ISSUE #136: Summer AmusemANT?! 7/28/17

"Instead of giving a politician the keys to the city, it might be better to change the locks.  " -- Doug Larson

SKIPPY AND TORRE UNITE TO UP-END ASPEN ELECTIONS If you can't win the old-fashioned way, change the way, right?  On the heels of the June 6 run-off election that put Ward Hauenstein on council, two aggrieved candidates, Torre and Skippy, announced plans to rally their millennial brethren (never mind Torre isn't one, it's just that his mentality is similar to theirs) to lobby for wholesale changes to Aspen's spring municipal elections. This clearly stems from the fact their demographic hardly bothered to vote (despite both the general election and the run-off being conducted by mail-in ballots and administered by perhaps the most generous and lenient city clerk ever, who moved heaven and earth to get ballots to those who requested them).  The two believe that if they force a date change to Aspen's voting season (making it earlier) via an amendment to the city charter, this issue will fix itself.  And if Aspen were to additionally re-adopt Instant Run-off Voting (IRV) and/or allow everyone to vote via the internet, all the better.     Recall the major mess that IRV caused in 2009, resulting in its immediate repeal in 2010 and a significant lawsuit against the city that they eventually settled in 2012.  (History HERE.) Aspen has a LONG memory, kiddos.  We've been down THAT path before and we ain't going back!!  As for internet voting, are you kidding me?  The whole purpose of these wanton changes is so that the two one-namers can gather their young sycophants over free beers and pizzas at the brewery and group vote together.  It's about the only way they can figure how to create a voting block!  Millennials don't have stamps, you see, and they look at voting as something they have a right to do, but only exercise that right if it's easy.   Ahhhh, but wait.  Councilman Adam Frisch, prepping for his inevitable run for mayor next cycle and wanting to court the millennial demographic, quickly applauded the concept, ignoring the potential downsides by stating unequivocally that more voters is always better.  Always?  Just think: Aspen's ever-present laws of unintended consequences are waiting to pounce on a potential date change.  Imagine if elections were held the first week of April instead of May.  Many more people would indeed be in town and could arguably more readily access, vote and submit their ballots, but the question remains - in the heart of Aspen's March high season, would they?  Would they actually take the time to learn about the issues or meet the candidates?  Skippy emphasizes that such a change to the election calendar is a necessary means of ending "voter disenfranchisement" in Aspen.  (There's always a discriminatory rationale when these whiners don't get their way, isn't there?)  He goes on to say that those who are "disenfranchised" are so to the degree that they are already on vacation in May, despite being "younger, poorer and more diverse" than the rest of the Aspen registered voters who manage to ask for an absentee ballot or make arrangements to vote.  Yep, he said it HERE.   Furthermore, with an early April election, who is going to run for office?  With the bulk of those eligible for candidacy working their tails off in late February and March, often at multiple jobs, just who will be able to make the necessary rounds of door-knocking and phone-calling that have become mandates for voter consideration?  Or will it be self-selecting -- only those who do not have to work can campaign through 5-6 weeks of the high season?  I suppose that works well for Skippy, as he has no discernible means of employment, and Torre (who I'm sure is not through running for elected office in Aspen) who teaches tennis in the summertime.  But if you're like me, and appreciate a diverse mix of citizens at the council table, especially including those who work, the perceived "conveniences" of an earlier election cycle are heavily outweighed by the "inconveniences": less representative candidates, a distracted voter base, and especially, pandering to one voter group that has proven itself thus far to be too disinterested to participate in local elections.  No, thanks!!   THE "#RESIST" SIGN AT 7TH & MAIN SUBSIDIZED HOUSING You've seen it.  It's been there for months -- the big "#RESIST" (anti-Trump) banner prominently hanging on the front of the subsidized housing complex at 7th and Main, across from the Hickory House for all who enter Aspen to see.  After I'd heard from a critical mass of you, I contacted APCHA, because surely the housing authority has rules about political banners, right?  Wrong.  But the homeowner's association of that very complex sure does, and they're ABUNDANTLY clear.   Their HOA Declarations (7.8 p24 HERE) state: "No signs or advertising devices of any nature shall be erected or maintained on any part of the project without the prior written consent of the Association, which, solely with the respect to the commercial unit, shall not be unreasonably withheld."  (There are no commercial units in the building, by the way.)   My correspondence with the APCHA director about this "discrepancy" proved futile, although he was entirely sympathetic. As unbelievable as it may sound, APCHA cannot force an HOA in its portfolio (that we all paid for) to adhere to its own rules.  Yep, it's another example of the inmates running the asylum.  He even ran it up the city management flagpole, only to be told that a formal (signed) complaint must first be lodged with the Community Development department.  The city attorney was pessimistic about any remedy because the city would not get involved in "free speech" issues.  It was agreed that HOA's SHOULD enforce their own rules, but APCHA was reminded that it has no legal authority to force an HOA to do so.   The issue certainly raises a host of questions and puts the answers on a very slippery slope. The Red Ant ponders, what if said banner were pro-Trump?  A Confederate flag?  Or what about a swastika?  What would the city do then?  Has Aspen become the place where political speech is only protected for certain points of view?    BAG TAX UPDATE Just as a refresher, in 2012 Aspen enacted a ban on reusable plastic bags accompanied by a 20 cent charge for paper bags if grocery shoppers did not bring their own.  This "fee," as the city deemed it, was immediately challenged as a "tax," that, according to Colorado's own TABOR laws, mandates a public vote for approval.  The non-profit Colorado Union of Taxpayers immediately sued the city on what they see as a violation of TABOR.  In 2014, the city prevailed in district court. No surprise.  Then in 2015, the city again prevailed at the appellate level.  In 2016, the Colorado Supreme Court agreed to hear the case, intending to determine, "What standard of review a court should apply when deciding whether the levying of a charge by a local government, without voter approval, violates TABOR."  Oral arguments were made before the Supremes in June 2017.  Their decision will have precedent-setting ramifications with far-reaching impacts and could possibly establish a less-stringent government fee-setting standard.  After all, the bag "fee" is a framework that can be replicated for anything.  We all await the outcome.  (And, FYI, The Red Ant has always believed this so-called "fee" to be an illegal tax.)   The strangest thing of all to contemplate is why Aspen didn't call it a tax to begin with and simply put it to a vote.  In greenie Aspen, it would easily have passed. Could it be that the consequences are intentional -- to launch a seemingly innocuous trial balloon in a small town setting in hopes of CREATING an avenue to bypass TABOR, enabling new government fees for just about anything?  Food for thought.   ASPEN'S WALL:ART MUSEUM FURTHER IMPACTS ITS SURROUNDINGS  In case you had forgotten what "art" is, the Aspen Art Museum remains in its role to show you.  This season's external installment, part of the museum's landscape requirement to provide rotating art exhibits on the corner of Spring and Hyman outside of the museum itself, features a 12' tall, L-shaped wall in the middle of the pedestrian plaza.  According to the Aspen Daily News, the intent of this piece is to "challenge the viewer's comfort level and push them to re-evaluate their surroundings."  Aspen's community development office approved the installation because it met mandatory ADA accessibility and sight triangle distance requirements.  The museum director added, "If it's unclear and confusing, that's ok."  Is it though?      WARD WATCH: NEW COUNCILMAN OFF TO A SHAKY START We worked hard to elect him.  And I was the first to say that we wouldn't always agree.  But Ward made an astounding decision recently that raises questions about his role on council.  Yes, already.     The issue at hand was a vote on the financing of the city's new Taj Mahal City Hall.  Yes, you're right, we kinda won 16 months ago when it was decided that city offices would remain in the historic Armory and a new building would be built on Galena Plaza for additional office space (vs the proposed "one roof" 50,000 sf Taj). (Reference ISSUE #122)  But the city's new building has grown and grown and grown, so now it's the Armory AND nearly 40,000 sf of the proposed Taj, approved by council this year on April 3.  But to build or not to build was NOT the question on July 11. It was simply how to pay for it.  All $23 million of it.  Two choices were presented to council:  general obligation bonds (GOB) or certificates of participation (COP).  It was rather straightforward.  GOB, by law, must be approved by the voters.  COP do not, plus they're more expensive.  (COP have become a popular voter work-around, avoiding the legal requirement that the city not incur large debt without taxpayer approval.)  In Aspen's case, GOB would save the city $400,000 in present value dollars (a conservative estimate).  But apparently financing costs are immaterial in Aspen.    The simple question on financing was apparently too simple, so council conflated and distorted the issue to such a degree that one of the more contentious meetings in recent history ensued: Ann re-lived the old argument of whether or not to build a new city hall, which was totally irrelevant to the issue at hand. Adam disparagingly characterized citizens' legal right to vote on incurring public debt as "holding an election every other day." Steve, ever confused by complex issues even though this wasn't one, questioned whether this issue is a tax question or a land use question.  (It's neither.  It's a financing question.) With utter contempt for their constituents, and, fearing a NO vote, a campaign where the project's opponents might mis-represent the city's need for massive amounts of new office space, and voters who wouldn't understand the nuances of the space allegedly needed, Ann, Adam and Steve voted for COP. (They know better than the voters.)   Several vocal citizens who oppose the project in its entirety managed to completely derail the meeting which was specifically about financing.  Sure, they're entitled to their opinions during public comment (and for the record I support their premise), but the vote of the evening was not an up/down vote on the project.  This was neither the time nor the place. City Manager Steve Barwick weighed in against GOB, comparing voter's enthusiasm for voting to tax themselves for government buildings with getting a colonoscopy.  (What a guy!?)  Besides, 40,000 sf of more office space enables him to continue to enlarge his already bloated bureaucracy, despite the fact that now days people simply work differently, and laptops and tele-commuting are modern and viable alternatives to the formal office settings of yesteryear. And note: Barwick will be the maharaja of the new Taj, so more is, of course, more. Bert wisely voted for GOB, stating that if voters say no, it's time to go back to the drawing board. And sadly, Ward fell prey to the chaos of the unstructured meeting and lost his focus of representing the will of the people, the very principle and promise he ran on.  He started the night strongly in favor of GOB.  But when the meeting came off the rails and became a street fight about whether or not to build the building itself, Ward caved.  Fearing a campaign of misinformation (hell, aren't they all) and a future of leasing office space from the private sector, he lost his way. Losing the focus that the only real question at hand was one of financing options, he flip-flopped and in the end voted for COP.  Yep, our guy whose track record of standing up to the government and empathizing with citizens voted to let the city bypass voters on a major debt issue because the bureaucrats feared a NO vote. By joining the other three with his vote, Ward signed on to the long-standing political belief in city hall that "they" in power know better than the rest of us. But it is not too late.  There is one last re-affirmation vote on the financing in early August.  The Red Ant encourages you to write to Ward ASAP HERE and help guide him back on track.  Please remind him to focus on the issue at hand in the upcoming vote: FINANCING. Period. Hold him to his citizen-centric campaign promises. His concerns about the city leasing more and more office space at private sector rates are certainly valid, but that is another issue entirely.  If the public denies the cheaper GOB at the polls, council can still proceed - later - with COP, at their own political peril.  Or, as Bert contends, they can go back to the drawing board.  It's just a matter of following logical steps and not getting overwhelmed by the chaos and turmoil the mayor allows and enables at his meetings.   COMIN' DOWN THE PIKE: WHAT OUR BUREAUCRATS ARE UP TO The following are several dubious projects and programs that The Red Ant is closely following.  Look for more information in coming issues.  I'm on it!!   >>>CASTLE CREEK TRAIL A proposed pedestrian/bike trail linking the Marolt Housing project and the campus shared by the Aspen Country Day School (ACDS) and the Aspen Music Festival and School along Castle Creek Road is back on the front burner after a decade.  The current proposal is for a 3300 ft long path from the existing speed bumps at Marolt to the ACDS entrance, with a cost estimate of $6 million.  Yep, $6 million.  That's nearly $2000 a lineal foot.  The schools have wanted this for decades and 10 years ago an earlier proposal was shot down in the courts when local property owners sued over the county's failure to follow its own permitting process and dubious public outreach.  The County is back, seeking input this time (however, not more cost effective alternatives), but the gist remains the same: a cantilevered path above a steep embankment, 8 ft wide with curbs on both sides, that's covered in snow for about 6 months of the year from the Castle Creek snowplows, with a 200 ft stretch that is subject to rockslides from the opposite side of the road, necessitating the removal of 100+ trees and diminishing property values along the way.   The rationale is on one hand, safety. ACDS wants its kids to ride bikes to school, and the Music School students often walk between Marolt and the campus during the 9-week summer season despite the free RFTA service.  Plus, the county wants to connect the campus to its trail system. There is also a biker safety argument floating around but that's less of a concern in my book because road bikers are going to use the road, regardless.  On the other hand, the opposition is quick to point out the environmental impact (removal of so many trees along their properties), the aesthetics (a cantilevered monolith in their front yards and along the gateway to the pristine Castle Creek Valley), and the phenomenally high cost for such a small constituency when other options have yet to be considered.     A recent public meeting presented what's at stake, again, and the positions have changed very little since 2007.  The price has tripled, however, and the politics are hot.  Respected longtime local Jon Busch wrote before the meeting that this 6/10 of a mile trail is "the most important missing piece of our trail inventory," and without it, someone is going to get hit, or worse.  After the meeting, Busch immediately wrote that he sees it a bit differently.  And kudos for him for hearing the other side and cogitating on it.  His "Spartan" idea sounds to me like a VERY workable solution.  How about duplicating local examples already at work?  Like Cemetery Lane, narrow the road and slow down the traffic in this section.  This will create a shoulder for bikes and pedestrians, which will be paved like the roadway but will have bollards placed to keep cars from crossing into the designated pathway.  "Lower cost.  Not a single tree cut down.  What's not to like?" Busch wrote.  And regarding the rockslide danger?  Emulate the barrier used at Shale Bluffs.     I like the thinking, but will the Castle Creek Caucus play ball with this more Spartan trail in their midst?  They prevailed in the courts last time and are willing to fight again.  What about the schools? They want the trail so badly at any (public) cost that they even filmed a propaganda video of the entire 4thand 5th grade ACDS classes on a "mandatory bike day" to show the dangerous chaos of many children riding bikes along the road, despite a known survey that showed on average 3 students and 3 teachers rode their bikes to campus during school days in September and October 2016. Then there's the county's Open Space and Trails board (OST) that had a $12.5 million fund balance at the end of 2016.  These folks are always looking for projects (irrespective of cost) to justify the perpetuation of their dedicated funding source.     To be continued....   >>>MUNICIPAL WATER STORAGE In 2016, the city filed controversial due diligence to maintain its conditional water rights and stated intent to build ginormous dams and reservoirs in the Castle and Maroon Creek valleys to meet future municipal water needs in the case of an apocalyptic drought.  Perhaps seeing the error of its ways, city council is now considering a host of other water storage options.  Con$ultants are working to determine if the land beneath the golf course, the Maroon Creek Club course and/or Cozy Point Ranch is viable for water storage, and the city is also under contract for a giant land purchase in Woody Creek to which they hope to transfer their existing water rights.  These 63 acres have been on the market for ages with no action, but are now under contract for $2.65 million, likely far more than the land is worth given its prime location next to an industrial gravel pit/asphalt yard, race track and antennae farm.  This purchase, reminiscent of the city's $18 million BMC lumberyard purchase in 2008, is considered the centerpiece for a re-worked solution to the dams/reservoirs scenario that is currently being challenged by no fewer than 10 respected environmental entities, including: American Rivers, Colorado Trout Unlimited, Wilderness Workshop, Western Reserve Advocates and Pitkin County's own Healthy Rivers board, among others.   It's up to the water court to decide if the city's conditional water rights can be transferred in this manner, but if they can, look for the city to complete their purchase and spend untold millions constructing the facilities and infrastructure to collect and move water UP VALLEY to Aspen.

