Advisory group seeks public input

October 14, 2009

By JoAn Bjarko

The Wellington

 

Two Wellington (Colorado) Town Board members and three community volunteers will begin meeting on Oct. 21 to brainstorm how town government can better serve business and development interests.

“We’re trying to draw in new business, and the last thing we want to hear is that the town is not business friendly,” said board member Jack Brinkhoff.

Board member Travis Stevens called it an open forum for people to discuss issues, whether it be town policies or practices, or something else.

“We’re interested in talking to citizens, to know what they’re thinking,” Stevens said, adding that the new committee wants to know about what works, as well as what might be hurdles to business and development.

“We want to create a positive communication environment,” he said.

Joining Brinkhoff and Stevens on the committee are Mark Goldstein, developer of the Sundance housing subdivision north of Buffalo Creek Park; Bill Schneider, owner of Vestige Press on Cleveland Avenue; and Lisa Work of Construction Management Works, a Wellington business since 2004. Work has been involved in the development of several commercial buildings in town.

The meeting starts at 8:30 a.m. in the Leeper Center, 3800 Wilson Ave. The group will meet on the first and third Wednesdays of the month, perhaps for three months. The public is invited.

“We’re looking for unbiased, straight-up comments,” Brinkhoff said.

The goal, he said, is to take recommendations to the full town board for consideration. Ideas might include ways to streamline the development process or ways that town staff can work better with applicants, whether they are doing commercial or residential projects.

“We’d also like to hear about ideas that worked in other places,” Brinkhoff said.

Stevens said that while the advisory group has been appointed to focus on business, it won’t ignore other comments.

“We aren’t going to turn anybody away,” he said.