Public Comments

The importance of unifying our Communities of Interest to ensure that Boulder’s values and priorities are well represented in the State Legislature can not be encouraged enough! The current proposal will dilute our political influence and ability to advocate for what’s important to us as voters. Please ensure that redistricting does not dilute or hinder our ability to represent our best Boulder values to the state of Colorado.

Shared interests for Congressional District 5: I've heard there's a proposal to slice off the western part of Colorado Springs/Manitou Springs which is a problem because we use the same bus route and same Colorado Springs utilities (especially important because we're in the midst of changing over our utilities). The eastern portion of the map does not. As we try to upgrade our city, we need to have someone who is representing all of our transportation and utility needs instead of splitting us up arbitrarily. Legislative District 17th: If you split up Tony Exum's district it would be a blatant attempt to disenfranchise black voters, it is a traditionally black district, in a city/state with a minority of black people. Keep the integrity of this district, so that these voters have a voice at the state level.

Our districts need to be as competitive as possible. Non-competitive districts result in out of touch representatives who are wholly unaccountable to the people who elected them. Of the 435 seats in the US House, a mere handful are considered competitive while the vast majority are considered "safe" seats for whatever party holds them. This is why a change in representation always makes big headlines. We all know stories about incumbents who ignore challengers, simply because they can. They don't engage in debates, they don't hold town halls, and they barely engage with the communities that elect them, but they cruise to reelection every term simply because of their party affiliation and the noncompetitive nature of their district. That needs to change. Maps can be drawn that maintain communities of interest while still allowing for districts that are competitive, forcing our representatives to actually engage with us, allowing the people to have their voice truly heard over that of special interests. Thank you, Misty

There are so many reasons that Gilpin County should stay in the congressional and state districts we are in but all it really takes is looking at a map to see the that the Continental Divide is an important geographical divide. Gilpin County residents work, play, stay healthy, shop and bank all with our neighboring counties, primarily Boulder and Jefferson counties. Please do not redistrict us so we have representatives who do not understand our needs or share in the high country on the east side of the divide!

I've lived here for ten years, the way that you've organized the district is what the Fort Collins community is like. The districts have function very effectively since I have lived here. I was pleased to see that there weren't extreme changes. The new map of CD-02 will allow the area to function well as it has in the past 10 years. We appreciate the representation we have had and hope to have it continue. The work of the redistricting committee is very much appreciated.

Dear Redistricting Commission, The Southern Colorado map is not good for rural Colorado. During some of the rural Colorado meetings, you have heard people say that the most important thing to them is that they are put with other Southern Colorado communities. They fail to realize the importance of preserving our water. El Paso County has made absolutely no secret that they need water and that they will be looking at the Lower Arkansas Valley for their water. The proposed Southern Colorado district is quite simply awful, and you will be responsible for handing the water to El Paso County if you put El Paso County and rural Colorado in a congressional district together. Rural representation is the most important factor that you should consider in congressional districts. Keep the rural representation that you initially drew in the preliminary map. I make my livelihood from agriculture(farming and ranching) in Rocky Ford, Colorado. My area, Otero County, has absolutely nothing in common with Durango or Cortez. We have agriculture to unite us on the eastern plains as well as a growing energy sector. I can personally say that I do not want to be in a district with southwest Colorado, while it may be a beautiful area it is not a community of interest with southeast Colorado. The challenges that we face in Rocky Ford, Colorado are very different than El Paso County. Please keep rural Colorado together and make the eastern plains a community of interest. Thank you for your time, Ken Schweizer

TESTIMONY FOR PROPOSED REDISTRICTING Valerie Wunderlich Semi-retired church bookkeeper Resident and homeowner in Denver for 47 years 20 years in Washington Park 27 years in SE Denver in Southmoor Park East I begin with a heartfelt thank you to the Commission for all the long hours and hard work you have put into this effort. I greatly appreciate it. First of all, I want to thank the Congressional Committee for keeping almost all of Denver in one Congressional District. Our city is a unique collection of specific interests that are important to the majority of Denver residents. Concerning the proposed state Senate district changes in South Denver: I understand that Denver should have 4 and 1/2 Senate districts based on its population. The commission’s preliminary map shows 4 compact senate districts with the remainder of Denver spread across several districts. I wish to support those that have testified already to the creation of a combined district of Arapahoe county and the south Denver County area along Hampden Avenue. As a resident of South Denver for over 27 years, much of my time and that of my neighbors has been spent in Arapahoe county. Many of us have or have had children enrolled in Arapahoe county schools and various sports leagues. And children from nearby Arapahoe spend time at schools and activities in Denver. Many friendships have been made across these county lines. This area is truly a community of interests. Additionally, a significant portion of my family's household shopping and medical appointments have been in Arapahoe county, and I believe this is typical for many South Denver residents due to the county's close proximity. We know this county well; it is a natural extension of our neighborhood. I also suggest this pairing will make for a competitive district in the future. Additionally, regarding the revisions planned for HD8, I support keeping ALL precincts in the SE corner of HD8 within the boundaries of HD8, rather than including them with Aurora. That city is just too far out of the way for us SE Denver residents. As a 47-year resident of Denver, I can assure you that SE Denver has a strong identity. It is very self-contained. Everything we need is within a few miles of our homes. Truly, that's the reason many of us moved to SE Denver...to enjoy all that our great city has to offer, and just a few minutes away. Thank you for your attention this evening.