ISSUE #135: Simply fANTastic: Ward Wins!!! 6/16/17

"The person who said winning isn't everything never won anything."     --   Mia Hamm

WARD DEFIES HISTORY AND BEATS TORRE BY 29 VOTES! If I've written it here once, I've written it numerous times -- in the People's Republic of Aspen, your vote REALLY, REALLY counts!!  Just 1837 voters (of 5333 ballots mailed to active voters -- a mere 34%) bothered to vote in the run-off election between Ward Hauenstein and former councilman Torre for the remaining open council seat following incumbent Art Daily's defeat and incumbent Ann Mullins' re-election on May 2. (Ann won her seat outright with over 45% +1 of the votes cast and avoided a run-off.)  In the end, just 27 votes separated the candidates -- a narrow 1.5% margin of victory for Ward. (Ward 932 - Torre 905.) This was particularly notable, not only because of the exceedingly close vote count, but also because the results defied recent history; Torre and Ward qualified for the council seat run-off on May 2 based on the outcome of the May 2 general election in which Torre garnered 973 votes to Ward's 895. According to the Aspen Times, no candidate has made up a deficit in a runoff election after gaining fewer votes than their opponent in the general election. As a long time supporter of Ward's and having endorsed him in The Red Ant in both the 2017 general and run-off elections, I know firsthand that his victory is attributable to a couple of key factors.  In short: having a compelling rationale for running, reaching out across the Aspen voter spectrum, and simply (or not so simply) doing the hard work.   A CONCISE, POPULAR PLATFORM WITH ACTIONABLE GOALS Ward, a frequent critic of the lack of transparency and poor processes of city hall, ran on three principal issues -- optimizing our subsidized housing inventory, protecting local vendors from predatory practices of deadbeat businesses, and ensuring that Aspen voters have a say should the local government ever want to build dams in the Castle and Maroon Creek valleys. These issues clearly appealed to the local electorate, but it was likely his "we can do this right now" ideas and plans to address them that impressed voters the most.  In short order, look for Ward to prioritize these issues with a strong push right out of the gate to elevate them onto council's Top Ten Priorities list.  He envisions the immediate formation of a task force that will look at different solutions for optimizing the housing inventory that we already have in our portfolio.  He will also look for viable ways that the city can hold businesses accountable for paying their local vendors, perhaps through linking business licenses to fulfilling contracted financial obligations. And regarding the dams, it will take a change to the city charter through a vote, but Ward is adamant that voters should have the final word if/when future councils decide to dam our pristine wilderness. (Having spearheaded the campaigns to defeat the Hydro Plant in 2012 and the Base2 lodge in 2015, Ward - if anyone - knows how to get it done at the voter level.) TRANSCENDING "THE SOCIAL LASAGNE" We are a diverse and multi-faceted electorate with widely and wildly divergent priorities and opinions.  I'm always curious to study the endorsement lists of the various candidates when these are proudly printed in candidates' newspaper ads.  Ward is his own man.  He belongs to no cabal.  But he has skillfully managed to navigate, win votes and attention, and effectively cut through the many rich and differing and vital and spicy and gooey layers of all that make Aspen, Aspen.  In the end, that's a huge advantage when running for elected office here!! OLD FASHIONED RETAIL POLITICKING It's one thing to contract out for a political mailing and buy some ads in the local papers.  It's another thing entirely to study the voter list, target specific voters with messages on issues they are known to care about, knock on hundreds of doors and make personal phone calls.  (In his estimate, Ward knocked on 650 doors and made over 900 phone calls.)  It's hard work.  It's time consuming.  It's even more of a challenge when running a full-time business. The dedication and personal connection mean a lot here, perhaps more than they should, but when just 27 votes make or break a campaign, those last 55 reminder calls on the afternoon of Election Day are clearly well worth the effort!!  THE 2017 - 2019 COUNCIL As the sole "new guy," Ward joined councilmen Adam Frisch and Bert Myrin at the council table, along with recently re-elected councilwoman Ann Mullins and mayor Steve Skadron, when they began the new term on June 12.  (Frisch and Myrin are 2 years into their 4-year terms, Frisch's second and Myrin's first. Ward and Ann now begin their 4 year terms, and Steve begins his third and final 2-year term as mayor.) The Red Ant is delighted with the election outcome.  Thank you to all who voted.  It is important that we have a new voice at the table.  In addition to Ward's fresh new attitude and perspective, we have gained the public service of a good man. Ward is honest. Ward is hard-working.  He will be prepared.  He will listen to all sides.  He is beholden to no one and will make thoughtful decisions.  We may not always agree - and I don't for a minute expect that we will - but if I know one thing, it's that Ward won't make impulsive decisions or cast irrational votes.  He will hear us out. DATA, SCHMATA I am currently pulling together and crunching the numbers from the recent elections and hope to have some interesting tidbits for you in the next issue. This will be particularly fitting given the recent activism of defeated candidates Torre and Skippy, who are already organizing and agitating to make wholesale changes to Aspen's voting apparatus, of course without even contemplating Aspen's nemesis -- the law of unintended consequences.  (I believe the data will show that the millennial demographic voting block didn't vote, and the two aspire to coddle these voters in the future with beer parties and group voting shenanigans during the ski season to "make it easy for them to vote" before they dash off to Moab and other off-season pursuits.)  Stay tuned. AND A SPECIAL THANKS TO JOAN... ... whose clever post-election email message to The Red Ant warrants sharing with the Aspen voters who got it done:   "Thank you for reWARDing us with Mr. Hauenstein."

ISSUE #134: I MeANT to Tell You to Vote!! 5/23/2017

"While I can't promise you that I'm going to be a perfect candidate and I can't promise you that I'm not going to make mistakes, I can unequivocally promise you that no one, no one, will work harder on your behalf, no one will fight harder with you and no one will make you more proud."        --  Alexi Giannoulias

WE'VE GOT OURSELVES A RUN-OFF, FOLKS! As predicted, it was a low turnout election.  Of approximately 6400 registered voters in Aspen, 5426 are considered "active," and of those, only 2413 cast a ballot on May 2 in Aspen's recent municipal election.   Congratulations to Steve Skadron, re-elected (no surprise) to his third and final mayoral term with 1875 of the votes cast (challenger Lee Mulcahy received 378 and another 160 left the mayoral "bubble" blank), and incumbent Ann Mullins, who garnered 1108 votes, enough to be re-elected to her second council term in the first round.  As a result of no other candidate reaching the 45% plus one threshold, the No. 2 and No. 3 vote getters in the 6-person field will face a run-off for the one remaining council seat on June 6:  Torre (with 972 votes) and Ward Hauenstein (who captured 894).   GET YOUR BALLOT - HERE'S HOW - AND VOTE ON JUNE 6 Ballots will again be mailed to all active voters in the city last week.  Early voting will be held from 8a to 5p, Monday - Friday, from May 22 through June 5 at the city clerk's office on the second floor of City Hall (130 S. Galena), including from 9a to 3p on Saturday, June 3.   You may also request an absentee ballot by completing THIS form and returning it to the clerk's office.  Forms must be received by June 2 in order for a ballot to be sent out to you.   PLEASE take the time to vote in this run-off election.  Yes, it matters.  A lot.  And your vote most certainly counts!   Questions?  Please contact the city clerk at (970) 429-2685.   VOTE FOR WARD I'm not going to change a thing endorsement-wise.  The June 6 ballot has two names on it and I encourage you to again vote for Ward Hauenstein -- for many reasons.  Let's face it, we know of a few issues facing council in the near-term, but no one can predict which critical issues will arise to challenge council in the next four years.  Given that two of the three incumbents running for re-election were successful, NOW is the time for a new voice at the council table to change the dynamic and bring fresh ideas and perspective to the debate.  Aspen needs a council member with the right qualities to handle ANY issue in the community's best interest.  Both candidates are eligible, but only Ward is qualified.  Specifically:   Proven leadership when leadership is needed:  Ward's willingness to stand up and speak truth to power was evident when, as a private citizen, he led the successful petition efforts and subsequent campaigns to challenge council decisions and defeat both the Hydro Plant (2012) and the Base 2 lodge (2015). Strong on the issues:  Ward is committed to protecting local businesses from predatory practices (such as implementing legal ramifications for businesses who "stiff" local vendors), retaining Aspen's water rights but opposing dams (by looking at alternative water storage solutions and locations), and developing innovative ideas to optimize workforce housing (support for a program census, encouraging compliance enforcement, offering incentives for "right-sizing," and requiring owner maintenance of the existing physical structures) in order to protect this $1 billion community asset. Mature and open-minded:  Ward has a well-known track record of being accessible, receptive to all viewpoints, honest in his dealings and willing to change his mind. A principled and deep thinker:  Ward is interested, informed, engaged and prepared.  He will not only read your emails, he will give them proper consideration and thoughtfully respond. Independent in his opinions:  Ward recognizes merit and goodwill in all sides of the issues. He knows how to accept criticism without personalizing it, while still being willing and able to test the status quo and challenge what doesn't pass the smell test. A local small business owner:  Ward's decades of experience owning and running a local, small computer company has given him unique perspective through his regular interface with Aspen's local businesses. This personal access has provided him with insight and a first-hand understanding of the ongoing and evolving challenges faced by those, like himself, who are doing their very best to make a living in Aspen. Dedicated to his family:  Ward met his school teacher wife Mimi in the Bell Mountain Lift line.  They have two grown daughters who were educated in the Aspen Public Schools, graduated from top colleges (Tufts and Brown), and are active and productive young women with interesting careers and strong ties to their hometown. Active in Aspen Chapel:  Ward's commitment to Aspen extends well beyond his family, his business and his civic activism. He is also a compassionate leader and dedicated volunteer in his faith community.   LOOK FOR A 2017 ELECTION POST-MORTEM IN EARLY JUNE I'll be sharing some fascinating voter turn-out facts and data (and some "you can't make this sh*t up" stories) once this one is in the rearview mirror!

ISSUE #133: 2017 EndorsemANTs 4/11/2017

"Democracy is a device which ensures that we shall be governed no better than we deserve."  

                 --  George Bernard Shaw

THE MAY 2 BALLOT

This season's yawner of a municipal election is a mail-only ballot one.  If you are a voter in the City of Aspen, your ballot was mailed to you yesterday, April 10.  Look for it.  Open it.  Don't dilly dally. Vote.  Be done with it.

 

This is an incredibly uninspiring election.  There are no issues to decide, just the opportunity to vote for Mayor and two Council seats.  Expect VERY low voter turnout, as much a result of the apathetic Aspen voter as a relatively apathetic slate, which, somewhat ironically, makes your vote even more impactful and therefore important.  So remember, in my opinion, no matter how boring the choices, the act of voting upholds your right to complain about the outcome!!  Don't lose that!! 

 

And whatever you do, DO NOT throw your ballot away at the post office.  Mail ballot elections are ripe for voter fraud.  If you choose not to vote, please destroy your ballot.

 

A CROWDED FIELD

Incumbent Mayor Steve Skadron is running for his third and final term against Lee Mulcahy - artist, property manager, taxi driver, substitute teacher and local agitator.  In the Council race, laconically-inclined incumbents Ann Mullins and Art Daily seek re-election, but are being challenged by long-time local business owner and civic volunteer Ward Hauenstein, "whiny millennial" posterboy and self-promoting activist and organizer Skippy (yes, that's his real name) Mesirow, tennis-teaching former councilman Torre (like a phoenix he rises from the ashes), and PhD/artist and Mulcahy affililiate, Sue Tatem.

 

GOOD GUYS AND GALS

A strange Aspen pathology infects us all during election season.  It seems that when discussing candidates for office, one MUST preface all comments with the statement, "He/she is a good guy/gal...."  Fine.  Thank you to all 8 candidates for throwing your hats into the ring.  It takes a lot of guts.  I am certain that you are ALL "good guys and gals" by Aspen standards.

 

When endorsing candidates, The Red Ant prefers to focus on policy issues over personalities, track records instead of propaganda statements, and leadership acumen over self-promoting schmooze.  I've learned the hard way that sometimes even the nicest guy or gal isn't the best candidate for elected office.  But now I am officially on the record with the "good guys/gals" thing.  Moving right along....

 

HOW IT WORKS

• The mayor must be elected with 50% + 1 of the votes cast on May 2. There are two candidates and one position up for grabs. There will be no run-off election for mayor.
• Council candidates, on the other hand, must garner 45% + 1 of the votes cast on May 2 in order to be elected on the first ballot to one of the two open seats.  
• Now this is important. Because there are two positions up for election in the council race as opposed to just one in the mayor's race, "votes cast" shall be calculated by dividing the sum of all votes cast for all city council candidates by 2.  With 6 candidates running for two seats, there is a STRONG likelihood of a run-off.
• Run-off election option 1: On May 2, if only one council candidate passes the 45% +1 threshold, that candidate is elected to the first open seat, and the next two council candidates with the highest number of votes advance to a run-off on June 6, when each elector may cast only one vote.  The candidate with the highest number of votes on June 6 wins the second open seat.
• Run-off election option 2: On May 2, if no council candidate reaches the 45% + 1 threshold, the four highest vote-getters advance to the run-off on June 6, where each elector may cast two votes.  The two highest vote-getters win the two open seats.
• If needed, and it likely will be, the run-off election is Tuesday, June 6.  Ballots will be mailed out by May 22 with early voting beginning that same day at City Hall.  
• If you know you are going to be out of town on June 6 and likely will miss receipt of your mail-in run-off ballot, please refer to the city clerk's website for more info HERE.  Questions?  970-429-2685

THE RED ANT ENDORSEMENTS

If you read no further, you will miss out on excerpts from each candidate's responses to The Red Ant's 2017 Candidate Questionnaire -- AND my rationale for endorsing the candidate(s) who I feel will best represent us with thoughtful, pragmatic and informed decisions, while looking at the bigger picture, in order to combat Aspen's ever-present nemesis, the Law of Unintended Consequences, lurking in every shadow and around every turn.  But for this 2017 election, if I am honest with myself -- and you -- if you stop now, you really aren't missing anything - it's a boring election and The Red Ant's ONLYendorsement is Ward Hauenstein for Council. Period.

 

That's right. No endorsement for Mayor. I cannot support either candidate. And no endorsement for the second Council seat either. Neither of the incumbents have dazzled me, in fact they just make me tired. I wish there was some excitement in this race, but so far I haven't seen any. 

 

Furthermore, for the first time in history, a candidate has flipped the bird at The Red Ant readership by not submitting answers to the candidate questionnaire.  Heck, it happens to me personally from time to time so I can take it.  But what Skippy Mesirow is really doing is telling you - my 2500 readers - where to put it.  Is it arrogance?   Indifference?  Hubris?  Probably all three.  But whatever you do, just don't vote for Skippy Mesirow. He doesn't want your vote.

 

THE "BULLET VOTE" 

I have long espoused the benefits of what's called "bullet voting."  This is a process that makes it more likely that your desired candidate will be elected when running for one of several openings (in our case, two) amidst a field of competitors.  The theory is to vote for just your favorite candidate, thereby boosting your candidate's total by one with a sole "bullet" vote.  By not voting for a second candidate although you are permitted to, you are reducing the number of votes used to calculate the 45% threshold for victory while increasing only your candidate's individual vote total. 

It's just math. And strategy. And there's nothing fuzzy or improper about doing this to get your desired candidate elected. "Bullet voting" merely causes your candidate's likelihood of garnering one of the two open council seats to increase disproportionately to the likelihood of other candidates getting the same result.

In this year's tedious excuse for an election, The Red Ant advocates a "bullet vote" for Ward Hauenstein.  

If you employ this voting strategy, Ward has a solid shot of being elected in the first round on May 2 (with at least 45% + 1 vote). That is the goal.  Simply put, we need to get Ward in on the first ballot, especially with two incumbents running for re-election amidst a crowded and competitive field.  To get Ward on council in the first round gives us one "friendly," and by that I mean thoughtful, prepared, even-handed, interested, principled and approachable.  The field will then be democratically narrowed for a June 6 run-off for the second council seat, and we will cross that bridge when we get there.

WARD FOR COUNCIL 

Yep, Ward is my guy.  We met as election commissioners amidst the Instant Run-Off Voting (IRV) brou-ha-ha in 2010 and have been collaborators, co-conspirators, respectful adversaries and friends ever since.  This is not to imply that we always agree - we don't.  But we have a seven-year-long running dialog about all things Aspen, and have worked to understand each other's viewpoints when we come at things differently.  We seek each other out on the issues, as much due to mutual respect as to learn.  Ward is a trusted confidante who always listens before making a decision.  We teamed up to defeat the Hydro Plant in 2012, and when he led the anti-variance bandwagon as it related to the Base 2 hotel project in 2015 and later championed Referendum 1 which amended the Charter to legally stop the "variance" trend, I didn't necessarily agree with him, but based on his sound reasoning and consensus building, I modified my stance to a mere lukewarm opposition.  (Simply put, he made a lot of sense -- and took the pulse of the community to heart.)  

 

When he prevailed, I smiled.  He'd done it again.  He showed up (as he always does), made the case, worked tirelessly toward his goal, built yet another diverse coalition and whooped the opposition at the polls.  And no spiking the football for Ward.  That just isn't his style.  It was simply on to the next thing he cares about, including, most recently, an impassioned desire to find a legally binding method to protect local small businesses from predatory "clients" who blow into town and stiff the locals when bills for their services come due.  He knows all about it firsthand, owning a respected small computer company that serves many businesses here. 

