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Meet Dillon town council candidate Geoffrey Schmidt

CAITLIN ROW
summit daily news
Geoff Schmidt
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DILLON – Geoffrey Schmidt’s desire to join Dillon’s town council partly stems from his love for the community. But he also seeks public office to be heard by the town on his opinions over two public works projects. As one of three council candidates seeking three open spots, Schmidt will likely be a new member come April.

“The beauty of the lake and the mountains, the recreational opportunities and the small-town atmosphere of Dillon are aspects of our lives that we appreciate every day,” said Schmidt, one of three town council candidates. “I want to be a member of Dillon’s town council to help perpetuate the quality of life we’ve enjoyed in Dillon.”

He also noted two specific town public works projects he would like to have influence over – the road reconstruction project in the Corinthian Hill neighborhood and rate fee increases for sewer and water use in Dillon.



“I’m actively involved in trying to minimize the cost and complexity of that project (Corinthian Circle road work),” Schmidt said.

He said he wants the town to consider the needs of the residents of Corinthian Hill – not to change the character of a subdivision, to continue to provide adequate on-street parking, and to limit the expense to home owners due to damage to adjacent properties during construction.



Schmidt’s also against the current proposal for fee increases to water and sewer rates in Dillon. He said he has thoughts on how to control and/or reduce rates, and how to make the fee structures fair for all users.

Due to dissatisfaction over these projects, Schmidt said wants to be directly involved in the town decision-making process.

According to Schmidt, the top three issues for Dillon include: 1) Being fiscally responsible and controlling costs, fees and taxes for residents; 2) Encouraging new business development; and 3) Continuing to promote tourism within the town.

Schmidt will also be educating himself about the urban renewal authority process going forward as it’s an important issue for the community, and one his knowledge is limited on.

“I think Dillon is definitely in need of urban renewal, especially in the downtown core,” he said. “As part of my hope to promote new business development, that fits into the theme of following the urban renewal plan. Urban renewal provides incentives for new development.”

In terms of new business coming to town, Schmidt would like to see revenue-generating businesses, including a Panera in Dillon – “They provide quality food at a reasonable cost. It seems to very popular in Denver and elsewhere.”

Schmidt has lived in Dillon for 15 years with his wife, Sue – he’s a resident of Corinthian Hill. After running a software company in Littleton, he retired and now spends his time being a father to his children Garrett (age 20) and Sara (age 17). Previous town involvement includes membership to Dillon’s planning and zoning committee in the late 1990s.

Schmidt also said he has plenty of time to commit to town council responsibilities. He wants to use an “interactive approach to listening to concerns and desires of the community during council meetings, as well as outside and within the community.”

He also hopes to see council be more responsive to citizen comments and suggestions, as he said he’s had issues with this in the past.

“I think the primary role (of a council member) is to represent the community’s interests,” Schmidt said, adding that he’ll work cooperatively with town staff and other council members to achieve those interests.

In his free time, Schmidt enjoys hiking and biking – his move to Summit County was actually the result of a bike ride with his brother in the area while he lived in Aurora.

Caitlin Row can be reached at (970) 668-4633 or at crow@summitdaily.com.


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