Fort Collins District 3: Lockwood Using Scare Tactics

by Randy Ketner

Dale Lockwood, candidate for Fort Collins City Council District 3 has resorted to scare tactics in a move of desperation. He is running against Aislinn Kottwitz, an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nurse at Poudre Valley Hospital. Aislinn has been endorsed by incumbent Diggs Brown who is currently serving our nation in the Army in Germany.

As a first responder, the ability to make the right decision in the heat of pressure is critical. As an ICU nurse Aislinn has exercised that capability for her patients. We need cool heads and decisive thinkers on the Fort Collins City Council. Aislinn Kottwitz is the right person at the right time to continue the work I started in District 3. I urge your support of Aislinn, when you get your ballots, please remember to fill it out, and vote for Aislinn Kottwitz.

Lockwood is a post-graduate student at Colorado State University. His positions on the issues are typical of the academic elite who are currently running our nation into financial peril. According to his campaign website, Dale talks about saving and creating jobs, but if you look closely you will see he only talks about Green Collar Jobs. Northern Colorado already has quite a number of these jobs; what would be more important to know is what he would do to create other types of jobs, and whether or not he supports the development efforts that have been turned away over the past few years by the existing City Council. Businesses are going to the surrounding cities of Wellington, Timnath, and Windsor where they find a more favorable business climate. These jobs and taxes are going to these other cities instead of here in Fort Collins. Even the Fort Collins Coloradoan gave Lockwood a lukewarm endorsement, primarily because had a broader knowledge of city processes and appears to champion alternative transportation options, hardly reasons to elect someone from the academic elite that wants to push us towards more and more socialism.

What’s even more disturbing though, is Lockwood’s newest strategy. There has been a lot of discussion about Uranium mining in Weld County to the east of Fort Collins. Regardless of your position on the issue, it is not directly relevant to leading the city of Fort Collins forward, yet Lockwood mentions fighting against it on his website, and has been telling people in District 3 that his opponent, Aislinn Kottwitz, supports mining in an attempt to scare them away from voting for her. While Aislinn is a strong supporter of responsibly managing the environment, she has not taken a stand on uranium mining because it doesn’t directly affect Fort Collins. She’s trying to concentrate on the greater problems such as supporting local businesses that create jobs and holding taxes at an affordable level. Lockwood’s latest strategy shows his desperation as we approach election day. The current City Council has alienated surrounding communities enough by its arrogant belief that they hold the answers for everyone, even those not under its influence.

Local business owners know that Aislinn is prepared to lead Fort Collins forward from day one. Neil McCaffrey, a local business owner wrote about this on an article at the Colorado News Platoon. Fort Collins needs a strong advocate on the City Council that will lead us through these difficult economic times. The right person for that job is Aislinn Kottwitz. If you haven’t yet mailed in your ballot, I encourage you to make your selection for Aislinn and take your ballot down to the City Clerk’s office at 300 Laport Ave on Monday. This election is as important as ever and every vote counts.

Fort Collins City Council District 3

by Blaine Gallup

Fort Collins City Council District 3 encompasses the southeast section of the city, which includes College Avenue east to Interstate 25 and south from East Harmony Road to Carpenter Road, both with exceptions. The candidates running for City Council in this District are: Mr. Diggs Brown, Jr.; Mr. Dale Lockwood; and Ms. Aislinn Kottwitz. Allow me to give a summary bio on each and then, in my humble opinion, state who I believe will do the best job for Fort Collins.

The Incumbent: Diggs Brown

Mr. Brown has held this seat for one term and is not seeking re-election. He is currently deployed with the US Army Special Forces.

Dale Lockwood – Challenger

I visited Mr. Lockwood’s website to gather general information, but unfortunately, I found the site lacking.