 

As a 40-year resident, Ward has seen and lived through the changes in Aspen.  He is known for acknowledging the reality that "the only constant is change."  This is not at all to imply that he is pushing for change for change's sake; quite the opposite.  It's just that he is a responsible realist, and strives to deal with substantive issues in a substantive manner.  It will shock Aspen's political system to have a representative who listens as completely and cares as deeply up there at the council table.  

I have long encouraged my friend to take his interest in and commitment to Aspen civic matters to the next level by running for elected office.  Now is the time.  We need his insight.  We will benefit from his thoughtfulness.  Let's get Ward elected on the first ballot.  Please join me in "bullet voting" for Ward Hauenstein.

 

THE RED ANT CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

The Red Ant sent each of the candidates a questionnaire several weeks ago that touches on what I consider issues of the day.  I am thankful to 7 of the 8 candidates for their time spent on these questions.  YOU deserve to hear from each of them in their own words.  My 12 questions follow, with excerpts and snippets from the individual responses.   (The candidates' full and unedited responses are linked at the end of this issue.)  And, I know, it's truly remarkable how several of these candidates could not manage to actually answer the questions asked.  I'm really not sure why.  Can't read?  Don't understand?  Don't care?  You decide.  

 

1.  Please describe specific experience from your (professional) career that has impacted/influenced you in such a way that it contributes to your qualifications to be a City Council member.

 

ART DAILY: It's time to put what I've learned during my first term to work.  I believe I bring a balance to the council, which can be a meaningful contribution in a strong-minded community.

 

WARD HAUENSTEIN: I started my computer business over thirty years ago.  There was no internet.  Computers came with DOS 1 and dual floppy disk drives.  Windows were in your house or car.  Every step of advancement I have adapted to, learned, absorbed and moved forward.  I had to discern what technology to support and how to integrate it to solve the business needs of my clients.  The first step is to identify the problem.  I start with what is the desired outcome.  Then I work through how to get there.  I have had to think outside the box because the box was not yet invented.  The challenges the city of Aspen faces now and in the future require the same rational and logical assessment of problems and solutions.

 

LEE MULCAHY: My vision of Aspen is a place where its community members still shake hands even if we disagree, of one where artists aren't evicted from their self-built homes and where whistleblowers aren't banned from public lands for passing out a living wage flyer.  I promise to be the voice of the working man, of the community, of freedom and liberty.

 

ANN MULLINS: The accumulation of business experience (as a landscape architect and urban designer) through upturns and downturns, and the experience and knowledge gained through working on numerous different projects in many different places has affected my role as a council member.

 

STEVE SKADRON:  I have an MBA, experience in the corporate world, and a successful entrepreneurial record creating a thriving small business. 

 

SUE TATEM:  I attended CU (biology), Rice U (graduate work), UT Austin (PhD), NIH (postdoctoral fellow), and was a professor of biology at Temple U for 22 years. I have published 4 science books and other nonfiction about Michener. I am a plein air artist with a studio in the Red Brick.  I have experience writing and reviewing grants, administering a laboratory, budgeting and public speaking.

 

TORRE: I have a broad range of work history here (snowboard instructor, race crew, concierge, retail manager, waiter, bartender, restaurant manager, construction, maintenance, housecleaning, tennis teacher) that has given me a great perspective on the lives of Aspenites and our visitors, and the challenges we face.  I have also learned the business and personal skills from these jobs to understand hard work, team work, economics, decision making, negotiations, collaboration, leadership and other skills that make a good representative.

 

2.  In your opinion, what is the single most important issue facing the city today? How would you approach dealing with this issue?

 

ART DAILY: The single most important issue facing our town today has remained unchanged since the mining days - how well do we watch over and take care of one another, and how thoughtfully do we protect and preserve our natural environment.  Let's do all we can to understand and to support the values and principles set forth in the Aspen Area Community Plan - and to improve upon them when feasible.

 

WARD HAUENSTEIN: Forced to name one thing, I would say sustainability.  What threatens the sustainability of Aspen?  Congestion, traffic, over-development, workforce housing and parking are all issues individually worthy of being the most important issue Aspen faces.  To focus on any one without seeing the connection between them is short-sighted and will produce solutions but not solve problems.  Beware of simple solutions.  The duty of city council is to set policy.  My approach to setting policy will be to view all through the lens of sustainability.  City council must make decisions that will ensure that Aspen will survive and thrive economically, while preserving it as a desired place to live for locals.  My approach will be to solicit divergent voices to fully explore the challenges and possible ways to assuage them.

 

LEE MULCAHY: The bigger the government, the less the liberty. The growth of the city of Aspen is the single most important issue facing the city. If elected, I would: fire the city manager and pass a city hiring freeze, curb local government's unrestrained growth by killing the "Taj Mahal" office building, and pass a property tax cut.

 

ANN MULLINS: Climate change and its effects.  Aspen city council must take an active role in protecting our environment and meeting the needs of our people.

STEVE SKADRON:  Aspen is drowning in automobiles. I want to leave the transit landscape forever changed, by providing viable alternatives to cars, and building on technologies that are not reliant on more lanes and more parking garages in town.

SUE TATEM:  Transportation in and out of Aspen, difficulties on 82 and parking in the city.  I would attempt to address this by gathering all responsible parties and soliciting suggestions from citizens.

 

TORRE: The most important issue facing the city is this council election.  We have seen a disconnect most evidenced by the repeated citizen referenda on council decisions.  I was disappointed by the power plant process, the failed lodging incentive package, a land use code rewrite that discourages affordable housing downtown, and the recent dam and reservoir applications.

 

 3.  There is widespread belief that fraud and abuse are rampant in our subsidized housing program.  Do you see this as a problem?  Do you support an independent and comprehensive audit of the entire APCHA subsidized housing program portfolio that would clearly determine:

 

a)   What do we have in our inventory?

b)   What is the physical condition of each unit?

c) Who specifically lives there?

d)  Do they comply?

 

Why or why not?  If yes, will you commit to furthering this as a Top 10 Council Priority for 2017?  If not, why not?

 

ART DAILY: I'm not part of the "widespread belief that fraud and abuse are rampant in our subsidized housing program," but it may be that I simply don't know enough about it and I definitely want to understand the situation better.  Hence, I do support an independent and comprehensive audit of the program and its portfolio.  It can only serve to make the program more fair, more up to date, and better understood, and I do support making such an audit one of the council's top 10 goals for 2017.

 

WARD HAUENSTEIN: Workforce housing is perhaps the largest single asset the city and county own.  We paved the way in workforce housing.  It is vitally important that we dedicate our energies to address abuse and optimization in the program. I do support an independent and comprehensive audit of the program.  With information in hand, we can determine to what degree abuse and fraud exist.  Top 10 goal, yes.

 

LEE MULCAHY: Yes, yes and yes.  As mayor I would propose an independent commission to investigate the cronyism and corruption at the Housing Department.

 

ANN MULLINS: One of the next Top Ten Goals will be a comprehensive review of the Affordable Housing Program to address assets, non-compliance and aging inventory.

STEVE SKADRON: Important topic, but I disagree with the general premise. While there are problems, the belief that there is rampant fraud and abuse is overblown. Yes, I'm willing to look at all of it and make improvements to the program as a Top 10 priority.

SUE TATEM: The suspicion of employee housing was the second most mentioned issue when I was collecting signatures.  Most of the employees are afraid to speak out. Definitely top ten.

 

TORRE: Yes, any distrust or compliance issues can undermine the effectiveness of our housing program.  An accurate inventory of our housing can only help us plan for future needs, opportunities and adaptability to changing circumstances.

 

4.  As it currently stands, those who purchase subsidized housing units (categories 1-7) from APCHA have no "skin in the game" because they do not pay the 1.5% Real Estate Transfer Tax (RETT).  Recall, the funds raised by the RETT go toward the subsidized housing fund (1%) and the Wheeler Opera House (0.5%).  Given that the average 2016 APCHA-brokered sale was $318,000, (making the hypothetical average RETT contribution from these sales $4770) would you support subjecting all future purchases of subsidized housing to the 1.5% RETT along the lines of "What's good for the goose is good for the gander"?  Why or why not?

 

ART DAILY: I'm not persuaded as yet that such a requirement would be consistent with the principles of subsidized housing.  We're trying to make this housing as financially accessible as possible to qualified buyers.

 

WARD HAUENSTEIN: Yes, I think workforce housing purchases should be subject to the RETT.  I think it is fair.

 

LEE MULCAHY: Yes, I would, for the common sense reason you state: "what's good for the goose is good for the gander."  Local government is drunk with power and frankly, out of control.

 

ANN MULLINS: This question and other specific questions will be better answered after we complete the comprehensive assessment of the housing program.

STEVE SKADRON: No, I don't support AH transactions paying the RETT. It simply makes affordable housing more expensive and places an additional burden on a workforce we are trying house.

SUE TATEM: I don't fully understand the complexity of this one and wondered why the Wheeler is getting any of it.

 

TORRE: I will be willing to have this conversation if elected.  I do know there are other areas for improvement in the facilitation of buying and selling AH units.  I foresee our housing program landing on the Top 10 goals for this coming year.

 

5.  There is no Council oversight of actual spending by the city.  In most other cities (and especially given our $100+ million annual budget), there is a Council designee or committee that reviews each "payables" batch with the city finance director (or designee) prior to the issuance of payments.  This would typically be a printout of payables, sorted by size and vendor.  The Council designee or committee would review this list and could ask for backup on any proposed payment to review the details of any transaction to sample city spending and ensure it is in line with Council's budget policy approvals, and as a way to limit wasteful staff-driven discretionary spending.  Would you favor the implementation of such an oversight role?  Why or why not?

 

ART DAILY: I have no reason to believe that the city is a victim of "wasteful staff-driven discretionary spending."  That being said, I do think the budget process and the council's understanding thereof (and public confidence therein) could benefit from an up-to-date analysis and summary from the city manager's office of council's role in the process.

 

WARD HAUENSTEIN: Our governmental structure is a strong city manager, weak council. By charter, council directs staff through the city manager. I believe council needs to give the city manager specific expectations and trust him to implement them.  With expectations in place, accountability is possible.  I do not advocate council micro-managing staff.  I would support random audits where wasteful spending is suspected.  If wasteful spending is found, the city manager is responsible.

 

LEE MULCAHY: Yes, transparency and sunshine are the best disinfectant for government policy.  Cronyism and corruption run rampant in our city manager-dominated local government.

 

ANN MULLINS: Currently city council reviews any expense over $25,000.  And of course, council can review any expenditure at any time.

STEVE SKADRON: Every contract over $25k is reviewed by the city council. This is council oversight of actual spending and I've insisted that this policy be maintained.

SUE TATEM: I would like to have oversight of the spending and might do that or be on the committee myself if I'm elected because I have experience checking on expenditures.

 

TORRE: I think that budget transparency is a top three goal.  There should be more discussions throughout the year instead of just end-of-year budget sessions.  A citizen budget committee would be a good way to involve the public and get more eyes on the issue.

 

6.  The current council has approved the potential future construction of large reservoirs in the Castle and Maroon Creek valleys. The necessary final decision would merely take a majority of Council (3 votes) to approve what would be considered an administrative matter.  As such, there is no possible citizen recourse to reverse the decision.  Do you favor a change to the Aspen City Charter that would require a vote of the citizens to approve the construction of a dam or dams in the Castle and/or Maroon Creek valleys, or at the very least, make the decision a legislative one that could be subject to citizen over-ride if desired?  Why or why not?

 

ART DAILY: For the past 45 years or so, the then-sitting council has supported a continuing effort on the part of the city to maintain diligence for two conditional water storage rights in the Castle and Maroon Creek valleys.  In 2016, council directed staff to implement certain water management measures to improve resiliency against future climate change impacts.  I don't think anyone on the council has any current desire to build the subject dams.

 

WARD HAUENSTEIN: One of my stated top three goals is to ensure that if a future council approves the construction of a dam on either or both Maroon or Castle Creeks that the citizens have to approve construction via a vote.  I favor changing the Charter to require a dam vote.

 

LEE MULCAHY: Yes, at the very least.  Say "no" to dams at the Maroon Bells.  If you care about conservation, wilderness, healthy rivers or our rural lifestyle, you need look no further than the mayor and the incumbent council's plans to build a pair of 15-story dams in the shadow of the world-famous Maroon Bells as reason to clean out city hall. Get the dam plans off the books.

 

ANN MULLINS: The Aspen city council has not approved the potential future construction of large reservoirs, but has submitted an application to protect the conditional water rights of the city of Aspen.

STEVE SKADRON:  Wrong. Citizens do have recourse. They can recall or not re-elect a councilmember. Any decision on actual construction of dams requires more than one election cycle.

SUE TATUM: I have not seen the full "use" planned for the reservoirs. Are they to be available for recreation? Will they be drained every year leaving ugly mud? There should be an opportunity for citizen override.

 

TORRE: Dam No!  Dam Never!

 

7.  The proposal for Gorsuch Haus, a new hotel at the top of South Aspen Street, is likely to be one of the first matters of business for the new Council.  Do you support this project and what it will bring to the western portal of Aspen Mountain?  Why or why not?

 

ART DAILY: I've been conflicted from participating in Gorsuch Haus deliberations because of my partnership status un the law firm that represents the applicant.  At the end of 2016 I retired as a partner and if re-elected I plan to consult with the city attorney regarding my ability to participate in Gorsuch Haus matters.

 

WARD HAUENSTEIN: The latest submission of Gorsuch Haus (GH) is stunningly beautiful.  I think this hotel would be a treasure for Aspen, however issues still remain to be resolved. The challenge of getting people from Dean Street to GH remains unresolved to my satisfaction. The current council gave away a portion of Aspen Street to the approved lodges on the east side of the street.  This short-sighted decision combined with the Dolinsek agreement makes a people mover to the base difficult at best.  Piecemeal decisions do not serve the community well.  An integral solution considers not only the building but also the lift alignment, getting people to GH and the historic character of the area.  If elected, I will work for a complete solution that considers all the above-mentioned factors.

 

LEE MULCAHY: Yes, I do.  The time for Gorsuch Haus has come.

 

ANN MULLINS: Since this is an active application, I cannot speak specifically about it.

STEVE SKADRON: I support efforts to move the lift the lower, make a great public space and modify the building size.

SUE TATEM: I am not yet familiar with the Gorsuch Haus project enough to comment yet.

 

TORRE: I am supportive of a new lift and the appropriate services that it can support.  There are still many unanswered questions.  South Aspen Street is undergoing many changes. We need to get all the players in the room together and resolve the vision for this side of the mountain.

 

8.  Do you support the new Chain Store Regulation ordinance?  Why or why not?  Please describe how you see this impacting opportunities for locals to open downtown businesses, as well as how you see it affecting commercial lease rates.

 

ART DAILY: The new chain store regulation is modest in its language and in its anticipated impact.  I supported it for the simple reason that I believe it sends a message that Aspen cares about the make-up of its retail environment and that high end exclusivity is not a community objective.  Hopefully it will serve to encourage a more balanced mix of retail uses and will over time improve opportunities for locals to engage in downtown businesses.

 

WARD HAUENSTEIN: I believe it is symbolic only.  I think it creates a false sense of hope.  Attempts to control the free market largely meet with more unintended consequences than real benefits.  The ordinance attempts to place blame on chain stores for change that some do not want to accept.  The only constant is change.  I see this ordinance doing nothing to decrease rents.  Locals on a shoestring budget will find it very difficult to open businesses in the core, chain store or not.

 

LEE MULCAHY: No, I do not support it.  Ronald Reagan famously quipped that the nine most terrifying words in the English language are: "I'm from the government and I'm here to help."  As a libertarian, I believe the less the government interferes in the free market, the better.

 

ANN MULLINS: I was unable to be at the city council meeting where the final version was reviewed and voted on.  I had questions that would have informed my final vote, some of which were unanswered, so I don't know what my final decision would have been.

STEVE SKADRON: The goals it set out to achieve were meritorious.

SUE TATEM: I would rather have chain stores than empty storefronts.

 

TORRE: I do support the ordinance, but keep in mind there are other missed opportunities that this council failed to act on that predicated this action.  We still need action on other opportunities for local businesses and diversity support.

 

9.  Please describe a recent decision by the Mayor that you did not agree with, and why.  (Mayor Skadron, please describe a recent decision that you regret, and why.)

 

ART DAILY: I supported the One-Roof City Hall solution (the Galena option).  The mayor supported the Three-Roof solution, including continued use of the Armory building.  This was the prevailing solution.  I had a range of reasons for my perspective on the issue, including a significantly lower cost, less construction time and risk, lower traffic and parking impacts, and greater efficiency and effectiveness as a municipal headquarters.

