Dear Editor,

I am writing this letter as a resident of Nederland; not as the Mayor.

Community involvement. Collaboration. Some say we are “at an impasse”. Some see opportunity. What do you envision?

This is an exciting time in Nederland. Spring is here, the Creeks are running loud, Nederland Farmers Market is producing, Mountain Forum for Peace Yard Sale is repurposing, Summer is on the horizon, NedFest (Family Reunion) is back, Nederland Jazz & Wine Festival is returning, Ned Gravel rides again, and there’s a new Sheriff in Town (BCSO).

The checks and balances of our democracy are also in bloom with new ordinances, referendums, potential protests, and perhaps a special election. It’s amazing to witness this all unfold as people get involved in our democracy.

There are many ways for all of us to be involved.

There is a Public Engagement Town Hall with the BOT scheduled for Tuesday, June 20, 2023, from 6 - 8 p.m. We can attend in-person or virtually, so please be there to discuss Nederland’s plans for increasing public engagement and involvement.

The Housing Needs Assessment needs collaboration with the people in our community to better understand our housing needs and create changes in code to improve our housing situation. Share your thoughts on where housing development is appropriate on the Interactive Map. Please participate in the survey which is available until June 28, 2023: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ NederlandHNASurvey

It is high time for us to come together to collaborate on our next Comprehensive Plan. Nederland’s Municipal Code is presently steered by our 2013 Comp Plan. The Town has applied for a grant to help fund our next Comp Plan. This is meant to be a true collaboration of our community to update our guidance document. The more of us who are involved in this effort, the more our guiding document will be a true representation of what the people want for the present and the future.

How will we collaborate on our community’s prosperity? I’m not just talking about wealth. I’m talking about a good standard of living and a sense of thriving. For all of us. We each need to believe that we can trust each other. It is important that none of us act like we are the only expert or authority on everything, and that none of us need to always have the last word.

Regarding development, public engagement and involvement is essential. Any developer has to have the support of the community. And investors will not invest unless they really think what they might propose would be accepted by the community.

Any developer that chooses not to collaborate, insists on being the expert in the room, and refuses to be flexible on issues that matter to residents, will likely not gain community support for a project. And investors will not invest. And the project will likely not happen.

To get a community behind a project, any developer that comes to the negotiating table needs to be willing and able to collaborate and evolve plans to build trust. For any big project in and around Nederland, there will need to be real collaboration on the part of all stakeholders. If that can happen, then more of the community will support the project. And investors will be more willing to invest to make that project a reality.

It’s an interesting and exciting time for Nederland. Impasse? Opportunity? Collaboration? What is it going to be?

Billy Giblin

Nederland