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Economic Development: Erie's Path to Stabilizing Revenues, Why Some Businesses and Developers Will Not Come To Erie, and Survey Results: Businesses Residents Want in Erie
Andrew Sawusch • Jan 31, 2020
A look into Erie's revenue source for the future, how the Town and residents view Erie's Economic Development progress, what business owners and developers see as Erie's barriers to entry, the specific reasons why some businesses and developers will not enter Erie, and results from the survey "The Businesses that Residents Want to See Come to Erie"
SUMMARY:
Erie's residents and the Town administration alike have admittedly viewed Erie's economy poor at best. Having a negative 72.1 retail leakage, a total of $14.25 million in potential annual sales tax revenues that consumers pay to other towns, and an economy that is below the national benchmark in almost every category surveyed, it's no wonder why the Town has become strictly reliant on residential development for the Town's economic growth. Coupled with a strained infrastructure system that is in need of more and more capital expenditures each year, the Town must find a constant revenue source that helps to pay for these financial needs - and fast! While the Town has begun to address these concerns related to their economy, they still must figure out how to reduce specific barriers to entry for businesses that are currently in place and set through the Town's Municipal Code and Unified Development Code.
The Town must place itself into a position of becoming more"business friendly", which can only be done by first resolving the previous and current issues that community members have experienced. Speaking with business owners and developers that are currently involved within the community, some have said that they have already begun reconsidering working with the Town on future projects, as they have instead begun working with neighboring Town's and beginning their endeavors there. To alleviate these issues, the Town must start by listening to and addressing the concerns of the Town's current/prospective business owners and development partners alike, in an effort to provide the Town's residents with the businesses and sustained economic growth that they deserve. This starts by providing the proper leadership that is required, while redeveloping and instituting very specific initiatives at Town Hall to address and alleviate these barriers to entry. Oh, and the results are also provided from your surveyed feedback: "What businesses residents want to see come to Erie."
(Survey Results at Bottom!)
Lots of Homes, Few Places to Shop
In years past, Erie's Town leaders have had to make a decision: does the Town try to attain Residential developers, or Commercial developers? Well needless to say, we can all answer this question just by driving up and down the roads of Erie, noticing the obvious very quickly: there are a lot of houses, but very few places to shop.
The Town's leaders made the decision to grow the community rapidly through residential development, forcing Erie to become reliant on new home builds for the Town's future growth. Their decisions meant that we have previously, currently, and will still be in the future trying to figure out ways to pay for additional capital improvements as the infrastructure system becomes strained - whether that be in the form of additions to infrastructure expansions, capital improvements, roads and bridges, water/sewer/storm-drainage operations, and the list goes on. Since this revenue source can be volatile and prone to economic factors, the question becomes: how does the town find a stable and reliable revenue source? The answer is through setting a proper Economic Development plan that addresses the barriers to entry for businesses, works to entice the right types of businesses, as well as works with developers that become the Town's partners in the community.
What Erie's Residents Think of the Town's Economy
Every 2 years, the Town sends out a Community Survey
to a randomly sampled set of residents, asking them various questions related to their "Quality of Life" from living in Erie. These questions are a way for Town leaders to understand just how residents feel about the Town as it relates to the general categories of "Community Characteristics", "Governance", and "Town Participation". The questions then try to gauge respondents thoughts on specific areas, which among others include "Safety", "Mobility", "Recreation and Wellness", "Community Engagement", and the "Surrounding Environment". In the most recent 2019 Community Survey, one specific topic in particular, the Town's "Economy", falls lower than the "National Benchmark" in almost every single category.
The report indicates that out of the total number of questions respondents were asked related to the Town's economy, 7 out of the 9 questions came back with responses that said the town was "Lower" than the national benchmark, 2 of the 9 indicated "Similar" to the national benchmark, and a big ole goose egg for "Higher" than the national benchmark.
Just how
low do residents think of the Town's economy? One question in particular stands out, which asked residents the following: "What are your main reasons for choosing Erie as your home? Please select all that apply:" A total of 20 individuals, not only out of the 896 total sampled residents, but out of the 4,295 actual selections made by these residents, said that the Town's "Quality of businesses and services" applied to them as a reason why they chose to live in Erie.
