Dear Editor,

My name is Zane Plsek (pronounced Plee-sik) and I am officially running for Central City Council.

I spent 40 plus years as a Retail Professional. I have been married for 41 years to my wife Elizabeth, who is a Construction Inspector and we have one adult child who works for Sony Pictures in Los Angeles. I met my wife while working for a Music and Video Retailer, Wherehouse Music, that at the time had stores in Colorado. I spent close to 30 years working for Wherehouse Music and Bass Pro Shops in Southern California. We relocated to Bailey, CO in 2014 to be closer to family where I have worked for Lowes, Sears Outlet, Cabela’s and finally Kroger/King Soopers. I have held many diverse Senior Management jobs where I have supervised in excess of 100 associates at one time and have controlled payroll and revenue budgets in excess of $50 million dollars. In August of 2022, my wife and I relocated to Central City, CO. We love it here and this is our forever home!

I retired in July of 2023 and vowed to spend my retirement years staying busy, volunteering my time in the community, reading as many books as possible and becoming an even better cook. I am a Central City Opera Guild Member and have done extensive volunteer work restoring rooms in the Teller House. I am an Officer at the Central City Elks #557. I was recently appointed as a board member of the Central City/Blackhawk Sanitation District. I also recently accepted a position as an alternate board member for the Gilpin County Historical Society. I stay very busy and I enjoy every hour of volunteer work that I do.

Upon my retirement I committed myself to attending every City Council, Planning Commission, DDA, URA, County Intergovernmental, and Main Street Commission Meeting that I could in an effort to educate myself on how city government works and whether it is adequately servicing the needs of residents and businesses. Recent events have made me become increasingly concerned about the direction of Central City and our quality of life here. I have therefore decided to run for City Council in order to make a constructive difference. I am no career politician, but I am a man of reason, I listen to people and I know I can have a positive impact on this community.

My Five Point Campaign Pledge for City Council is as follows:

1. Be a Strong Advocate and Voice for Residents and Existing Businesses. I will listen to resident’s and existing businesses’ concerns and questions and act according to those concerns and find answers to those questions. I will help improve resident’s quality of life and help existing businesses to thrive.

2. Promote Responsible Business Development. Actively work on responsible casino development in the Gaming District. Pursue other types of business development that benefits the community as a whole and are attractive to residents, visitors and families. That does not include Sexually Oriented Businesses in the Historic Districts nor OHV Sales and Rentals and Jeep Tours in and around the Boodle Mill area. We need to preserve our history and natural habitat.

3. Improve Infrastructure, Roads and Parking. We cannot expect to attract additional casino and business development if we do not improve our existing infrastructure, roads and parking. We need to make Main Street and the Gaming District more attractive to development, residents and visitors. We can use marketing to attract visitors, but if our parking situation and roads do not improve, the visitors will not return and residents may not stay. Our hiking and trail systems need to be improved to give residents and visitors other options in addition to Gaming.

4. Preserve and Promote Central City’s History. We are much more than a Gaming Town. We have a colorful and vibrant history that can attract visitors and families and give them more options during their visit. Residents are proud of our history, arts and entertainment and we need more events and attractions that champion that pride.

5. Better Open Government. Along with the City Council, our city has many Commissions and Authorities that make decisions affecting the quality of life for residents and businesses. Many residents cannot attend Tuesday 7:00 pm Council Meetings and weekday afternoon Commission and Authority Meetings due to job and family commitments. We need to hold regularly scheduled town hall type meetings on select weekends so all residents and businesses have a chance to express their concerns, ask questions and say anything else on their minds. Every opinion is valuable and we must encourage resident involvement when it comes to decision-making. I believe the very best ideas will come from within our own community.

My vow is to continue to learn, listen to the concerns of the residents and businesses and act in the best interest of the wonderful City of Central.

I spend a lot of time in town on Main Street talking with and listening to concerned residents and business owners. I am very approachable and look forward to meeting you. You can message me here on this platform and I can also be reached at plsek4centralcitycouncil@gmail.com for any questions, opinions or concerns.

Let’s keep the dialogue open and I look forward to hearing from you!

Zane Plsek

Central City