The Winter Park Town Council election is set to take place on Tuesday, April 7. Four seats are open on the seven-member council. The three receiving the highest number of votes will serve four-year terms and the fourth will serve a two-year term. 

Councilors Charles “Chuck” Banks and Jim Myers are both ending their years of public service at the end of this term, while Mayor Jimmy Lahrman and Councilman Mike Periolat are seeking re-election. Sitting members of council select the Mayor from within the council every other year following the election. 

To assist Winter Park residents with your ballot choices, the Winter Park Times reached out to the candidates to learn a little more about them. This week, we introduce you to five of the seven candidates. 

Mike Davlin

Background

I have lived in the Winter Park/Fraser area full time for 12 years. Prior to that I have been coming up here for ski trips and summer vacations for approximately 25 years. I have a college degree. My favorite activities are skiing, hiking, and Canadian fishing trips. 

Q: Why are you running for Mayor/Trustee?

I am running for town council for multiple reasons. I love this community and feel like I have something to give back.  I have a background in business and sales which taught me a lot about negotiations. I feel that positive negotiations are the best way to solve problems.

Q: What are 3 priorities the Town Board should focus on right now?

I think the priorities we should be focusing on are most importantly our Attainable Housing program for the area’s employees.  We have talked and talked about it but nothing of real substance has been accomplished. I think we should think more outside the box and explore things like vouchers for landlords that provide long term leases to employees instead of trying to put the town in a “landlord type situation”.  This also might help keep some residences out of the short term rental market which occasionally causes problems in the neighborhood surrounding the rental.

I think another priority is to pass the Unified Development Code which has been updated in the past several months.

I would also like to prioritize a sufficient “rainy day” fund for the Town. It’s probably too early to tell to what extent this pandemic will have on our budget, but it probably is safe to say that there could be significant sales tax revenue decline in our near future.

Q: What challenges/barriers do you see?

The challenges that I see coming are mainly economic. As I mentioned this pandemic could result in a significant recession and we must be prepared for it.  I think that this preparation should start immediately. For those of us around the area in 2009 and beyond we saw how the effects were in an economic slowdown.  While construction up here has been extraordinarily busy we should know from past history that it can and will dry up as fast or faster than it started.

Q: Why should we vote for you? 

Why somebody should vote for me is probably the toughest question you’ve asked. I guess I would say that I’m running because I want to, not because I have an ax to grind or a personal agenda.  I think I would be extremely easy to contact with a problem or answer questions. I have experience running both a small business and a relatively large business which has given me a lot of experience with budgets and projects.  I have had a long commitment to the valley in so much as I have been a long supporter of nonprofit charities in the valley. I have been on the board of the GAP fund for at least five years and have had a say on how our money is dispersed throughout East Grand county. I’ve also served on the Winter Park Planning and Zoning Commission for the last 5 or 6 years.  I would also like to share with you that I have never accepted any compensation for serving the town on the Commission and would not accept any remuneration for serving on the council. I would ask that the money I should receive goes into the Attainable Housing fund. Thank you.

Jeremy Henn

Background

Length of time in Winter Park: 4 years full-time

Education: B.S. in Political Science – American Government, Pi Sigma Alpha (National Political Science Honor Society), Boise State University; United States Coast Guard; United States Navy

Favorite Activities:  My wife and I have traveled and lived around the world for work and adventure, which is how we landed here. Winter Park has every outdoor activity that I love, and the only reason we ever need to leave is to find a great surf break – although traveling has become a bit more difficult since we recently rescued Knuckles (Great Dane) and Winnie (St. Bernard).

Q: Why are you running for Mayor/Trustee?

My wife, Shannon, and I have lived in Colorado for 15 years. We got married in Grand County, and ironically, election day falls on our eighth anniversary. We moved to Winter Park permanently and opened our businesses, Uptripping Art & Furnishings and Handy Henn, because we saw something in this town that we couldn’t find anywhere else, and we were fortunate to have our family and several friends move here at the same time. As homeowners and small business owners who have a large extended family here, we see the many challenges that Winter Park is facing, and I want families like ours to be able to live and thrive here. I am running for Town Council because I feel that I can make a positive impact and have the necessary skills and experience to help guide Winter Park forward.  The town is at an important and pivotal time that requires fiscally responsible and involved leaders who will work tirelessly to tackle issues such as growth, development, housing, and transportation. That is who I am and that is what I will deliver.