Why is this important? Because any Town that is successful and prosperous should not only have a wonderful community, ample recreational activities, great schools, be safe, etc., but it should also be able satisfy additional needs. Businesses provide, among others, the places where you shop for the items that you need, they add jobs for employment opportunities, they pay sales tax revenues to fund the Town's expenditures, and are members of the community who volunteer their time and resources to benefit others around them. All of these reasons, and more, provide additional benefits for residents, which increase the overall satisfaction and reasons to live within the Town. Currently, residents of Erie are not experiencing these benefits, and are therefore being let down by the Town.
What the Town Thinks of Erie's Economy
The Town, through their own publication, admits that there is a negative
72.1% "Retail Leakage" occurring, with a "Notable Gap" of $407 million in lost sales revenue, based on a total sales potential of $485 million. The Town, through their own admission, says that Erie's residents are providing surrounding communities with their
much needed tax revenues, instead of our own, simply because there aren't enough businesses in the Town to shop at.
Just how much is being lost to other towns? Based on the Town of Erie's sales tax rate of 3.5%, it equates to $14.25 million of lost annual sales tax revenue potential in 2019. This alone amounts to 32% of all
revenues from all
sources that the Town expects to receive in their 2020 Budget (excluding "Enterprise / Proprietary" funds received from water, sewer, storm-drainage, and airport activities). If the Town does not address this issue post-haste, based on the inflation forecasts issued by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia (yes, as in the
US Federal Reserve), at a forecasted rate of 2.2% average annual inflation over the next 10 years, and not accounting for the additional residential growth that is still occurring, this would result in the Town losing out on a potential sales tax revenue stream of $28.8 million by the end of 2020, $43.7 million by the end of 2021, $106.5 million by the end of 2025, and $193.2 million by the end of 2030. Simply put: we must take the necessary steps now
so that Erie can receive these revenues, instead of them being squandered away and instead of them assisting nearby municipalities.
What the Town has Done To-Date to Close This Gap
In 2016, the new King Soopers and the ensuing businesses around Vista Ridge opened on Co-7, which now provide the Town with a much needed boost to their total annual sales tax revenues. The following year, the Town hired their first ever Director of Economic Development, by the name of Ben Pratt. Now I have to admit, I like the ideas this guy is coming up with. He has been the one that has been working with and negotiating with businesses and developers to attract them to Erie, including on such projects as Nine Mile, Erie Town Center (Four Corners), I25 Erie Gateway, and the Historic Old Town Erie Renewal Plan, just to name a few. Most recently, he discussed at the Town's twice-monthly Board of Trustees meeting his multi-step plan to grow the Town's economy, which includes his approved initiative for an Enhanced Sales Tax Incentive Program, as well as the agreement that was approved with CoSolve for Economic Development Services.
The CoSolve partnership provides various services for current and prospective business owners in Erie, among others including the opening of a shared work-space within Erie's Old Town (similar to a "WeWork"), Free WiFi for those within Erie's Old Town downtown district (yes, I said FREE WI-Fi), as well as provides incubation services for new businesses that are just starting out. The Enhanced Sales Tax Incentive would provide businesses seeking to open within Erie an incremental sales tax incentive, as long as the business would be opening within a non-URA area (not Nine Mile, a portion of Town Center, or I25 Erie Gateway, among others). Among other caveats to this program, the businesses type must be one where the Town currently has a "gap", meaning the business would fill a specific market niche that currently does not exist or is currently underrepresented within the community. As well, the program is available to businesses with the assumption that they are "likely to generate enhanced sales tax of at least twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) in the first year of operation", that the amount of funds received from this incentive "shall not in any event exceed fifty percent (50%) of the enhanced sales taxes", and that the funds remitted back to the business in monthly installments are used solely for "public or public-related purposes."
For instance, when I look at how the Town has been addressing economic development in years past, among the many concerns and questions that I have, there are two questions in particular that stand out in my mind:
What the Town has Done To-Date to Close This Gap
In 2016, the new King Soopers and the ensuing businesses around Vista Ridge opened on Co-7, which now provide the Town with a much needed boost to their total annual sales tax revenues. The following year, the Town hired their first ever Director of Economic Development, by the name of Ben Pratt. Now I have to admit, I like the ideas this guy is coming up with. He has been the one that has been working with and negotiating with businesses and developers to attract them to Erie, including on such projects as Nine Mile, Erie Town Center (Four Corners), I25 Erie Gateway, and the Historic Old Town Erie Renewal Plan, just to name a few. Most recently, he discussed at the Town's twice-monthly Board of Trustees meeting his multi-step plan to grow the Town's economy, which includes his approved initiative for an Enhanced Sales Tax Incentive Program, as well as the agreement that was approved with CoSolve for Economic Development Services.
