Public Comments

September 9, 2021 Dear Colorado Independent Redistricting Commission, I am writing to express my opposition and deep concern concerning proposed District 4. I am a resident of Fort Collins. The contrasts between Fort Collins and the rest of the proposed district are stark. Please know that I love eastern Colorado. In fact, I choose to spend much of my time in eastern Colorado camping, hunting, and visiting friends. But Fort Collins is so different from the communities on the plains that it makes little sense to shoehorn it into District 4. In short, there are two fundamental problems. The first problem is multifaceted. The essence of the problem, however, is that proposed District 4 fails to meet the intent of Colorado’s Constitution (Section 44 (3)(b), Article V). It does not align communities of interest and relevant matters of public policy. Fort Collins is the fourth largest City in Colorado. It has experienced one of the highest rates of growth in the entire country over the last twenty-five years. That is not the case in eastern Colorado (with the possible exception of Greeley, which is much smaller than Fort Collins). Farming, ranching, and natural resource development are critical to eastern Colorado. In Fort Collins as well as Larimer County, the issues of primary public concern are far different and include the development of leading edge technologies to battle climate change; the sustainability and success of Colorado State University; forest health and fire mitigation; watershed protection; and, difficult urban issues such as mass transit, homelessness, and affordable housing. The second fundamental problem, which is reflective of the failure to meet the intent of the State’s Constitution, is that the proposed District would sever Larimer County’s seat of government in Fort Collins from the rest of the County which would be in District 2. That is nonsensical. In short, the proposed District could not be more contrary to Section 44 (3)(b), Article V than if you had deliberately tried to contravene its intent. Please go back to the drawing boards and create a district that aligns the interests of Fort Collins with its district. Thank you for considering my comments and for your work on this complex, important and necessary effort. Sincerely, John John Stokes 2238 Sun Rose Way Fort Collins, Colorado 80521

September 9, 2021 RE: Redistricting 9.9.21 Greetings to the Volunteer Redistricting Commissioners: First, I would like to thank you, and congratulate you on two significant accomplishments: 1. You have earned an Olympic Gold Medal for your “Endurance.” 2. The Commission Staff Map dated 9.3.21 is a stellar example of equal distribution of numbers. Bravo! Obviously, you are all committed to the job of fulfilling the nearly impossible task of carving out a new representative district for the residents of the State of Colorado – both native and new arrivals. I am a private citizen residing in Fort Collins. I chose to live here eleven years ago. I became engaged in Census2020 and the Redistricting process in 2019. I have studied the redistricting guidelines, participated in meetings and held private discussions related to the complexity of the challenge. After listening to and participating in several Public Comment Sessions that you have endured in recent weeks I would like to share my comments. As I stated, you have done an exemplary job of equalizing the numbers. To come within one or two persons equally distributed in eight districts is remarkable. However, my concern is that the numbers represent real people. Each of those people represent a complex mass of values, desires, skills and goals. When I looked at the 9.3.21 Staff Map and realized I would be living in a district that started at the southern border of Wyoming and continued south toward Amarillo Texas I was stunned. I cannot fathom equitable, unified, shared goals for the residents within the proposed CD-4 map. I tried to imagine a resident-human capable of representing every person living within those geographic boundaries. I concluded it is not possible. Given that impossibility I am confident there would be no “equal” representation for anyone. I suggest “Unequal for All “ will be the result. While many of the Commission Guidelines have been achieved in the proposed CD-4 map, I do not believe it has achieved the recommendation to “Preserve whole communities of interest and whole political subdivisions, such as counties, cities, and towns;” in the current iteration of the map. In my view the relocation of the County Seat of Larimer County to an adjoining county (Weld) does not meet the objective of “preserving a whole community.” Further, the purpose of redistricting is due to an increase in the Colorado State population. People have made their decisions to relocate to Colorado. I believe it i scritical to consider and evaluate where and why those people have chosen to settle in an area and realign representative districts within related areas. I sense you agree. Based on what I heard Tuesday evening, September 7, most new residents have settled in the center of the state. While I have not studied the numbers as carefully as you, the primary growth is in and around Denver. To me, the focus needs to be on Districts 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7. If the increase in those five districts is divided evenly into six the growth area is equitable and the rural areas are left undisturbed. Those who are relatively new to the state chose a location for their own reasons. I encourage allowing them to be included in a representative district that reflects those decisions. In addition, September 1 statistics on COVID reveal a story that disturbs my values. I am personally an advocate of the COVID vaccine to prevent virus transmission, hospitalization and potential death. Recent vaccine rates for Weld County are 57.3%; comparatively, the rate for Larimer County is 71.9%. That real world difference does not indicate shared values to me. I encourage you to consider this perspective as you walk back to the drawing board. I prefer that Fort Collins remain in Larimer County. I have listened carefully to the impassioned presentations of my neighbors to the east, south, and west. I learned about the struggles of native residents to maintain the triumphs for which they fought tenaciously. I listened to each person’s concern for the future of water in Colorado. I heard multiple pleas to live, work, learn and communicate within a comfortable circle of cultural similarity and equity for all residents. I respect each of those pleas. I share their passion, their desires and their goals for their own future. I do not believe the draft map of 9.3.21 equitably represents each of the voices I heard. Best wishes as you continue toward the goal. Respectfully submitted, L. Blake PO Box 270666 Fort Collins, CO 80527

