When I became Mayor in April 2024, I knew there was a lot of work to do. I also knew Oak Creek had tremendous potential and moving our community forward would require more than maintaining our current state of affairs. Over the past two years, I’ve been proud to work alongside the Board of Trustees, town staff, businesses, residents and our regional, state and federal partners to begin making meaningful progress. We have tackled difficult issues, made tough decisions, pursued new opportunities, and most importantly, started laying the foundation for a stronger future for Oak Creek. There is still work to do, but I am proud of how far we have come.
Explore the topics below to learn more.
I believe good government starts with having the right people, systems and resources in place to serve the community effectively.
One of my priorities when I became Mayor was to strengthen the way our Town Hall operates and make sure we are using taxpayer dollars responsibly. We reorganized Town Hall, brought in new leadership and restructured several positions to improve efficiency and accountability.
We hired a new Town Administrator, Municipal Judge, Town Attorney and professional accountant. By combining the Clerk and Treasurer positions and hiring a professional accountant, we are saving an estimated $50,000 each year. We also created a Deputy Clerk/Code Enforcement position, and made staff salaries more competitive to help retain good employees and encourage a strong municipal workforce.
We have also taken steps to modernize how the town does business. We launched an ADA-compliant website and Residential Civic Plus which makes viewing board meetings and agendas more accessible. We also moved the Board of Trustees and Planning Commission to a paperless packet system that reduces the cost of paper and ink. These may seem like small changes, but together they make our government more accessible, efficient and responsible with taxpayer resources.
I am proud of the team we’ve built at Town Hall and the dedication our staff brings to serving Oak Creek every day.
Keeping Oak Creek safe and maintaining the character of our community are responsibilities I take seriously.
We revised the town's code enforcement ordinance and established a more consistent and proactive approach to code enforcement. We are also working with the Routt County Building Department to address building safety violations and make sure our community's standards are being followed.
We have strengthened our relationship with the Routt County Sheriff's Office and are advancing an intergovernmental agreement to provide daily, enhanced law enforcement services to Oak Creek. This partnership will give our community a stronger and more sustainable approach to public safety.
Preparing for wildfires is an important part of protecting our community and our future. We adopted the Wildfire Resiliency Code required by the State of Colorado and continue to pursue proactive ways to reduce wildfire risk throughout Oak Creek.
We’re beginning conversations with the Colorado State Forest Service and the Oak Creek Fire Protection District to pursue grant opportunities that could help remove dead and hazardous trees, replant drought-tolerant species and address invasive plants at Oak Creek Mountain Park. These efforts will help create a healthier, more resilient landscape while protecting town, county, and railroad infrastructure downslope during flash flooding- and better preparing Oak Creek for the wildfire risks ahead.
I believe our residents deserve a town government that is willing to address difficult problems rather than put them off for another day.
One of the most important responsibilities we have as local leaders is to think beyond the next year, or the next election and make decisions that will serve Oak Creek for decades.
The Board adopted the 2026 Town of Oak Creek Comprehensive Plan, giving us a roadmap for thoughtful growth, development, infrastructure and community priorities. We also completed a new utility rate study to better understand the long-term needs of our municipal utility systems and the impact of rising costs on our residents' monthly budgets.
We know maintaining and improving our infrastructure is going to require significant investment. We also know we cannot continue relying solely on utility rates and the general fund to pay for everything our community needs.
That is why the Board of Trustees approved a 2% capital improvement sales tax that will appear on this November's ballot. If approved by voters, it will provide a dedicated source of funding for critical infrastructure and capital projects, and allow us to plan ahead instead of continually reacting to problems as they arise.
I have made it a priority to pursue outside funding whenever possible. Every dollar we can bring into Oak Creek through grants is a dollar that does not have to come entirely from our local taxpayers and town budget.
Since June 2025, the town has been awarded more than $1.4 million in grants, submitted applications totaling nearly $1.74 million and secured, or positioned the town for an additional $3.6 million in funding and reimbursements.
Grants Awarded
Grants Submitted
What many residents may not know is the Town of Oak Creek faced an unexpected setback with the Sheriff Reservoir Rehabilitation Project. Because Sheriff Reservoir is located in Rio Blanco County, the expiration of Rio Blanco County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) resulted in the loss of our secured funding for construction of the spillway.
FEMA funding needed for the project requires the reservoir to be included in an approved Hazard Mitigation Plan. When Rio Blanco's plan expired, we lost not only the $3.5 million in FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant funding, but also the tiered funding needed to cover the remaining project costs.
Rather than let this setback derail the project, we got to work.
The Town worked closely with Routt County Emergency Management to update the Routt County Hazard Mitigation Plan to include the Sheriff Reservoir Spillway Rehabilitation Project. We then continued working with Rio Blanco County to ensure the project was included in its updated Hazard Mitigation Plan as well.