The CoSolve partnership provides various services for current and prospective business owners in Erie, among others including the opening of a shared work-space within Erie's Old Town (similar to a "WeWork"), Free WiFi for those within Erie's Old Town downtown district (yes, I said FREE WI-Fi), as well as provides incubation services for new businesses that are just starting out. The Enhanced Sales Tax Incentive would provide businesses seeking to open within Erie an incremental sales tax incentive, as long as the business would be opening within a non-URA area (not Nine Mile, a portion of Town Center, or I25 Erie Gateway, among others). Among other caveats to this program, the businesses type must be one where the Town currently has a "gap", meaning the business would fill a specific market niche that currently does not exist or is currently underrepresented within the community. As well, the program is available to businesses with the assumption that they are "likely to generate enhanced sales tax of at least twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) in the first year of operation", that the amount of funds received from this incentive "shall not in any event exceed fifty percent (50%) of the enhanced sales taxes", and that the funds remitted back to the business in monthly installments are used solely for "public or public-related purposes."
Needless to say, these are both initiatives that will benefit business owners. The Town's Economic Development team seems to understand what needs to be done, and are taking the correct steps necessary in a very methodical nature, phasing in programs to create change instead of haphazardly unleashing them all at once. Based on the plan that the department has outlined, if the Board and Town's administration assist in seeing things through properly and allow the Economic Development department to move forward on the initiatives that need to be taken, things are going to be looking bright for the Town's businesses, instead of the bleakness that we have seen in years past.
The Steps that I will Take as Trustee
So now that we know what the Town, and specifically the Town's Economic Development team, are doing to move Erie forward, you might ask yourself, "What will Andrew Sawusch do to improve our Town's economic development plan, since they are already handling all of these things currently?" That is a GREAT
question!
First and foremost, I am a business-minded individual. I look at the Town as an organization, and accordingly explore the many different activities in a holistic, in-depth fashion. From there, I move through each of the various issues, analyzing exactly what the root causes are, and then outline the path forward to resolve these problems. This is because I am a solutions-driven individual who likes to think outside-the-box, creating solutions that tackle these issues in new or different ways. Assisting the economic development team would become a priority, since it
truly is the top priority for Erie. Working with the team, I would assist in sharing my ideas, hearing the ideas of the others involved, in order to create new and different ideas that evolve to become better than the original ones.
For instance, when I look at how the Town has been addressing economic development in years past, among the many concerns and questions that I have, there are two questions in particular that stand out in my mind:
- What barriers to entry have there been which has stifled current/prospective business owners and developers from entering Erie?
- What types of businesses do Erie residents feel are missing within the community?
Instead of just thinking these question and not doing anything about it, my personal opinion was that it would be best to ask these question directly to those who know these answers the best: members of our community.
For this next section, I must start by first saying this: I am going to address these questions, and the issues that have been described to me, in a way that does not throw any specific individuals, departments, or organizations under the bus. I am doing it this way because I am respectful and believe that it is poor form to do so publicly. The individuals who came forward, or whom I spoke with that are outside parties, did so under the condition of anonymity, and that I would not provide information as to who they were. Specifically related to the issues at Town Hall, I will have separate conversations with specific department heads for the Town, just as the other candidates will too, where I will address some very specific concerns that I have heard, as well as provide additional methods to resolve them that are not noted in this post later. If any of the current Board of Trustee members are reading this and would like to know more, please feel free to reach out as I am more than willing to be of assistance! I appreciate all of your understanding and respecting my decision to address these items in this fashion.
What barriers to entry have there been which has stifled current/prospective business owners and developers from entering Erie?
This question is intended to find out exactly what the barriers to entry have been for both developers and current/prospective business owners, designed to identify the items which have either impeded their progress to enter the Town, or have resulted in their reevaluation of their decision to even
want to return to the Town for their endeavors. I initially intended to have these as two separate questions, assuming that there would be two separate "sets of responses", just as I had initially intended this to be "commercial developer" instead of "developers" (as opposed to "commercial" vs "residential" developer). What I have come to learn is that both residential and commercial developers, as well as current or prospective owners, all came back to me with having the same exact concerns, for the same exact reasons. In fact, the issues have reached such a point that it has resulted in some of these individuals and organizations to simply walk away from their endeavors within the Town of Erie, only to do business in a directly neighboring municipality.