I believe he worked as a civilian for the US Air Force at one time, and at the conclusion of the project, received a letter of commendation for his work. The source that divulged this information announced this achievement so loudly one would think Mr. Lockwood received a Congressional medal, but let’s keep things in perspective shall we. While not to ‘play down’ his achievement, military soldiers receive commendations from their individual branches of service everyday. It is a letter stating they were ‘asked’ to do a certain job for their country and they did it well. Love, and much thanks, Uncle Sam.

I received two Army Commendation medals and an Army Achievement medal during my period of service. The important thing here is to remember that most people who have served their country do not use these commendations or achievements as a personal perch from which to crow.

As far as any community service that Mr. Lockwood has posted on his site, I can only find one of the listed six items as an actual community service, that being a member of the Larimer County Environmental Advisory Board. Beyond that, the other five items seemed to be attached to his children’s extracurricular activities at school. Although ‘commendable’ they hardly seem to be evidence of public service.

Aislinn Kottwitz – Challenger

As an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nurse at Poudre Valley Hospital, Aislinn Kottwitz is very in tune to the rigors of critical issues and how to react to those issues. Opposite her opponent, she has actually served the constituents of former Senator Beauprez as the Constituent Liaison in the areas of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Energy.

Ms. Kottwitz has a particular vision for Fort Collins which mainly includes the influx of jobs. At a recent luncheon, she said this election revolves around jobs, jobs, and jobs. She wants to work with the current council to preserve the current jobs, bolster relationships to create new jobs, and find new ways to attract companies to Fort Collins.

Ms. Kottwitz has shown her ‘never say die’ attitude by embracing such issues as water storage and having a responsive government rather than a reactive one.

Aislinn has lived in Fort Collins for 12 years and has watched Fort Collins flourished until the installment of this current council. She has decided to take the moniker on herself and show that even one voice can be strong enough to start to stem the tide.

Conclusion

In summary, we currently have a city council that claims to have the best interest at heart for Fort Collins; however, their lack of action, short sighted concepts, and desire to force their personal agendas upon the city has stalled further growth.

Dale Lockwood has little to no substance in public service and at this time I do not believe he is ready to provide a voice of reason on the council. Mr. Lockwood may be a good soccer coach, instilling ‘teamwork in his players’, but he falls short of the needed tenacity of a city councilman.

Aislinn Kottwitz has a vision for the future of Fort Collins. She works in an industry that is desperately seeking new employees. This situation has given her the opportunity to envision what it will take to bring in new jobs and what it will take to retain those jobs. Her stance on water storage is forward thinking; a concept that needs to be brought back to the Council. Her proactive vision, rather than reactive knee-jerks to emergencies or day-to-day issues will make her a valuable asset to our city.

Stand with me for Aislinn Kottwitz. Support District 3 and support Fort Collins. Ballots need to be in the mail by this Friday April 3rd. Remember it is YOUR CITY, it is YOUR VOTE, and it is YOUR COUNCIL.

Coloradoan Endorses Andrew Boucher

by Randy Ketner

The Fort Collins Coloradoan Editorial Staff released its endorsements for Districts 1 and 5 for Fort Collins City Council. The Coloradoan joins the DontGo Movement in endorsing Andrew Boucher for District 5. They recognize Boucher’s support of local business as something the Council needs, and something incumbent Kelly Ohlson lacks:

Although Ohlson has made progress in linking city policy with economic health, the editorial board endorses Boucher because he would bring a positive business perspective to the council that is currently lacking.

The Coloradoan also recognizes Ohlson’s failures regarding new developments and relationships with neighboring cities:

Ohlson’s rejection of the I-25/Prospect Road rezoning and the city’s participation in RTA discussions do not benefit the city economically or regionally. Nor did his ill-timed rhetoric against the (not yet proposed) Riverwalk project at the Harmony Road gateway – rhetoric that fueled the reopening of a wound with Timnath. While legal action and mediation resolved conflicts with Timnath, the process was simply not good government.

Ultimately, they recognized what so many others here in Fort Collins have known for some time; there are many reasons to support Andrew Boucher for the District 5 City Council seat:

Boucher is correct that Fort Collins needs to do more to keep graduating CSU students here and that keeping a close eye on city tax and fee policies is warranted to ensure job sustainability and create an attractive environment for business to thrive.

