Vail Valley Partnership Candidate Questionnaire 2016 Election

Transcription

1 Vail Valley Partnership Candidate Questionnaire 2016 Election Completed questionnaires are due back to Vail Valley Partnership (PO Box 1130, Vail, CO or via by 5pm on Friday, August 12, 2016 Please note all questionnaires will be shared with the business community through Vail Valley Partnership newsletter, website, and other communication channels. Office Sought: County Commissioner Dist. 2 Name: Rick Beveridge Phone: rick@bevrealestate.com Please limit responses to 200 words per section. 1. Please list past and present community service: 12 Year Western Eagle County Metropolitan Recreation District Board member and Chairman Board of Directors and Fundraising Chairman for Vail Mountaineer Hockey Club Eagle County Fair Board Member Managed Eagle County Fair Advisory Board Organizing Committee 1994 World Mountain Bike Championships & American Cycle Classic events E. V. Chamber of Commerce Board Youth Sports Coach WECMRD Football, baseball, basketball 10+ years Three Rivers Little League Baseball Coach 3 years Eagle Flight Days Committee Auction Chair 25 years Mountain Man Winter Triathlon Volunteer Coordinator Eagle Centennial Committee member 2. Please share past and present employment / business experience: Broker / Partner,- Vail Valley Real Estate, Inc. Owner /Broker- Beveridge Real Estate Sawatch View Condominiums Manager The Heuga Center - Vice President of Sales Eclipse Television and Sports Marketing - Vice President of Events

2 Vail Valley Foundation - Director of Corporate Sales & Membership Black Bear Real Estate Co. - Real Estate Agent Eagle County - Fair Manager / Special Events Coordinator Town of Vail Recreation Assistant / Intern 3. Current employment and responsibilities: For the past 14 years I ve owned and managed a full-service real estate business; I have a total of 26 years of real estate experience. I recently merged my company with Vail Valley Real Estate where I am a broker / partner. Using on my construction and management experience, my clients rely on my expertise and guidance to assist them with their largest and most important decision and assets. I list and sell a variety of properties and my area of expertise runs the gamut from helping first-time homebuyers to working with large budgets, selling and buying golf course homes, ski homes, redevelopment opportunities, commercial properties, multifamily residential developments, ranches and small acreages. I have successfully negotiated and closed hundreds of transactions, resulting in millions of dollars in volume. I have many repeat clients, many of whom have become friends. They know I listen to their needs, work for them to find the best price and property. 4. Specific qualifications for this office: I am Accomplished, Accountable and Accessible. I am a good listener, am opened minded and will seek the input of my constituents to address and solve the issues and challenges that face our county. In an effort to be prepared to hit the ground running, I have been attending a variety of public meetings, have met with School Board Members and the Superintendent, Metro district members, Town Boards, County department heads and officials, USFS officials and have met with many business leaders in the community. I am a quick learner, hard worker and not afraid to ask questions. I treat people the way I want to be treated; with respect. I have the demonstrated the ability to bring people and groups together to get things done! I listen to all sides and work for a compromise. I have lived in the Valley for 30 years, I love this community and want to make it better. I spearheaded the successful WECMRD $12 million dollar bond election in That bond authorization resulted in the construction of the Eagle Pool and Ice Rink, Gypsum Recreation Center, Freedom Park Field House and park facilities. All told, the original bond authorization of $12 million ended up in over $30 million in new projects, improvements and partnerships and solidified WECMRD s relationships with Edwards Metro District, Town of Eagle and Town of Gypsum. In the more micro level, these facilities are used daily by kids, parents and teens. Working together, we created hundreds of recreational opportunities for everyone in Eagle County.

3 Practical Housing experience. I ve built affordable housing. I was a partner in developing a 72-unit condominium complex in Gypsum, building 18 units. I gained experience and knowledge while working on the project from start to finish. I worked with the Town of Gypsum to change the zoning from Commercial General to Multifamily. I was heavily involved with the management and budgeting aspects of the project from the start, brokering the land purchase, to the the completion of the first phase of construction. As a result of my 26 years of Real Estate experience and personal connections, I am very knowledgeable about opportunities, and fully support, public and private solutions for affordable / workforce housing. I have met with various private and public entities who have indicated their willingness to play a role in solving this countywide problem. The time is overdue to find a solution using all of the resources available in Eagle County. Additionally, I have been a small business owner / operator since 2002 and will bring that private business background and knowledge to the Board of County Commissioners. I have been an elected official in the past serving 12 years on the WECMRD Board of Directors and have sat on several boards and committees. I am fiscally conservative and will implement a private sector business approach to running the local government. For the benefit of Eagle County taxpayers, I will strive to make good business decisions and eliminate deficit spending. I won t dip into reserves for daily operations. I believe in transparency, after all I am a steward of the taxpayers funds. 5. Why are you running for office? I am running for County Commissioner because I care about the community and sincerely believe that I can make a difference. On day one, I will begin to address and help solve many of the issues that we are facing today including workforce / affordable housing and economic development. I believe that the diversity of our population should be reflected in its representation on the Board of County Commissioners. I will offer a different perspective, a fresh set of eyes, new ideas and questions and balance the political parties on the Board of County Commissioners. I will bring my business acumen with me; I will work with the budget, helping create innovative solutions. I will listen, and am not afraid to ask questions to provide knowledgeable feedback and solutions. 6. If you are elected, what are three accomplishments you would like completed by the end of your term, and how will you work to get them done? I have two areas of primary focus; Work Force Housing. I will assist in at least one large-scale affordable housing project. I advocate that the County take the lead role in a public-private partnership that could