Commercial developers are the driving force behind large-scale projects, and they are those who give rise to the shopping complexes and strip-malls that you see in other towns (as well as the development at Vista Ridge on CO-7 that includes "King Soopers" and other businesses). They work directly with the large corporations and businesses, in efforts to attract them to specific developments that they are working on. Relationships that are formed with these organizations should not only be beneficial to the, but most importantly they should be beneficial to the Town and Erie's residents. In some municipalities, these organizations become the Town's largest supporters and advocates, assisting the Town by working hand-in-hand with them. Likewise, business owners are pillars within our community as they own, manage, and operate the small businesses, mom-and-pop's, or independent stores that are around Erie. They give back their time and financial resources, in order to make our community a better place to live. Both developers and business owners opinions should be respected and taken into consideration when moving forward on the Town's Economic Development plan.
These two questions, and the information that I received, are of the greatest importance in understanding why the Town's economic development has been stunted. In order to understand their concerns, I took the time to speak with some specific developers and business owners who have previously, or are currently actively working on projects within the community. I did this in order to hear their feedback directly, so that I could better understand exactly what their challenges have been previously, currently, and in the foreseen future. What I have found may surprise you, but explains the reason as to why Erie does not currently have much economic development.
The Barriers to Entry
First, the single largest issues that were expressed to me from all of the individuals who provided me with their feedback, was the lack of planning, preparation, urgency, forethought, and leadership that has been exhibited by the Town. Issues of concern expressed to me included the Town exhibiting a nature of either not knowing information, to having to wait for approval from others before addressing an item, even some describing it simply as sheer ineptitude. While these issues have been more apparent in recent years because of the high-turnover that has been occurring with Town staff, the individuals said that it has been, and is still currently an issue. Although the recommendation that was provided to me from many of the individuals was to empower Town staff so that they could be allowed to make the decisions needed as necessary, it is my personal belief that this has been a systemic problem that has existed at Town Hall for many years.
I believe that there has not been the proper leadership necessary to run the Town's operations - starting from the top of the food-chain with the Board of Trustees, and then working its way down. The proper policies, procedures, planning, and vision for the future has not been properly set for the Town. As Erie has grown to a population of nearly 30,000, these issues have simply been amplified to the point where business owners and developers are considering walking away from Erie all together. This is EXTREMELY concerning to hear, since we 100% absolutely need these individuals and organizations to improve our Town's economic vitality. It has reached a pinnacle to the point where some developers will not come to Erie, and as others share their experiences with more developers, it could potentially come to a point where the Town becomes "blacklisted" with specific developers, where they specifically refrain from even entertaining the thought of having any negotiations with the Town. This is completely unacceptable and must be addressed immediately for the Town's economic development needs.
Next, I have found that there are a number of ordinances and Town-mandated items which are creating barriers to entry for businesses and developers. The ways to address these roadblocks are to review the current policies or laws that the Town mandates, and determine if they could or should be adjusted, or if some are simply antiquated. While it is very true that most of the items set and in place within the Town's Municipal Code
or Unified Development Code
are in fact there to protect the health, safety, and well being of the Town's residents, there are some specific items which need to be addressed because they do in fact place a large financial burden on potential businesses from even opening the doors. While I understand that the Town has been and is still currently planning on adjusting some of these items, we will continue to lose out on prospective businesses and developers until there is a full understanding of the full list of barriers to entry which are preventing others from doing businesses within our community.
Finally, I have come to learn that the cost to even develop or build within the Town - including costs to access the Town's water, sewer, and storm-drainage, infrastructure costs, tap fees, connection fees, permits, impact study fees, etc. - place a very significant upfront financial burden on these individuals. I am not talking about the high water bills which we as residents hate to receive, which business owners hate too. I am saying that for a new residential or commercial building to be built, the cost has begun to outpace other communities. While some developers take these costs and subsidize them within your metro district tax, independent businesses however, do not have this luxury. This item was also expressed to me by every developer that I spoke with, since they are the ones on the hook to pay for these items up-front, explaining that the Town has been simply been taking their sizable checks without even as something as simple as a "thank you for your contribution to our community!" For business owners, this means that leases are more expensive than neighboring communities, and that there aren't many lease-able areas to rent for their business needs.
