Last week, Colorado’s newest town quietly appointed its newest council member after canceling municipal elections due to having more vacant seats than candidates. 

Appointee Suzanne Riefstahl never saw herself working in local government, let alone the government of a town nearly 2,000 miles from her native Florida. After relocating to Summit County in 2018 and working seasonal jobs for Vail Resorts in Keystone — later transferring to her current year-round position as a shuttle driver within the transportation department — she began to think she could serve her chosen home well. 

“My experience in its entirety working here in Keystone has allowed me to interact with thousands — maybe tens of thousands — of visitors here,” she said. “Particularly with transportation, sometimes our conversations and opportunity to chat are a little bit longer. … I’ve just heard a lot of feedback, what they like and what they don’t like.” 

Much of that input has now become the cornerstone for Riefstahl’s platform.

Though she says people have overall given her positive feedback regarding Keystone’s on-call shuttle system, it has posed challenges for some users due to suspending service at 10:30 p.m. most nights.

“If I drop someone off at River Run to come to one of the restaurants and maybe have a drink or two … they’re like ‘How do we get back if you guys shut down at 10:30?” she said. “Keystone is remote compared to the more dense Frisco, Silverthorne, Dillon, Breckenridge. That’s where a rideshare driver might be and it might not make economic sense for them to drive all the way over here to pick someone up at River Run and take them three miles — or however far away they are — to drop them.” 

Keystone’s transportation challenges also extend to locals and resort workers, Riefstahl says. In bigger population centers like Breckenridge and Silverthorne, organizations often host free or reduced meal services, along with other support programs for the working class of Summit County. She wants to bring Keystone workers into the fold of these community resources but — in a town situated farther east than its county neighbors — it’s a difficult task. 

“Most people don’t have cars here,” she said. “So they have to rely on public transport to get there.” 

That relative isolation shapes Keystone, she says. But she wants to be among the town leaders bringing the community closer together.

“Ever since I left my hometown, I’ve never felt that core sense of community,” Riefstahl said, referring to the small town outside of Gainesville, Florida, where she grew up. “I struggled to find that in all the places that I’ve lived ever since.”

According to a survey included in the town’s recent comprehensive plan, 60% of respondents rated Keystone’s “sense of community” as “poor” or “fair.” Riefstahl expressed her enthusiasm for shaping the discussion of possible solutions, like the creation of a formal town center.

Keystone’s separation from greater Summit County, she explained, is part of a larger topic of conversation among her new constituents. She said discussions of the future of Keystone in this regard continue “to be determined,” over the next four years of her term. 

“A lot of people really like the fact that Keystone tends to be quiet,” she said. “A lot of people want to see growth, and of course we always want to see our businesses thrive. 

She says her “top priority” is to focus on pedestrian safety, which can be complicated due to Keystone’s position as a throughway for hazmat vehicles that cannot usually travel through the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial tunnels. 

“There’s been some reluctance to put in more traffic lights because of the trucks that are coming,” she explained. “But there are other ways to address the concerns.” 

Her background as a driver for the resort, she says, allows her to bring unique insight to the town council on such issues. 

“I feel like that is a great insight as a town council member,” she said. “I know the roads very very very well, I know where there are some areas of concern.” 

Mayor Ken Riley says this perspective will be vital during discussions concerning infrastructure and roadway developments.

“She is familiar with most of the roads within Keystone,” he said. “She can give some insights from another perspective on the condition of the roads and where we should be focusing some of our maintenance and repair activities.”

But he’s most enthusiastic about her connection to the many different sectors of the Keystone community she’ll soon represent — from sometimes-transient seasonal workers to deeply-rooted local families. 

“(She) has a lot of connection with the workforce, the seasonal and full-time workforce within Vail (Resorts) and can bring us insights of that of that particular community,” Riley said. “We’re looking very hard to try to tap into that community and make sure we understand their needs to better respond to meet their needs within the community.”