Thank you, Commissioner Elisabeth Lawrence, from Bill’s Ranch Neighborhood Association. 

The recent article, and letters concerning Summit County Commissioner Elisabeth Lawrence and the sale of her home and personal property (French door refrigerator, upgraded double oven) is disappointing.

Instead, she should be lifted up for her many contributions to our county. For many decades the relationship between the commissioners and Bill’s Ranch was contentious. Elisabeth had the integrity to examine unbiased, our “reputation” with the other commissioners and the town manager. She reached out to the Ranch and offered her support to fix a process that she felt was wrong, in which the County often made decisions without involving its constituents.

Specifically, for the Ranch, it was the county’s decision that the Fiester Preserve, a long-established parcel donated by the Ranch to the Continental Divide Land Trust, was no longer worthy of its conservation status and instead should scraped and become senior housing. Now, while senior housing is important, it was the manner in which the unilateral decision was made.

Elisabeth, in many meetings with us, listened to the Ranch side of the story and chaired a meeting for the community to express its opinions. Through Elisabeth’s efforts, Fiester constituents met with the Keystone Policy Center for conflict resolution and consensus building. The result was a presentation to the commissioners in which all sides were represented. 

Elisabeth listened to Ranch concerns of safety and excessive traffic during CDOT’s construction of the roundabout at Peak One Boulevard, which rerouted traffic through our dirt road neighborhood. She worked with the roads and bridges department and Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons to put safety measures in place that we had requested. 

As a commissioner, advocate, and friend, she has always been just a phone call away.