You might be saying, "well developers make enough money as it is, so boo hoo." These developers and
business owners are the lifeblood for the future of our Town - they are the ones who will bring business and economic development to Erie. These developers not only have an initially significant up-front financial risk, including paying consultants and 3rd parties for renderings, engineering services, surveying, etc. - it adds up quickly. Since these funds are backed by investors with an initial forecast of their return on investment, and since in business "time is money", if they are behind schedule at all from impediments placed due to Town Hall dragging their feet, it means it reduces their profitability, and places a bad taste in their mouth for future considerations.
When I hear that some business owners and developers are loosing sleep due to the Town's actions, or submitting resignation letters in anticipation of the Town not accepting their multiple years-long work on new development items, this is a major red flag for me. In order for the Town to become self-sufficient and pay for the Town's future needs, our town must be able to count on reliable, consistent, everyday revenue contributions that are currently being delivered to other municipalities around us. We have to work to change our Town's practices, from the top-down. We have to be able to be "business friendly", but at the same time maintain our own interests, instead of catering solely to the interest of others.
How to Address These Barriers to Entry
After hearing, listening, and understanding what it is that business owners and developers have said, it has become quite clear that there is a great need for leadership to make the changes necessary. The proper planning, adjustments to the way things are done, and a multitude of other items must be made. This of course, is one of the many reasons why I am running for Trustee, and why I had reached out to all of you to ask for your feedback.
First, I would recommend that the Town implement a survey, which is provided to businesses after they submit their applications for permits, after final inspection, and other key stages, as well as recommend sending a survey out to current business owners to receive their insight. The Town would benefit from the sheer number of respondents that they would be able to receive, so that all of the existing and known issues by current/prospective business can be listed out and addressed accordingly. From there, the main items that come up the most can be reviewed in order to resolve them - whether in the Town code or UDC. These changes must be completed so that the same unnecessary barriers do not limit others when they come to our Town in the future, reducing the potential for them to experience these same exact problems.
In terms of the water, sewer, and storm-drainage charges, well,
you already know where I stand on that. Simply put, it needs to be addressed, and must be resolved ASAP. Not only are residents mad about the high payments, but it is effecting our local economy and inhibiting the Town's economic viability for the future.
Finally, the Town should take a page from the business world's playbook and start to monitor and disclose Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The city next door to us, Louisville, does an EXCEPTIONAL way of doing this within their budgets and through their Administration and Support Services Key Indicators report. Not only does the City outline their budgeted revenues, expenditures, etc., they also outline exactly what their key indicators are, what they have been in years past, what they anticipate it will be this current year, what they forecast it to be next year, as well as what their departmental goals and objectives are. This should be instituted by Erie so as to help understand where pinch points are in the various processes, which departments at Town Hall are over or under-performing, as well as exactly what the Town defines as their "measurements of success" for each of the various departments and how they will attain them. Also, this provides transparency for us, as the residents, and accountability for those working within Town Hall. While Louisville does this for each and every one of their budgeted line-items/departments, I have included an example below, which is specifically pertaining to their "Development Review Sub-Program":
What business types do Erie residents feel are missing within the community?
This question is important to ask in order to understand what the Town's residents feel is missing within the community, and is a very important step when creating a successful economic development plan. This process allows the Town to prioritize the types of businesses that are most crucial to quality of life for residents, which would provide the most return and addition to sales taxes revenues in the long-run, as well as allows the Town to focus on attracting and attaining these critical types of businesses.
With this and other information in-hand, the Town would then be able to approach businesses during discussions or negotiations, proving that the Town's residents are not only economically viable based on the Town's demographics, but also by showing that there is an unmet need currently within the community for their type of business, as dictated by the residents themselves. Ultimately, when all is said and done, businesses open in an area when they know that the local population has the following: a propensity to purchase the goods offered, that there is a noted need which is currently unmet within the local market, that the population has the financial ability to purchase the goods or services, and that the location is proven to be one that is economically viable for them to open. Understanding all of this allows both the Town and the businesses to then work with developers on various projects, in order to build specific locations that are properly suited for these types of businesses.