Through collaboration, persistence and strong partnerships with our county emergency management teams and the offices of Colorado’s U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, we successfully re-secured the $3.5 million FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant needed to move the project forward- construction of the spillway begins Spring of 2027
I am especially proud of this work because it demonstrates what we can accomplish when we are willing to look beyond our own town boundaries, build relationships and pursue every opportunity available to us.
The Town has entered into an agreement with the Circular Action Alliance that is expected to reimburse approximately $92,000 each year for costs associated with our community recycling program. And here’s a fun fact, Oak Creek was the first municipality in the nation to enter into this agreement.That’s a significant accomplishment for our community- and it has a direct benefit for residents. These savings will help reduce residential trash rates beginning in 2027
So, how does it work?
Under Colorado’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law, companies that produce packaging and paper products help pay for the recycling systems needed to manage those materials. Rather than placing the full cost of recycling on residents or local governments, the program shifts more of that responsibility to the producers who put these products into the marketplace.
I’m incredibly proud to share that the Town of Oak Creek has been awarded $161,625 from Colorado Parks and Wildlife through the Human-Bear Conflict Grant. This funding will allow us to purchase 550, 96-gallon bear-resistant trash cans for Oak Creek residents.
For nearly four years, beginning during my time as a Town Trustee, I have been advocating for the town to take action to protect both our residents and the wildlife that makes Oak Creek such a special place. Addressing our ongoing trash and wildlife conflict has been a priority for me, and I’m excited to see that work moving forward.
As part of this effort, the Town will purchase the bear-resistant containers and provide one to each residential customer at no additional expense. The project will also be accompanied by an ordinance adopted by the Town Board of Trustees requiring the use of residential bear-resistant totes.
This is an important step toward reducing human-bear conflicts by making residential trash more difficult for bears to access. By removing an easy food source, we can help discourage bears from coming into town while encouraging them to return to natural food sources- creating a safer, healthier environment for both our community and our wildlife.
I would like to express my gratitude to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, our District Wildlife Manager, and Keep Routt Wild for supporting this project and submitting letters in support of the grant application. This is a win for Oak Creek, a win for our residents, and a win for the wildlife we’re fortunate to share this community with.
I have always believed Oak Creek is stronger when we work together.
We do not have to solve every challenge by ourselves. In fact, some of our biggest opportunities come from working with our neighbors, building relationships with organizations and governments throughout the region.
Over the past two years, we have strengthened our relationships with neighboring communities, Routt County, regional organizations, state and federal partners. We entered into agreements to help establish the Yampa Valley Regional Transportation Authority- where I serve on the board, and the South Routt Housing Authority. We’ve also partnered with South Routt Community Events to bring community events, including the summer Farmers Market and Movie in the Park to Oak Creek.
We also entered into an agreement with the Boys & Girls Club to explore and increase opportunities for childcare and youth recreation. These partnerships matter because they allow us to bring more resources, ideas and opportunities to Oak Creek than we could create on our own.
Of everything I have been able to do as Mayor, one of the things I have enjoyed most is working with the young people in our community.
I’ve had the opportunity to visit classrooms in the SoRoCo School District and talk with elementary students about local government and civic engagement. For the past two years, I’ve also welcomed the third-grade class to Town Hall for an end-of-year field trip.
The students meet our town staff, learn about what happens at Town Hall and participate in a mock Board of Trustees meeting about planning a community dog park. This year, we took that a step further by beginning a partnership with the SoRoCo Youth Action Council. Together, students and town leaders are exploring how we can turn the idea of a community dog park into something real.
Watching these young people become engaged in their community has been incredibly rewarding. They ask thoughtful questions, bring fresh ideas and are beginning to understand they have a voice in the future of the place they call home.
That is something I want to continue building on. Our young people are not just the future of Oak Creek- they are part of our community today.
There is still a great deal of work ahead.
Infrastructure needs will be persistent. Public safety and code enforcement will remain a priority. We will need to continue finding ways to responsibly manage our resources while investing in the services and facilities our community needs.
But I am optimistic about where Oak Creek is headed.
Improving the Ice Rink is a priority and our parks need future investment. We can do more to support our local businesses, and our Main Street is ready for thoughtful improvements that reflect the character of our community. And although it may be challenging, I would like to explore what it would take to restore and improve Oak Creek- the creek that gave our town its name. With thoughtful planning, rehabilitation and improved accessibility, we have an opportunity to transform this important natural resource into a place residents and visitors can enjoy, while helping define the heart and identity of our community.
Over the past two years, I am proud of what our Board, town staff, residents, businesses, students, community and intergovernmental partners have accomplished together. None of this happens because of one person. It happens because people care about Oak Creek and are willing to put in the work to make it better.
We are strengthening our town government, improving public safety, investing in infrastructure, bringing outside resources into our community and building partnerships that will benefit Oak Creek for years to come.
For me, serving as Mayor has never been simply about holding a position. I believe in Oak Creek. I believe in our community. And I believe our best days are still ahead of us. We have made meaningful progress and there is still important work to do. I’m asking for your vote on November 3, 2026, so we can continue building on that progress, seize new opportunities and keep moving Oak Creek forward- together.