Public Comments

Leave districts as is. No need to change. This should not be a political game

Commissioners: I believe you need to prioritize competitiveness above all else and make each district, regardless of boundaries, as competitive as you possibly can. Using the second staff map published Sept. 15 and using the committees competitiveness criteria, District 8 comes closest to what I am suggesting. The other seven districts need their numbers for historical elections to be more in line with the proposed District 8. I urge you to make competitiveness your single most important criteria for drawing boundaries in order to give democracy a chance in our new congressional districts. Has a map been drawn with similar competitive numbers to District 8 for all the districts? Why would you not do this? Thank you. Mike Quick

Keep Eagle County in CD3!!!!!! We have NOTHING in common with CD2! We are a resort community & need separation. PLEASE listen to us. Thank you.

Dear Commissioners and Staff: I want to thank you for taking to heart the comments from southern Coloradans in creating the southern district in the staff map proposed Sept. 3. This map does a much better job of representing the interests of southern Coloradans and holding together the traditional Hispano communities that are a foundation of our region. One suggestion I would make if boundaries need to be adjusted would be to include Chaffee county in this district. In northern Saguache County where I live, we are very linked with Salida in Chaffee County in terms of business and services, making it a community of interest. I heard the voices of many Chaffee County residents at the hearings requesting to be put with other mountain communities rather than Front Range communities. Chaffee County is a bridge county between Saguache County and Gunnison County, which is also in this new 3rd District, making the inclusion of Chaffee County very appropriate in terms of representing communities of interest. Thank you for your consideration and your hard work.

Please do not further take voice away from our rural counties in Colorado! Passing this redistricting would result in our large urban areas having all the decision-making power. The values of the majority of the RURAL people of Colorado would not be represented in the least. The districts need to remain as they are, recognizing that Colorado values the voice of ALL segments of our population EQUALLY.

The undersigned are current or former elected officials from the City and County of Broomfield (the City or Broomfield). We appreciate and respect the Commission’s mission. The provisions under the Colorado Constitution which created your commission includes under Section 44.3 the Criteria for determination of congressional districts. After the obvious requirements that the districts be equal in population and that they comply with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is the criteria “as much as is reasonably possible, the commission’s plan must preserve whole communities of interest and whole political subdivisions, such as counties, cities, and towns.” The Second Staff Plan issued on September 15, 2021, moves the vast majority of Broomfield residents from the 2nd Congressional and divides us into the 7th Congressional district (48,827 residents) and the 8th (25,287 residents). Broomfield was formed in the 1950’s as a bedroom community on the Boulder Turnpike and grew rapidly into four different Counties. It is safe to say we were a stepchild in each and no county services were located in Broomfield. We have a heritage of activism and our residents set the ambitious goal of becoming a single county. To that end, we won a statewide election in 1998 and became a City and a County in 2001. That alone illustrates that not only are we two political subdivisions that should not be divided but by every definition a community of interest. Because we are a City that runs a County we have been nimble which has allowed to take the lead in many statewide issues, not the least of which was oil and gas. To that end, Broomfield, just last year passed some of the most aggressive oil and gas regulations in Colorado. We also are the largest, and lead City in the Windy Gap firming project which we have championed over the last two decades. In our experience, the issues we face are not north or south Broomfield or east or west, they are City wide issues. This goes for inclusive housing, sustainability and COVID as well. The City, its staff and Council actively lobby at the State and Federal level. Issues that we have lobbied for over the years include are not limited to, Rocky Flats, funding for transit and transportation, safe and available water resources. There is great value in working with the staff of Congressman Neguse and prior to that Jared Polis and Mark Udall. We understand the difficulties you are facing, particularly with the Western Slope but would request if we cannot be kept whole in the 2nd Congressional District that we be kept whole in the new 8th Congressional district. We are all available to testify or discuss with staff. Signed: Former Mayor Patrick Quinn Current Mayor Guyleen Castriotta Current Councilmembers: Heidi Henkel Stan Jezierski Deven Shaff Laurie Anderson Jean Lim Former Councilmembers: Kevin Jacobs Sam Taylor

Do not put west slope counties in with front range counties. We are vastly different from each other and does not well represent our issues. If you are using the Esri Redistricting Solution, then it is very easy to create a breakup that separates us from the front range. Not to mention the difference in Larimer and Boulder is night and day. Try again and let data guide the boundaries.

Please include all of the City of Aurora in a single district; currently the Second Congressional Staff Plan (released on September 15, 2021) doesn’t include pieces of the city in the southeast (see attached, map). Also, please see the attached City of Aurora City Council Resolution R2021-25 in support of municipal integrity. Thanks Bill Keever City of Aurora

I am concerned that you have lumped the city of Loveland into the rural congressional district 4. Loveland has become an increasingly diverse suburban community and does not relate to the rural aspects of eastern Colorado. Realistically, any community in northern Colorado and west of I25 should not be in District 4. Please reconsider this latest option and put Loveland back in district 2. Thank you for time.

Thank you for giving Colorado’s ski towns a voice with this Second Staff Plan Map! Western Colorado has many communities and while these communities may be spread apart by hundred of miles, the people share common interests especially when it comes to their local economies. The energy, ranching and farming industries are a common thread weaved throughout Western Colorado and while they may not be exclusive to the Third Congressional District, they are vastly different from the ski communities located in Summit, Eagle and Routt counties. Because of these differences, these counties need to be represented differently than those of the rest of Western Colorado. They need someone who identifies with and understands the issue the residents of ski towns face, not have their concerns/wants quieted by people living a completely different lifestyle. As I said, this latest rendition of the map does a great job of supporting the interests, cultures and economies of both the ski towns while also fairly representing the very different economies, cultures and interests of the rest of the Western Slope. I ask the Commission to make sure the ski communities keep their voice and are well represented by putting Summit, Eagle and Routt counties in the Second Congressional District.