Special Municipal Election Info: Candidate Bios

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Municipal Election: Candidate Bios

Bill Pelham
Miles Porter
Larry Sawyer
Gary Wilkinson
Eileen Davis

The Town of Frisco has one candidate in the running for Mayor, and four candidates vying for the three open council seats. Miles Porter, Larry Sawyer, Gary Wilkinson, and Eileen Davies all obtained the required 25 signatures, and declared their candidacy for Town Council. Current Mayor Pro-Tem Bill Pelham is the only candidate for the open mayoral seat.

Frisco voters will elect a mayor and three council members on Tuesday, April 1 via mail ballot. There will be no polling places on Election Day. For more information on the all-mail ballot municipal election, please click here.

Mayor:

Bill Pelham

Lived in Frisco: 13 years

Career Information: 30 years in the U.S. Air Force as a pilot and administrator; 5 years in city government in Hampton, VA

Previous Participation on Town Boards or Committees: Currently serving a four year term on Town Council that will be completed this April. Currently performing duties as Mayor Pro-Tem. Served as Planning Commissioner from 1994-2004 with additional experience as chairperson from May 1998-April 2004.

Educational Background: Degree in Business Administration; Occidental College, Master's in Business Administration; Auburn University - Montgomery

Comments: "Nearly 14 years ago, Frisco became our home. We fell in love with this quaint small mountain town and its friendly, family oriented character and ambiance. It is my desire to help keep Frisco the community that we all love. I believe that I have the time, energy, education and experience to help move Frisco forward."

"I have served two four year terms on the Summit Board of Education with two terms as Board President. I am also currently serving as Vice-Chair of the St. Anthony's Summit Medical Center Community Board, a member of the Bristlecone Health Services Board, a member of the CARE (Communities Accessing Resources Effectively) Board, and, as a member of the Summit School District Facilities Committee."

Goals:

Preservation of Frisco as a family oriented and economically vibrant town
Provide a safe and secure community
Seek solutions for child care shortages in the community
Work towards making Frisco a "Community for a Lifetime" and continuum of care
Continue work on pine beetle mitigation and impact issues
Enhance community amenities - particularly at the Peninsula Recreation Area
Pursue a sustainable and balanced local economy
Work toward solutions to the attainable housing issue so our workforce can be stabilized
Continue to work for implementation of sustainable environment policies and practices
Work towards responsible and acceptable uses of town owned properties
Work towards defining Frisco's place and role in the potential I-70 inter-modal transportation network

"I believe that my background, education, years on Town Council, Planning Commission and Board of Education and my love of Frisco uniquely qualify me for further service to the Town and its citizens as Mayor. I look forward to having this opportunity."

"Karen and I have five children, ten grand-children and two great grand-children. I also work part-time at The Barnyard pet supply store in Frisco."

Town Council:

Miles Porter

Lived in Frisco: 25 years

Career Information: US Army, Climax Miner, Newspaper Owner/Editor/Reporter-Photographer

Previous Participation on Town Boards or Committees: Planning Commission, Ten Mile Planning Commission, Frisco Arts Council Member

Educational Background: BA Journalism, Archaeology; Adams State College

Comments: "In addition to many supporting roles as a volunteer in "unofficial" capacities, I have served on the following committees and commissions for the Town of Frisco:"

Planning Commission member/chairperson
Ten Mile Planning Commission member
FLAPOSAC chairperson
Peninsula long-range planning committee
Co-founder of the Frisco Bay Marina
Organizer of the 12-year Ten Mile One Mile Kayak Races
Frisco Merchants Association member/three-term president
Frisco Arts Council member
Assisted in developing the Town of Frisco's first newsletter

"Having been a resident and newspaper owner and businessperson in Frisco since 1983, following our move from Breckenridge, I have spent nearly half my life in this great little mountain town. Before that, I lived in Salida and Buena Vista and served in the U.S. Army in France and graduating from Adams State College in Alamosa, Colo. As a second generation Colorado newspaper owner, publisher, award-winning editor and investigative reporter, I have covered small town governments since 1972. I know Colorado - and I know Frisco."

"As a member of the newly-formed Frisco Advocates for Community Excellence (FACE), I support this diverse-interest group's goals:"

Promote timely communication, openness and respectful treatment of constituents
Provide financial accountability and transparency in town operations and decision-making
Give committees more exposure and responsibilities
Support locally owned businesses
Maximize use of volunteers and make use of local expertise and talents
Start our town on a path to annexation of adjacent unincorporated subdivisions to expand participation in Frisco democracy and make the town "whole."

Larry Sawyer

Lived in Frisco: 6 years

Career Information: Retired, General Mills Inc.

Previous Participation in Town Boards or Committees: Planning and Zoning Commission

Educational Background: BA, BS, History and Political Science; Univ. of Minnesota. Numerous Business courses.