The proposed map would have been more accurate in terms of shared interests when I moved to Fort Collins 47 years ago. Since then the city has become more cosmopolitan and international. The growth of CSU and the numerous start-ups recruiting workers with scientific and technical skills, along with the appeal of social, economic, and cultural opportunities has brought huge changes in our population. We share a concern in how to address the challenges of all this growth. Our public policy debates focus on transportation (like funding for I-25), affordable housing, the environment (air pollution, solid waste), land use and open space, and educational equity in the public schools. What do we debate locally? How about the question of the land where CSU's Hughes Stadium was located. Should we build more housing there, especially affordable housing? Or should it be open space? A combination? Look at the policy issues on our ballots (plastic bags??). We still have some agriculture, notably small, often organic, farms, which are very different from most Eastern Colorado agriculture. Oil and gas are limited and controversial in a way, for example, they aren't in Weld County. Fort Collins belongs with other front range cities so that we can work on shared problems of growth.

I do not approve of the 2nd Congressional redistricting. You are trying to combine very different communities with very different values, economies and priorities. Combining rural western slope Coloradan with the urban population centers of Boulder and Broomfield does not make sense. We have very different concerns when it comes to water resources, climates, wild fires and even ethnic populations. This redistricting feels like you are taking power away from rural Coloradans by combining us with urban populations that have different economies and values. Boulder and Broomfield are urban front range cities and they do not mesh with the rural Mountain citizens and especially the western slope. I also do not appreciate it breaking up my county, Garfield. We should stay whole as we are one community out here.

The first map is fair. The second map provides ZERO representation of rural Colorado. Energy and Agriculture are significant components to Colorado's economy and these folks deserve representation. Furthermore, the argument that maps should be based on how people voted in the last election is suspect at best. A lot of folks voted democrat to spite Trump. We all know it. To then declare that we should purposefully map this thing to permit democrats to have guaranteed representation based simply on the last election results is preposterous.

  Redistricting should be proactive with a view to the future. Douglas County continues to be one of the fastest growing counties in the US overall and is the 3rd fastest in Colorado with a population growth of 25.4% between 2010 and 2020. Therefore, developing a comprehensive redistricting plan on how to best serve current and future residents is important to the success of this county. I’ve been a resident of Douglas County for 22 years. Prior to that I was a resident of Elbert County for nine. I can tell you the way of life between both counties is markedly different. I understand Douglas County’s desire of keeping the rural feel; it’s the heritage of this county. However, that has changed a great deal over the decades. Today we may have subdivision with the name of a ranch, but that is not how people residing there live. Many of the subdivisions in Douglas County are bedroom communities with 51% of these residents working outside Douglas County. These families, with their needs are dependent on infrastructure and local government being in line with the other front range communities. Consider the educational/economic makeup of the majority of Douglas County residents. For all US counties Douglas County is 15th at 58.1% for populations age 25 and over with a college degree and ninth at 32.1% for the highest median household income of $119.730. In addition, almost 92% of all Douglas County housing units are located in the urban-designated areas of the County, which includes the cities and towns, the Primary Urban Area which contains Highlands Ranch, and the Separated Urban Areas of The Pinery, Roxborough, and Castle Pines Village. Douglas County is in a critical need to be moved from CO District 4 to a district where it can be reflective of the now urban character of the area.

All I will say is draw fair redistricting maps to benefit all Coloradans and not for the benefit of Denver alone. In Colorado Springs we feel Denver voices always are heard, but the rest of Colorado is not heard. We like our wildlife, fresh air, trails, hunting, guns, and oil. We care about people as a whole and nothing about the WOKE or PC movement.

Boulder and Larimer Counties have nothing in common with the Western Slope. And I include Jackson County that is technically Eastern Slope but has totally different needs then the front range. I see this as purely a political move to use the large population centers in those two counties to silence the voices of Rural Western Slope people! Our present political class is working against the people. If I was a representative, I would be very worried about the next election … of course unless you rig it like you did in 2020.

I am advocating for making CD7 more competitive in the current map. My suggestion is to make Summit County whole in CD2 and add all of Custer County and all of the city of Green Mountain Falls in El Paso County to CD7. By adding Custer, which has common interests with Fremont County and the Pike's Peak region in general this would have the effect of making CD7 a little more competitive. If all of Summit County is added to CD2 then you could put all of Lake and Chaffee counties into CD3.

I am a voter in Grand County. As many others have said, we need to keep Boulder County out of CD2, as we have had them involved for 10 years and they have very little common interests in our communities. The arguments about fire control are more to Larimer County, not Boulder County. Boulder can in no way represent the common interests in the western counties.