I hope you’ll join me if you haven’t already in sending in that ballot with the box checked next to Andrew Boucher. He is best suited to take Fort Collins forward during these difficult economic times, and will represent all of the people in Fort Collins, including CSU students that help make our city one of the most preferred places to live in our nation.

Aislinn Kottwitz Supports Local Business

by Neil McCaffrey

Public-private partnership. This is a term I hear thrown around far too often, and far too earnestly, these days. So it was especially refreshing when I had the pleasure — privilege really, considering what she’s doing — of speaking with Aislinn Kottwitz, candidate for City Council District 3 in Fort Collins.

I had arranged our meeting because I needed to know how well-versed Mrs. Kottwitz was on the issues facing Fort Collins. Right now, unfortunately, we’re fighting an uphill battle to keep taxes and ancillary costs manageable for businesses in our city. I’m a small business owner, so naturally I am especially concerned about her ideas to help the business community thrive, for everyone’s good.

Mrs. Kottwitz made it clear she was running not to partner with the citizens or private enterprise, but to serve the citizens. It was obvious that it had never occurred to Mrs. Kottwitz that the Public was a stand-alone entity operating somehow apart from the citizens. I admire her for the challenge she is undertaking. For a full-time nurse and Mom to tackle City government is a formidable task. After watching her in action, I came away knowing Mrs. Kottwitz can handle the job. Her background, both in school and at home in eastern Colorado, gives her a deep understanding of the quality of life we enjoy in Fort Collins.

I know she will fight for every family and every business person in our community. As we struggle in our small business to meet payroll and pay those never-ending bills, it is especially important that we find council members who will allow businesses to do what we do best — function and contribute to a healthy community.

Please vote for Aislinn Kottwitz. She will help Fort Collins.

A Rose by any other name – Fort Collins City Council – District 1

by Blaine Gallup

Fort Collins City Council District 1 encompasses the Northeast section of the city. Basically from College Avenue East to Interstate 25 and north from East Drake Road to East Douglas road, both with exceptions. It’s understandably the largest district in Fort Collins with the largest concentration of people, with the possible exception of District 5, but more on that later. Right now, allow me to summarize my view on the candidates who are running in District 1 and, in my humble opinion, state who I believe will do the best job for Fort Collins moving forward.

The Incumbent: Ben Manvel

Ben has held this Council seat for the last four (4) years. Since the last election, several things have become apparent. The first and probably the most troubling is that Ben has held only one (1), that’s right one, District meeting in 4 years. What is a District meeting you ask? A District meeting is when the “council person” from a specific district meets with the constituents of that district in an open forum to define any issues that they believe need to be taken before the Council. It is also the venue where constituents can voice their opinions on where their council person stands on specific issues. Roughly, in 1,460 days, Mr. Manvel has offered these opportunities to the constituents of District 1 one time to speak and hear from their Council person. With that track record, maybe he should run for a state office.

After personally reviewing several different city council sessions that dealt with the ‘three unrelated’ ordinance, I found another troubling fact about Mr. Manvel. Again over the last four years, Mr. Manvel has stated in either work sessions or open council meetings that “most” property owners including “landlords” are law abiding and follow the rule of law when it pertains to properties that they own. Since Mr. Manvel owns an illegal duplex in District 1, it seems that he does not include himself in this statement. To date, Mr. Manvel has failed to file papers to have the zoning corrected. You might ask if this is a new problem; one that he hasn’t had time to address. Oh no, this is not a new problem, but one that has been on the city books for close to 37 years. You may ask why hasn’t he corrected the problem. Well, let’s think about what 37 years of back real estate taxes, interests, and other administrative fees might cost if he were to file. tch tch tch Ben.