 

WARD HAUENSTEIN: I did not agree with the mayor placing the chain store issue on the city council agenda.  I question the process the ordinance took getting to council.  It came from a member of the public, not from staff or anyone on council. The proponents said put it on the agenda or we will via a citizen petition. I would have told the proponents to go ahead and get the signatures, stand in the cold and do the work.  This decision by the mayor sets a precedent.

 

LEE MULCAHY: Wasteful spending and uncontrolled government development.  The mayor's empire building now includes a 45'9" tall "Taj Mahal" city office building. (It's awesome to be the city so you can erect a 17' taller building than anyone else!) Transparency and secret executive sessions.  The cronyism and corruption displayed by the mayor and city manager create much of the divisiveness from people feeling they're completely shut out from the non-transparent process.

 

ANN MULLINS: I supported the one-roof option for city hall.  The three-roof option was approved instead and the mayor cast one of the supporting votes.

STEVE SKADRON: I regret letting the Powerhouse decision take as long as it did. In retrospect, I would have set a hard deadline sooner, say 3 months.

SUE TATEM: I was very unhappy and blamed the mayor for the fiasco with the Power House.  If the city needs space, they should have kept it to begin with.  The nonprofits competed and then had the rug pulled out from under them for the awful idea of a beer garden.

 

TORRE: I disagreed with the approval of the new city hall on Rio Grande.  I thought that the mayor and council members should have defined the office and space allocations better and reinforced that the mayor's office and managers should remain in the Armory building that currently houses them.

 

10.            Please evaluate the current City Council's job of holding the city manager accountable for running the city, given the numerous scandals (parking, hydro plant, fiscal irresponsibility, lack of transparency, subsidized housing favoritism and abuse, etc.) that keep occurring on his watch.  He has just completed Year 7 of his 10-year, $170K+/year contract.  In your opinion, can anything Barwick has done be considered "gross negligence" or "malfeasance"?  How can Council improve in its duty to supervise the city manager?  What steps should the new Council take in the next 2 years to prepare for replacing the city manager in 2020 when his contract is up or conducting the proper public review and evaluation for offering him a new contract?

 

ART DAILY:  I believe Steve Barwick does a good job for the community in his role as city manager.  He receives periodic reviews from city council, including most recently in January of this year.

 

WARD HAUENSTEIN: The city manager must be given expectations.  Without these, the city manager cannot really be held accountable.  I met with the mayor 2.5 years ago and asked city council to put these in place.  His reply was that nobody had ever done that.  It needs to be done. I do not believe in witch hunts but I do believe in accountability.  If elected to city council I will do everything in my power to put expectations in place.

 

LEE MULCAHY: Yes, council should put the city manager's office "on notice."  If elected, I would explore steps on reducing the city manager's power.

 

ANN MULLINS: The health of the city is a reflection of its council and city manager, and the council continually judges the effectiveness of the city manager in maintaining the well-being of the city.

STEVE SKADRON: The premise of the question is false and unfair. Council evaluates the city manager appropriately. We think he does an excellent job. Consistency at the city manager's position is a challenge for many cities. We're fortunate to have a qualified, hard working, professional serving the Aspen's interests.

SUE TATEM: I am supposed to meet with the city manager and have not yet done so.

 

TORRE: I think there is a lack of accountability on our current council.  We need a better system of communication and oversight on the managers' offices. I look forward to working with council and staff to mend the broken chain of responsibility.

 

11.            With the abundance of marijuana shops and their significant financial impacts on the local commercial real estate landscape as well as the city's sales tax revenue, which of the existing "pot shops" should be held up as the gold standard for future pot shops in town?  (I asked this question to gauge the knowledge, experience and exposure of the candidates to the burgeoning "pot" industry in Aspen.)

 

ART DAILY: While I wish I could say otherwise, I'm simply not in a position to judge which of the existing pot shops in town meet the "gold standard" for future pot operations.

 

WARD HAUENSTEIN: I am not an expert on pot shops.  I do however know that they are closely regulated.  I did discuss pot shops with the chief of police.  Based on that, I feel comfortable that pot shops are safe and that is my main concern.

 

LEE MULCAHY: Honestly, I don't know.  But my most important concern is that we as a community discourage and make it very difficult for young people to access cannabis.  The problem for tourists is the prohibitions from smoking cannabis in public or in local accommodations.  If elected, I would support legalization of cannabis clubs.

 

ANN MULLINS: Currently there are seven shops in town and one more approved, but not open yet.  They are all strictly regulated and all compliant with the city ordinance.

STEVE SKADRON: Generally, all shops have met the letter of the law and have been good corporate citizens.

SUE TATEM: I did not vote for marijuana legalization nor have I ever been in any pot shop.

 

TORRE: I have not done a shop-by-shop comparison.  I do support the valley wide organization - Valley Marijuana Council - and their initiatives for safe, educational, informed pot sales.

 

12.            Please describe your latest and greatest experience in the past 12 months at any one of the following local establishments: (I asked this question to understand the experience of the candidates at popular and lively establishments frequented by our tourist guests as a gauge of how they relate to contemporary Aspen visitors.)

• Ajax Tavern
• Bootsy Bellows
• Belly Up
• Cloud 9
• Cache Cache
• Matsuhisa
• Caribou Club
• Campo De Fiori

ART DAILY: Matsuhisa is my son Rider's favorite restaurant in town.  He loves the sushi.  Some of my own most memorable experiences took place in the Pub and similar outlets, all long gone.

 

WARD HAUENSTEIN: I really enjoy people in an atmosphere conducive to conversation, so I would say the greatest experience at the listed spots was a dinner with my wife and three other people at Cache Cache.  After involvement in one of the issues I was deeply engaged in, I became estranged from a friend of 30 years.  At this dinner we started talking again.  In a way it was a therapy session with great food.  I believe people should be able to disagree and still be friends.

 

LEE MULCAHY: Bootsy Bellows - Fantastic. Went to an African fundraiser - always a blast.  Belly Up - Attended several fundraisers, reasonable prices at the bar and great service!  Cache Cache - love the bar menu and the atmosphere, a lot of the servers are longtime friends.  Caribou Club - great music.

 

ANN MULLINS: Belly Up - Clint Black concert a few years ago.

STEVE SKADRON: Cloud 9 for a birthday party. Yep, I danced on chairs and was sprayed with champagne. But I kept my clothes on.

SUE TATEM: I have not been in any of the establishments in the last 12 months, though I did dine in some of them in years past.  I am sorry to lose Little Annie's, the Wienerstube, McDonald's and the Main Street Bakery.

 

TORRE: Ajax Tavern - I had a great late lunch with friends on the deck after skiing.  Bootsy Bellows - Snoop Dog just came through for what seemed like 3 days.  Belly Up - the Aspen Cares benefit.  Cloud 9 - A quick beer and lunch on the deck, and back to the lifts!  Cache Cache - Yum! I have cut down from almost once a week to once a month. Campo De Fiori - Adam's birthday, details not available.

THE RED ANT OPINES

WARD HAUENSTEIN  (see above and VOTE FOR WARD)

THE INCUMBENTS: STEVE SKADRON, ART DAILY & ANN MULLINS 

SKADRON: Steve and I don't agree on much.  Whether it's his unabashed support for city manager Steve Barwick who effectively leads him and the current council around by their noses, past advocacy for the hydro plant (which I always fear might again rear its ugly head), anti-car zealotry, lack of understanding of (and support for) the issue of dams of Castle and Maroon Creeks, lack of confident leadership, closed mind and inability to even contemplate the other side, "godfather" role in the failed "brewery at the Old Power House" decision and eventual retraction, and recent Land Use Code re-write that courts the Law of Unintended Consequences with VIP tickets to Aspen's hospitality tent, simply put, we see the governance of Aspen through very different lenses.

 

A walking contradiction, Steve, as echoed in his campaign materials, espouses an improvement to our subsidized housing program with better management and controls, yet his answers to the questionnaire illustrate his lack of acknowledgment and acceptance of the very real problems that exist.  He talks a lot about vitality and small town character, yet supports ardent no growth legislation that only serves to further restrict development and drive costs (of everything) upward, not the least of which are barriers to entry for locally serving (and owned) small businesses.  Steve's desire for "a healthy resort-community balance" prioritizes an enormous new city hall development higher than a well-founded vision for the future of the western portal of Aspen Mountain.  In other words, none of it makes basic common sense.

 

As consolation (because his third term is all but assured), Steve has been far more of a gentleman than his predecessor, Mick Ireland.  We often share a laugh on the Hunter Creek bus which we both take to the lifts.  While set in his ways and rarely open to new ideas, at least he's not a flat out jerk about it.

ART:  Thanks for your service, Art, but it's time to go.  This well-known and well-respected local attorney with a compelling personal story was elected to council four years ago by employing a strategy of minimal campaigning and guarded public responses.  It should then come as no surprise that Art kept his viewpoints to himself in order to get elected, and today, his political gestalt remains a mystery.  He never brought forth new ideas nor legislation, and rarely coughed out a remark. He is also well known for never responding to emails.  Art's palpable disinterest for his role was astonishing to witness, but not nearly as astonishing as his unexpected decision to run for re-election. Art is a big City Manager fan, clueless about the chain store regulation impacts, and, being a lawyer, it's remarkable his lack of understanding of the whole Castle/Maroon Creek "dam" issue.**

ANN:  Thanks, Ann, for your service.  Now it's someone else's turn. Like Art, Ann favors a decision solely by council on the dams** matter, illustrative of a blindness to all pursuits seemingly environmental and complete lack of understanding of the issue at hand.  The former Historic Preservation Commission chair represents a "same old, same old" ideology and "bring back the quiet years" constituency that do not accurately represent the evolving needs and values of our community.

** Dams: The three incumbents just don't get it.  By deciding to "maintain the conditional rights" to build the dams, the city has filed papers with the state representing its intent to build the dams.  But politically (and in the questionnaire), Steve, Ann and Art are less emphatic about building them.  That's not the point.  LEGALLY, to maintain the right to build the dams you must intend to build them.  You told the state you do intend to, but you told voters the opposite.  So, which is it?  FISCALLY, this puts the city in the position to defend itself against no less than 10 entities that are challenging the city's intent - because one does not exist.  We're talking hundreds of thousands of dollars at a minimum that are going to be spent cleaning up this mess.  And these three don't even understand what it is they agreed on.  Good grief!

 

TORRE

I had originally planned to suggest you check the "use by" date on Torre, who has twice served on city council in the past.  I had planned to point out, "Expired."  And while I have strategically supported Torre in the past (as a potential foil to Mick when he attempted a comeback in 2015), I viewed his current candidacy, in short, as one word, just like his name: NO.  But alas, context is everything.  We don't agree on much.  Never did.  But given the competitive set and my hopes of defeating both council incumbents, Torre just may be the man to watch.  I still advocate a "bullet vote" for Ward to get him in with the first ballot, but if Torre advances to the run-off, I promise a hard look at how his past decisions and vision for Aspen's future might just work for us.  Stay tuned.

 

LEE MULCAHY  

I certainly don't dislike Lee.  But I cannot support his candidacy.  We all make decisions in this world and fall on the swords of our choosing.  Lee has his reasons for taking on SkiCo, the Aspen Art Museum and the Housing Authority, and whether or not you believe him or support him or avoid him, he feels aggrieved and has sought remedy in both the court of public opinion as well as the courthouse.  He'll fill your inbox with his cases and reasons for fighting for what he feels is his, but unfortunately it's not just the facts that matter, tactics do too.  His troubles with each of the aforementioned entities are now in the courts, and I only wish that each grievance had been addressed differently.  Lee is nothing if not committed, and has thrown his hat into many rings beyond just these local "fights": school board, state office, and now the mayoral race.  It's a shame that so many past controversies and transgressions will likely forever color his name, but I am grateful for his interest in and thoughts on local matters, and willingness to try to make a difference.  He has some very good ideas.  I've told Lee that a little contrition can go a long way.  And I hope that somehow he and his adversaries can come to agreements where the vitriol ends and life in Aspen for Lee can resume anew.  His would be a valuable voice in the public square, but unfortunately today it is still distorted by the chaos that surrounds him.

 

SUE TATEM

With an interesting and diverse background, Sue would certainly bring a new perspective to council, however, she comes across as woefully uninformed on local issues.  The Red Ant likes to encourage people to become civically involved and hopes that Sue pursues a volunteer commission post in the near future.  There is a lot to be said for enthusiasm, so it would be terrific for an aspiring elected representative to dive in and gain local political experience this way.  Sue, I hope we haven't heard the last from you.

 

SKIPPY MESIROW: MORE REASONS NOT TO VOTE FOR HIM

All hat, no cattle. There is no lack of charm, energy and enthusiasm from the current P&Z chairman and joiner of numerous community organizations primarily targeted to Aspen's millennial constituency (See Issue #129) who vows to "rebuild trust in government" and "create a more livable Aspen."  I recently spent an hour with him.  Questioned about the nature of the "distrust" and specifics on his "livability" concerns, and pressed to describe detailed ideas for real-world solutions, the candidate was vague - and intentionally so. Instead, I got a host of flowery platitudes and a glittery view of utopian Aspen from 20,000'.  There are large doses of either naivety or intent to manipulate.  A self-described "community builder" and "connector," Skippy has a proven record of gathering folks together.  To what end, I am still not entirely sure, and I worry A LOT about form over function.  I am troubled by his idealistic sense of how the world works. 

 

"Professionally," Skippy is the creative director of Aspen Entrepreneurs, a newly-formed non-profit that seeks to educate and support entrepreneurs and local businesses.  Sounds noble enough, so imagine my astonishment at the group's vision of Aspen as "a shared city, a place with thriving, vibrant, profitable local businesses, where we treat each other as family, invest in one another, live the Aspen Idea, and prioritize health and happiness.  We believe in inclusion, collaboration, big hugs, #givefirst, open doors, long hikes and powder days, because we know it makes us better, stronger, healthier and more profitable." WHAT?!? REALLY?!?  I laughed out loud. Furthermore, I just can't sign on to his belief that "direct democracy doesn't work" and "the whole concept of democracy is in question." (It's actually rather shocking coming from someone who is running for a democratically elected office!!  And it calls into question not democracy, rather the candidate's intentions.)

 

Skippy no doubt loves Aspen, and really wants us to become a more integrated and diverse community.  He's not at all opposed to the government's role as social engineer, as long as it stems from a diverse mix of people coming together, discussing, interacting and determining the make-up of the community we want to be and what that would take ("actionable goals"), then deciding if and how we make that happen - the classic utopian myth that community is synonymous with consensus (it is not).  Personally, I'm much more concerned with tangible hot-button issues on planet earth, such as the Gorsuch Haus debate - arguably the most important issue facing a new council in the immediate term, and one that, incidentally, Skippy's current role on P&Z precludes him from participating in. 

 

Skippy's flamboyant rhetoric is FAR too "kumbaya" for a town of 6000 with pressing development, traffic and housing issues, not to mention an annual budget surpassing $100 million.  Besides, the social engineering focus makes me nauseous. But, there is much to be said for the personal brand Skippy has successfully built for himself, ironically without saying much at all.

 

But, again, by opting not to submit his answers to The Red Ant's candidate questionnaire, you know that Skippy does not want your vote. Based on this alone, do him - and the city of Aspen - a favor: Don't even think about voting for Skippy!

 

THE QUESTIONNAIRES - IN THEIR ENTIRETY, AS SUBMITTED

 

ART DAILY

 

WARD HAUENSTEIN

 

LEE MULCAHY

 

ANN MULLINS

 

STEVE SKADRON

 

SUE TATUM

 

TORRE

ISSUE #132: Spring 2017 InformANT 3/22/2017

"I always believe that ultimately, if people are paying attention, then we get good government and good leadership.  And when we get lazy, as a democracy, and civically start taking shortcuts, then it results in bad government and politics."  

     -- Barack Obama, 2006

$50 FOOD TAX REFUND: DEADLINE 4/17/2017

Many years ago, as an incentive to encourage voters to support a sales tax referendum, the City of Aspen created the Food Tax Refund.  Its intent is to partially reimburse voters for the approximate amount of sales tax that they would pay annually on grocery purchases due to the imposition of a 1% city sales tax.  The refund is $50 per person per year.

Applicants are required to be a registered voter in the City of Aspen to qualify.  If you are not currently a registered voter, The Red Ant and the city recommend you register to avoid any issues in the future.  (Any resident who is barred from registering to vote due to non-citizenship or due to a felony conviction shall provide alternative proof of residency as required by the finance director.  Questions: 970-920-5040.)

