La Plata County Commissioner DISTRICT 2
Hotter tries to keep her seat in race against Lachelt
By Emery Cowan Herald Staff Writer
KELLIE HOTTER – REPUBLICAN CURRENT POSITION: County Commissioner District 2 Hotter promotes fiscal responsibility in government. She touted her work downsizing La Plata County’s staff and balancing the budget to make the county debtfree. She supports a more limited role of government, saying the county “can’t be all things to all people.” She said the government needs to make the county more business friendly and is a proponent of letting free enterprise satisfy county needs such as senior health care and housing. She said she supports continued development of natural gas in the county and supports local governments switching to natural-gas powered vehicles. Methane released from natural
gas facilities in the county is a concern but should not be addressed through a “knee-jerk reaction” of regulation, she said. At this point, the county should continue to monitor data, study best practices and analyze potential implications of regulation, she said. “I think we have appropriate protections in place now,” she said. She stands behind her decision to reject the Climate and Energy Action Plan, a set of recommendations aimed at reducing carbon Hotter emissions in the county. The choice to approve the plan, and any associated costs, should be made by voters, she said. The county needs to readdress and assess the successes and the shortfalls of the shelved comprehensive plan. Then the county
La Plata County Commission districts
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and community need to determine what in the current plan should be preserved and what may be missing, she said. GWEN LACHELT – DEMOCRAT CURRENT POSITION: Director of Earthworks’ Oil and Gas Accountability Project
Lachelt supports developing a long-range comprehensive plan for the county and said the plan commissioners shelved last year needs to be revived. The county has a role to “dispel myths and fears about planning,” she said. Lachelt also supports the greenhouse gas-reducing recommendations of the Climate and Energ y Action Plan that commissioners declined to adopt in March. She wants the county to take a Lachelt leading role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions through actions such as requiring new county buildings to be built to green standards and supporting the development of solar gardens. The county should calculate cost savings of energy conservation and efficiency, so taxpayers can see the
payoff, she said. Lachelt said she wants to work with industry to develop regulations that capture or reduce methane leaking out of well heads and natural-gas pipelines. Such practices save the industry money and produce cleaner air, she said. She supports the protection of surface-owner rights and the protection of wildlife habitat. Regardless of where the county heads on gas and oil development, she said it needs to create a plan to transition to more sustainable, renewable energy sources. She sees potential for economic and employment growth in green jobs and local agriculture. She also supports promoting the local food system through advocacy or other incentives. Lachelt said she wants the county “to be a model again,” whether it be through gas and oil regulations, health care or clean energy development.
Amendment S would reform state’s personnel system By Joe Hanel Herald Denver Bureau
Gov. John Hickenlooper led the charge to get Referendum S on the ballot as part of his plan to change the way the state hires and fires people. To many voters, the amendment might seem to be small and technical changes that could be handled by the Legislature. However, the state constitution governs much of the personnel system, and only voters can amend it. If passed, Amendment S would give the governor more power to hire people in his administration by removing up to 330 senior positions from the protections of the state personnel
system, including lobbyists, media spokespeople and top administrators. The governor could also dismiss members of the state personnel board. Hickenlooper has said he and his department heads need greater authority to hire the best people. The amendment would create several other changes: ➤➤ Supervisors could hire workers based on comparisons between finalists for the job, instead of their scores on tests. ➤➤ Six candidates for any job could be designated as finalists, compared to just three now. ➤➤ Out-of-state candidates could be hired if no Colorado residents could
be found, and jobs within 30 miles of the border would not be limited to Colorado residents. ➤➤ Temporary employees could be hired for up to nine months, rather than six. ➤➤ Hiring preferences for military veterans would be expanded. The Legislature voted unanimously to put Referendum S on the ballot. There is no organized opposition to the measure. The state employees’ union is neutral on the measure, but a small opposition campaign has formed. Anti website: www.noonamendments.com