Mr. Manvel sites several “accomplishments” on his website. (These are under his “Good Decisions” marker.) I encourage each of you to go to his site and read these for yourselves, but in summary, he lists: Major budget reductions (doesn’t tell you what those were), Took a Firm Stand on SW annexation (again, does not tell you what that stand is), Involved in City branding initiative (including new logo). I know this topic has been hashed over, but did we really need a new logo? And why did we go outside of Fort Collins, heck why did we go outside of Colorado to have our current logo designed? We have CSU right here, why were they not given to opportunity to develop that logo? Oh and the Holiday display policy (would love to know his take on that.)

Regarding Mr. Ben Manvel, I have to side with W.C. Fields who said, “Hell, I never vote for anybody, I always vote against.”

Vivian Armendariz – Challenger

Ms. Vivian Armedariz is one of Ben Manvel’s opponents. For years, she has been an outspoken advocate for the marginalized citizens in our community. I believe Ms. Armedariz will continue to stand for our citizens that need a dedicated voice and who will continuously represent them before the Council. Ms. Armendariz was the first to enter the race against Mr. Manvel, showing that he should not be allowed an uncontested seat.

Ken Anderson – Challenger

Mr. Anderson entered the race late and has made incredible advances since his announcement. He has a daughter in college and understands the challenges of the college student all too well. Mr. Anderson supports the repeal of the ‘three unrelated’ ordinance (more on that tomorrow), he has a tremendous vision for Fort Collins, including how we can support growth yet still protect what we consider sacred open space and the small town feel.

Mr. Anderson has been a part of our community since 1970 and has owned several businesses. He is a graduate of Colorado State University and understands the importance of our college students and what we need to do to keep them here after they graduate. We have an incredible built in work force, most that do not want to leave our community. We should be looking at avenues to help them stay, build businesses, and grow families.

It is time that we embrace those that want to make our community better, help them thrive and reach their highest potential. I believe that Ken Anderson is the one best suited for that job in District 1.

In summary, we currently have a city councilman who “claims” to have the best for Fort Collins in mind. However, he has an illegal property in his own district and has only taken the chance to get to know the people in his district once in the last 1,460 days.

Vivian Armendariz is a stalwart advocate of those that cannot speak for them selves and is to be commended for taking on the moniker of this race. I hope she continues to fight the good fight.

Ken Anderson has a vision for the future of Fort Collins, how to retain our students and responsibly grow our city. The job development plan that Mr. Anderson has provided is not only forward thinking but also unique in its scope.

Stand with me for Ken Anderson. Support District 1 and support Fort Collins. Ballots went out in the mail this past Friday. Remember it is YOUR CITY, it is YOUR VOTE, and it is YOUR COUNCIL.

Fort Collins City Council Candidates on RMA Blogtalk Radio

This coming Tuesday, March 3, we will be interviewing Aislinn Kottwitz (District 3) and Andrew Boucher (District 5); candidates for the Fort Collins City Council election on April 7th on the Rocky Mountain Aliance Blogtalk Radio Show. We’ll be discussing the most pressing issues facing Fort Collins, and why Andrew and Aislinn are best able to lead us forward in addressing them.

You can find Aislinn’s website here and her Facebook page here. Aislinn is running for the seat currently occupied by Diggs Brown who is currently serving our nation in the Army. This district covers much of the southeastern portion of Fort Collins.

Andrew also has a website and a Facebook page. Andrew is running for the seat held by former Mayor Kelly Ohlsen, who has been instrumental in sending businesses and jobs to surrounding cities. This district includes much of the western portion of central Fort Collins.

Please join us this coming Tuesday night and listen to ideas from Aislinn and Andrew on taking Fort Collins forward during this challenging fiscal climate. I’m confident you’ll like what you hear. You can ask questions in the chat room, or call in during the show.

During the second interview segment at 9:30pm, we’ll be talking with Tom Stone, who served as Eagle County Commissioner from January 1998 to January 2006, has announced that he is running for the GOP Party Chair. Tom writes a blog called the Stone Cold Truth. He also heads up a Facebook Group called Save Our State which has quite a number of members.