I recommend that the Town complete a Town-wide survey of residents, similar to the one that I completed, in order to identify the exact critical "gaps" that the residents see. A commissioned survey made by the Town with a very large sample size would do wonders to attract businesses, as it would identify the "business types" (NOT brands) that residents want to see and need to have within the community, providing leverage for negotiations with specific businesses. Just like my survey, it is key to note that "business types" should be the main focus. The specific business names or brands can potentially be a write in option, but it should not be the primary focus - the Town should not and can not make a promise like that until that specific brand is under a contractual obligation - although it doesn't hurt in trying to attract them!
Final Thoughts
After hearing, listening, and understanding what it is that business owners and developers have said, it has become quite clear that there is a great need for leadership to make the changes necessary. The proper planning, adjustments to the way things are done, and a multitude of other items must be made. It has become evident that someone with knowledge of running a business, like myself, is needed now more than ever. This of course, is one of the many reasons why I am running for Trustee, so that the Town can become Forward Thinking for Erie's Future, and why I have reached out to all of you to ask for your assistance. Thank you to all for reading this, for your feedback, and for your continued support!
Please remember to send me your questions which I will answer for next weeks post. Questions can be sent to me through the form available here.
(Also, don't forget to checkout the results below from the survey of what businesses the residents want to see come into Erie!)
Topic for Next Time: "Q&A - Reader Submitted Questions" (submit your questions here)
Responses from Survey - What Residents Want in Erie
Thank you all for your feedback, I greatly appreciate each and every one of you that took the time to complete my survey!
While I am providing you with all of the results, I can in no way, shape, or form promise or guarantee that I would be able to attain any one of the business types or brands listed below. I can however, if elected as Trustee, work with our Economic Development team to ensure we make the necessary moves in trying to attain them!
So now, without much further adieu, I present to you the results from the survey!
Topic for Next Time: Q&A - Reader Submitted Questions (submit your questions here)
*Just a side note to all of the items that I discuss: I am a solutions driven problem solver by nature. I wonder how things work, why they work the way they do, and how to make them better. This means seeking different, outside-the-box methods to figure out solutions to various issues. Accordingly, I am always open to learning new ideas, different ways of doing things, as well as constantly learning from others' experiences to make better decisions. When I see an issue, I view it in a holistic fashion, and then dive into specific areas to remove deficiencies and create efficiencies. If you, who are reading this, have some thoughts or ideas about any of the subjects I discuss, I would be more than happy to speak with you to hear your opinions. Please reach out to me here through my website. Listening, hearing, and understanding different perspectives is the only way that we can all grow and create positive change - by learning from others, and delivering ideas that push the needle to become Forward Thinking.
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While some call it an "Affordable Housing" issue, in reality the root of the problem is a lack of housing diversity. During the Town's massive growth over the years, a lack of available inventory and the national housing market have created a housing affordability issue as the Town's makeup has comprised almost entirely of single family homes. The best way to resolve this issue is to work with our stakeholders in the community - our development partners - to address the cause, not the symptoms of the issue.
Erie has quickly moved from "the best kept secret" to "the gem of North Metro Denver", becoming a destination that others want to call home. In order to set our Town up for the best chances for success, a plan must be created that provides us with an ability to manage our current and future growth.
The blueprint below is designed to do just that, providing an understanding of where we are now (our "Current Position"), where we are going (our "Upcoming Needs"), and where we want to be (our "Future Growth"). It starts with assessing what's needed at this moment, preparing for what's needed later, and then having a vision to plan for the future.
Tell us briefly about yourself and where you are from and why you think you're a good candidate for the position you are running for: Originally from the Chicagoland area, I have been a resident of Erie since 2016, previously a resident of Broomfield for 7 years. I graduated from CU Boulder in 2009, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with dual concentrations in Management and Marketing. I am a business operations and marketing professional, with experience growing businesses from the ground up. Currently, I serve as the Sr. Manager of Customer Operations for a data analytics software company. As a solutions-driven individual, I use a holistic-view approach to identify and resolve issues that deliver results, which are both effective and efficient. I am married to my amazing wife, Gabrielle, and am the doting father of my two husky fur-babies, Kaia and Koda. I currently serve as both a Planning Commissioner and a Comprehensive Plan Amendment Steering Committee member for the Town. As an individual from the business world, I believe the Town needs leaders who can create solutions that will be positive and Forward Thinking for Erie’s Future. I believe that I am a good candidate for the position of Trustee because I am committed to making Erie the thriving and sought-after place to live, work, and raise a family - the place we love to call "home"!
