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Mayor
Yellow Scene endorses Joe Wilson
when it comes to vision and leadership, we believe Joe Wilson has proven himself to be effective and efficient. And we believe he deserves another term. Wilson is staunchly focused on pursuing commercial services and development in town, which is badly needed for the future. That means outreach, and he’s put in a lot of time and energy into reaching out to potential businesses. He’s a big-picture person, and we feels that’s what we need right now. If re-elected, we’d like to see him work to bring the board together. Divisiveness on the BOT has become an issue, and as a mayor, we’d like to see him focus on ensuring that debate is healthy, that decisions are inclusive and that all policies are for the good of residents. With all that said, we’ve appreciated Cheryl Hauger’s work during her two terms, and we hope she stays active in the town happenings.
Trustees
Yellow Scene endorses Paul Ogg, Jonathan Hager and Dan Woog
Paul Ogg is an academic, and that’s often the role he takes on the board (he does have his Ph.D. in molecular biology, and he’s an associate professor at the Colorado School of Mines). Ogg sees one of the community’s biggest challenges as maintaining Erie’s small town feel while increasing commercial businesses and upping sales tax revenues. He’d like the next board to “creatively and aggressively pursue properties needed for our long-term financial security,” so that the town’s borders are solidified, but he’d also like to see a strong focus on commercial development in the coming years. And we love that one of his major priorities is to extend Erie’s trail network to isolated portions of town and appreciate his well thought out goals for mitigating the negative impacts of the oil and gas projects in Erie.
Jonathan Hager currently serves on the planning commission, and we like his stance on commercial development: he supports the longterm build-out plan for Erie, and he’d like to see current development standards maintained. And while some of his opinions and stances differ from Mayor Wilson and some trustees, we believe that Hager will be an asset to the discussions happening the future. “First, I will work to change the culture on the board to eliminate divisiveness and establish a cooperative and cohesive team,” Hager wrote in his YS profile.
Dan Woog serves on the Erie Economic Development Council and he’s a small business owner. Woog is focused on maintaining quality of life, while being strategic with development: “We will maintain our quality of life by pursuing large commercial development on the highways surrounding our community while offering space for smaller retailers near the Four Corners area as well as Old Town,” Woog said in his YS profile. We also think that, as someone with a young family, he’s a great person to have on the board as the fracking discussion continues, ensuring that the board takes the lead in helping protect air and water quality.
Question 2a
Yellow Scene votes Yes
Continuing the 4 mill levy will ensure the town completes the trail network and protect natural areas. Both have been identified as highly important to residents.
Question 2b
Yellow Scene votes Yes
2b gives residents in Northridge the option to purchase a segment of land between their yards and a ditch for $1 on the terms that the land-owners maintain the property and that the town holds an easement on the property. The town currently does not maintain the property, so it would allow home-owners to add the land to their yards.
I would like to say that I am glad the yellow Scene is here fro those that want to read it, but I believe the paper has missed it’s mark on the endorsement of Joe. I believe strongly that a man must stand by his words and during his run for election he said that he was running for only one term, hey Joe your term is done. Not only is it done but I believe you have made some immense errors with business, with monies he spent without the boards or towns approval and I believe he has lacked any direction on the environment. NOAA report on elevated levels of ozone-causing gases was a leading catalyst preempting a vote on a previously failed moratorium vote. This new vote which was brought to the table by an emergency ordinance to temporarily ban new gas drilling permits from being filed with the town of 180 days to study the safe guards was supported by Cheryl Hauger.
As a father of two, both in school at Erie Elementary I was amazed at the proximity which enabled fracking in the back yard of the school. My heighten awareness came by the paper and the Facebook group Erie Rising. Never has “not in my back yard” carried such a blaring siren and call to action. My kids spend approximately 180 days at school, coincidentally the same amount of time as the moratorium to study the problem. Well, there is 180 days times 6 years of school at Erie Elementary until they move just across the street for another 4 years making up 1800 days or 43,000 hours or 154,800,000 seconds -It only takes a second for one of the trucks caring toxic chemicals right by the schools to text Encana we have a problem. How many trucks drive by and how many days-you can do that math.
Cheryl supports that safe guard measures are in place and Cheryl was one of the first to support the idea of a moratorium and had to push to get momentum behind it. Joe was dragged to the vote, not the type of leader I want at the helm.
Joe wants to be paid for this work, and be paid by his vote! Joe does not even stand up as a man to say I believe in the work I am doing and want to get the voters support by giving them a say on if he should be paid. I am not sure that the trustees and officers don’t deserve to be paid, they might, but I know an underhanded move when I see it. With the current budget crossing the 1 million dollar mark and a short fall I’m not sure we can pay it. What I do know is that the town people deserve a vote in that matter. They are smart, they live here and they should be given the facts to decide. Don’t shove through a vote without a voice from those that will have to pay for your service. Joe’s alliance to the airport group is another real problem that I have.
An alliance and group which supports some real problems with the airport and run way 927. This same group that supported and hired contractors to do work without the required reviews giving the town an insurance liability issue. This is more then the attractive nuisance to the town but one which went against what the 30,000 dollar budgeted by the town payed to the Boyd group to recommend a plan to solve a problem. A problem as far as I can see was one that the airport did not pay for itself. If that’s a problem that needs studying, shh here’s the answer the business isn’t bring in enough revenue. Charge more for those that use it or bring in more to do business with it, there that was free! The Boyd group suggested a hanger(s) to pay the airports way. Imagine that, paying your own way, what a novel idea! You mean those that use it will pay for it. This means no extensions or fixing to runway that the town will have to pay for! We can have land use that will build homes, bring in revenue for the town. Win, win in my book!
Cheryl has our back I’m backing her ! Cheryl has been on the board for years and knows what is going on, she has responsible growth in mind.
John Ahrens
Erie Colorado
John, we had differing ideas in the office, but ultimately our editor is the one who does the interviews, the research and is the voice of the magazine and therefore since she does the work is the one to call the shot. We often agree, but when we dont, I usually exercise my own vote!
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