HERE's the form.  Turn it in by April 17 and get your $50!

ELECTION UPDATE: ZZZZZZzzzzz

This spring's May 2 Aspen General Election promises to be a snoozer of epic proportions. We'll be voting for mayor and two city council seats in a mail-ballot election.  In my humble opinion, the choices are, with one exception, nothing short of abysmal, but more on that later.  Ballots will be mailed out on April 10.  To check your mailing address or to register to vote, go to: www.govotecolorado.com

As uninspiring and seemingly unimportant as this election may appear, I still implore you to vote.  I expect voter turnout to be beyond low this cycle, which only makes your vote more impactful.  But fear not -- as you have come to expect, The Red Ant will have an election issue in your inbox around April 10 with everything you need to cast an informed ballot!  Don't even think about voting before reading the election issue!!

Additionally, in-person early voting will begin in the Aspen City Clerk's office on April 17 and will continue until May 1, 8am - 5pm, Monday through Friday.  There will also be Saturday early voting on April 29 from 9a - 2p.  If you will be out of town or out of the country, you may request an Absentee Ballot or Special Absentee Ballot Request Form and return it to the city clerk before April 28.  For more info, call: 970-429-2687.

CHAIN STORES IN ASPEN: TO BE REGULATED

I wrote about this folly in January (see issue #130 HERE).  In short, an altruistic citizen who thinks that town is being over-run with formula retail stores was successful in his push to initiate an ordinance and pass regulations that enable the city government to block the opening of new chain stores in all future development.  Council unanimously approved the unusual measure, saying that "it sends an important signal about the value Aspen places on uniqueness and small town character."  Formula retail is thus defined as a purveyor with 11 or more stores in the U.S. with standardized characteristics, including product line and trademarks.  

The chain store opposition group set the wheels in motion with a half-baked walking tour of town where they counted "chain stores" and came up with the figure of 60%, as in 60% of Aspen's retail was chain stores, and they declared an emergency! Well, not so fast.  Fake news.  It turned out, with a proper count the number was closer to 30%, and when chains with fewer than 11 stores were removed from the list, the number was closer to 26%.  The Red Ant says that's actually a really nice mix -- so what's the problem?!?!

Council buckled.  Notably, however, in the end, the new restrictions apply solely to development that has yet to be proposed - all existing buildings and others already in the pipeline are exempt.  Demolition or expansion (over 500 sf) would render previous exemptions null and void.  What the regulations' outspoken supporters (think 1980s-era failed "fur ban" mayor Bill Stirling) neglect to acknowledge are those pesky laws of unintended consequences!  Think about the inherent creation of an uneven playing field:  some landlords can now accept (chain store) tenants that their neighbors cannot.  Rumors of discrimination lawsuits are rampant (The Red Ant says, "Bring 'em!"), especially when potential tenants are subject to review by a citizen board, likely Planning & Zoning (think "retail death panels"). Besides, Aspen is already one of the most expensive places to develop real estate in the country, owing to the legion of sundry city regulations and mitigation fees.  Watch prices go up.

The biggest joke of the new ordinance is that it originated with the misguided sentiment that real estate has gotten so expensive in the downtown core that Aspen's younger set cannot get a toe-hold for their recycled water bottle businesses and kite shops (read: really bad business ideas).  Well, anyone with a modicum of business acumen recognizes what will really happen now:  the new restrictions will only ensure that commercial rental rates will remain high (and will likely increase further - think about that pesky dynamic between supply and demand).  Furthermore, this year marks the end of long Aspen runs by chain stores Burberry and McDonald's, and last fall Fendi made a corporate decision to close. The widespread but unsubstantiated belief that ALL chain stores in Aspen happily operate at a loss for the long term is clearly unfounded. And there are many that do very, very well here!  Besides, did anyone ever stop to consider the high quality local jobs (year-round pay, good benefits and paid vacation) tied to formula retailers?  Nope.

But councilman Adam Frisch did indeed acknowledge what I've been saying all along.  He does not think the (chain store regulation) ordinance will make it any easier for the whiny millennials (see Issue #129) to be able to afford leases on downtown commercial space.  Ya think?!?  He then asked the million dollar question, "Is Aspen great because of or in spite of its being 'one of the least free-market, most socially engineered places in the country?'"  I could barf.  (Sadly, I don't think his question was rhetorical.)

Look for the fallout ... Don't worry, it's coming and I'll be sure to keep you posted.

FRAUD IN SUBSIDIZED HOUSING: TOLD YA SO!!

For years, The Red Ant has been writing about widespread abuse and fraud in our local subsidized housing program.  And for years, I have been advocating for a thorough and independent program audit, if for no other reason than to clarify a few key points:

• What EXACTLY do we have in our inventory?  How many units, how many bedrooms, where?
• What is the physical condition of these units?
• Who SPECIFICALLY is living there?
• Do they qualify?  Are they in compliance?

You'd think I was ordering people into the streets - guilty until proven innocent - when all I've been asking for is an accounting.  If there is no "there" there, then the audit will bear that out.  But in the meantime, just ask anyone and they'll tell you a story about their friend, their neighbor, the Airbnb rentals, etc.  Fraud is rampant. 

Aspen Times columnist Glenn Beaton regularly writes on the subject of abuse in the housing program.  HERE is a recent piece.  He sees what I do, despite the bureaucrats' aversion to even looking into it, and recently the CBS affiliate in Denver took an interest.  HERE is their television report.  (Apologies for the 15-second advertisement at the beginning....) 

In short, the piece highlights the widespread corruption in our housing program and especially the fact that our local leaders, elected and hired, simply do not care.  Several readers of The Red Ant saw the piece and have been in touch - they know how I feel about fraud in our subsidized housing program.  Here is one of the letters I received:

"Hi Elizabeth, They have finally been exposed.  The city council should resign, Barwick should be fired as well as the people who run the program.  The program should be terminated.  Those cheaters should have to disgorge rental income and be removed from the program, and the city attorney has an obligation to prosecute those who criminalize this perk.  This is the Aspen 'buddy system' lapsing into larceny.  Big surprise - everyone knows this was going on and our public servants 'winked' and went skiing.  Shameful."

For the most part, I agree.  The city manager should absolutely be fired.  But that takes a vote of 3 of 5 on council and I can only think of one who has the guts to do the right thing here.  Ann Mullins and Art Daily, the two council members up for re-election in May, are unwilling.  The mayor, also up for re-election, is also unwilling.  In my opinion, their unwillingness to enforce the rules and oversee the city manager as their employee signals their acceptance of this abuse.

The solution should be simple enough.  Change the deed restrictions on our entire subsidized housing portfolio to include the defined penalty requiring sale of the property and prohibition from participating in the subsidized housing program if the owner is found to be in any kind of violation.  Period.  Subsidized housing is a privilege, not a right.  With enforcement comes compliance.  

As for the future of the housing program, I am, however, cautiously optimistic.  In 2015, a new director (with a masters degree in public administration) was hired.  I have a huge amount of respect for Michael Kosdrosky who has been tireless in his quest to upgrade the system and bring a semblance of order to 30 years' worth of chaos.  He swims upstream every day against the status quo, but is currently working to convert a paper-based system to a database because, obviously, the management of 3000 units is not practical with a paper-based system.  Amazing that in 2017 this isn't a given?!?!  He also sees the immense value in properly managing this incomparable community asset.  

But until Kosdrosky is given the power to bring the housing program to heel, the fraud and abuse, so ingrained in its culture, will continue, unabated, because no one on council or at the top of the city hall food chain has the cajones to acknowledge the problem, yet alone straighten it out.

Told ya so.  And don't think for a minute that I am not going to try to make this an election issue.

GORSUCH HAUS UPDATE

Following a well-attended public hearing in February (I wrote about it HERE), the developers of Gorsuch Haus took the community and council feedback to heart. The pushback on their planned request for re-zoning from "conservation" to "SKI" (which would have provided greater flexibility with mass and scale) will likely now become a request for the parcel to become a lodging district.  This change, plus a redesign that lowers the height and includes other adjustments including a more "open" turn-around/drop-off area at the top of South Aspen Street, have been incorporated in time for another public hearing on March 27.  Check out the Gorsuch Haus WEBSITE to see the latest renderings.

The changes to the project are noteworthy for many reasons.  First and foremost, they reiterate the commitment by the local development team to listen to community feedback.  The fear (misplaced in my opinion, but I digress) that the access to the new 1A lift was seen to be "too private" led to a reconfiguration that makes the new access FAR more publicly accessible (both physically and visually) than the Silver Queen Gondola at Little Nell.  Furthermore, council admitted that they want the project to work, but did not appreciate the mass and scale.  This round, the height is reduced from 48' to 36-40'.  And, keeping in mind that the community development department supports lodging in this location, once council agreed with this sentiment, it was the right time to make the bold changes necessary for approval.  The upcoming public hearing will bear witness to whether or not this project is ready for the formal application/approval process.  Let's hope so.  

And here's yet another reason why...

As Aspen basks in the afterglow of a wildly successful week of hosting the FIS World Cup Finals, reality hit like a blowtorch.  The skiers, the fans, the coaches, FIS - in other words, everybody - were beyond impressed with the event.  It was nothing short of world class.  But then FIS, the governing body of the sport, spoke in no uncertain terms.  The FIS would love to return to Aspen, but not until there is a replacement for Lift 1A.  This is nothing new, and no surprise to anyone who has been following.  In fact, Aspen came thiiiis close to losing last week's prestigious event because of the old lift.  Thankfully we didn't, but for now, we're not on the World Cup schedule for 2017-2018.  Killington took over our women's technical events in November 2016 and hosted 30,000 spectators. Squaw Valley wowed with 20,000 spectators the week before the finals in Aspen.  As more domestic competitor resorts jump on the World Cup bandwagon and Aspen sits idle with its outdated Lift 1A and "third world" atmosphere in the surrounding neighborhood, World Cup ski racing will stay away.

The timing is right.  Today.  Citizens and neighbors just experienced what true vibrancy and excitement are like on the west side of Ajax.  With the approval of Gorsuch Haus, SkiCo has committed to replacing the old lift and in so doing, preserving the legacy of world class ski racing in Aspen for generations to come.  It's pretty simple.  As the leader of FIS said, "The appetite is there to come to Aspen, no question.  The question is whether the appetite is there in Aspen for World Cup racing to come."  And notably, SkiCo, which has been measured in its support for Gorsuch Haus, stepped up.  John Rigney, VP Sales and Events (and the architect of Aspen's fabulous show) told the Aspen Daily News, "I completely understand the desire to upgrade the west side of Aspen Mountain and South Aspen Street. It needs a facelift, and we'd like to see an upgrade, for sure."  Let's get this done.

Aspen Daily News columnist Paul Menter agrees.  HERE is his column which ran today.  (Great minds think alike!)

Be there at council on March 27.  Your comments definitely matter.

BICYCLE MASTER PLAN: THE WAR ON CARS RAMPS UP

Instead of focusing on important things like providing safe bicycle routes to schools and implementing effective "wayfinding" signage, Aspen's Open Space and Trails (AOST) commission is charging ahead with plans to radically alter automobile traffic patterns in town.  

Using data from about 89 users of the city's subsidized We-Cycle bike sharing program (not the 6800 citizens who live here nor the 2500 youth who attend school here), AOST is planning to PERMANENTLY close off Hallam or Francis Street throughout the west end and make it into a dedicated bike/pedestrian way like Hopkins Street on the south side of Main.  Think about it, without some cars cutting through the west end and until there is some widespread acceptance and adoption of electric cars, we will soon have FAR MORE traffic and carbon emissions from cars stuck solely on Main Street.  Cyclists and pedestrians will never be as safe as they are on Hopkins because there is a cross street at every block, many with poor visibility.

In a town of 3.3 square miles, we already have 32 trails.  We should be focused on getting cyclists off our busy roads and onto the bike path across the Marolt Open Space and onto Hopkins.  One dedicated bike boulevard more than addresses the needs of a town of our size!!

Known for its lack of public engagement and little transparency, AOST has long collaborated in a vacuum with city staff to marginalize drivers while prioritizing bike lanes and closed roads for a very small population of bike riders. Several in the community have thankfully been tracking this nefarious bunch, trying to ascertain just who it is in city hall that authorizes the costly expenditures and approvals associated with these aggressive programs. By law it should be council. Compliance with council's budgetary approval and oversight falls to the city manager. Reporting to council on the city's financial activity is the fiduciary duty of the finance director.  Unfortunately, in Aspen, there is no council oversight of actual spending, just policy, which gives the city manager and his staff unchecked flexibility to spend public dollars as they see fit.  And when city staff's goals align with an opaque special interest board that thinks that the desires of not even 100 cyclists to go the shortest possible distance from the ABC to downtown should supersede the interests and needs of the entire community, we are really in trouble.

My guess is that the permanent Francis or Hallam Street closure will occur this spring.  Don't expect to hear much about it, that is, until you get a ticket.  I'll let you know what I know when I know it.

THANKS, SOJOURNER

A long overdue "THANK YOU" to my friends at Aspen Sojourner magazine.  Imagine my surprise to be named as one of "The Aspen Power 50:  Who really runs this town?  Our list of top decision-makers who wield the most influence over local living."  Thank you for the recognition and honor.  Read it HERE.

ISSUE #131: End DormANT-cy at 1A (2/3/2017)

"Some people create their own storms, then get upset when it rains."   

-- Unknown

GORSUCH HAUS: AN IMPORTANT UPDATE

In early July last year, I wrote about Gorsuch Haus, the exciting new hotel proposal for the western base of Aspen Mountain, at the top of South Aspen Street, next to Lift 1A.  I know you read about it then, but I am updating the status here and am not going to repeat all the factual details.  And yeah, this is a deep-dive issue, so settle in.  Besides, knowledge is power - be informed!  Big decisions on the project are on the horizon, so I suggest a quick refresher (read it again HERE) for good measure.  The following is a snapshot of the very basic details:

• 81 keys:  60 hotel rooms, seven 3-bedroom condo suites, plus 6 free market for-sale condos
• 68,000 SF
• Average height is 36.5 feet; 49' high at highest point
• 61 sub-grade parking spaces
• 6 acre parcel; project is on 1 acre
• Replacement for Lift 1A with a high-speed quad
• Plaza area will serve as the portal to the mountain, and will feature a public restaurant, bar and outdoor apres deck, in addition to skier services (lockers, lift tickets restrooms, ski patrol)
• Transit from Rubey Park via year-round complimentary shuttles
• AND, FYI, LIKE IT OR NOT, THE SHIP HAS SAILED: DEVELOPMENT IS COMING TO THE TOP OF SOUTH ASPEN STREET (Let's be smart and approve a project for that space that benefits the entire community and preserves our skiing heritage for the next century!)

There is quite a bit of complexity involved with the next steps for Gorsuch Haus.   The project will uniquely provide public space for all comers, not unlike the Hotel Jerome, Limelight and The Little Nell.  In addition to adding to the diminished hotel bed base in town, Gorsuch Haus promises to bring the community back to Aspen's historic ski neighborhood -- once the epicenter of vibrancy, skiing, lodging and apres!  And don't get drawn into the trap of just looking at Gorsuch Haus as some "new development at the top of South Aspen Street."   While Gorsuch Haus is a critical piece in the puzzle of revitalizing the west portal to Aspen Mountain, the entire area must be viewed as a matrix.  Other nearby development projects, existing entitlements, city conveyances, conservation easements and the responsibility for revitalizing Aspen's original ski portal are tightly intertwined with the lofty responsibility of honoring Aspen's skiing heritage and ensuring our legacy into the future.  Gorsuch Haus is but one cog in this complicated wheel, but it's the pivotal one whose time has come.    

TIMELINE & DETAILS

• December 2015:  Plans for Gorsuch Haus unveiled
• March 2016:  Land use application filed with city of Aspen
• Summer 2016: Changes made to the plans based on initial feedback
• September 2016:  P&Z voted 6-0 against, citing height, mass and scale, plus a desire to move the lift terminus to Dean Street (which Gorsuch Haus has no control over)
• December 2016:  First Reading of updated plans further incorporating new feedback, City Council voted unanimously 4-0 to proceed to Second Reading despite earlier P&Z decision
• February 13:  Second Reading before City Council with public comment (no vote).  Gorsuch Haus to request additional guidance from Council as just four votes (Mayor Steve Skadron, Adam Frisch, Bert Myrin and Ann Mullins; Art Daily has recused himself due to conflicts) will eventually determine the outcome
• Future:  Amendments to application incorporating direction and feedback from Council; Council vote (could happen as soon as Spring 2017)

HERE are the most recent feedback-based changes to the proposal for Gorsuch Haus.  None should surprise you.  The local development team (Jeff Gorsuch, Bryan Peterson and Jim DeFrancia,) see you in town, on the mountain, at your kids' events.  They're your neighbors and they've been listening.  They are uniquely committed to this project as a legacy project for the entire community.

