dahl offered to share Kolodziej’s thoughts that had been passed on to him prior to the meeting. The council agreed.  

“This has been a big issue for Roman and it’s something that’s important to him. The irony is that we’re having this discussion about Roman…” mayor Nicholas Kempin said, pointing to Kolodziej’s video on Zoom. 

Staff prepared a decision tree to help the council determine parameters if the majority wanted virtual participation in some form. Dahl shared that Kolodziej was in support of allowing virtual participation. However, in a straw poll, the rest of the council voted 5-1 against, with councilmember Michael Bacani voting in favor. 

Councilmembers Steve Morris and Dwayne Lehnertz, who had expressed more enthusiasm toward virtual participation during the previous discussion, changed their minds and voted no this time around. Lehnertz did not disclose why, but Morris noted the ideas of tradition and legacy. 

“There are a few institutions that walk a sacred line historically, and government is one of those,” said Morris. “It feels like it might be more of a slippery slope than I had originally given it credit. There’s a value to the in-person discussion and I do not support (virtual participation).”

There is one exception, however, as council members can participate in matters related to the Homestead settlement based on a special resolution they passed last year. 

The council also discussed whether they should revisit the topic in the future. While Dahl shared that Kolodziej preferred to revisit it at the next meeting when all council members could be physically present, the rest of the council agreed that the next Mt. Crested Butte council can revisit it when they are sworn in after the November 2024 election.