Public Comments

Redistricting Commissions: I understand you are currently working on redistricting. I appreciate the work you are putting into this effort. I am a resident of The Wind Crest Community in Highlands Ranch. I understand that one of the proposals is to divide the Wind Crest property into two separate districts. It is my understanding that the proposal would make the High Line Canal, which runs through the Wind Crest property, the dividing line. Wind Crest is one community, and it serves seniors. Dividing our Community into two separate districts would cause confusion among our senior population and make it inconvenient to host speakers for two different districts. Our senior population is well-educated and wants it to be convenient to be engaged in political activities. Since Wind Crest is one community, where all of our residents interact together in so many ways, please leave us in one district. Thank you, Julie Brown, a Wind Crest resident (submitted via email 8/3/21)

My name is Vicki Noffsinger and I am one of the precinct persons for Precinct 201 in Douglas County as well as a resident of the Wind Crest Independent Living Retirement Community in Highlands Ranch. It has come to our attention that the proposed Colorado House District 22 redistricting map has been drawn in a very unfortunate place, right down the middle of our community. We really are a community of interest with over 1650 residents, on 84 acres, organized into 3 different "neighborhoods". Although these are referred to as neighborhoods, we all associate together for many events, including our political meetings, which include the entire campus..this means the Republican, Democrat and combined meetings invite all residents from all 3 neighborhoods to attend and participate. I'd like to highlight some additional reasons for attention to these boundaries in this situation. Because of the older ages of the residents that live in Wind Crest, there are often occasions where one spouse lives in Mill Vista for assisted living and memory care situations, yet the other spouse may still be living in the independent living portion of our community. By placing the proposed House District line along Mill Vista Road, that would divide the neighborhoods and potentially families, in addition to creating significant confusion with so many different candidates, proposals, and even issues in two different House Districts. This would also mean that the people in Neighborhood 1 would have to attend a different caucus off campus, which would be a hardship for many as they don't drive. I hope you can see what a dilemma this could become for all of us within Wind Crest and we are asking that you strongly consider our perspective that we are a community of interest that should not be separated and therefore, please move the House District 22 boundary so that all of Wind Crest is included as one, and as part of Highlands Ranch, 80129, where we live. As a voice for a large portion of Wind Crest residents who have the same concerns, I thank you in advance for taking my suggestion into consideration and understanding this situation more thoroughly. I have attached a proposed new Colorado HD22 map, and a map of our community as it would look with the current HD222 proposed boundary split, and https://davesredistricting.org/maps#viewmap::f0855a89-2b15-428f-9d05-00d2901c2587

"Thank you for your time and for your work on this important issue. I’m writing as a resident of Wind Crest retirement community in Highlands Ranch. I wish to respectfully request that the Wind Crest community be included within only one legislative district, and not two separate districts as is currently proposed. In the most recent preliminary legislative district map, I notice that the Wind Crest campus would be split between District 22 and District 33. Wind Crest is a community of senior folks who live, eat and do activities throughout the campus. We also are very active voters. Having our community located in two districts would create confusion among a group of people who are and want to continue to be engaged in political activities." Thank you for your consideration of this redistricting proposal. John and Anjenette Cooper 2929 Summer Wind Lane Wind Crest residents (submitted 8/3/21)

Hello, I am writing to you with concerns with the proposed redistricting maps. I am a resident of Boulder (Boulder county) and work with the schools in Greeley (Weld County). I am concerned about how the proposals affect Boulder. 1. As someone who works in Weld County, I think that the residents of Eastern Boulder County have very different values from voters in Weld County, especially related to oil and gas development and limiting pollution. The new maps would dilute the voices of Eastern Boulder County constituents. 2. The western part of Boulder County and the western end of the city of Boulder face meaningful challenges related to wildfires, floods, and wildlife management. These adjacent communities share important interests related to water conservation, environmental stewardship and recreation. These two areas should be in the same district. However, other parts of Boulder County are more suburban. Louisville, Lafayette and Eire are not threatened by fires and floods in anywhere near the same manner. 3. The business districts of East Boulder, Gunbarrel and the Foothills Parkway industrial parks should be a combined business Community of Interest that experience a multitude of legislative issues. 4. Lafayette, Louisville and Erie share schools and community services, and thus should also also be considered a combined Community of Interest. I hope that these maps continue to evolve to best represent communities and their interests. Sincerely, Maura Dudley Boulder, CO (submitted 8/2/21)

I’m writing as a resident of Wind Crest retirement community in Highlands Ranch. I wish to request that the Wind Crest community be included within only one legislative district, and not two separate districts as is currently proposed. There must be a way that the boundaries of the legislative districts can be altered to encircle Wind Crest rather than cutting it in half. Such a change is really crucial to those of us who live in this community In the most recent preliminary legislative district map, I notice that the Wind Crest campus would be split between District 22 and District 33. Wind Crest is a community of senior folks who live, eat and do activities throughout the campus. We also are very active voters. Having our community located in two districts would create confusion among a group of people who are and want to continue to be engaged in political activities. Mary Donovan Wind Crest Resident and Active Voter (submitted 8/2/21)

