How long have you lived here?

Almost 8 years. My wife and I moved up here after she became pregnant with our first child. We thought Nederland would be a great place to raise children, and have never looked back.

Current career and home life.

My main employment is as handy man trying to fill a niche of jobs and repairs that are too large or difficult for your average home owner, but too small for many contracting companies. I also am part-time maintenance worker at the Carousel of Happiness, and on occasion you’ll see me filling in a shift at the Transfer Station. I live with my wife, daughter and son in an old miner’s cabin that we’re slowly renovating. I enjoy fly fishing the small creeks in the area and am looking forward to teaching my children this summer.

Education and professional experience.

If you know me well enough, you know that I have had many, many jobs. I feel with all the places I’ve worked in Nederland (Ace, NPD, Waste Transfer STation, Carousel of Happiness, NMSHS, and self-employed handyman) has given me the opportunity to meet and build relationships with many of the people of Nederland and to create a greater connection with them. It has given me greater insight into people’s needs and wants, the diversity of opinions around town and the challenge of meeting these demands in an equitable way that works for the town.

Explain why you want to run for this position.

I have a great love for this town and strong dedication to this community. I have many acquaintances and also built strong friendships with people of all walks of life in the town of Nederland. I chose to serve as a Police Officer here, and only here, and think this is an opportunity to serve my community once again. I represent the voice of many, and can bring the perspective of the skilled labor community to Board meetings.

Major projects.

Town infrastructure is a high priority, because without these functioning well we won’t have a town to support tourism, trails, affordable housing or a child care center. That said, all of these projects are worthy and need to be completed as time and money allow.

Who would you consider a mentor?

No particular person, but I’ve been encouraged to run by many people in the community. Are you serving on any board or non-profit.

I am currently serving on the board for the Mountain Forum for Peace and truly enjoy contributing my time and knowledge to the causes they support.

How will you mitigate tourism based initiatives?

I disagree that the community as a whole is against tourism, especially those who own businesses in the town. In any town that is heavily reliant on tourism as a main source of income there will inevitably be some resentment towards the tourists. However, it’s important to maintain a balance between keeping the town’s quirky character that is an attraction, and maintaining the sense of community that draws us together.

Have you reviewed the 2024 strategic plan?

I think that the Nederland 2024 Strategic Plan is a nice balance between achievable goals and forward thinking. I agree with Priority #1 to ensure that town workers are paid adequately. We know that most of the town employees are happy with their jobs, but they need to have a sufficient wage to be able live and work up here.

What are your suggestions on providing affordable housing, and Boulder Co?

We need to think a bit differently about how we approach building affordable housing. For starters, this has to be done in partnership with private companies. And instead of building large blocks of housing units, why not seek to build smaller individual units on available plots of land? Or purchasing older houses to renovate or rebuild. These approaches would help with building community diversity and integration and reduce many of the common complaints about large eyesores, and spread out the demands on existing infrastructure.

2024 Budget, How to lead a discussion on budget items that weren’t included?

I’ve read the Strategic Plan and examined the budget, but in order to make any real comments I need to have boots on the ground and talk to people. If people aren’t able to engage with community planning through the options currently available to them, then we need to have other ways to make sure the right items are prioritized. For instance through one on one conversations in coffee shops. I feel like I bring that informal connection to the community.

How do you describe responsible growth for Nederland?

Development is going to happen regardless of whether we want it to or not. Old disused buildings have to be torn down to make way for newer, more environmentally friendly and safe buildings. But as I’ve said before, let’s’ not forget who we are. Let’s keep our old Mountain Town charm that will encourage visitors to stop in the town, shop and eat at our restaurants while retaining the community spirit.

You can reach me by email at aaronct81@gmail.com