In response to Susan Knopf’s opinion piece on the Dillon Town Council candidates, I would like to offer a broader view from a council member’s perspective since Knopf did not interview current Town Council members.

While we would all love to see a “European-style” village in downtown Dillon, previous and current councils know that the town cannot simply manifest such a village (most of the town core is privately owned), or we would have done so already. The current and previous councils have incentivized businesses to improve facades and outside spaces, increased density in the core to encourage businesses to come to Dillon, required new development projects to use our town architectural guidelines and are redeveloping town-owned property.

The 2020 Dillon Town Core Master Plan (along with park and marina master plans) offers a detailed look at projects the town is planning and has budgeted on Dillon-owned property. New walking paths, green spaces, art installations, benches, signage and pop-up spaces are just a few of the upcoming projects suggested by community members and businesses at multiple public events and work sessions.

As to the other issues Knopf mentions, the current council voted not to renew the Ice Castles contract, there is no proposal to pave the lakeshore, walk-up marijuana windows (a state-initiated ordinance which also operate in Frisco) have operated without incident, council gave multiple grants to Dillon businesses during COVID-19 to encourage business development and maintenance, and new trees will be planted in the new Town Park. Parking and short-term rental conversations are ongoing and have included multiple public feedback sessions, which have strongly guided our upcoming proposals.

In the future, I hope Knopf will research and interview all candidates instead of expressing one viewpoint. Please vote Carolyn Skowyra, Renee Imamura and Jen Barchers for Dillon Town Council.