Gibbs speaks out on I-70 bills at forum

Meet the Candidates forum on Wednesday provides lively discussion

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BY KEELY BROWN
special to the daily
Summit County, CO Colorado
March 27, 2008

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FRISCO — Pine beetles, sales tax revenues, and tolls on Interstate 70 were all topics on the table during a lively “Meet the Candidates” forum on Wednesday night in Frisco.

During the discussion period, Colorado Sen. Dan Gibbs arrived from a late session in Denver, where he is working to defeat two bills proposing a toll on 1-70, introduced this week by Sen. Chris Romer and Senate Minority Leader Andy McElhany.

“This has devastating impacts on the economy of not only Summit County, but anyone in the mountain communities,” Senator Gibbs said. “I’m working to kill these bills on Thursday — and if I don’t, I’ll kill them when they come into the appropriation committees. It’s a negative impact for the people I represent, and I’m mad. These bills are bad,” added Gibbs, throwing a handful of papers on to the floor, to the applause of the audience.

When asked about the challenges he faces in defeating the bills, Gibbs said he knows he has his work cut out for him.

“I have a lot working against me,” he admitted. “This came from out of nowhere two days ago, and I am furious that they did this without a word with me or the people who are impacted by it. It’s insulting.”

As to why it happened, Gibbs was candid.

“I think that egos get in the way — some people just want to get their names in the paper,” he said. “They want to get ahead of what the I-70 Coalition is trying to do. But don’t bet against me,” he added. “If there’s a way to kill these bills, I’ll figure it out.”

Sponsored by the Summit County Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Summit Association of Realtors and the Summit County Builders Association, the forum presented candidates for the Breckenridge, Silverthorne and Frisco town councils, as well as candidates for the state house and senate.

State senatorial candidate Don Ytterberg and house district candidate Ali Hasan, were invited to address their pet projects — which included concerns over the perennial I-70 gridlock.

“We need to look at I-70 as a long-term project,” Ytterberg said. “I think it’s been recognized that it’s a 50-year plan, whether we’re going to raise lanes, or build tunnels.”

“There needs to be a bill to designate money to do something about I-70,” Hasan added. “We need to raise the severance tax, especially from sources like Climax Mine when it reopens. This could fund a monorail, or more lanes.”

Town issues
During an introduction period, Breckenridge Town Council candidates John Ebright and Geoffrey Gempeler both addressed issues such as pine beetle and fire mitigation.

Frisco’s council candidates, Eileen Davies, Miles F. Porter IV and Gary Wilkinson, spoke of issues pertaining to residential build-out in Frisco, while Mayor Pro-Tem Bill Pelham spoke of the challenges in helping Frisco to maintain its identity as a small mountain town.

The candidates for the Silverthorne Town Council, Bruce Butler and David Soucie, spoke of zoning and building issues in Silverthorne, while county commissioner Thomas Davidson addressed the challenges of maintaining a viable residential community alongside the corporate commercialism of ski resorts.

State senatorial candidate Don Ytterberg addressed economic problems facing Colorado, and endorsed the creation of more primary jobs in the state. Afterwards, House District 56 candidate Ali Hasan spoke of his desire to lessen statewide regulations over local entities such as public schools, as well as his plans to provide more tax relief to small businesses.

When asked about the feasibility of increasing local revenues while maintaining a mountain town atmosphere, Frisco candidates were decidedly vocal.

Mayor Pro-Tem Pelham advocated further discussion on the possibilities of a mixed-use development on Frisco’s 9.4 acre parcel — as long as it would not compete with existing businesses.

“Sales tax is the lifeblood of Frisco, which is only about 50 percent built-out commercially,” he said. “But tenants are being slowly driven out by increased rents — and we need those businesses to remain on Main Street,” he added.

Frisco Town Council candidate Miles F. Porter IV advocated a sales tax raise, and expressed regret over some of what he felt were lost opportunities for the town, including the voting down of a Home Depot in 2005.

“If Frisco keeps going the way it’s going, we’re going to run out of money,” he said. “I think that raising the sales tax by one cent, it will help business.”