Public Comments

My name is Rob Strain and I am pleased to address the Congressional Redistricting Commission. Thank you for your service to our state. I currently live in Westminster and spent more than 35 years in the aerospace industry including as the President of Ball Aerospace. I would like to focus my remarks on the aerospace community but in particular the community of interest tying my home area of Westminster with Broomfield and Jefferson Counties. Specifically, I’m asking you to consider keeping Westminster whole and in the 7th Congressional District with Jefferson and Broomfield Counties. Colorado is the second largest aerospace economy in the country and in particular the 7th Congressional District is home to a large number of aerospace companies of all sizes who provide thousands of jobs to our communities. Many of these companies are located in Broomfield, Westminster, Arvada, Lakewood and Golden. Our industry has built strong partnerships with Colorado School of Mines in Golden and Red Rocks Community College in Arvada+Lakewood. Several aerospace companies in this area collaborate on important National missions of importance. In addition, many smaller companies important to the supply chain work in the community. The aerospace industry is critical to our needs in addressing climate change and severe weather forecasting, defense and communication services. To be clear, decisions made in Congress directly affect our industry both in funding and public policy which is why it’s critical to keep these communities together and in the 7th District. Being able to speak with one voice to our federal representatives is absolutely critical for our local economies and partnerships with local higher education institutions. Please keep Westminster in a congressional district with Jefferson and Broomfield Counties so our aerospace community of interest is kept whole. Thank you for taking the time to consider my comments. Rob Strain 3860 W 105th Drive Westminster, Colorado

Hello. My name is Janice Lynne. Today I’d like to comment on what appears to be an arbitrary redrawing of Fort Collins out of District 2 and placing it into District 4 along with towns and counties along the eastern plains of Colorado. To me this is makes no sense. On its face, this appears to be a poor attempt to satisfy numbers required for contiguity, while at the same time being a blatant disregard for Fort Collins’ interests, which have been served well in 2nd District along with other Northern Front Range cities. As you know, districting for communities of interests is also a requirement of the vote of 2018. Adequate representation of Fort Collins’ interests, must include such things as a similar bioregion, threats from major wildfires, oversight of water sources from mountains to the west, terrible air quality along the Northern Front Range, rapid population growth and lack of affordable housing, thriving economies and urban cultures, and state universities with thousands of students. Clearly, our issues are not the same as those of agriculture, ranching, and energy development, which are represented in the counties along the Eastern plains. Therefore, I request that you put Fort Collins back into a district with other Northern Front Range cities in order the honor the requirement of drawing the districts by common interest, and not just arbitrary numbers that has little meaning or efficacy for representation in Congress. Thank you. Janice Lynne

It is well known that the politics and pols are all about seeking power (power of $ and power of office). Power is the ability to make change. Too many pols (am I talking directly to you?) nowadays are becoming tribal cheer leaders. This tribal mentality of pols is despicable. Reification of our culture into tribal competition is inimical to democracy. Remember this: whoever you are in elected office, you Serve Every Voter!... Greed, addiction to 'the powers' and separating us into tribes, if you are one of those...either evolve or leave the planet. Combat Green Beret De Oppresso Liber

I am unwilling to allow rural colorado to loose its voice! I’am willing to testify this is wrong and has to be stopped

Hello. My name is Janice Lynne. Today I’d like to comment on what appears to be an arbitrary redrawing of Fort Collins out of District 2 and placing it into District 4 along with towns and counties along the eastern plains of Colorado. To me this is makes no sense. On its face, this appears to be a poor attempt to satisfy numbers required for contiguity, while at the same time being a blatant disregard for Fort Collins’ interests, which have been served well in 2nd District along with other Northern Front Range cities. As you know, districting for communities of interests is also a requirement of the vote of 2018. Adequate representation of Fort Collins’ interests, must include such things as a similar bioregion, threats from major wildfires, oversight of water sources from mountains to the west, terrible air quality along the Northern Front Range, rapid population growth and lack of affordable housing, thriving economies and urban cultures, and state universities with thousands of students. Clearly, our issues are not the same as those of agriculture, ranching, and energy development, which are represented in the counties along the Eastern plains. Therefore, I request that you put Fort Collins back into a district with other Northern Front Range cities in order the honor the requirement of drawing the districts by common interest, and not just arbitrary numbers that has little meaning or efficacy for representation in Congress. Thank you. Janice Lynne

I am writing to contest the redisticting map that combines the western slope with the urban northern areas. This will inevitably silence the voices of the rural voter

I am a Frisco Town Council Member and writing to express my thoughts on the proposed congressional redistricting. For many reasons, I urge you to keep Summit County whole and within Congressional District 7. As to keeping the County in one district, we are one community, with a tremendous amount of overlap of services and issues. With its numerous world-class ski areas, National Forest system lands, and other outdoor recreational amenities, the county as a whole is a major tourism destination year-round. It is imperative that we manage issues like workforce housing, wildfire mitigation, transportation, childcare and economic sustainability as a whole. A split district would create unnecessary boundaries for collaboration and efficiency across these essential topics. Being part of a district that includes the I70 corridor also would benefit Summit County. We share many similar perspectives on climate and transportation, and tourism-related impacts and opportunities as other communities along the corridor. As EV becomes mainstream, we can plan together accordingly to provide the highest level of service to residents and tourists. Thank you for your consideration.

I do not want our current district to be divided northern western Colorado from southern western Colorado. If you want to remove Eagle, Grand, Summit county etc. off ok but the bulk of western Colorado who we share so much in common need to stay in the same district please! I live south if I 70, the current new proposed boundary, and I do not want to lose Lauren Boebert as my representative!

Why is Lone Tree in Douglas County, in fact all of Douglas County, as well as Fort Collins, in the same congressional district with the rural communities on the Eastern Plains? We are not a community of interest and do not have any shared values.

Douglas County is a large mostly suburban county that deserves to be placed in a district with similar problems and concerns. We are not similar to Eastern Colorado as most of our residents do not work in an agricultural setting. Please give this fact your serious focus as you draw the new congressional district lines.