Hello, thank you for receiving my opinions about the redistricting maps about to be drawn up. I am a registered voter in Lafayette. The western part of Boulder County and the western end of the city of Boulder face meaningful challenges related to wildfires, floods, and wildlife management. These adjacent communities share important interests related to water conservation, environmental stewardship and recreation. Eastern parts of Boulder County are more suburban. Louisville, Lafayette and Eire are not threatened by fires and floods in anywhere near the same manner, and so our concerns are different, mostly concerning water and growth management. Lafayette, Louisville and Erie share schools and community services, and thus should also be considered a combined Community of Interest. Voters in Eastern Boulder County have very different values from voters in Weld County. While residents of Boulder County care about fighting oil and gas development and limiting pollution, 2/3 of property tax revenue in Weld County comes from oil & gas companies, and so their concerns would be opposed to ours. Thank you, Ellen Laverdure (submitted by email 8/1/21)

Dear Redistricting Committee Members: Thank you for all the time and effort you have devoted to serving on this important committee. I am a resident of the Wind Crest Retirement Community in Highlands Ranch. Currently all of the Wind Crest Campus is in Douglas County Precinct 201, and I am one of the Republican Precinct Persons for Precinct 201. Our campus now consists of 3 Clubhouses, 12 Independent Living Resident Buildings, and an Assisted Living/Nursing Home/Memory Care Building. Most of the 1,700+ senior citizens living at Wind Crest are registered voters and include Republicans, Democrats and Unaffiliated voters. Normally we have 80-95% of our residents vote in any one election. We have active Republican and Democratic Clubs and a Government Relations Steering Committee composed of both residents and staff at Wind Crest. These groups bring in many elected officials, political candidates and other speakers on political issues to make presentations to the residents. Currently both the Democratic and Republican Caucuses for Precinct 201 are held on our campus in our 240 seat auditorium. Redistricting Problem: While the Preliminary Congressional District map and the Preliminary State Senate District map show that all of Precinct 201 is included in the proposed districts (Thank you!), the Preliminary House District map shows that the Wind Crest Community would be divided, so that 1 Clubhouse and 4 Resident Buildings would be in District 33 and 2 Clubhouses and 8 Resident Buildings would be in District 22. ( See attached map of the Wind Crest Campus with the red line showing the division between District 22 and District 33). Since all of our Resident Buildings are connected by enclosed bridges you could walk from Evergreen Crossing in District 22 across a crosswalk to McHenry’s Crossing and be in District 33. Some couples have one spouse with physical (not mental) disabilities requiring the spouse to live in the Nursing Home Building, while the other spouse continues to live in an Independent Living Building. This could result in one spouse being in District 22 while the other spouse would be in District 33. This would be very confusing when the couple would be discussing State House candidates or comparing ballots. I believe Wind Crest constitutes a “Community of Interest”, being all senior citizens with similar interests in issues of Social Security, Medicare, health care, transportation, safety, end of life issues, long term care insurance, tax increases, inheritance tax, voter integrity, etc. I believe having our campus community divided into two different State House Districts would create confusion with residents having ballots with different candidates and/or having invited elected State House Representatives or State House Candidates making presentations to some but not all of the residents. I respectfully request that you consider including all of current Precinct 201 in District 22. A proposed map is shown at: https://davesredistricting.org/maps#viewmap::f0855a89-2b15-428f-9d05-00d2901c2587 Again thank you for your time. Sincerely, Margaret L. Heidrick 3237 Summer Wind Lane Apt. 1013 Highlands Ranch, CO 80125 mlheidrick@comcast.net Phone: 303-985-9544

Thanks to the committee members, I attended the public hearing in Steamboat but did not sign up to speak. I am a rancher in Routt County and support agriculture, mining, gas & oil production and of course water. While the resort industry has been helpful it also has been a challenge in that it has brought new people here that have no background in the rural western ways. At his point I like the maps presented they appear to well balanced. We need to stay in western Colorado and have a lot in common with Moffat and Rio Blanco County.

Thanks to the committee members, I attended the public hearing in Steamboat but did not sign up to speak. I am a rancher in Routt County and support agriculture, mining, gas & oil production and of course water. While the resort industry has been helpful it also has been a challenge in that it has brought new people here that have no background in the rural western ways. At his point I like the maps presented they appear to well balanced. We need to stay in western Colorado and have a lot in common with Moffat and Rio Blanco County.

Good evening, My name is George Friend, my wife Ruth and I bought a home in Nederland 5 years ago, and moved here permanently 3 years ago, from the Midwest. Three of our four children and most of our 9 grandchildren live and work in Boulder and Denver. I will be 82 next month. I don’t envy your job, parcelling out all the complex nuances of living and voting in Colorado, and I freely admit I am a relative newcomer. I do want to focus my comments on the sense of community and bonding between Nederland and the City of Boulder. The two are intimately connected in myriad ways, by the breathtaking Canyon, creek and Canyon road, the endless recreational venues surrounding the Canyon, the shared water and wildfire issues, and the work, medical, shopping and leisure activities woven into the two communities. Many many residents of Ned work in Boulder, and Boulderites head in droves to the Canyon, Nederland and the adjacent mountains on the weekends. My wife and I go to Boulder 3-5 times a week, to see family, shop, medical and dental care, and our children and grandchildren come up to Nederland to hike and hang out regularly. The RTD provides superb public transit between Ned and downtown Boulder. I understand the necessity of your redistricting mandate, and our day to day won’t change regardless of your final decisions, but it feels artificial to put Nederland in a separate political division from the city we, and so many others up and down the Canyon, know and feel bonded to. We moved here from South Bend, and it would feel a bit like separating Notre Dame Stadium from Campus. Thank you all for your time and efforts.