NEDERLAND — Town residents got a sampling Wednesday night of where this year’s seven Board of Trustees candidates stand on some key issues during a public forum.
About 40 people filled the community center’s multi-purpose room for the event, in advance of next month’s election which will fill three seats on the town board.
Each of the seven candidates was asked just one question at the event. The seven queries, provided to candidates at random 24 hours before the forum, were drafted after organizers collected questions from town residents and boiled them down to central issues, moderators Janette Taylor and Greg Ching said.
Roger Cornell, a recent retiree and former three-time Nederland trustee, was asked how he would assess the town’s infrastructure and maintain it in a way that will keep residents happy.
Cornell said one of the best things the board could do is support town employees who are working on infrastructure issues.
“We actually have a great staff right now,” he said. “We need to support them because in the past there has been too much turnover in personnel, and the only way you accomplish consistent maintenance of all these products is to have a great staff.”
Kevin Mueller is the only incumbent on the ballot this year, as fellow trustees Chris Perret and Ledge Long are preparing to leave the board. Mueller, running on a platform of continuing his efforts to improve sustainability, was asked how he would respond to a situation where he had to vote on something supported by “much of the public” but that he personally opposed out of belief in the greater good.
“I don’t think decisions should be made based on opinions and beliefs. I think decisions should be made on facts and evidence,” said Mueller, an engineer, adding that he would come up with ideas and carefully analyze each option before making a decision.
Candidate Topher Donahue, a writer and photographer, was asked what models of sustainability he prefers and how he intends to implement them in Nederland.
“We do need to be on the forefront of the best green building practices, but it needs to be affordable and doable,” he said. “As a society we get a big, fat F. We’re failing huge in sustainability, and if we shoot for A + or nothing we will fail, so we need to try to advance ourself to a B+ standard, advance from where we are now.”
Charles Wood, who recently retired from a career in which he managed large engineering and construction programs, was asked if pro-cannabis legislation is sending mixed messages to Nederland’s children.
Wood said he favors cannabis legalization for legal reasons but that it is important to teach responsibility.
“The responsibility is dispersed to the parents, to the peers, to the schools to make sure the kids understand that they have a responsibility to act responsibly, whether it’s alcohol, whether it’s marijuana,” he said.
Kris Larsen, a planetary scientist who is chairman of the town’s planning commission, was asked what criteria are important when considering annexation.
“It’s a matter of working through infrastructure, the professional opinions (of town officials) and looking at the town’s well-laid-out planning process and the documents put together over the past five to 10 years to decide if it’s the right fit for the town,” he said.
Cheryl Fanelli, who owns a local gift shop and last week received the go-ahead to open a private cannabis club in Nederland, was asked how to balance the business benefits of outdoor festivals in town with residents’ desire not to deal with noise and other negative impacts.
Pointing out that last week’s Frozen Dead Guy Days festival earned the nickname “Frozen Drunk Guy Days” among some, she said town residents should be the first consideration over whether or not a festival is a good idea.
“We need to make sure that festivals are run with everyone in town in mind,” she said.
The final question was posed to David Hardy, owner of local Internet provider Nedernet and 17-year town resident.
He was asked, in part, what the town’s role should be in economic development.
“The town’s role mainly, I guess, is to provide infrastructure to all of our businesses to exist and prosper, and I think to that end the more fertile ground we can provide, the better,” he said. “Things like parking and our streets, we need to take care of them.”
The walk-in election will be at the Nederland Community Center, 750 Colo. 72, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. April 1.
Contact Camera Staff Writer Joe Rubino at 303-473-1328 or rubinoj@dailycamera.com.