I voted for the establishment of Colorado's independent commissions for the redistricting of both congressional and legislative districts. It's unfortunate that the release of the federal 2020 decennial census has been delayed (now scheduled for August 12, 2021). Had that data been available for the development of the preliminary redistricting maps, much of the current public debate could have been more focused on the facts and not partisan emotions. I image many have failed to note the commissions staff preliminary data disclaimer. The criteria is very specific for drawing both congressional and legislative district maps. I have confidence that the commissions and their staffs will do their job and I thank them for their public service.

Dear Commission: My name is Suzanne Crawford and I have worked in Eastern Boulder County for the last 16 1/2 years. I am the CEO of a Family Resource Center which serves Lafayette, Louisville, Superior, and the part of Erie that is in Boulder County. Sister Carmen Community Center provides a wide variety of services to individuals and families in need, including food, financial assistance, parenting and leadership classes, and free/ low cost clothing and household necessities through our thrift store. Our Family Resource Center works very closely with Boulder County government and the local municipalities to ensure that the needs of low income residents are met. While Eastern Boulder County is made up of multiple cities and incorporated parts of Boulder County, in many ways this part of the county functions as a whole. We share county government offices and our city governments often collaborate on projects. To split up this area into different districts- and to put part of this area into a district with Weld County- does not make sense. Boulder County has an overarching safety net made up of government agencies, churches, non-profits, and the school districts that work together to coordinate services. Breaking up this area into different districts will potentially damage this safety net. I urge you to keep Eastern Boulder County in one district and not to put part of Eastern Boulder County into the same district as Weld County.

I have lived in Colorado since 1991. In 1996, my husband and I moved from the city of Boulder to unincorporated Boulder County. We have lived in a log cabin on a mountain lake 6 miles north of Nederland, Colorado and 1/2 mile east of Hwy. 72 since then. We live surrounded by the Arapahoe/Roosevelt National Forest. In the 25 years that we have lived up here, we have maintained robust work and social networks in the city of Boulder and built friendships in Nederland. Both our children attended elementary school in Nederland and middle school in Boulder as we took advantage of our inclusion in the Boulder Valley School District and appreciated the highly educated Boulder population and superb school district. It takes ten minutes for us to drive to Nederland and just 30 minutes to drive into the city of Boulder. My husband and I have worked from home, in Boulder, and in Denver. We do the majority of our food and essential shopping in the city of Boulder and, as mentioned above, have maintained strong social and professional networks in the city of Boulder. I mention all of the above to demonstrate how closely we are aligned with the public policies and political concerns of mountain towns east of the Continental Divide, Boulder County, Boulder and the Front Range rather than those of the Western Slope. My number one issue is addressing the environmental degradation that has been caused by climate change brought on by subsidized oil and gas and carbon emissions. I live at 9,000 feet surrounded by National Forest and directly abutting the City of Boulder Watershed. I live along a scenic byway which has been inundated by tourists and recreation seekers. My mountain neighbors and I have been very engaged with and supportive of Congressman Joe Neguse's considerable and successful efforts to address wildfire danger, risks to air quality, and watershed health. He has been a tireless and creative advocate in Congress for mitigating risks of catastrophic wildfire and working toward protecting the watersheds and public lands in the current 2nd Congressional District. As I understand it, the independent commission is considering lumping the Nederland area together with the current 3rd Congressional District. At this moment, the current 3rd CD Representative (Republican Lauren Boebert) denies climate change, boosts continued fossil fuel extraction, supports fewer public and environmental health regulations on carbon-emitting businesses, and is seemingly willfully ignorant of the proven science underpinning climate change. Furthermore, her current district, for how vast it is in area, is dominated by public lands leased for agriculture (crops and/or livestock) or resource extraction. Her predecessor, Scott Tipton, while less incendiary and more educated and thoughtful, also prioritized extraction industry leases and low regulation over environmental health. Lumping my immediate small mountain town of Nederland together with the likes of Grand Junction and Fruita would seem to guarantee that our priorities would be overlooked and underserved. In the coming years, Western Slope citizens, businesses and politicians will be increasingly focused on dealing with diminished water in the Colorado River and transitioning their economies away from oil, gas, and coal. My personal concerns align very much with those of Nederland and Boulder, two communities that value science, facts, and environmental and public health. Boulder, known for its enlightened and progressive political policies and extremely well-educated citizenry, has enjoyed a booming economy for decades. Please recognize that the mountainous Nederland and foothills Boulder communities deserve Congressional representation that is focused on improving the likelihood that the Northern Front Range will survive and can even help turn the tide on the climate change disaster that is upon us.