Avon Town Council candidates appeal to voters at forum

The four candidates running for three open seats Avon Town Council participated in a forum Monday at Avon Town Hall where they fielded questions on community housing, supporting small businesses, youth engagement, natural disaster planning, public transportation, mental health, water and more.

The forum, hosted by High Five Media, was moderated by Chris Romer, CEO and president of the Vail Valley Partnership, and Bratzo Horruitiner, executive director of My Future Pathways.

The four candidates come from a variety of backgrounds. Gary Brooks worked as an engineer for three decades and is the current vice president of the Eagle River Coalition board. Lindsay Hardy is an architect and is up for reelection after serving on council for four years. Calyn Rieger studied political science in college and participated in AmeriCorps. Kevin Hyatt works in insurance and has lived in Eagle County for 34 years.

---

---

The four candidates are running for three vacant council seats. Mayor Amy Phillips is term-limited and can’t seek reelection while Council member R.J. Andrade chose not to run again. Council members Tamra Underwood, Chico Thuon, Rich Carroll and Ruth Stanley are still serving their current terms.

Hardy and Brooks both immediately made community housing central features of their arguments. 

---

---

“My most important end goal on council is to get as many community members involved,” Rieger said.

“I think success would be defined by you, not me,” Hyatt said.

Supporting small businesses

The moderators asked the candidates how they would support Avon’s small businesses, despite the community’s seasonal, tourism-based economy.

“A healthy variety of events,” Hardy said, and keeping an open ear to businesses.

“I think if we provide the continuum of housing that’s really needed in this community, I think the rest of it will take care of itself,” Brooks said.

Hyatt proposed adding a business-friendly platform on the town’s website to serve as a resource for business owners.

Engaging with underrepresented communities

Working with nonprofits that already work with the Latino community “is critical,” Brooks said.

“Making that personal connection” should be a priority, Hyatt said. “It’s not very hard, it just takes that initiative to reach out.

“Right now, I’m the only candidate who went door-knocking to the Hispanic population, from the Aspen (Mobile Home) Park all the way to EagleBend,” Rieger said.

After hearing stories from members of the Latino community, Rieger said, “with all due respect, no one should be working multiple, three jobs just to be able to afford basic rent or health care. Everyone should be able to spend time with their families.”

Construction materials use tax

Hyatt, Hardy and Brooks all said they supported Avon’s proposed 4% use tax on construction materials, which goes to voters on the November ballot. Rieger said he did not support the use tax because “I feel that this bill is disincentivizing community housing, because you’re trying to generate revenue on construction.” (Community housing projects are exempt from the use tax, and the funds generated by the tax will go to the town’s community housing fund.)

Long-term housing solutions

With community housing top of mind for many Eagle County locals, Avon has already been working specifically on creating more affordable housing, Hardy said. She also proposed the town engaging in more public-private partnerships, and bolstering the Mi Casa program to “get affordable homes into the hands of locals.”

Brooks suggested creating Area Median Income-restricted rental and for-sale housing, and prioritizing creating a “continuum” of housing to accommodate those on a spectrum of income levels.

Rieger proposed a “renter’s reimbursement program,” to allow homeowners to renovate their homes to add a lock-off unit to house locals. (The Valley Home Store has a similar program called Aid for Accessory Dwelling Units, which grants homeowners funds to build an ADU with the condition that they must rent the room to a local.)

Preparing for natural disasters

Referencing the mudslides that wreaked havoc on Avon in 2021, Brooks said, “those kind of events are going to happen more often, in a warming climate.” He said that drainage improvements on Nottingham Road are needed and that he supports the ongoing wildland-urban interface fire mitigation work.

During her time on council, Hardy said, Avon staff has cleaned out the drains and created two emergency evacuation routes out of Wildridge in the case of a wildfire.

“I think the town of Avon is doing a great job of listening to the citizens to try and keep them protected,” she said.