The following are noteworthy challenges facing the project that are currently being addressed by the developer:

• Norway: Revisions since Summer 2016 include a west side 20-25' pullback from Norway and the exciting rumor of a potential "ski tunnel" linking the far skiers' left on Norway to the ski return.
• Height, Mass, Scale:  The building itself if 7% smaller and the lot coverage has been reduced 8%.  See the neighborhood comps HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE. (Important stuff, I swear). 
• Lift 1A:  The new lift is positioned as far down the property as possible and the alignment provides for possible future extension downhill if neighbors provide access.  See a rendering HERE.
• Public Access to 1A:  An expanded drop-off circle enables improved transportation, clear sight lines and pedestrian access to the lift from the drop-off on South Aspen Street, in addition to direct-to-lift access off Summit Street, which serves hundreds of condo and hotel units along Monarch, Summit, Mill and Galena.  See it HERE.
• Trees:  Reduced retaining wall and patio massing on the east side will save 7 of 8 trees next to Caribou Condos.
• Ski Return:  The new positioning of the hotel, combined with the alignment of the new Lift 1A, dramatically opens up the "ski return," the historic ski corridor below the ski area boundary, while honoring the historic ski return and mountain view planes.  See it HERE. 

These are all important concerns that the developer has been working to address -- and the conversations will continue.  But there is one hot-button issue that has become the talk of the town and an inexplicable make-it-or-break-it argument despite it being entirely dictated by complicated property ownership issues and entitlements on properties OTHER THAN the Gorsuch Haus parcel:

                                                LIFT ACCESS TO 1A FROM DEAN STREET

 HOW DID WE GET HERE?  A HISTORY OF RECKLESS DECISIONS

The area is fraught with lift access controversy.  But first a little history.  Aspen's original lift was actually a "Boat Tow."  Built in 1936, the contraption ferried skiers from a terminus near today's Lift 1A up to the top of Corkscrew at Tower Ten Road.  Then, on December 14, 1946, Lift 1, a single chair, began carrying skiers from the terminus in Willoughby Park to "midway," at the top of today's Lift 6 (FIS) chair, where it met Lift 2 and went from that spot up to the original octagonal Sundeck.  The historic lift terminus and several towers of Lift 1 remain today in the "ski return," which extends below the ski area across what's called Lift One Park and down to City-owned Willoughby Park.  These old lift structures are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  

In the days of Lift 1, skiers skied down the "ski return" to get back to the lift.  Incidentally, this path cut across a sliver of Skier's Chalet owner (and former Sundeck manager) Howard Awrey's property.  Some skiers stopped to grab a bite at Awrey's ski-up hamburger shack, but Awrey wanted a little compensation from SkiCo for allowing skiers to cross his property.  It got hot.

In the end, when the DRC Brown-era SkiCo replaced the old lift for the 1971-72 ski season with today's Lift 1A, the fateful decision was made to move the lift uphill and onto SkiCo land.  No more dealing with Awrey.  And thus ended lift service upward from Dean Street and ushered in the city's nemesis, a familiar and repeat visitor:  the law of unintended consequences. 

Take a look at this map that shows the critical property parcels and ownership in the area.  Get your bearings.  Consider the space we're looking at as a layer cake.  From the top down to Dean Street, the parcels include:

• SkiCo-owned land:  under contract to Gorsuch Haus 
• Lift One Lodge (formerly Holland House and Skiers Chalet)
• Dolinsek Property (future City park)
• Willoughby Park (owned by City of Aspen)

While not literally "stacked" directly on top of one another, the lower three parcels are bisected by the historic transit corridor of the original Lift 1, indicated by the dotted-line outline designated "ski return" above.  Many ideas are being kicked around as Dean Street to Lift 1A transit solutions, and frequently mentioned in the context of, "I support Gorsuch Haus, but only as long as there is a lift down as far as Dean Street."  Well, here's the skinny.  And do keep in mind that pesky concept of property rights; in other words, the legal reasons why you can't build something on your neighbor's property just because you and your friends think it's a damn fine idea. 

One can argue that the conundrum started with SkiCo vs Awrey, however, in recent years, the City of Aspen has made numerous bad decisions, including careless approvals of development projects along South Aspen Street and easements that have dramatically and detrimentally affected the potential for future lift service from Dean Street to 1A.  None of these decisions are those of Gorsuch Haus; in fact, Gorsuch Haus has neither ownership nor control of the parcels in question below them on the hill, as these belong to other entities. 

HOLLAND HOUSE: UNABLE TO REDEVELOP, CLOSES

Established in 1949, and replaced and expanded on its original site in 1956 and again in 1963-1964 by the late Jack and Anneke DePagter, the Holland House operated as a 20-room ski lodge on the east side of South Aspen Street.  When a 1992 application for redevelopment revealed the lodge's previously unknown listing on the City's "historic inventory" despite being merely 40 years old, the owners saw ominous signs of the City's heavy hand in preventing the necessary upgrades of local small ski lodges to meet the needs of a more modern clientele.  Following a lengthy and costly appeal to Council, in 2003 the Holland House was finally "de-listed" because, while quaint, it was unanimously agreed that the building was indeed not historic.  As long-delayed plans for redevelopment began to move forward (including the addition of 8 guest rooms and private baths) the City's writing was still on the wall in the form of bureaucratic hurdles and other burdens. Faced with an uphill battle against the City for permission to make the changes necessary to run a ski lodge in the 21st century based on the priorities set forth in the 2000 Aspen Area Community Plan (and the City's Growth Management Quota System), the owners entertained several offers and eventually sold to developers in 2006. 

The City, with its draconian historic preservation restrictions and requirements, as well as bureaucratic encumbrances, effectively forced the owners to sell their family business and with it the potential for the next generation to continue the tradition of hospitality in a beloved small hotel on South Aspen Street.  And in so doing, the City succeeded in the elimination of a locally owned and operated (not to mention vibrant and popular) ski lodge.  The building was razed in 2007 and the parcel has remained empty ever since.

COWOP FAIL: 2008

Beginning in 2003, amidst the approval of a land use application for a townhome and subsidized housing project on the west side of South Aspen Street, the City hinted that a "ski lodge" is what the community really needed.  With its original approvals in hand, the developer put together a proposal that, after much back and forth, emerged as a 150,000 SF project that included said lodge.  But in 2007, City Council said no in a 3-2 vote.  Imagine encouraging the developers to incur the expense of pursuing this folly at Council's request, only to shoot it down when they delivered!?  (The anti-development Bolskeviks on City Council at the time seemed to relish hinting at approvals only to deny applications in the end.)

But the boulevard of broken ski lodge dreams did not end there.  The tragedy continued in 2007, when the City again sought to influence the development approval process in the area.  Developers of properties on both sides of South Aspen Street suspended their applications to participate in the City's COWOP (meaning "for the convenience and welfare of the public") process.  For 6 months in 2008, 28 participants met regularly for literally thousands of hours to come to a community-based consensus on a master plan for development of the neighborhood.  Representatives of the two proposed lodges, the SkiCo, the City, neighbors and citizens at large worked tirelessly to devise a plan that passed muster with the group, 19-2 (the group had shrunk to 21 members by the time of the vote).  Notably, then-mayor and our pal Mick Ireland voted as a City of Aspen representative FOR the proposal.

Once in front of Council for approval in early 2009, however, Mick's tune changed.  Despite 90% of the COWOP membership's approval, Mayor Mick launched into a typical anti-capitalist tirade and cast the deciding vote to kill the COWOP's proposal.  (Yes, he voted for it before he voted against it.) The COWOP was then scrapped, and property owners and developers proceeded on their own.  But recall, 2009 was smack dab in the middle of the economic downturn, which has kept the entire neighborhood in an undeveloped state of flux (not to mention looking much like a third world country) for the better part of the past decade.

If nothing else, the COWOP established the fervent public sentiment for lift service from Dean Street.  But did the City listen?  Or care?

CITY PURCHASE OF DOLINSEK PROPERTY

In 2014, the City of Aspen purchased the Dolinsek property for $2.5 million.  The half-acre parcel, owned by a long-time Aspen family whose members were integral to the development of Aspen's first ski runs, is located between the city-owned Willoughby and Lift One parks.  Terms of the transaction ensure that the property will forever remain open space, creating a contiguous green space from Dean Street up to Lift 1A (the "ski return").  Valued at over $5 million, the property was sold at a discount to the City for use as a park, and includes a life estate for John and Josephine Dolinsek, siblings who have lived their entire lives there and may now do so for the remainder of their days.  According to the Aspen Valley Land Trust (AVLT), "As a condition of closing, the Dolinseks requested that AVLT accept a conservation easement over the property in order to ensure that, once they are gone, it will never be used for anything but a public park and open space." 

The scoop: a conservation easement can be appealing to land owners who want to raise funds but don't want to sell out to a developer.  Instead, they can sell conservation easements at a lower price than they could sell the land.  A land trust or open space program will oversee the binding terms whereby the land owner can then continue to live on his land, but development potential is forever restricted, if not eliminated.  The landowner receives a state tax credit for accepting less than full value for the land.  These tax credits can be sold, or can be used to reduce property tax bills.  There is also a federal tax deduction.

The Dolinsek property was a monumental land acquisition opportunity for the City to be sure, and the 2014 City Council was mighty pleased with themselves for getting it done with your public dollars.  But the devil is always in the details.  And it would appear that the Dolinseks, through exemplary generosity on one hand, also got the last word when it comes to lift access down to Dean Street.  The deed of the Dolinsek deal (obtained by The Red Ant), IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS states:

"Commercial ski lifts and ski area infrastructure (including ski lifts, ski lift towers, overhead cables) are specifically prohibited on or over the property, though Grantor may provide the right to the public to ski across the property during the winter."  Knowing what this would do to the historic transit corridor and all future hopes for a lift upward from Dean Street, one can only wonder who at the City knew of this crippling restriction and did the deal with this stipulation anyway?  What was the Dolinseks' beef with lift access?  Did anyone even think to ask them? 

LIFT ONE LODGE

Formerly the site of the beloved Holland House and Skiers Chalet Lodge and Steakhouse, the Lift One Lodge property most recently changed hands in 2015 for $22 million.  Development plans for 22 fractional ownership units (84 total keys), five free market units and a 163-space underground garage were approved by Council in 2016.  (The old Skier Chalet Lodge will be relocated to Willoughby Park for use as a ski museum, and the Skiers Chalet Steakhouse will be converted to subsidized housing.)  Despite being 54' high at its highest point, P&Z unanimously approved the 77,000 SF lodge plans and Council declined to call it up for further review, approving the plans for what is rumored to become a Four Seasons Residence Club or Soho House (both are private clubs).  The Lift One Lodge approvals additionally extend the building envelope 15' westward into South Aspen Street, an exchange with the City for allowing 50 displaced parking spaces to be relocated into the project's garage.  Gilbert Street (from Monarch Street on the east) was also conveyed as a pedestrian walkway and utility easement, and the ONLY thing that can cross this easement is a Poma lift, specifically and exclusively.  As a result, whether Council was aware of this or not (and they didn't ask), the current density and footprint approvals for Lift One Lodge impede the possibility for a surface lift AND ski return through the remaining historic transit corridor. 

This rendering shows the currently proposed alignment of the replacement for Lift 1A, as well as the alignment for a possible future extension down to Dean Street in the "ski return."  Note the "conflict" with the current Lift One Lodge building footprint.

The City of Aspen's negligence in recent years in not requiring that the historic transit corridor be maintained for future lift service is specifically why there is no straightforward solution to the Dean Street to 1A transit issue.  The City has willingly granted conveyances and approvals to various adjacent parcels with no mindful consideration or valuation of the historic Lift 1A transit corridor, the vital role lift service plays not only in the neighborhood but for the community at large, and its own leadership role in preserving and maintaining both the heritage and future of Aspen, a ski town.

DEAN ST TO LIFT 1A:  WHAT'S POSSIBLE, WHAT'S NOT?

Years after the 2008 COWOP debacle, one issue remains:  the community's desire for lift service to 1A originating at Dean Street.

In the intervening years, however, this broadly supported public sentiment was all but ignored amidst land use decisions by the City of Aspen that now stand to prevent any such skier transit.  Here are several of the "what ifs" that people are talking about:

PLATTER PULL / POMA / SURFACE LIFT

Sadly, this is a non-starter.  While the thought of a skinny wire with a bunch of hooks seems low impact and relatively easy to implement, it is not to be.  While the Colorado Tramway Commission WOULD ALLOW a Poma surface lift in this space, it could only be used for hauling people up and only during winter months -- there isn't requisite space to provide both uphill transport AND to simultaneously allow folks to ski down the "ski return."  Furthermore, SkiCo would ostensibly own and operate this lift, and maintain the surface that it would operate upon, necessitating critical snow-making and grooming operations in a space deemed too narrow, constrained and, in several sections, on private land owned by other (disinterested) interests.  On a one-dimensional basis (such as a bird's eye view), it looks like this should be imminently do-able.  That is, until you check out the property lines and read the fine print of the City's deals.

FUTURE CHAIR OR "SKITTLES" GONDOLA

The Dolinsek Property restrictions (no infrastructure on or above) and the Lift One Lodge easement for a "Poma Only" effectively put the nails in the coffins of both a chair or a gondola from Dean Street.

HORIZONTAL ELEVATOR / FUNICULAR

An additional concept has been discussed, featuring a "horizontal elevator" that would move up and down along a track.  Once again, the same restrictions that prevent a chair or gondola to cross the Dolinsek parcel and through the Lift One Lodge property prevent a funicular as well. Furthermore, Lift One Lodge principals have vetoed this idea.

RUBBER TIRE SOLUTION

A free public shuttle that would run exclusively up and down South Aspen Street, with the sole purpose of ferrying people up to the ski area portal at Gorsuch Haus and to the 1A lift is nobody's first choice.  And it never should have come to this.  But given the City's past decisions that hinder if not entirely prevent lift service from Dean Street, it IS an option that can and will work.  No easements, no restrictions, no problem.  Besides, every ski portal in Aspen is serviced by some form of mass transit or skier shuttle.  Not only is this the commonly used means of accessing our lifts, it is arguably preferred.   We all manage quite well with the RFTA buses, Crosstown Shuttle, Galena Street Shuttle, Downtowner and other "rubber tire" solutions shared by pedestrians and skiers alike all over town.  It IS do-able.  And very convenient. HERE is the proposed shuttle map.

REVISED 1A ALIGNMENT AND IMPROVED SKI RETURN

SkiCo has committed to replacing Lift 1A with a high-speed detachable quad chair if Gorsuch Haus is approved.  This replacement is from the current elevation of Lift 1A upward.  Gorsuch Haus' plans and alignment for the replacement of 1A fully allow for a downhill extension of the lift in the future, should circumstances change, but do note, such circumstances and changes are on other people's and entities' properties, not the Gorsuch Haus property.   Folks, there is no good reason to encumber the Gorsuch Haus proposal with the responsibility for building something on other peoples' land!

Notably, the Gorsuch Haus proposal presents significant improvements that open up and restore the historic "ski return."  See it HERE. 

THE STATUS QUO: NOT AN OPTION

Like it or not, change is coming to the top of South Aspen Street.  This train has left the station.  When the 2008 COWOP failed, those against any future development of Aspen's historic ski portal got a reprieve.  But it is not to last.  It is exceedingly rare that we have another chance to properly develop this historic neighborhood.  There is only one option that ensures public access to the mountain into perpetuity, Gorsuch Haus.  This opportunity WILL NOT come around a third time.

The Red Ant has determined that there are basically three options for the property, and one WILL happen in some form or another:

•  Gorsuch Haus (PUBLIC access/amenities/replacement for Lift 1A)
• 4 private single-family "monster mansions" (Look at South Mill Street to get a feel for how that will look and work)
• Another operator in some variation of the space, perhaps even Lift One Lodge, with an even larger "campus" (Consider the implications of a private membership residence club and how this will affect public access to the lift)

GORSUCH HAUS AND LIFT 1A

There is A LOT of good to this proposal, not the least of which is that it keeps the west side of Aspen Mountain publicly accessible.  It is certainly as good as anything we've seen, and I personally think it's better, given what's already in the works!  Don't believe for one minute the nay-sayers who are trying to convince you that Gorsuch Haus is "in the middle of a ski run."  You have the maps -- and the facts -- to know otherwise.  