Comments: "My public life began forty two years ago, while managing a youth employment program cleaning up the Minneapolis and St. Paul Mississippi River Banks. The effort improved the environment while providing useful work for kids. At a very young age, I was responsible for over 1800 employees in a two city project. I was taught by one of my mentors that you can resolve any difficulty if you only practice goodwill. The lessons related to goodwill have served me well as an employee, a neighbor, and a volunteer."

"Goodwill is the glue that holds town, business, school or resort together. It is the neighborliness that when practiced lets people get along. I shovel your side walk, you water my trees. You patronize Bob's restaurant and he buys your daughter's Girl Scout cookies. Goodwill can and must be saved up for troubled times and difficult decisions. If today's problems and opportunities are worked within the context of goodwill tomorrow's issues are more than likely to be resolved the same way. For a Town, it is its reservoir of goodwill that facilitates problem solving/working things out."

"There are four problems or issues putting real pressure on Frisco. First, is housing, how much do we have and how much is needed to meet the demands of baby boomers and future employees. Second, as South Park develops, more and more traffic will flow through Frisco to destinations south. While CDOT moves to make Summit Blvd more efficient, Frisco will need to be vigilant to ensure their solutions do not compromise our quality of life. Third, the bark beetle epidemic has created the real threat of forest fire. We need bigger fire breaks and a healthy forest to ensure our safety. Finally, the Town needs to address Main Street's parking problem, a problem exacerbated by the planning requirements for Granite and Galena Streets."

"If you elect me to the Town Council, I pledge to use goodwill as a frame work for my term on the council. By nature, I am result oriented and direct. Through goodwill I hope to work the issues that face Frisco in a way that makes us stronger and more united."

Gary Wilkinson

Lived in Frisco: 42 years

Career Information: Project Manager and Senior Party Chief for Range West Inc., Summit County Surveyor

Previous Participation in Town Boards or Committees: Chairman, Ten Mile Planning Commission, Countywide Planning Commission, served on Citizen Advisory Committee for the update of Frisco Master Plan

Educational Background: BS, Mining Engineering; Colorado School of Mines

Comments: "I am hoping to serve on the Frisco Town Council to give back to the community I have enjoyed and appreciated over the last 40 years. I look forward to working to maintain the special sense of the Frisco community, while ensuring a vibrant, diverse and prosperous economy. Being a member of the Summit County Countywide Planning Commission and Ten Mile Planning Commission, I can bring to the council an understanding of land use, as well as what issues the town and Summit County will face in the future. I helped with the most recent Frisco Master Plan, Ten Mile Basin Master Plan and Countywide Comprehensive Plan. Each of these plans addresses a number of elements important to our community and its transition towards being built out. I intend to work towards implementing goals outlined in each of those documents, which include key issues such as sustaining the environmental quality we enjoy, addressing affordable housing for our workers, and working with stakeholders on transportation planning. This would all be achieved while maintaining a safe, healthy and sustainable community for our residents, visitors and business owners. I look forward to working with the community, as well as the related entities and committees affecting our town, as Frisco continues to grow and prosper."

Eileen Davies

Lived in Frisco: 4 1/2 years

Career Information: Teacher

Previous Participation in Town Board or Committees: Current member of Planning Commission

Educational Background: BA; Ursinus College, M.Ed.; Lehigh University, Class of 2008 Leadership Summit

Comments: "I am a candidate for the Frisco Town Council because I am committed to public service, and I see in the position of council member an opportunity to contribute. I believe that I understand the major issues facing Frisco, and I am willing to devote the time required to fully-participate as council member."

"We live in a unique and exceptional town, but it is not without challenges. To keep its vibrancy, Frisco needs a full-time community of locals, who live, work and raise their families here. Increasing the inventory of attainable housing in the midst of near build-out situation in Frisco demands that difficult choices be made."

"Reliance on sales tax poses its own set of issues. I believe that in order to maintain the character of Frisco, we may need to learn to live with less. The benefits of keeping our locally owned businesses strong, in my opinion, far outweigh a temporary upswing in revenue that a big box might bring. While we may not, within the town of Frisco, be able to solve the sales tax dilemma ourselves, I know we can maintain the charm, character and vibrancy of Frisco until solutions on a broader county or state-wide scale can surface."

"Protection of the environment has taken on new meaning since the devastation of the forests by the pine bark beetle. Town efforts to establish a defensible perimeter between our town and the forest, remove infested trees, and reforest key areas like the peninsula should continue and work in tandem with citizen efforts on private property and volunteer efforts on town owned public lands."

"Over 30 years in teaching taught me how to work with and motivate others, communicate effectively, problem-solve, and maintain the resolve and patience to work through a process. I intend to utilize this experience to benefit the citizens of Frisco."

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Town of Frisco Colorado

Town of Frisco, Colorado