Rieger proposed the creation of a reporting hotline for citizens to connect with Town Council members about concerns in the town. He also suggested taking on initiatives to make the roads safer for cyclists and pedestrians, including decreasing speed limits. Rieger also mentioned wanting to create a “hardship and natural disaster relief plan” for the town.

Hyatt proposed widening U.S. Highway 6, though given physical limitations and the town’s past struggles with the Colorado Department of Transportation, this may be challenging.

Mental health

All four candidates addressed the stigma behind talking about mental health concerns. 

Rieger shared a personal experience. He said it took Vail Health “about a year” to provide him with counseling services he requested after being sexually assaulted before moving to Eagle County.

“As your Town Council member, I want to be able to provide those resources,” Rieger said. “What can I do to bring in (resources) so that way people like me aren’t having to wait a year to be able to get counseling?”

Supporting SpeakUp ReachOut and other “community groups,” is another way the town can work to address the mental health challenges faced by residents, Hardy said.

Water

Rieger named water-conscious landscaping, preventing in-home water leaks and preventing harm from coming to Nottingham Lake as personal water priorities.

Brooks, who serves as vice president of the Eagle River Coalition, spoke about the Beyond Lawn program, a collaboration between the Eagle County Conservation District to promote homeowners switching their landscaping to native plants.

Transportation, in a congested town

Brooks said he supported the expansion of Core Transit, the new name for the combined ECO Transit bus system and Eagle Valley Transportation Authority ballot measure passed in November 2022, which has since provided free, more frequent bus service throughout Eagle County and to Leadville. Going forward, Brooks said, he hopes to see more micro transit and e-bike options.

Hardy also said that “building (homes) near where people are working,” is an important factor in building an accessible community.

Rieger said he dedicated a year to only using public transportation after running for Town Council in 2022. The next step, Rieger said, is to “add more” transit options to boost connectivity within the town.

Creating more activities and opportunities for youth

Brooks spoke about Avon’s existing resources for youth in Harry A. Nottingham Park and the Avon Recreation Center, and suggested coordinating with local nonprofits to take advantage of town’s resources.

“Being a young professional, I am one of the youth of the community,” Rieger said, expressing support for the tabled skate park, and for the creation of a space for young people to gather in the evenings. 

Helping young people stay in Avon

A member of the public submitted the following question: “What are you going to do to make sure kids born and raised here have a chance after high school to stay?” Romer challenged the candidates to avoid talking about housing. 

Hardy suggested encouraging high schoolers to pursue trade school opportunities, including at Colorado Mountain College.

“As an architect, everybody in the trades makes way more money than I do,” Hardy said. Hyatt also supported the promotion of trade schools.

As a young person, “I do know what it’s like,” Rieger said. Rieger was able to stay in Avon through “employment and opportunities,” and so he wants to add more community resources and professional development opportunities. “I think it’s achievable, nothing’s impossible,” he said.

Future community-focused development

Hardy, Rieger and Hyatt all supported the creation of a cultural community center, potentially in the town’s Old Fire House. Rieger also suggested creating “a community farm.”

Brooks said he wants to “see the town embrace the Eagle River,” as a community space.

Closing statements

Brooks said in his role as an engineer, he has learned to be a team player, and “the way I view being on the council is being part of a team, with diverse views and perspectives on any given topic, the goal is to come to consensus and provide an opportunity to make things better for the residents and businesses and visitors alike.”

Hardy said she is running “to continue focusing on community housing,” the same platform she ran on when she was first elected four years ago.

Rieger reiterated his policies, including creating a renter’s reimbursement program, adding medical services and providers, and adding child care and pet care.

“If you truly ask me why I’m running for office, it’s not because I want to win, it’s because I want to serve you,” Rieger said.

“I’m running because I’ve been here for 34 years and I feel like it’s time to give back,” Hyatt said. “I believe my job is to work for the people with whatever gets presented to us as a council member.”