Public Comments

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF PARKER, COLORADO, AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. The Town Council respectfully requests that the Independent Congressional Redistricting Commission modify the Preliminary Congressional District Map by moving the district boundary for Districts 6 and 7 to place all of the Town of Parker into District 7 in order to preserve the Town of Parker' s whole community of interest with Douglas County and the political subdivisions contained within Douglas County that are all exclusively contained within District 7, as provided by Colorado Constitution Article V, Section 44. Section 2. The Town Council further respectfully requests that the Independent Congressional Redistricting Commission amend the Preliminary Congressional District Map to eliminate the municipal splits to the Town of Parker, Littleton and Bow Mar as described in the attachment. RESOLVED AND PASSED this 12th Day of July, 2012 /s/ Mayor Jeff Toborg Town of Parker

Splitting the Town of Parker into two districts is wrong. We are one community and deserve to have one voice represent us. Move your lines to let our community remain as one!

I believe the redistricting proposal is a terrible idea. Leave the counties alone. If I wanted to follow the rules in La Plata county or any other, I would move there. So far I have been proud of Montezuma county and our community. No new map is necessary, this in no way will benefit the people of our community. If anything it is going to cause more damage to our ranchers, agriculture, hunting and policies already in place. You are wasting time and energy that could be better used elsewhere. I am opposed to this entire proposal.

I understand one thing you are to consider is making districts more competitive between the two major parties. HOWEVER your plan makes TWO strongly REPUBLICAN congressional districts where there was ONLY ONE. Pueblo County's Democratic votes are what make CD 3 competitive. Our votes NEVER WILL INFLUENCE THE STRONGLY REPUBLICAN congressional district where your plan puts us. You are removing ANY influence Pueblo has on congressional elections. You make TWO "SAFE" Republican districts where there was only ONE.

I am commenting on the dividing of Montezuma County into 2 legislative districts. As a former county commissioner located in what would be the northern half of the county, I see a major problem in this. The northern half is primarily farm land and public land. There is always, like most places, a somewhat divide between the rural and urban. This division will exacerbate this problem greatly. It will make it much harder for all the county to work together on common county problems and projects. The county was divided before and it appears to me that elements of that division still exist today. The county must be kept whole.

I live in Wind Crest, a retirement community of almost 2000 residents. I have been told that proposed redistricting will split our community. The Highline Canal divides our property geographically but it should not divide our close nit community politically. Please keep us in mind when you draw the borders.

Hi my name is Melanie Knaus, I’m a resident of Lakewood and mother of two school kids in Jefferson County. Thank you for your service to our state and I’m sorry I couldn’t make the Lakewood hearing. My comments today are about the congressional districts and specifically the difference between Douglas County and the metro area. I think you all will have to decide what is more important, but it seems to me the political leaders in Douglas, work to frustrate metro area solutions supported in Arapahoe and Jefferson Counties. Douglas County has opposite priorities as it relates to major Federal issues. Whether it’s COVID-19, gun safety, or transportation, putting Douglas County with Jefferson or Arapahoe Counties would make it virtually impossible to give each of these communities the representation they deserve. An example on COVID - just recently, Jefferson County and schools enacted mask mandates and the Tri-County Health Department recommended them. Douglas refused. When it comes to gun safety, Douglas County passed a resolution that resolved, “that the Board strongly urges the United States Congress and the Colorado General Assembly to refrain from enacting new legislation that would infringe on the rights that are protected by the Second Amendment…”. The same year, Jefferson County passed a resolution limiting open-carry. Another focus for me today is transportation. It’s a great example of how different the actions are of Douglas County and what they really think of their connection to our area. Most of Douglas County isn’t in the RTD district and isn't a part of the metro transit system. In fact, Parker just recently tried to leave the RTD district and Castle Rock specifically voted to not join the RTD district. When the State Senate debated setting up a front range rail district, a bill sponsored by a Jefferson County legislator, State Senator Chris Holbert from Douglas County stated “This bill isn't about trains, this bill's about taxes. That's what this bill proposes to do - establish a new taxing district.” They view an additional rail project as a tax burden not a connection to the metro area or Colorado and instead align with rural areas of the state like on the eastern plains. On issues like transportation, the different priorities between Douglas County and Jefferson+Arapahoe Counties are too opposing to share representation. Please do not put Douglas County with these metro counties. Thank you for your time and consideration.

The North Fork Valley does not have common interests with Mesa County. It is a small agricultural community that would be better represented by Gunnison County NOT Mesa County.

I like the split Montezuma County map proposed.

A GOP incumbent holding public conferences on what to say/how to testify so GOP incumbents can influence redistricting. Shame. Please take this into account: https://gazette.com/premium/colorado-redistricting-testimony-coached-by-incumbent-matt-soper-to-protect-republican-lawmaker-legislator-seats-perry-will-marc-caitlin/article_ffd0445c-00ff-11ec-866f-e7a499f1f52a.html?fbclid=IwAR0_3iqGT_YdSuVFKRyM-BsD9lAAyh50HDOzw1r5d-ngk4VSVJcNelsiQUE I've already sent my comment in as a resident of the North Fork Valley of Delta Co. The proposed map effectively cuts our voice off in this county. We need to remain with Gunnison Co for the many reasons I stated in my first comment. This is to bring to light what Co. Commissioner Suppes is doing.