When you see what is already approved for the east and west sides of South Aspen Street, I get it, you cringe at the density up there and question why a 68,000 SF hotel needs to go in at the top.  In short, Gorsuch Haus needs to go there so that we all can too!!  We can grab a beer, have lunch, meet friends, enjoy apres, and basically hang out.  If it's just a private residence club or single family homes, guess again.  And what happens to Lift 1A in the long run won't be pretty either.

Developer Bryan Peterson wrote in a recent letter to the editor, "If the lift had remained near Dean Street 45 years ago, no doubt there would be a fully developed in-town ski base.  Gorsuch Haus can't undo decisions of 40 years ago, but we can move forward and appropriately reactivate the only other portal to Aspen Mountain."

SkiCo president and CEO Mike Kaplan has stressed how critical the company believes Gorsuch Haus to be to the community.  "The redevelopment of the South Aspen Street neighborhood is important to the town of Aspen and the future of Aspen Mountain," he said.  "As we have long said, the revitalization of this area is a necessary step to the replacement of Lift 1A, and we look forward to a South Aspen Street neighborhood with new hotel and lodge projects, condominiums, restaurants and retail spaces such as Gorsuch Haus."

The Red Ant is 100% all-in for Gorsuch Haus.  Join me in convincing City Council that Gorsuch Haus is a winner: for our heritage, for our future, for our community, and especially for Aspen -- the ski town.

WHAT YOU CAN DO / HOW YOU CAN HELP

KNOW the facts.  Forward this email to your friends today.  There are real and distinct reasons why Gorsuch Haus cannot promise lift access from Dean Street.  Now you know why.  As much as Gorsuch Haus would LOVE lift service from Dean Street to the relocated Lift 1A, this decision is ENTIRELY incumbent upon other property owners in the neighborhood AND the City of Aspen. 

Let's get the fingers pointed in the right direction and the pressure applied accordingly.  With decisions comes accountability, and the City can and should make this right.  It makes sense that Lift One Lodge doesn't want to renegotiate now because they have their entitlements in hand.  The City CAN make a deal with them though.  Of course they can.  Incentives, baby.  Give it a try.  Offer them something that doesn't risk their existing approvals and let's see if there might be a solution!  AsThe Aspen Times' Andy Stone best put it, "And what's blocking this great leap forward for Aspen as a great ski town?  Lift One Lodge, foolishly approved (but fortunately not yet built) right smack in the way of that lift."  And if the Dolinsek parcel is a no-way, no-how proposition (Is it? Can the City and AVLT renegotiate just the "lift cable above" restriction for that tiny sliver of soon-to-be City property purchased with public funds?), then shame on council for their naive and short-sighted approval of that deal.  It won't be easy, and eating crow sure isn't pretty, but the city CAN make amends for its own myopic and damning decisions that have created this conundrum.  The outcome will be squarely on the shoulders of Councilmembers Skadron, Frisch, Mullins and Myrin.  Forever.  It's time to do the right thing.

PLEASE SUPPORT GORSUCH HAUS!!

• Sign up as a supporter HERE (no, you do not have to be a local voter)
• Write to City Council in support:  steve.skadron, adam.frisch, bert.myrin, ann.mullins -- all  @cityofaspen.com
• Write to the papers in support:  letters@aspendailynews.com and mail@aspentimes.com
• Talk the project up!  You now know the facts, and word of mouth matters!
• Link to THIS issue of The Red Ant on your Facebook page.
• Specifically address the "lift to Dean Street issue" now that you know what's going on!
• COME TO THE COUNCIL MEETING ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13 AND VOICE YOUR SUPPORT FOR GORSUCH HAUS!!!!  Be prepared to make a VERY brief statement (less than 3 minutes) with VERY specific reasons for your support. 

*************

And just for fun, get in the mood by checking out Aspen Journalism's fabulous and comprehensive timeline of Aspen's skiing history, including wonderful photos from the Lift 1 days.  We must never forget our skiing heritage!!

ISSUE #130: How ArrogANT! (1/19/2017)

"You're trying to regulate something you know nothing about."   

-- Charif Souki

It turns out that the recent "controversy" over the future of chain stores in Aspen isn't about chain stores at all. 

The current brou-ha-ha about chain stores, the assumed and therefore rumored unchecked growth thereof, and the potential for banning, capping, limiting, and/or restricting them came to a fore today during a 7-hour meeting in an Aspen Institute conference room.  Organized by former Aspen mayors John Bennett and Bill Stirling, along with high tech entrepreneur Jerry Murdoch, about 25 of Aspen's "thought leaders" (as they were called) gathered to discuss Murdoch's proposed city ordinance that would "restrict" chain stores in Aspen's commercial core. (I wrote about it recently HERE.)

Today's meeting was a complete fraud. It took a couple of hours of sitting there listening and trying to figure out what was really going on before it became abundantly clear.  Like I said, the ordinance and this entire charade is not about chain stores at all. Chain stores are just a red herring.  It's about development.  Specifically, ending development (new buildings and redevelopment of existing ones) in Aspen's commercial core.  Here's how I know:

We were told at the onset that there were three possible outcomes to today's discussion:

• Accept Jerry's proposed ordinance as a group and present it to city council.
• Don't accept it and Jerry will circulate a citizen's petition to get the issue on the ballot for a public vote, likely in May.
• Continue the discussion.

Glaringly absent was the option for the group to shoot the proposal down.  This assumption of moving the ordinance forward regardless of information, feedback and lessons learned throughout the day was disconcerting if not foretelling.

Next, we were informed that the object of today's discussion was to address the growth of "formula retail" (the fancy name for chain stores) with Jerry's ordinance inherently being the solution.  And so it began.  It's Aspen, so of course there was A LOT of vague, flowery discussion about "community character," "balance" and "diversity" as these relate to retail offerings here, and many truly valuable discussions on the local retail environment from hand-picked yet arguably credible local retailers, landlords, bureaucrats, realtors, business people and regular local folk.  But there was one major thing missing at the professionally moderated meeting that had lofty ambitions to agree to take Murdoch's ordinance to city council in the immediate term for adoption: consensus.

Most glaring was the lack of agreement among the group on the mere fact of what Murdoch's ordinance would actually solve or even merely address.  As the day went on and the ordinance itself was clarified, the waters only became muddier.  A participant from Australia who owns and operates a successful retail district in Brisbane called James Street was invited to share his experiences.  Patrick George thoughtfully listened to other participants and pointed out to the group that chain stores pay their bills, it's very hard to find non-chains that can compete in the long term in an expensive and seasonal environment, and the (small) size of our population effectively prevents the success of what he called "everyday retail."  Not exactly music to chain store detractors' ears, but real world experience from someone who would know.  Notably and quite ironically, he asked THE question of the day: "What is the real problem?"

This was because so many disparate and unrelated problems were brought up.  In fact, it seemed as though nearly every participant (predominantly from the bureaucratic, local retailer and "local folk" side of the house) had his or her own problem that they wish city council would address, presumably with Jerry's ordinance.  Problems, ostensibly because of chain stores in Aspen, included:

• Erosion of the Aspen brand
• Fear of chain stores taking over 100% of the ground floor retail space in Aspen
• We're putting all our eggs in one basket by counting on chain stores to pay the bills
• The city's regulations / taxes / fees make starting a business here prohibitive
• Loss of vitality / funkiness / character  -- we're getting too homogenized
• Locals being unable to start / own businesses in Aspen
• Locals not being able to shop in Aspen 

But when the facts on chain stores in Aspen were revealed, the tone changed.  It turns out that "the chain store problem" isn't actually much of a problem at all.  Several participants had walked the commercial core (the 18 blocks north of Durant Street, south of Bleeker, west of Spring and east of Monarch) and identified 152 ground floor retail locations.  Of these, 46 were deemed "chain stores" because they have 11+ outlets.  That is just 30%.  Prior to the meeting, the community rumor mill was stoking fears and churning out numbers more like 60%, and growing.  And there was no real data that even addressed yet alone proved that all chain stores in Aspen operate at a loss as a matter of course.  It's a clever rumor, but a rumor none-the-less until proven otherwise. And remember, the city's largest landlords were all there, and they certainly agreed: new chain stores are NOT lining up trying to open here.

So, just what is the problem that Jerry's ordinance ostensibly addresses?  The question hung heavily in the room, but not everyone saw it.  It was fascinating to see how enraptured the millennial wannabe business owners were by the mere notion that their government might just adopt a regulation that punishes landlords and chain stores, and in so doing might just give them a boost up toward the elusive golden ring.  It was equally intriguing to hear from local retailers that maybe even more restrictions on chain stores ought to be implemented, such as prohibiting them from having sales on their merchandise except at designated times of the year.

All of this made for interesting theater, but proposed ordinance is really just a solution in search of a problem.  And despite what Jerry continued to espouse, no specific information or data was presented that supports his position that a restriction on chain stores in new and redeveloped buildings in Aspen's commercial core will IN ANY WAY ensure that unique and funky stores that will save Aspen's character will open there instead.  Nor will it make it one iota easier for locals to start and own their own businesses in town.  And I am hard pressed to see how the goods for sale in these restricted spaces will somehow be more affordable for locals as a result.  It's a solution alright.  But for what problem?

A lot of information was shared at the meeting, but the facts on the ground revealed that the "chain store problem" turns out not to be a problem at all.  So what is the REAL "problem" that isn't being talked about?

It's development.

When pressed, Jerry acknowledged that his ordinance would NOT ban chain stores in Aspen.  Nor would it cap or limit them in any way.  Not in EXISTING (and approved for development) buildings.  The buildings with existing chain store tenants can keep them and can even write leases for new chain store tenants when current leases are up.  In fact, Jerry's ordinance allows ANY AND ALL existing buildings in the commercial core to rent to as many chain store tenants as they wish today, next week and into perpetuity.  No restrictions whatsoever on chain store tenants in existing (and approved) buildings in the commercial core EVER. 

THAT was the WOW moment for The Red Ant. 

If EXISTING (and approved) buildings can have chain stores as tenants into perpetuity (meaning that many, many more chain stores CAN come to Aspen, unrestricted), what is really going on here??  Clearly, the issue is not about chain stores at all.  Think about all the potential places for chain stores in existing buildings (specifically the spaces where the other 70% of our current retail stores exist) and ask yourself:  how again does this ordinance protect Aspen's character / brand / vitality / uniqueness that is so at risk because of chain stores????  It doesn't.  What it does is place potentially cumbersome restrictions on NEW and REDEVELOPED buildings in the core, restrictions that will hinder and encumber investors and developers in such a way that new buildings and the redevelopment of existing ones will become financially untenable.  No investor or developer will risk developing new retail space that cannot ever be rented to the same tenants as those in all the buildings around them.  Theoretically, it ends development in the core.

The million dollar question is why.  And the answer is not entirely clear.  But here's my guess.  Jerry Murdoch wants to "save" Aspen from future development in the core. He doesn't want to punish the current landlords.  He is not going after Mark Hunt and his portfolio of downtown properties.  (It's next generation's Mazza-Woods-Hunt-Hecht-Marcus-Garfield-Cox-Souki-caliber property owners that will suffer.  And the community, because the passage of time inherently creates the need to redevelop at some point.)  And he wants to do it his way, right now.  He's rich.  He's successful.  He's smart. On some level, it plays as altruism.  Freeze Aspen in time.** 

And he's been masterfully deceptive in ginning up support for his plan.  The Whiny Millennials (see Issue #129) are all-in with Jerry because they currently have little chance to have what they want here, and chain stores have become the perfect villain.  He has played them.  Why?  They don't know any better, and because (recall from the beginning of the meeting) if the ordinance isn't accepted and passed by city council, Jerry will petition to get the question on the ballot where it will likely pass with the voters.  (The millennials and their "bring back the Quiet Years" brethren will absolutely vote for it.)  It will also likely pass because it will be promoted on the false premises debunked today.  And what's in it for him??  "Success."  He obviously has a beef with the ongoing development and redevelopment in Aspen, and he wants it to stop.  Now.  Forever.  This, despite Aspen being a 150-year-old town with many, many very old buildings that will absolutely need redevelopment someday.  Again, this has absolutely NOTHING to do with chain stores.  If he is able to jam his ordinance through (one way or the other), it will hinder if not effectively kill development in the core.  He wins.  And despite the lengthy discussion today (some parts of it more enlightened than others), the moderator made the whole game clear when he congratulated Jerry for NOT saying "It's my idea and I'm doing it," which is precisely what he effectively said in concluding the meeting.  (Jerry emphatically stated his plans to present his ordinance to council on February 6.)  He also kindly suggested that if people had other ideas, they too should present these to council, presumably as their own ordinances.

It's the hurry-up offense, folks.  The meeting was merely Jerry's way to "check the box" so he can say that he got a read on what the community wants.  He got a read alright, but certainly no consensus.  Not even close.  But he is moving ahead anyway.

A strange day indeed.

** Mt. Vesuvius famously "froze a community in time" back in 79 AD.  How'd THAT work out for the people of Pompeii?

ISSUE #129: It's What They wANT 12/8/2016

"We make money the old fashioned way, we earn it." 

-- E.F. Hutton

MORE SOCIAL ENGINEERING IN ASPEN

A small group of vocal citizens has recently been lobbying council and city staff to expedite a change to Aspen's land use code that would limit or ban new chain stores in the downtown core.  The plan would be for potential new chain store tenants to go through a "review" process before being granted a business license.  The Chain Store Control Act (CSCA), as it is being referred to by detractors, is being pushed as a means of enabling "locally owned" or "locally serving" businesses to get into the retail game in our expensive and exclusive resort town.  The CSCA pushers specifically want lower rents for these local businesses which will occupy the same spaces that they can't currently afford in the existing market.  Never mind the spaces are private property. 

The Red Ant sees this whole CSCA charade for what it really is - social engineering, a taking, a solution in search of a problem and the city government's latest attempt to control the "use mix" of what will be allowed for sale in our commercial zones by being the one who picks winners and losers to please the loudest subset of our community.

Aspen's "millennials," who want desperately to make their mark on Aspen, are the loudest supporters of such controls.  They understandably want their own businesses here and feel that it's simply not fair that the high rents paid by national "formula retailers" are keeping them out of the game.

You see, framing this as a "millennial" issue sets up the battle lines.  Support for a limit or ban on chain stores signals your love and support for the younger set who, by benefit of birthright or mere arrival, want to stay in Aspen with the fulfilling and successful careers owed to them.  If you oppose limiting chain stores, you clearly don't love our local young folk and the children of your local friends.  Brilliant.  And frightening.

MEET THE WHINY MILLENNIALS

By demographic definition, "the millennials" are the cohort following Generation X, typically being born in the early-to-mid 1980s through the early 2000s.  In Aspen, the same definition applies, except we just so happen to have a particularly virulent strain of the whiny variety that have become politically active.  Usually, The Red Ant would say that this is an excellent thing, to have this generation's up-and-comers of our community get invested and engaged in the political processes of our community.  But our Whiny Millennials are special -- even more so than their brethren elsewhere.  Yes, it's all about them, of course, but our particularly toxic strain is not only willing but adamant about forcing the government to interfere with the local free market economy to benefit THEM!  Imagine that!?

Aspen's Whiny Millennials failed spectacularly in their recent attempt to co-opt the public process by strategically and emotionally convincing city council to grant them the city-owned Old Power House (formerly inhabited by the Aspen Art Museum) for use as a brewery and party HQ with subsidized office spaces upstairs for the creation and development of their grand plans. Tapping into council's weakness for the romantic and idealized "mind, body and culture" ethos -- and saying "no" to this group -- the Whiny Millennials' plea for beers, music, small bites and big ideas down by the river enchanted our elected reps.  In the end, however, after vociferous pushback from neighbors and concerned citizens alike, not to mention serious legal challenges, council was harshly reminded that not only was the original RFP for the space specifically for non-profit use, a commercial enterprise is most certainly not allowed there under current zoning.  In the end, with tails between their legs, council relented under the pressures of reality and rescinded from the Whiny Millennials this erroneous award.  See The Red Ant Issue #124 and #125 for a recap on the last gasps of breath of this idiotic chapter from the depths of Aspen's public policy rat hole.

But like a phoenix rising from the ashes, they're back. The Whiny Millennials and their Millennial Sympathizers (*MS) are again galvanized to take what's theirs, or, better put, what's yours that they want to be theirs.  Buckle up.

*MS:  just who are the Millennial Sympathizers?  Sure, there are a couple of boldfaced names out there, a couple of former mayors, and, combined with a council that is easily and emotionally distracted by symptoms and not actual causes, this just might be 2017's perfect storm for the government again trying to manipulate and control the local economy.  (Noteworthy is the support for the ban by former mayor Bill Stirling, perhaps best known for his ridiculous attempt to ban the sale of fur in Aspen in the late 1980s.  The attempt garnered national headlines, but in the end, only served to make Aspen look foolish.  Any surprise that he likes this new idea?!)

