We endorse Ed Byrne, a pragmatic moderate we know from his work on our Editorial Advisory Board . . . Byrne’s long history of civic involvement, including a stint in the city attorney’s office, will help to offset the loss of institutional memory with the departures of Appelbaum and Shoemaker. – Boulder Daily Camera, 10/8/2017
Other Organization and Neighborhood Group endorsements:
South Boulder Creek Action Group – “We agree 100% with the Daily Camera’s endorsement which describes Ed Byrne as a ‘pragmatic moderate.’ Ed is the top pick of a number of us from SBC ACtion Group and the FMRC Resident Flood Protection Team. Vote for ED BYRNE!
FIDOS – “Ed Byrne has consistently demonstrated a balanced approach to issues, including questioning Open Space staff’s default management direction of restricting recreation.”
Boulder Area Labor Council (AFL-CIO)
Best Democracy
BALANCE – EXPERIENCE – EXPERTISE – FISCAL ACCOUNTABILITY
I’ve lived in Boulder for 36 years, raising a family, working, playing, and volunteering with friends and colleagues in Boulder since 1981. I want to ensure that your voices and concerns are heard and understood by City Council. There are 9 seats on City Council and 5 of them are in play – I am asking you to give me 1 of your 5 votes, and here’s why:
Boulder’s great, but we must continue to evolve – we’re not done yet! We need to crowd source our wisdom, which will require new outreach methods – insisting upon attendance at public hearings will not suffice.
Council members should be approachable and they should have well-established relationships with a diverse mix of community members, through extensive and varied types of community service.
We also need Council members with relevant experience and expertise. I was a Boulder Assistant City Attorney, for six years (1982-88). I helped the Colorado ski industry address environmental and resort town challenges for six years (Colorado Ski Country USA, 1988-94). As it was with the ski industry, workforce housing is now Boulder’s greatest challenge. I co-chaired the North Boulder Subcommunity Steering Committee, served on the US 36 Task Force, and wrote for the Daily Camera for a decade (Editorial Advisory Board, 2007 – 2017). I am a charter member of Open Boulder and have served on the steering committee of Better Boulder since its founding in 2014. I was also the chair of the Chamber’s Community Affairs Council, the Downtown Boulder Partnership’s Public Policy Committee, and the Foothill Elementary School Improvement Team.
Finally, City Council should be a board of directors, not a management team immersed in day-to-day operations.
Council’s highest priorities should be (1) fiscal accountability, (2) neighborhood and regional outreach, (3) civil discourse, and (4) generation of more hope, and less fear about Boulder’s future. We should be optimistic about where we’re headed, because of what we have already done.
The challenges we face are regional in scope, but they are also often neighborhood-specific. Council needs to listen better, reach out to people who are often not heard, and find more effective ways to engage everyone in shaping our future. We’re all in this together! We need all hands on deck!
City Council must budget and spend your taxes wisely. Fiscal accountability requires a discerning eye and a sharp pencil. Having worked for the City and in the private sector, I have both.
When I hear good ideas, I try to make them a reality. They can come from anywhere, but every great innovation first must be observed; then it must be raised up and supported.
As a community, Boulder is blessed with compassionate hearts, creative minds and abundant resources. We can lead the way towards environmental sustainability, economic resilience, social justice and innovative housing/transit solutions. If we don’t do it, who will?
Let’s maintain balance and expertise on Council. Adding a sense of humor won’t hurt.
This is what I have done my entire life. It is what I will do on Boulder’s City Council.
Please vote for ED BYRNE on (or before) November 7, 2017. Thanks!
TO CONTRIBUTE ONLINE:
————————————————————————————–
Together, we can meet any challenge, but I need your support, too!
Please get involved in my election campaign this fall: study the issues, speak to your friends, volunteer, donate, put up a yard sign, host a home event – there are many ways to help. Let’s git ‘er done!
Background on the Race.
There are nine seats on Boulder’s city council. People representing a broad cross-section of the community and a balance of skills and experience should fill them.
Matt Appelbaum and Andrew Shoemaker are stepping down. We will miss Matt’s hard-earned understanding of the City’s policies and history and Andrew’s planning and legal acumen. I’m asking for your vote because my 36 years of community service and relevant experience in Boulder will replace some of what we will lose when they retire.
Proven Planning Expertise.
I understand planning principles that have stood the test of time: walkable neighborhoods with wonderful village centers that support local businesses, decrease traffic congestion and provide flexible housing options for the elderly, young families and in-commuters. CU should build more housing for its students and staff, and we should expedite exploration of housing opportunities within industrial and commercial zone districts.
Focus on Essential City Services.
Boulder’s key city services such as police, fire, transportation, water, libraries, senior centers and parks and rec must be adequately funded to protect our quality of life and to ensure we are prepared for events like floods and fires. While I support renewing and reallocating the Culture and Safety Sales Tax, I’m opposed, generally, to this earmarked, patchwork approach, particularly with respect to essential city services.
Economic Understanding of Environmental Goals.
I will help businesses that support our local economy stay in Boulder by addressing local workforce housing and transportation challenges, and by opening a regional dialogue to more effectively take them on. I will lead the city to improve our commercial codes to attract and retain progressive, innovative businesses that share Boulder’s social and environmental values. The Muni is done. The game was/is rigged. Pull the plug. Let’s start saving electrons and stop wasting money. Sad, but true.
I know Boulder has the talent to run an electric utility. I hate the four corner offense Xcel is using to thwart municipalization. The “path may be clear,” but I don’t believe we can get there from here any time soon – the condemnation and separation battles could be tied up in the courts for many years and all the legislative hoops and hurdles, along with broad discretion, tilt these tables against Boulder. I’m not happy about it, but I think Boulder should re-purpose the money being spent on the muni effort to squeeze every joule of energy out of the electrons Xcel delivers, until we can kiss them goodbye. The same goes for natural gas. Visit Snugg Pro home energy audit services in Boulder, https://snuggpro.com, and give your home a makeover.
Effective Governing Strategies.
Local governments shouldn’t try to solve every problem with an ordinance. We need to focus our resources where they will do the most good and be more effective. I believe that we should use all the tools in our municipal tool kit including incentives, education and partnerships – because not every problem is a nail.
Vision for the Future.
Thanks to the Blue Line and Open Space acquisitions, and while we pursue a cleaner energy supply, we can now focus on improving our town – the “inside” of our incredible natural setting – with innovative, sustainable and walkable neighborhood design. Regionally, we have hard-earned knowledge to share, including what works and what doesn’t. We must foster more cooperation within our commuter-shed because we’re past the point where Boulder can meet all its challenges within our city limits – local caps have had many unintended, negative consequences!
I hope I can count on your support now, and your vote November 5th. We’re all in this together!