Snowmass town council, Pitkin County commissioner candidates put in the hot seat during Snowmass Squirm Night

After Snowmass incumbent Mayor Bill Madsen and Council member Alyssa Shenk squared off during Wednesday’s mayoral Squirm Night debate, four candidates vying for two other seats on Snowmass Town Council, as well Pitkin County Commission candidates, take centerstage.

Vying for two Snowmass Town Council seats include incumbent Tom Fridstein and challengers Art Burrows, Cecily DeAngelo, and Debbie Alcorta; the night finished up with Pitkin County Commissioner candidates incumbent Francie Jacober and Toni Kronberg.

Snowmass town council candidates

Snowmass town council candidates were asked which county ballot questions they supported.

All four supported ballot question 1A, which would raise county property taxes by 1.5 mills over 25 years, providing an estimated $8.5 million in additional funding per year for affordable housing projects but creating an estimated property tax increase of $121 per year for private properties valued at $1 million and $435 per year for commercial properties valued at $1 million.

Three supported 1C, which would reaffirm the county’s authority in making decisions regarding the Aspen-Pitkin County Airport; Cecily DeAngelo did not.

Only DeAngelo supported question 200, which would put decisions regarding airport runway alteration or relocation to a vote by county residents.

There was also contention regarding Snowmass’ 2D ballot question.

DeAngelo does not support 2D. She is in favor of building on the Draw Site, but she thinks a scaled back, slightly smaller development should be built there along with scaled back parking. The ballot questions asked if we wanted to spend that much money in that location.

“So in essence, the current ballot question is asking us if we want to spend that much money in that location. And my answer is ‘no.’ But that does not mean I don’t believe in the building there — just a smaller design and less complex and less money,” she said.

Alcorta also does not support 2D due to the cost.

Fridstein is opposed to the ballot question, as well. He is in favor of building something appropriate for the Draw Site, but he thinks it is a deeply-flawed design for the area. 

“I’m not even talking about what it looks like, but the fact that it just doesn’t work, and it’s more expensive than it needs to be. Plus, we are now buying the land above the Snowmass center, which is a much better place to build housing, much better place for families to live,” he said.

When asked how Snowmass can better support families, DeAngelo said in Snowmass, there is no access to infant care, and this is an immediate gap that can be filled. There is also a burden of cost and scheduling for local families. The Little Red Schoolhouse does not operate year round. There are 2.5-3 months of school and care that is not provided to families.

“And I believe that in Snowmass, we should be able to provide through Little Red care for young children, that if there were two parents that were working for the town of Snowmass, that the care would be sufficient,” she said.

Burrows said the town has taken the initiative to expand the Little Red Schoolhouse by 50%, and the town has committed funds to that, but it’s not enough. He also thinks that businesses in the private sector, like SkiCo, should pick up the gauntlet and provide for childcare. 

“The private sector also has to step up, as well as what the town is doing currently,” he said.

Alcorta said that the biggest issue facing Snowmass residents is housing. The only way to address it is to move forward. 

“We need to pick what we’re going to do and we need to start,” she said.

Pitkin County commissioner candidates

The first question the county commissioner candidates were asked about focused on the two airport ballot questions. 

Kronberg, who said she worked at the airport for over 20 years, stated she is voting for ballot question 200. She said that this ballot question should be in the hands of the voters because the question is about the right to vote. 

“200 is giving voters the second chance to vote on the expansion of the runway. We do not know yet what the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will approve or has approved in the Airport Layout Plan, whereas the 1C question, which is giving the Pitkin County commissioners sole authority over making all decisions,” she said.

Jacober, who has been a firm proponent behind 1C, did say that the FAA approved the Airport Layout Plan yesterday. Additionally, county commissioners were also presented a letter from the FAA expressing concern over ballot question 200. 

Again, Kronberg doubled down on her sentiment that Pitkin County voters should have the right to vote, particularly with decisions about the airport runway.

“(Commissioners) had authority since the airport was built in the 1970s; it’s in state statute and as part of our contract with the FAA that the Board of County Commissioners makes the executive decisions at the airport,” she said. “So that’s what I would like people to realize. And in addition, their other argument is that by having a wider runway, we’re going to have planes with wider wingspans.”

Both commissioners were also asked about voters trusting them. During an Oct. 9 county commissioner meeting, Jacober said, “I was not as well prepared for that meeting as I should have been,” in regard to a vote for a new Belly Up/Buttermilk summer concert series.

She said that while she did not realize the concert series would bring 16,000 people to the county, she has read every packet for the past four years she has been commissioner.

To correct this action, the concert series was brought back up at another meeting, which included public comment.

Meanwhile, Kronberg was investigated for lying about her residency for a City Council election in 2007, and in 2004, she was charged with misdemeanor theft. She was also asked why voters should trust her.

“They should trust me with contracts and budgets, and contracts based on my experience in the last 50 years. I think that voters should trust me, that I always honor what I said I’m going to do,” she said.

Vote for your candidate by Election Day on Nov. 5.

Regan Mertz can be reached at 970-429-9153 or rmertz@aspentimes.com.