I have recently been asked my stance on the Town's current face coverings order. This is an issue which by now, I am sure we have all formed our own personal opinions on. Since 2020, it has affected our daily lives and has been a “hot topic” locally, nationally, and world-wide. It has created division between families, friends, neighbors, communities, and nations alike – and likewise, Erie too has also seen its fair-share of division surrounding the subject. Personally, I abide by the orders issued by a county’s Public Health Agency, as their respective agency has final-say on the specific orders currently in place within their respective boundaries. As well, I abide by the requests and policies of a business which may not be under a mask mandate, but request that patrons within their establishment wear one. However, as I will go into further, the current Town of Erie Face Covering order is in actuality an overreach of legal authority applied to the Weld County side - due to Erie not having its own Public Health Agency, and due to Public Health order which was referenced in the Town's order being from the Boulder County Health Department. The decision made by the Board of Trustees and Town Administrator to administer this upon those in Weld County has not only hurt our businesses, but it has as well placed our Erie Police Department in a situation which they have no option but to enforce the order. The Erie Face Coverings Mandate Erie is uniquely situated in a location where we are split between two counties, with each county having differing views when it comes to various topics – and COVID has been no different. Statutorily, CRS §31-15-103 notes that the Town has the power to issue ordinances “which are necessary and proper to provide for the safety, preserve the health” of the Town’s residents. As well, we are statutorily provided with the authority to create our own Board of Health, as described in CRS §31-15-201 (1) (c), as well additionally in CRS §25-1-507 which notes:
First off, this issue has nothing to do with the capabilities of our Town's current Finance team. I am in no way, shape, or form "throwing them under the bus." I think they are doing a fabulous job, and are making amazing strides in rectifying many issues that they ultimately inherited. These issues should have been found out sooner, and lies entirely and squarely on the shoulders of previous Board of Trustees, as well as our Town Administrators. These individuals are the leaders within Town Hall. They are the individuals who are either our elected, or appointed by those elected, to be Stewards of our Town's finances. Our next board must contain individuals who understand the Town's budgets and finances, who review them thoroughly - as well as those who provide scrutiny, ask questions, and request clarification on these items (and others) from Staff. As someone who believes that our Town's Financial Wherewithal is an extremely important topic for our Town's future success, and having identified this issue in 2020 , I am disappointed in our Town's leadership for placing this situation upon our Town's Finance department. I am providing this information because of the opaque nature in which our Town has acted with in years past. I am also providing this information because there are many more issues that these individuals are attempting to rectify at this very moment, some that might take a year or two to finally be able to accomplish, as well as to say to our Town's Finance Department (Stephanie and Candice - and Victoria who just left as well) "Thank you for all that you are doing to illuminate and resolve these issues for our Town!" Backstory After my last article regarding the Town's 2022 Budget and the changes made within, another Trustee Candidate and myself were discussing the Town's budget online, referencing both the Town's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report's and Monthly Financial Reports in our comments. Less than a week later, I noticed that the Monthly Financials were removed from the Town's website. I decided to post on my Candidate Page about this in jest, and tagged the Town's official Facebook account - assuming that I wouldn't actually receive a response about it.
The General Fund is the primary operating fund for the Town. This single account is where all revenues and expenses are allocated relating to Town Administration, Legal, Legislative, Parks and Recreation, Public Works, Finance, Economic Development, Communications and Community Engagement, HR, IT, Public Safety, and Central Charges (ie. Debt and Transfers to other funds). The revenues that fund this account results from our sales taxes, property taxes, development related fees, recreation fees, landfill fees, oil and gas related income, and other miscellaneous sources. Adopted by the Board of Trustees in November, this year’s budget was prepared for the first time in over 10 years by someone other than our previous Finance Director. The 2022 General Fund Budget projects a total of approximately $42.6 million in revenues for the Town. This is an increase from approximately $36.1 million in 2021, for a year-over-year growth of $6.5 million or 18%. At first glance this might look great, but the Budget then continues to explain that this double-digit growth is largely just a result of an “accounting change.”
