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ENLARGE
Although it's a bit unnerving to detail all the troubling issues facing our community such as the stalled construction site in the middle of our resort, a decaying Mall and Snowmass Center, a volcano ready to erupt due to the dissatisfaction of our local merchants who've stuck it out against all the slings and arrows fired their way by their landlord (The Related Companies) and the Town's rapidly shrinking pocketbook, I think it's safe to say we're in desperate need of strong and strategic leadership to get us through this rough patch.
During a time when all of us, both full- and part-time residents, are insecure in our own personal lives and unable to determine what the future holds, it's incumbent on our elected leaders and staff to include everyone in the dialogue and debate as to our future.
It's much too easy for staff and elected officials to resort to ex-parte communications, executive sessions and back room negotiations that, although I'm sure are well intentioned, violate our system of participatory governance and create a vast divide of distrust between our citizens and our leaders.
Many who speak to me have reached the point where they don't feel their voices are being heard and out of frustration they're just tuning out.
Many in the community feel impotent in the process as it currently exists and those few that speak up feel they are given mere lip service and that the decisions being made are being thrashed out in back room negotiations which aren't sensitive to their concerns and interests.
On the leadership front, we are fortunate to have a lot of bright people on our town staff and amongst our elected representatives but not many who are experienced in evaluating the types of big city problems confronting us and coming up with strategic solutions.
Luckily for us, however, there are a number of people in the Village experienced in strategic problem solving. Many of them have had long and successful careers doing so around the world.
It continually amazes me that our town staff and elected officials make very little effort to tap these resources. From my experience, effective leaders are the first to acknowledge their strengths and weaknesses and are quick to surround themselves with those who can who can fill in the gaps and move the agenda forward for the good of the entire community.
In this connection, I think it would be wise for our leaders to convene a group of strategic problem-solvers to re-review the economic and lifestyle factors that were compiled back in 2002 in order to establish an informed basis for looking at the Village as a whole, and ultimately resulted in the decision to approve Base Village.
Base Village was the initial step in our renaissance program. Its underpinnings were based on very detailed economic and lifestyle parameters that were thought to be sound and viable at the time. Then along comes the unanticipated mother of all recessions that won't be easily or promptly cured and in any case will probably not get our community back to where we started for quite some time.
We need to sit down as a community and realistically appraise where we are and where we want to be in the near and long term. If the results of that process show that the original underpinnings are no longer viable and are unlikely to become so within a reasonable time frame then we need to change the previously agreed plans to accommodate this new reality.
One possible result of this reappraisal might be to significantly modify the grand renaissance program approved during the Manchester era and just complete those Base Village buildings that have already been started, clean up the area and forget the rest of the program.
It would appear that Related is in line with this idea since they are actively negotiating with Skico to take over their position in Base Village and I sense those negotiations may be very close to closure.
Unfortunately, stupidity and arrogance still rule the day at Related's New York headquarters.
After sending out its local team headed by Dwayne Romero to conduct what I believe to be ex parte discussions with each council member concerning their recently announced desire to complete the partially constructed transportation facility contained in the Base Village Arrival Center, they suddenly withdrew their offer to the town on Monday afternoon. From there they entered into a secret agreement with the bonding company that insured the completion of the facility when Related breached its agreement to do so a year ago.
It's anybody's guess whether we'll actually have the transportation facility up and running in time for next ski season. Since Related has backed out of and breached so many of its past commitments there is no point in relying on their promises…they deal in bad faith.
As far as our Town Council and staff are concerned, I sense this latest renege on Related's part has ensured their loss of the last vestige of any credibility they may have had. I don't see any chance in the world they'll be able to rehabilitate their credibility. It's clear to me their vested development rights will be terminated in the near future.
Our days with Related are nearing an end and Skico is stepping back in, although a bit late, to honor the commitment Jim Crown made to all of us in 2005.
In closing just a reminder, don't miss Aspen Film's Lights, Camera, Oscars Party at the Viceroy Hotel this Sunday, March 7, with special guest Marcia Gay Harden, an Oscar-winning actress who's received many critics' awards, Emmys and the coveted Best Actress Tony for her role in last year's Broadway production of “God of Carnage,” in which she starred with James Gandolfini, Hope Davis and Jeff Daniels.
The proceeds of this party will benefit Aspen Film, its programs and educational activities throughout the valley. There will be lots of entertainment and great food and drink provided by the Viceroy's elegant four-star Eight K restaurant as well as prizes for those savvy enough to pick the most winners and several exciting movie related silent auction items.
Tickets can be purchased at the Wheeler Opera House Box Office, via phone 970-920-5770 or the Internet at www.aspenshowtickets.com.
