The Nederland Board of Trustees (BOT) met on Tuesday, September 27, 2022, at the Nederland Community Center at 7 p.m. to take action on appointing the remaining vacant trustee seat in order to become a full Board of seven.

The BOT has not had a full Board since former Mayor Julian Taylor took his oath of office on April 19, 2022. With the August 23 election of Billy Giblin as mayor and Jesse Seavers as trustee, the BOT became only one seat short of being complete. Jonathan Baumhover’s resignation as trustee on August 7 created the aforementioned open seat, which the BOT voted on September 13 to fill by appointment.

The application process for the trustee position was open from Wednesday, September 14 to Friday, September 23, and the Town of Nederland received letters of interest from five residents. Trustees were tasked with deciding which of the six interested parties should be appointed to the Board.

Steve Cepek has been a resident of Nederland for nine years and serves on the Board of Directors for Community Cycles and for the Nederland Area Trails Organization. Cepek ran for the Board in the August 23 election and received 186 votes, 31 votes behind Seavers.

Cepek attended the September 27 meeting and gave his introductory statement to the BOT, detailing his commitment to serve the public not just as a trustee, but as a fellow member of the Nederland workforce. As a potential trustee, Cepek advocated for outdoor recreation as well as to be the BOT liaison to the Youth Advisory Board. He pledged to represent those in the community who feel underserved by their local government.

Riley McAllister has been a resident for four years and has worked as a safety officer at Caribou Cross Mine. McAllister ran for BOT in both the August 23 and April 5 elections, and hopes to ensure that Nederland’s core values are represented in its local government.

McAllister also gave an introductory statement to the BOT, stating that the main areas of focus for him would be town infrastructure and sustainability. McAllister believes the BOT has “all the ingredients to be successful,” and wishes to work together with the Board to make proper decisions for the Town of Nederland.

Eugene Smith, Jr. has been a resident for more than 40 years. Smith gave his verbal statement to Town staff regarding his interest in the Trustee position and wished to make affordable housing his area of focus.

Smith was in attendance for the September 27 meeting and delivered his introductory statement, pointing out that he was able to remember a time in Nederland’s past when residents opposed the Caribou Village Shopping Center, which is now considered by some to be essential. Smith’s statement was in reference to some current residents’ opposition to downtown redevelopment plans.

Nichole Sterling has been a resident for almost four years, has volunteered for the Cherry Creek School District PTA and The Conflict Center, and has worked as a facilitator and trainer for Colorado Senate Democrats. Sterling is focused on town sustainability efforts and with helping small businesses.

Sterling also delivered an introductory statement to the BOT, expanding on her family background and her personal experience as a young mother. Sterling described herself as a “voracious learner,” and stated that her experience in grant development and business operations and finance would be a more strategic fit for the Board.

John Stevens has been a Nederland resident for more than two years and has served on the Head Start Parent Committee and the State of North Dakota Public Instruction Parent Engagement Council.

Stevens was not in attendance at the September 27 BOT meeting.

Trustees asked each of the four applicants present several questions concerning their personal decision- making process, their expectations of the required dedicated hours of service as a Trustee, and their desired goals. The BOT also heard public comment from those attending the meeting in person and online, and acknowledged receiving several letters and emails from residents. The majority of public support was for Cepek and Sterling.

Trustee Eric Coombs-Esmail moved to approve the appointment of Nichole Sterling to the BOT, which was seconded by Trustee Karen Blakemore. The BOT approved Sterling’s appointment by a vote of 4 - 2.

Blakemore led fellow Trustees in a discussion on updating the BOT’s goals. A formal document stating the Board’s Goals for the Town of Nederland will be part of the Town’s Budget Book and is meant to guide the BOT on making decisions, including budgetary decisions, over a two-year span. The BOT’s goals have not been updated since being adopted in June of 2016.

Blakemore, Giblin, Town Administrator Miranda Fisher, Town Clerk Macy Caligaris, Sustainability Coordinator Eryka Thorley, Downtown Development Authority Board Member Scott Papich, Planning Commission Member Linda Glasser, and Sustainability Advisory Board Member Richard Orman had participated in a town Advisory Board and Commission collaborative meeting where they created a draft of BOT goals for the BOT to review and discuss.

The draft classified the goals into seven categories: Civic Engagement; Community Planning; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Housing; Infrastructure; Public Safety; and Sustainability. Blakemore asked for the opinions and guidance of fellow Trustees regarding the BOT’s goals.

Trustee Tania Corvalan was adamant that a second bridge in town should be a top priority and wished to see more support from Trustees on the matter. Corvalan also desired a focus on recreation and Nederland’s Parks Department, stating that the town needs more recreational opportunities, especially for children and families.

Coombs-Esmail wished to focus on education and recreation, as well as fiscal stewardship and economic opportunity. He also mentioned that neither “accessibility” or “health” had been explicitly called out as items listed on the draft of goals, and wished to see them included.

Mayor Pro-Tem Tom Mahowald stated that the BOT must solidify their goals before several parcels of land were to hit the market and become available. Mahowald noted that, as a BOT goal, the issue of the available land falls under the “Infrastructure” category. However, the considered uses of the land could fall under several different goal categories.

Giblin wanted to list water security, affordable housing, and town recreation as official BOT goals.

Seavers wished to have grounded goals that align with the Town’s recurring budget, which itself is already prioritized. He specified that the budget, and therefore the BOT and other Town advisory boards and committees, should focus on police and Town works, which includes the Town’s Streets, Parks, and Utility departments.

Blakemore will compile the information provided by the BOT, and agreed to present a second draft, featuring edits and additions based on the BOT’s advice, at a later date. Once Trustees properly define their goals in the seven categories, ideas for future projects and resolutions can then be developed from those categories.

The Nederland Board of Trustees meet on the first and third Tuesday of every month. Their next scheduled meeting is on Tuesday, October 4, 2022, at 7 p.m. and can now be attended either online or in person at the Nederland Community Center. For more information go to: https:// townofnederland. colorado. gov/ board-of-trustees