4 potentially be done without an increase in taxes. That project or project(s), may include workforce rental housing, and workforce for-sale housing. I know of several private companies that could be potential partners / investors in either scenario. I will review planning policies and offer ideas to restructure, incentivize and streamline the process to get these projects approved in a timely manner. The county has waffled on this issue for too long, we need to start on a true, concrete solution now. Maintain and improve basic services to the residents and guests. County government cannot be all things to all people. I believe that the function of Eagle County and responsibility to the taxpayers and residents is to first and foremost provide basic core services of the following departments and offices: the Assessor, Building & Planning, Clerk and Recorder, Economic Services, Health and Human Services, Public Trustee, Road and Bridge, Sheriff and Treasurer. Due to the nature of our resort community, additional responsibilities include the airport, and transportation. I will review current levels of services with Eagle County management and strive to improve in areas that are perceived to be lacking while cutting back on areas of frivolous and unnecessary spending. My goal is to provide high-quality services to the public while maintaining a balanced budget. We cannot continue to dip into reserves, counting on increased income. We are still recovering from a recession, and need to plan for the future taking a conservative approach. 7. What do you think are the top three economic priorities for Eagle County the next three years? What role should Eagle County have in economic development? 1. Workforce housing Eagle County should be the facilitator and lead agency. Eagle County should be thinking in different ways to build, find or fund workforce housing. 2. Reinvigorate and grow our Economic Development plan Eagle County should take the lead role, working with local municipalities and agencies to develop a comprehensive plan to target and recruit and retain business to the County. After all, business is the lifeblood of our community. We need new businesses that will invigorate the economy. The plan should address and recommend solutions to the high cost of health care, housing, real estate and other barriers that make Eagle County a challenging business environment. Eagle County should re-prioritize funding to adequately address this key component of our economy. Eagle County should continue its support of the EGE Air Alliance, while working towards a long-term sustainable funding source for flight guarantees.

5 3. Focus on maintaining a sustainable construction industry The county should focus on a common sense approach to zoning and developer requests when considering Economic Development. I am a proponent of a well-planned and thought-out development and redevelopment. I will strive to encourage the creation and sustainability of construction jobs while maintaining the quality of life for the residents of Eagle County. I will strive to implement additional programs for vocational education and training with public and private partners in an effort to maintain an at home work force. 8. How will you make the business community, though economic development, a priority in the budget process? I believe adequate funding is the key. In the past several years, the current board county commissioners cut $100,000 from economic development. I will examine the budget and re-prioritize funds for economic development. I recommend that we partner with local governments, municipalities and agencies to identify a measureable action plan to target, recruit and retain businesses to Eagle County. 9. How will you work to make Eagle County a more business friendly environment? Please explain how you would work to engage business leaders. We already know that several factors make it difficult to do business in Eagle County: the high cost of health care, housing and real estate. I will work with public and private entities to find solutions and work to draw in businesses that appreciate what Eagle County does offer: many young, educated professionals; a desirable place to live and work and easy access to national and international flights. As I dig in, I will not hesitate to ask questions of current and former town, business and organization leaders, to incorporate their expertise in determining a course of action and work to create a solution. 10. Colorado is forecast to continue to grow, including our region. How should we plan for growth, if at all? Great Question. I don t have a good answer for it. I am going to have to rely on experts for guidance in addressing certain population growth. I am in the process of gathering information on the subject and will follow up when I have a satisfactory answer. 11. What role should the county (or state) have in addressing affordable (workforce) housing? As stated before, Eagle County should be a leader and facilitate public-private partnerships. We should work to not only find opportunities, but work to amend zoning if necessary. Consideration should be given to new ideas and non- traditional outside the box thinking, We should work with our larger employers for buy-in and funding. Eagle County should

6 embrace, and court, investors who are interested in building workforce-type projects and not only eliminate barriers, but facilitate ease, to their success. 12. What role should the county (or state) have in addressing regional transportation (including traffic on the I-70 corridor and increasing flight service to Eagle County Regional Airport) solutions? Eagle County should continue to take the lead role in regional transportation via Eco Transit, and should continue its support and partnership with RFTA. CDOT s Bustang is a great example they just added another line. We should continue to find solutions like these that encourage carpooling of sorts, keeping more cars off the road while providing a good overall transportation experience. Eagle County should continue in its leadership and support of the EC Air Alliance. Honestly, though I don t have much experience in dealing with transportation and would be relying on experts to provide guidance. 13. All candidates have been invited to participate in the Vail Board of Realtors/Vail Valley Partnership sponsored Candidate Forum on October 6. Do you plan to participate? If no, please explain why. No. I am going to respectfully decline and support my party s decision to not participate based upon the format of the forum. 14. Why should a business owner/manager support your election to office? I have a strong business background. I am a small business owner, father and husband. I understand the challenges of running a business in the area. I also understand that this is a fabulous place to raise a family, despite the costs of living here. As a father and business owner, I understand the importance of sticking to a budget and finding creative sources of funding for priorities. I am a proponent of less government regulation to businesses. I am the best person for the job based upon my proven ability to partner with a variety of organizations to accomplish goals. As a 30-year resident of the valley I have the necessary contacts and relationships to bring parties together in collaboration for the good of the entire county. I have the ability to make sound decisions and will work with fellow elected officials regardless of party affiliation, thus creating open dialogue and tangible solutions.