Q: What are 3 priorities the Town Board should focus on right now?

I’ve spent a lot of time talking to friends, family, and local residents about this, and I feel that three things the Council needs to focus on now are: 1. Affordable housing 2. Responsible, sustainable, and equitable development – with a focus on full-time residents 3. Infrastructure development that will continue to better serve our residents.

Q: What challenges/barriers do you see?

Some challenges that I see for the town are: Funding – can we continue to count on increased sales tax revenues to pay for services/improvements, or can we diversify our revenue streams by working with local businesses, the Chamber and residents to think outside of the box? This is becoming even more important now as the town will undoubtedly suffer a significant decrease in sales tax revenue due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the resulting restrictions on travel, gatherings and the impact that will have on our local businesses.  Capacity – how do we continue to provide quality services to our residents as our visitor and 2nd homeowner populations increase? Growth – how do we responsibly balance development while not compromising what makes Winter Park special or negatively impacting our residents? Equity – how do we work with our neighboring towns and the County to ensure that Winter Park isn’t bearing the majority of the burden for services that benefit our region as a whole.

Q: Why should we vote for you? 

I am a military veteran, having served on active duty in both the U.S. Coast Guard and then the U.S. Navy where my training, duties and experience taught me important lessons about leadership, reliability, and making difficult decisions in the face of sometimes extreme adversity.  When Shannon and I ran the global cancer charity, Love Hope Strength, I learned important lessons about funding, fundraising, planning and budgets and how decisions we made could have real life or death consequences for others. 

In my corporate career I was responsible for millions in sales revenue, oversaw multimillion-dollar budgets, and was responsible for the success of hundreds of employees, contractors and investors. My diverse background in nonprofit, business, and the U.S. Military has given me the tools and experience necessary to assess and help solve the issues and opportunities Winter Park is currently facing. I understand that as an elected official I will represent the residents of Winter Park and feel that it is important that I work with our residents to shape the future of our town. I’m proud to call Winter Park home and look forward to the opportunity to serve our community.

Jennifer Hughes

Background

I hold a Bachelor’s in Recreational Therapy from the University of Maine. My favorite activities include Skiing, Mountain Biking, attending Live Music and Cooking.

Q: Why are you running for Mayor/Trustee?

I have immense pride in our community and am excited about this opportunity to participate in making important decisions for our town during this pivotal time, where we need to address both the positive and challenging aspects of growth. 

Q: What are 3 priorities the Town Board should focus on right now?

  1. Affordable Housing – For our permanent/seasonal workforce and long term residents
  2. Balanced and Smart Growth – Ensuring that projects are thoughtfully proposed to the Town.  As well as identifying the impacts that new developments have on the community and ensuring that developers are covering the costs of those impacts.
  3. Neighboring Town Relationships – While there are unique aspects that are representative of each town, we should continue to look for ways to strengthen our mountains communities as a whole. There should be continual efforts to coordinate and pool resources where there are synergies, cost savings and services that would benefit residents. 

Q: What challenges/barriers do you see?

  • Preserving the lifestyle we all love and the reasons we all moved here, while creating balanced and smart growth that is needed to support our local economy and community.
  • While we are experiencing strong economic times currently, we need to continually strive to be fiscally responsible with the town’s resources. It is always important to not project too far into the future based on today’s environment and continue to analyze and allocate the town’s budget to bring the most value to residents.

Q: Why should we vote for you? 

My experience as a long term resident and in running my business in Winter Park qualifies me to bring your voice to the table. I am looking forward to bringing some needed diversity and new perspective to Town Council in order to build on past accomplishments as well as helping to chart our course forward. My focus is listening to my constituents and representing all of our town on critical community issues.