As we all practice social-distancing and isolation due to COVID-19, what happens when we run out of activities to do around the house? Below are many different items - ALL COMPLETELY FREE - including educational materials for children, books, music, and virtual activities, in order to continue learning or simply pass the time. Have more items to add to the list? Send me a message here or on Facebook . (I will continue adding to the list as additional suggestions come in - but remember, they must be FREE!) ACTIVITIES Fitness 1440 - Erie Virtual training for its members on their Facebook page, to help stay mentally and physically active (On-Demand FREE for current members, Facebook video classes also posted for current and non-members) (just a side note: you can still also purchase their smoothies, picking them up curbside from 10am-12pm, by texting or messaging your order to them!) https://www.facebook.com/fitness1440erieco/ Virtual Field Trips Take a virtual trip to locations arround the world: View exhibits from The Louvre Museum in Paris, the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, explore the surface of Mars, and more http://freedomhomeschooling.com/virtual-field-trips/ Virtual Disney World Rides Even though the Disney parks are closed, you can still ride their rides virtually online https://www.wesh.com/article/virtual-disney-world-rides/31782946 Paris Musées Virtual Exhibit Collection of 150,000 digital art reproductions in High Definition of works in the City’s museums http://parismuseescollections.paris.fr/en GoNoodle Movement and mindfulness videos created by child development experts https://www.gonoodle.com/ CHILDREN'S EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS - GAMES, LEARNING, & VIDEOS Khan Academy Expert-created content and resources for every course and level (requires sign-up) https://www.khanacademy.org/ Newsela content from the world's most trusted providers and turn it into learning materials that are classroom-ready https://newsela.com/ XtraMath Program that helps students master addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts https://xtramath.org/ Teachers Pay Teachers Online marketplace for original educational resources with more than four million resources available for use (requires sign-up) https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/ Create Printables Variety of worksheets and printables ideas to personalize for your child https://www.createprintables.com/ PBS Kids Educational games and videos from Curious George, Wild Kratts and other PBS KIDS shows https://pbskids.org/ Sesame Street Play educational games, watch videos, and create art with Elmo, Cookie Monster, Abby Cadabby, Big Bird, and more of your favorite Sesame Street muppets https://www.sesamestreet.org/ Education.com A library of games, activities, educational worksheets, and lesson plans for PK-5th, curated by educators (requires sign-up) https://www.education.com/ BrainPOP Animated Educational Site for Kids - Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Arts & Music, Health, and Technology https://www.brainpop.com/ (Normally this is a paid subscription service, but they are offering free subscriptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic) Starfall Allowing children to have fun while they learn - specializing in reading, phonics & math - educational games, movies, books, songs, and more for children K-3 https://www.starfall.com/ BOOKS (KIDS AND ADULTS) Magic Blox Offers a large library of free online books & children's stories https://magicblox.com/ Epic! Digital library for kids offering unlimited access to 35000 of the best children's books of all time (30-day free trial available) https://www.getepic.com/ Open Library Collection of books from the Library of Congress, other libraries, and Amazon.com, as well as other contributors https://openlibrary.org/ Project Gutenberg Library of over 60,000 eBooks, including free epub and Kindle eBooks, download them or read them online https://www.gutenberg.org/ TV & MOVIES Tubi Stream and watch movies and TV shows online in HD on any device https://tubitv.com/ Pluto TV Watch 250+ channels of TV and 1000's of on-demand movies and TV shows https://pluto.tv/ MUSIC Spotify Digital music service that gives you access to millions of songs https://www.spotify.com/us/free/ Pandora Music streaming and automated music recommendation internet radio service https://www.pandora.com/ TuneIn Radio Internet radio, sports, music, news, talk and podcasts https://tunein.com/
Current and previous leaders have not addressed the items which they said they would. As a resident, I am tired of seeing Erie's potential squandered. That is why I am saying "no more!", and why I am running for Trustee. This is why I will focus on the most pertinent issues that I see, as well as the items that are most important to you, the Town's residents
Please be sure to support my campaign for trustee by getting involved in a few different ways ( click here to see how )!
There have been many discussions lately regarding Erie's agreement with Lafayette and the Nine Mile development. This post looks at Erie's local relationships with other municipalities and agencies, and specifically this Nine Mile agreement, in order to understand how it came to be, and why our current Town leaders are incapable of negotiation on behalf of Erie residents.