MEEKER I All five candidates for the three open seats on the Meeker Town Council spoke to individual questions and then added their thoughts to the other candidates’ responses at the Meeker Chamber of Commerce-sponsored candidate forum Monday night at the Fairfield Center.
Chamber Executive Director Stephanie Kobald emceed the forum, introducing each of the five council trustee candidates and asking them to give brief opening remarks. These remarks paralleled each candidate’s opening responses included in our March 17 Herald Times candidate review.
The chamber had requested questions from Meeker citizens to be submitted to the chamber during the last week or so. Kobald then directed one of these questions to each of the candidates. With only a total of thirty people in attendance, the result was often a roundtable-type discussion between the candidates. There were few, if any, disagreements.
Concern was raised that the forum was a little late in the three week voting period for mailed ballot returns. However, Meeker Town Clerk Lisa Cook said roughly 300 ballots out of the 1,223 mailed out have been received back by the town as of Monday. That approximately 923 ballots yet to be returned, plenty to have a significant impact on the election results if only half of those are used and returned.
Cook said the 300 total as of Monday was 50 ballots ahead of the number received by this time in the election four years ago. Ballots, which were mailed to registered town voters on March 15, must be back in the town offices by 7 p.m. on election day, which is April 5. Persons who have been Meeker residents for at least 20 days before the April 5 date may register to vote with the county clerk up to and through that deadline.
Candidate Chris Lockwood was asked if he would support opening up Fourth Street all the way uphill through the site of the old hospital parking lot. Lockwood responded that he would not, that Meeker needed more people before it needed more through streets, especially given the likely high cost involved. No other candidate disagreed.
Melissa Kindall was asked, in regard to economic development, if there was any type of development she would say “no” to. Kindall responded that she wouldn’t be categorically for or against any given economic development project without knowing a lot more about the project, its pros and cons, where the money would come from and the like.
Travis Day responded that while he supported economic development, he saw no reason for the town to spend any taxpayer dollars trying to bring in a business that would be competition for any businesses that already exist in the community.
Jason Dunham stated that in these times of severely reduced oil and gas activity and fading prospects for coal, the town really needs to focus on developing businesses that would not otherwise be dependent on summer and fall seasonal economies. He urged looking at taking increased advantage of advancing technology.
Lockwood agreed, giving recognition to the county for its efforts to bring broadband to the whole community.
Wendy Gutierrez concurred, saying we need job-creating employers that are not government. “We have all the government agencies,” she said.
Day agreed that the town could help residents already here who have business ideas get started—and mentioned the town has a couple programs already that can help. However, he said, more could be done.
Gutierrez was asked about the appearance of Market Street and how that might be improved.
She emphasized the need to work harder with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) in order to get them to give greater consideration to businesses and townspeople on Market Street (Highway 13), and the safety of pedestrians, especially kids.
CDOT plows need to slow down and be much more responsible in the proper clearing of snow from the sidewalks.
Lockwood seconded those thoughts, adding how important it is that the council figure out how to better tie the river side of town to the downtown side.
One question, directed at incumbent Day, wanted to know how the current council had come to increase the dollar amounts that will be paid to the trustees elected this April. Day, the sole trustee running for re-election, responded that it’s ironic he was given that question since he had voted against the increase. However, he said the council looked at how other towns around were paying their people, did some averaging and came to the decision of $300 per month for trustees and $500 per month for the mayor.
Gutierrez was asked if she had read the Better City (consultants) economic development implementation plan for Meeker and what she thought were its strengths and weaknesses.
Its strengths, she said, are its promotion of public-private partnerships and the great lifestyle it offers. Its weaknesses, she said, come in perhaps comparing Meeker now with communities like Steamboat Springs, Aspen and Glenwood Springs, which already have strong recreation bases like ski areas, destination resorts, and more “pull” for tourist activity.
She said she disagrees with folks who think Meeker is nothing but a big summer and fall economy based on public lands.
The Better City effort, Gutierrez said, is important because as a community we have to try, we have to explore the potentials, and maybe there are private companies who can be found that have the ability and interest in investing in Meeker.
Kindall was asked if the Better City concepts had enough going for them in the off months, November-May, to justify the cost of the consultants and their implementation effort. Kindall responded that “yes, those costs are not that great, and we have to try.”
Kindall said more than once that she believes Meeker is on the verge of something [good], she just doesn’t quite know yet what it is.
Dunham was asked what he thought about the possibility for regulated marijuana sales in Meeker. He said he had given this question a lot of thought, that it’s not critical to him either way, but from the town’s perspective, it could have considerable impact through sales tax revenues. He said a complete analysis is needed regard specific business proposals, business plans and feasibility.
Day said he was personally against the sales of marijuana in Meeker but he and Kindall agreed that in any case, it should go to a public vote of the people.
Lockwood insisted that since it’s not yet federally approved, it would have to go to a vote of the people. He questioned if Meeker could even realistically support a marijuana business.
Attending townspeople then entered the discussion. Becky Dunham wondered if the town couldn’t do more to support the ideas the county has for improving the fairgrounds and arena to to attract more events.
Kindall suggested that the county needs to “get all the pieces together” and increase collaboration with the town and others to build support and get us all on the same page.
Joe Conrado, a retired gravel and concrete purveyor, raised concerns about there being significant differences between the services that Meeker provides and services Rangely provides. He particularly noted tree trimming and limb removal services, and clearing snow off the town’s new highway sidewalks.
It was pointed out that the town had discontinued tree services because it was competing with a couple of private businesses. The snowplowing and sidewalk clearing issues re-emphasized the need for greater cooperation from CDOT.
Becky Dunham praised the town crews for careful and thoughtful efforts, including snow removal.
Mayor Regas Halandras, in the audience, himself running unopposed for re-election, reminded folks that it takes more and more money these days to provide some of the same services we always had. You can’t argue for more services and oppose the tax base necessary to pay for them, he said.
Gutierrez summarized that she felt whoever was elected, a positive effect would result from the changes, and everyone should remember we’re all in this together.
