A high-octane energy from candidates seeking mayor, City Council and School District 14 Board of Education seats in the Nov. 7 election highlighted the Oct. 19 Manitou Springs Candidate Forum.
Held at Briarhurst Manor Estate, the more than two-hour forum gave residents an opportunity to meet and ask candidates how they would best serve the public. Next month, voters will select the city’s next governmental and education leaders, and decide on issues impacting the community. The Pikes Peak Bulletin and the League of Women Voters of the Pikes Peak Region sponsored the event.
Mayor candidates: current Mayor John Graham, current Mayor Pro Tem Nancy Fortuin, 2021 write-in mayoral candidate Tyler Graefe.
City Council candidates: Judith Chandler, John Shada and Julie Wolfe, current at-large councilors; Alan Delwiche, chair, City Planning Commission; Steve Hart, retiree, Forest Service; Mark Lee, community advocate; Colin McAllister, member, Parks and Recreation Advisory Board; Anthony Mogck, business owner; Charlotte “Susan” Presti, vice chair, Historic Preservation Commission; and Carey Storm, president, Manitou Springs Heritage Center board.
D14 BOE candidates: Jill Bishop, Connie Brachtenbach, Marianne Rommerdahl, Magdalena “Maggie” Santos.
Forum moderator Ralph Routon explained debate rules and introduced the candidates. “Isn’t it wonderful we have so many choices this year?” Routon asked amid applause from the audience.
School board candidates had three minutes to expand on Routon’s introductions.
Santos: “My children went to this school district from kindergarten until they graduated. I moved here specifically so my kids could go to this school district, so I am committed to the school. We need to make sure our district is the best it can be.”
Elementary teacher Mary Monk spoke for Rommerdahl, who was unable to attend. “Marianne sees the impact policies can make. She has extensive experience in project management, and hopes to focus on creating a reasonable district infrastructure improvement plan and engaging with the community,” Monk said.
Bishop: “I have lived in D14 since 1996 in Cascade. I am a teacher with 25 years of experience and spent the bulk of those years teaching in Harrison School District 2. As a teacher, I was pleased with the education my kids received at D14 and want to ensure parents can say the same.”
Brachtenbach: “I have worked in a variety of operational, managerial and senior leadership roles. I served as the campus safety officer at Colorado College. I have served on numerous nonprofit boards and committees. I’m running for the school board because I love Manitou Springs.”
By contrast, council candidates fielded questions, including what they want to accomplish by the end of their 2027 term, from residents and from the Bulletin.
Chandler: “I would love to see all capital projects we have in the works be completed — Carnegie Library, Hiawatha Gardens. We want to get the Police Department remodeled. I would love to see the fitness center be remodeled or, at least, started.”
Delwiche: “My dream is to see less cars moving around Manitou in four years than what we do now. It’s all about mobility, transportation, biking, hiking and many shuttles. One of my extreme dreams is in 2027 there will no longer be any Port-a-Potties in Manitou.”
Hart: “I think Manitou needs to be a place that is visitor-friendly and business-friendly. We have to have work done on infrastructure. I want it (Manitou) to be safe for every citizen and visitor, and want people to talk more about the prosperity we can provide them.”
Lee: “I, too, would like to see the library completed by 2027. I would like to see every single resident of Manitou feel like they have a voice in the community, that their voice is being heard and their concerns are being addressed.”
Mogck: “We need to adopt more responsible tourism, destinations and stewardships. (There are) a lot of sustainability programs and actions we can take. There is a lot of capital projects that need to be concluded. Those are on track, the library is on track, so we’ll keep going with those.”
Presti: “I would like to see the east end of town re-developed and connected by a functional transit system that allows people to park somewhere besides in the heart of Manitou … to make it easy for them to get into town and enjoy our community.”
Shada: “The momentum we have underway is incredible. I hope by this time next year the library is finished. We have a great opportunity to get this traffic and parking thing under control, and I hope we’re at least halfway done by 2027.”
Storm: “There is a need for affordable housing in our city and to maintain a place where people who are living on the lower end of the income scale have a place to live. Council adopted Prop 123 to get support to build low-income housing or refurbish apartments and keep them low income.”
Wolfe: “We have some amazing projects going on. … We have infrastructure needs that are being addressed and we’re figuring out fiscally responsible ways to fund them so we don’t have to increase taxes. I think the infrastructure for stormwater and water tank efforts will be completed by 2027.”
McAllister was unable to attend the forum.
Mayoral candidates also fielded questions, in particular, “How do you feel about the future of the Urban Renewal Authority and the proposed downtown Development Authority?”
“The URA has done a number of things for the city. I think there is a tremendous synergy between businesses on the east end of Manitou and businesses downtown. Until we get development off the ground on the east end, it won’t help downtown businesses as much,” Fortuin said.
Another question, “What’s the biggest mistake Manitou Springs has made in the past 30 years and what can we learn from that?” generated a response from Graham.
“We have a tremendous knack for kicking the can down the road, for not getting things done, for deferred maintenance. We have a 60-year-old water tank that needs to be drained and refurbished and pipes that are dated 1905. (We have) infrastructure needing to be attacked,” Graham said.
Graefe was absent from the forum.
Routon thanked candidates for their participation.
“We commend them for their interest and in wanting to serve the public,” he said.