But if this sounds a little hinky, it does to me too.  Yes, the effort is being marketed by the Whiny Millennials, but who is really behind it?  Sure, they are an aggrieved bunch, by definition, but why the heavy handed city support?  Who there in city hall is encouraging this?  The Millennials are most certainly the straw men posing as the dispossessed to bring this issue to the fore and ostensibly generate interest and sympathy, but at whose behest?  What has been offered to them in exchange for leading this charge?  And really, while it is being promoted as settled science, what proof does city hall have that brand name retailers widely accept losses in Aspen as solely a marketing ploy?  Sure, the city can contrive assumptions from sales tax results, but without access to corporate financials (which they have absolutely no right to access), this is all simply conjecture and the basis for restrictions on the use of private property?!  And how did this whole brou-haha emerge, fully developed by the esteemed community development department with no public process?  This is right up there with the very worst public policy making, even for Aspen.  It smacks to me as city hall higher ups manipulating our young and impressionable folks to do the dirty work of sticking it to Aspen's relatively small cadre of commercial real estate owners for having the unmitigated gall of being successful.  Sounds city manager-ish.  And, combined with Mayor Steve Skadron's ongoing and vapid "mountain town values" drivel, this is a shot over the bow that challenges the right of individuals to use their privately owned property as they see fit under the law.  

IF YOU CAN'T BUILD IT YOURSELF, STEAL IT

From a declared standpoint, the motivation and objective (beyond just limiting or banning chain stores) of the proposal at hand is conspicuously absent.  The intent of being so vague is to additionally tap into the "stick it to the man" mentality that pervades our local culture, especially among those who lament the end of The Quiet Years (such as the *MS former mayors) -- those who just can't accept that it's still not 1975 in Aspen and never will be again.  The hope of the CSCA pushers is that emotions will again take over and no one will think beyond that.  (Along those lines, I must admit, I too sorely miss A LOT of stuff that's no longer available here:  the #2 at La Cocina, shoe shopping at Ozzie's, the clever revue at the Crystal Palace, breakfast at Gerhard's Wienerstube "stammtisch" and just about everything on the menu at Lauretta's, but I live in reality and know that on planet earth, simply put, things change).  

Having endured the painful experience of listening to the whiners once again appeal to council for pity on their plight ("It's not fair, we can't do what people who moved here in 1980 did"), their true motivation became undeniably clear (intentional run-on sentence to illustrate the "all about me" nature of this pathetic action):  They live here and they love it and they want to stay here, but for many reasons they can't get their own "things" going in order to afford them the financial ability to have the life they see others living and want for themselves, so they'd like council to take action to intentionally collapse the commercial real estate market in the downtown core so that they might then get some sort of TBD commercial toehold and ostensibly live happily ever after in Aspen like they deserve to because they were born here or moved here and others who came before them appear to have done this and it's what they want too but the world is different and it's harder and more expensive now so clearly the government needs to help them no matter the cost or inconvenience to anyone.  It's the participation trophy, Aspen-style.

Pleas for more "entrepreneurial opportunities" and emotional lament at losing leases that were only "pop up" (discounted due to their interim nature) to begin with abounded at last week's meeting.  It was pitiful, as in full of pity -- exactly what the whiners want from council.  And the blame (there is ALWAYS blame) fell squarely on the shoulders of chain stores.  Somehow, they whined, if chain stores were outlawed, the greedy landlords of Aspen would surely HAVE TO deeply discount downtown commercial rents so that Whiny Millennial bric-a-brac shops could proliferate and they too could have their longed-for slice of the Aspen pie.  (See, it's easy, just give it to us, otherwise, we'll steal it.)

No one has yet bothered to remind this entitled crew that maybe their struggle is not unique to them, so I will, starting with:  there's probably a reason why Apple was invented in a garage.  Throughout Aspen's relatively short history, people have come here and fallen in love with the place.  Again, what's not to love?  I've written it many, many times, but the mere act of crossing the Castle Creek bridge from the West into Aspen DOES NOT guarantee you one single thing except getting to the other side.  What makes this group more special than the last?  Or the generation before that?  Or the post-War 10th Mountain Division war heroes who founded the ski area?  Or the silver miners?  Or the Ute Indians.  There were no safety nets, no trigger warnings, no safe spaces, fuzzy blankets, play-doh or guaranteed outcomes for any of our forefathers in Ute City.  It was hard work and risk, not entitlement, that built this city.  (Ok, a little rock and roll too, but I digress.)

Don't be fooled.  The Whiny Millennials say all they want is a "level playing field."  It was one of the big buzz-phrases of the evening at the council meeting.  But they don't want that at all.  The level playing field implies that all comers play by the same rules -- in other words, a market economy. The Whiny Millennials want just the opposite.  They want a slanted slope of a field that benefits one side and one side only, theirs.  They want government redistribution but not even through taxes, rather via a direct taking of private property through devaluation and assignment to someone approved by the government.  Affirmative action at altitude.

THE RETAIL DEATH PANEL

In every Aspen recipe for public policy disaster, there is the critical ingredient of subjectivity.  There simply must be exceptions to the rule!  And since rules in general don't apply to the Millennials, why should the specific rules for banning chain stores be anything but ambiguous?  Well, guess why -- the Whiny Millennials actually kinda like chain stores, but only some of them -- the ones where they like to shop.  Great distress was shared about the loss of The Gap and Banana Republic.  The desire for Anthropologie was expressed.  Surefoot and Sunglasses Hut are good, but Prada and Gucci, no way.  In short, chains that please the whiners and their friends are welcome, but "those places" that are also found on Madison and Michigan Avenues and Rodeo Drive -- be gone!!

The plan is to empanel and empower a select "commission" that will determine retail winners and losers.  A retail death panel, if you will.  Just who gets to sit on this court, prescribing judgment on which consumer durables are ok to buy and sell in Aspen (and by and from whom) is anyone's guess, but smart money is on Planning & Zoning, even though it makes no sense at all.  But it's where several of the whiners and champions of this proposal already strategically serve. Kinda convenient, dontcha think!?

It all promises to be beyond any subjectivity we've ever seen from city hall.  What exactly will constitute a "chain"?  Word on the street today is a business with 11-15 or more locations.  So 10 is ok?  Promise?  Which chain store brands would automatically trigger a review?  Are existing leases to chain stores grandfathered in?  What about renewals?  Is this just a ground floor ban?  What about multi-level buildings that don't have an obvious ground floor?  What's the timeframe for death panel decisions?  Appeals?  Will there be quotas?  Interior design mandates?  The list goes on.... 

COUNCIL INQUIRIES MET WITH PATHETIC REVELATIONS

When asked what it was they were REALLY looking for, the whiners' answers were alarmingly telling.  Rhetoric such as "locally owned" and "locally serving" was bandied about, although no one can or will (yet) define for all of us just who is a real "local."  When the issue was pressed, in the end, "locally owned" doesn't really solve it for the Whiny Millennials.  You see, if a local guy were to take over the space in the Andre's building (where Prada currently exists) and sell high-end Italian clothing, would this be ok?  Apparently not, since the Whiny Millennials "still wouldn't shop there."  They're looking for something called "locally serving."  It has more to do with WHO shops in WHICH stores than who actually owns them.  Good locals and bad locals, real locals and fake ones.  The idea is that our entitled local, young folk, (literally) given space, would be able to their sell "funky" and "homegrown" stuff not only to our tourists (who they assume are looking for whatever it is they're selling) but primarily and especially to each other.  

THE LAWS OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES

Aspen is ground zero for making hasty decisions and dealing with the terrible unintended consequences later.  Or not dealing with them, as the case so often is.  Here are just a few that the Whiny Millennials and their nostalgic co-conspirators have no sense of:

• Empty storefronts in the core. THAT's not vitality.  It's blight.
• A rotation of failed businesses over multiple years creating uncertainty in the marketplace that will drive shoppers elsewhere.
• Immediate term rush by landlords to secure long term leases with chain stores before this nonsense goes into effect.
• There are many, many high end retailers that are not "chains" per se that can and will step in and secure leases in the absence of competition for space.
• Does anyone think local landlords will quickly and suddenly slash their lease rates just so some entitled schmuck can sell recycled water bottles in the downtown core?
• ACRA neutered.  Where is the esteemed Aspen Chamber Resort Association in all of this?  Do they really represent the business community or have they become just a shill for city hall?
• When the government effectively subsidizes some businesses and not others, does this same government provide "relief" when said subsidized businesses fail?  (The Whiny Millennials will surely be looking for someone to cry to when this happens.... "But it was my life savings...")
• Financial impacts.  Has anyone bothered to consider the financial impact of this ridiculous folly?  Ok, right now, things are ducky, but what happens when Aspen's sales tax base slowly erodes?  What of the parks and recreation facilities that serve locals at subsidized rates?  Or housing values that generate the RETT and make the subsidized housing program possible (so that all the Whiny Millennials have an in-town place to live) decrease?  What of the subsidized daycare that Millennial families benefit from - a direct result of the sales taxes paid by those who visit and shop at our high end (chain) retailers?
• Economic downturn.  Yes, the economy has recovered and is on the upswing now, but what happens during the next downturn when revenues that subsidize the lifestyle of our local subsidized housing residents can drop as much as 40%?
• What do we do when Generation Z shows up, wanting that era's version of what we did for their predecessors?
• And the age-old wisdom:  We all know what happens when you bite the hand that feeds you!

A RED ANT MESSAGE TO THE WHINY MILLENNIALS

Aspen is a top-tier, high-end, world class, international tourist destination. Ours is a service-based economy where jobs are primarily those that support local tourism and secondarily provide additional services to the community that developed as a result.  Over time, the jobs in Aspen that are NOT in the tourism service sector have indeed broadened and evolved.  Where it was once just teachers, doctors, first responders and those in the hospitality business, the growth of the community has come to include architects, builders, designers, lawyers, realtors, a ridiculously large bureaucracy of city and county employees, and just about every other profession found in every other large city.  But at the beginning and end of every day, Aspen is a tourist town.  We just get to live here because we each figured out our own way to make it work.

Sorry, Millennials, Aspen is NOT all about you.  Aspen owes you NOTHING -- certainly no more than it owes anyone else!  It's great that you want to start and own a business of your own.  It's the American Dream -- chase it!  But you might want to think about doing it somewhere where you stand the best chance of success, if indeed that is your goal.  But if your goal is not quite that ambitious and dreams of powder days and mountain bike rides are more proliferate, that's ok too, but maybe this business thing isn't for you.  But don't get me wrong, there are literally thousands of people who live in Aspen who have found out how to make their version of "it" work.  Talk to them.  Learn from them.  What do they all have in common?  They figured "it" out. They looked at the opportunities and the costs, weighed the risks, and threw their hats (and sometimes life savings) into the ring.  Some succeeded, some failed.  Some failed many times.  Others will fail again.  But doing it the hard way is the reality in a place like Aspen.  To the victors go the spoils.  Sorry, no blue ribbon just for showing up.

Aspen is the epitome of the level playing field.  We are open to all comers.  And sure, there is a price of admission.  But anyone is welcome to show up and give it a go.  You too are as welcome in this community as anyone who has come before you and anyone who comes afterward.  But you are NOT more special than the next guy.  And there are no guarantees of a successful outcome.  That's just life.  It's hard here.  And it's expensive.  And that can make it even harder.  Yeah, had you been born in another era**, things might have been different if you'd made your way here.  But you weren't and you didn't.  Neither did a lot of us.  Short of a quick trip in a time machine, get over it.  Life isn't fair.  

**In 1968, you could have moved to a town with dirt roads, no support system and little in the way of infrastructure of any kind.  And if you'd had the courage, you could have invested your own money, worked your ass off for several decades, and if you ended up being one of the few who made it, built your fortune.  There was risk then just as there is now.  Now think about it - these are the very people who you and those who represent you are imploring the government to take from in order to give to you.  Is this really who you are and what you stand for?  (Don't answer that, I think I know.)

Some say Aspen isn't the real world, but just like the laws of gravity, reality DOES exist here.  The question is can you exist (and hopefully thrive) in the reality that is Aspen??  The selfish act of trying to change Aspen at the cost of others to fit your selfish desires is not the path to Nirvana, regardless of where you practice yoga.

But most notably, look around -- not all your peers are whining.  Many are notable local attorneys and award-winning architects.  And don't forget the restaurant owners with multiple local outlets and those manufacturers/distributors of locally-produced beer and wine.  Some figured "it" out somewhere else and now do "it" in Aspen.  And others just worked hard at "it" and climbed their way up -- heads down, not hands out.  None of them demanded special favors and dispensations.  It IS possible to make "it" in Aspen, but perhaps recycled water bottles and ground floor yoga smack dab in the downtown core aren't the best fit for this tricky and expensive economy.  Again, that's just life.  Being born, raised in, or merely enamored of Aspen does not inherently assure you a ride on the glidepath to success. And really, it's nothing against you or your dreams, it's just that Aspen doesn't owe anyone anything.  Go make something of yourself.  Make E.F. Hutton proud.  Earn it.

WHAT'S AHEAD FOR THIS NONSENSE

Thankfully, at press time, it appears as though council has recently received enough pushback (and maybe a tad of common sense) and has slammed the brakes on a hasty decision on this issue.  Good thinking, seeing as how such foolishness was hastily thrown out there.  Those laws of unintended consequences loom large.  Staff will not be pushing this down council's or our throats until sometime in the new year.  Instead, everyone has been asked to wait for the building moratorium in downtown Aspen to be lifted in late February.  At that time, significant changes to the land use code are supposed to include streamlined and incentivized zoning opportunities that will enable second tier retail establishments in second tier downtown spaces (second floors and basements).  In other words, can't we just wait to see how the public process works out?!  In fact, this very issue (to meet the needs of locally owned/serving businesses) is specifically expected to be addressed!  Patience, people!  It sounds to me like lower barriers to and costs of entry are a'coming!

But no one ever said the Whiny Millennials were ill-prepared for possible council pushback and a potential delay.  A citizen's petition effort has been threatened and is widely expected whereby just a couple hundred signatures will ensure that a ballot measure determining the issue will be on the May 2017 ballot.  Public process be damned; just kick it to the voters who hopefully won't see any downside.  It's the Whiny Millennials, folks.  Why would they wait for something that staff has been working on for nearly a year?  And of course they're not interested in "second tier" anything.  They'll be out there in front of City Market asking you to sign their petition, and they just might get the requisite signatures.  If that happens, the real fun begins.  A divisive election season: emotions and entitlement vs economics.  Fun times ahead.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Weigh in.  Write to council.  Write to the local papers.  This issue, if not properly addressed by the upcoming significant changes to the land use code, can certainly be revisited in the future.  But to jump the gun and rush ahead is as ill-advised as the very issue itself.

My friend and co-conspirator Maurice Emmer wrote a great letter last week:

"Locals who lobbied city council to regulate chain stores should be applauded for upholding a rich local tradition.  This is how government should work: an interest group talks to elected officials to seek a change the group thinks will improve life for the group.

It's not clear what improvement this group seeks.  It could be lowering commercial rents so locally produced water bottles can be sold in local stores; or changing the commercial mix so Aspen isn't Rodeo Drive; or substituting the tastes of a small group for those of the market.  It doesn't really matter. What matters is that Aspen perpetuate a richly observed local tradition -- attempting to repeal the laws of economics.  

We've tried limiting development, thus limiting the supply of leasable space, then complained about escalating rents for the limited leasable space.  We've tried banning fur sales, having no effect on fur sales but driving the resulting revenues and sales tax receipts to other communities.  We've tried building an uneconomic hydro-electric plant instead of buying far less expensive renewable energy from our utility provider.  We've tried mandating that a developer install an affordable restaurant in a basement only to create a perpetually vacant basement.  We've tried offered get below-market leases in city-owned buildings on the condition of below-market pricing without any way to measure that pricing.

In the tradition of these quixotic causes i say, go ahead.  Regulate chain stores.  Persuade yourselves that you know what to do and how to do it.  And that you can predict the consequences.  But before you do, I suggest one other endeavor.  Recently there's been a trend of amending Aspen's home rule charter when deficiencies are identified.  Before taking on more pointless causes, we should amend the home rule charter to empower city council to repeal the laws of economics.  Maybe then these Rube Goldberg schemes can work."

And don't miss popular columnist Paul Menter's articulate and amusing thoughts on the subject.  Read it HERE.

Stay tuned.  And buyer beware.