Some of you have actually been brave enough recently to approach and be seen talking to me in public concerning issues of concern to you. For those who have been hesitant but building the courage to do so you can oftentimes find me at Fuel or the Daly Bottle Shop and always at secondview@earthlink.net.
During a time when all of us, both full- and part-time residents, are insecure in our own personal lives and unable to determine what the future holds, it's incumbent on our elected leaders and staff to include everyone in the dialogue and debate as to our future.
It's much too easy for staff and elected officials to resort to ex-parte communications, executive sessions and back room negotiations that, although I'm sure are well intentioned, violate our system of participatory governance and create a vast divide of distrust between our citizens and our leaders.
Many who speak to me have reached the point where they don't feel their voices are being heard and out of frustration they're just tuning out.
Many in the community feel impotent in the process as it currently exists and those few that speak up feel they are given mere lip service and that the decisions being made are being thrashed out in back room negotiations which aren't sensitive to their concerns and interests.
On the leadership front, we are fortunate to have a lot of bright people on our town staff and amongst our elected representatives but not many who are experienced in evaluating the types of big city problems confronting us and coming up with strategic solutions.
Luckily for us, however, there are a number of people in the Village experienced in strategic problem solving. Many of them have had long and successful careers doing so around the world.
It continually amazes me that our town staff and elected officials make very little effort to tap these resources. From my experience, effective leaders are the first to acknowledge their strengths and weaknesses and are quick to surround themselves with those who can who can fill in the gaps and move the agenda forward for the good of the entire community.
In this connection, I think it would be wise for our leaders to convene a group of strategic problem-solvers to re-review the economic and lifestyle factors that were compiled back in 2002 in order to establish an informed basis for looking at the Village as a whole, and ultimately resulted in the decision to approve Base Village.
Base Village was the initial step in our renaissance program. Its underpinnings were based on very detailed economic and lifestyle parameters that were thought to be sound and viable at the time. Then along comes the unanticipated mother of all recessions that won't be easily or promptly cured and in any case will probably not get our community back to where we started for quite some time.
We need to sit down as a community and realistically appraise where we are and where we want to be in the near and long term. If the results of that process show that the original underpinnings are no longer viable and are unlikely to become so within a reasonable time frame then we need to change the previously agreed plans to accommodate this new reality.
One possible result of this reappraisal might be to significantly modify the grand renaissance program approved during the Manchester era and just complete those Base Village buildings that have already been started, clean up the area and forget the rest of the program.
It would appear that Related is in line with this idea since they are actively negotiating with Skico to take over their position in Base Village and I sense those negotiations may be very close to closure.
Unfortunately, stupidity and arrogance still rule the day at Related's New York headquarters.
After sending out its local team headed by Dwayne Romero to conduct what I believe to be ex parte discussions with each council member concerning their recently announced desire to complete the partially constructed transportation facility contained in the Base Village Arrival Center, they suddenly withdrew their offer to the town on Monday afternoon. From there they entered into a secret agreement with the bonding company that insured the completion of the facility when Related breached its agreement to do so a year ago.
It's anybody's guess whether we'll actually have the transportation facility up and running in time for next ski season. Since Related has backed out of and breached so many of its past commitments there is no point in relying on their promises…they deal in bad faith.
As far as our Town Council and staff are concerned, I sense this latest renege on Related's part has ensured their loss of the last vestige of any credibility they may have had. I don't see any chance in the world they'll be able to rehabilitate their credibility. It's clear to me their vested development rights will be terminated in the near future.
Our days with Related are nearing an end and Skico is stepping back in, although a bit late, to honor the commitment Jim Crown made to all of us in 2005.
In closing just a reminder, don't miss Aspen Film's Lights, Camera, Oscars Party at the Viceroy Hotel this Sunday, March 7, with special guest Marcia Gay Harden, an Oscar-winning actress who's received many critics' awards, Emmys and the coveted Best Actress Tony for her role in last year's Broadway production of “God of Carnage,” in which she starred with James Gandolfini, Hope Davis and Jeff Daniels.
The proceeds of this party will benefit Aspen Film, its programs and educational activities throughout the valley. There will be lots of entertainment and great food and drink provided by the Viceroy's elegant four-star Eight K restaurant as well as prizes for those savvy enough to pick the most winners and several exciting movie related silent auction items.
Tickets can be purchased at the Wheeler Opera House Box Office, via phone 970-920-5770 or the Internet at www.aspenshowtickets.com.
Some of you have actually been brave enough recently to approach and be seen talking to me in public concerning issues of concern to you. For those who have been hesitant but building the courage to do so you can oftentimes find me at Fuel or the Daly Bottle Shop and always at secondview@earthlink.net.