Mike Periolat

Background

I moved to Winter Park in March 1994, so 25+ years…and counting. I graduated from DePauw University, Greencastle Indiana, with a degree in English Literature. My favorite activities include anything outdoors, but Biking and Downhill Skiing are my top 2. And more recently, I enjoy trying to keep up with my daughters, in these activities.

Q: Why are you running for Mayor/Trustee?

For the same reason I ran 20 years ago – a genuine desire to see our Town get better, every year. 

Q: What are 3 priorities the Town Board should focus on right now?

  1. First and Foremost — maintain a responsible Budget, and protect the Health & Safety of the Citizens & Visitors. 
  2. Continue to build relationships with our Neighboring Communities, The County and our Key Local Partners (Ski Resort, Developers, etc…).
  3. Continue to Help where we can, with Affordable Housing. “It takes a Village…..”.

Q: What challenges/barriers do you see?

The biggest challenge is Remembering & Focusing on what we do as a Town.  In the “good times”, it’s sometimes easy to stray away from our Main Responsibilities of Simply Running the Town. Our Job as Councilors is to keep the Town on Track, and make good decisions for our Constituents.  Barriers – never enough Money or Income Streams, to do everything we want to do. Affordable Housing is a great example – we simply don’t have enough Money to singlehandedly solve the Local Housing issues. Which is also a challenge…selecting the Affordable Housing Projects and Needs which will most benefit the Town, now and 5, 10, 15, 20+ years from now.

Q: Why should we vote for you? 

I sincerely enjoy being involved and helping the Town. I have proven over the years, I can commit the time needed and be effective in the position. Also, during this election, we could see 2, 3 or 4 new Councilpersons on the Board, out of 7 total. While change is good and absolutely needed over time, losing 4 current Councilors at this election would not be good for the Town. Consistency and “Historical Knowledge” help guide the Town. I hope to see some of the Historical Knowledge & Experience retained on the Board, at this election.

Scott Sutcliffe

Background

I originally moved here in 1988, but spent a few years away and moved back to raise our children in Grand County. I hold an Undergraduate degree from Northern Arizona University and an MBA from the Daniels College of Business University of Denver. My favorite activities include Alpine and Nordic Skiing, Hiking, Sailing, and researching remodel/renovation ideas on Pinterest.

Q: Why are you running for Mayor/Trustee?

I believe it’s important to be involved in your community. There are a lot of changes coming to Winter Park and it is important to be a part of the decision making process to ensure that the small businesses are not completely overlooked and that we grow into a town that we all still recognize and that newer generations of residents will have the same opportunities that I had.

Q: What are 3 priorities the Town Board should focus on right now?

  1. Managing the economic recovery of COVID-19
  2. Development checks and balances
  3. Affordable Housing

Q: What challenges/barriers do you see?

Of course there will always be challenges and barriers but the biggest challenge is to work together as a council and community to come up with solutions that best meet the needs of our town. To listen and problem solve with different groups that have varied opinions and working towards a common solution.

Q: Why should we vote for you? 

You should vote for me because I want to be a part of making Winter Park a year round economy with a regulated and well thought out downtown development plan that includes regulated growth, community spirit and the best access to all season recreation opportunities of any resort community in Colorado; not just the town that people speed through to get to Grand Lake and Steamboat Springs.

Two more…

Candidates Al Furlone and Jimmy Lahrman were unable to give us their input in time for this week’s edition. They both encourage Winter Park residents to reach out to them prior to the election to discuss the issues. 

The Town of Winter Park is still hopeful they will be able to conduct a Municipal Polling Place election at Town Hall on the 7th. However, with the uncertainty related to COVID-19, Absentee Ballot applications are available for pick up by making an appointment with Town Clerk Dani Jardee. Call (970) 726-8081 ext 208, or email djardee@wpgov.com. You can also download an application on the town’s website: wpgov.com. Absentee Ballot applications must be in by April 3rd at 5 pm, and Absentee Ballots must be returned by Election Day, April 7th at 7 pm.