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| Michael Yearout Photography |
Breckenridge Town Council has decided to seek advice for the Social Equity Advisory Commission before moving forward. Council discussed the commission at their Tuesday work session meeting. Council Member Dick Carleton, who has been one of the leaders of the commission, said the initial step was for members of council and staff to get together to develop a draft of the application.
Carleton noted that he wants the town to continue to put out information about the commission to get people excited and stressed that the town should make sure everyone feels safe in the process of forming and running the commission. Council Member Erin Gigliello said she doesn’t think the town should make any assumptions while laying the groundwork for the commission.
“I think that we make a misstep when we start defining the problems. I think our community needs to address how they’re feeling because this is all about perception … here, it’s community based and it’s the community’s perception that is important,” Gigliello said.
Gigliello said there should be a forum to ask the community to contribute first and express how they’re feeling before the town acts. Mayor Eric Mamula said he thinks the town should ask for written comments but that a forum can be intimidating so comments should be provided differently, such as via email. He said that Carleton and Gigliello should be the ones to interview people for the commission and that the commission should write its own mission statement.
“I see this as extremely important, this is going to be a marathon, it’s not going to be a sprint. … I believe there are groups out there that have addressed issues like this and have a history, have a track record and I’m just wondering would it make sense as we begin to get going here that we have some conversations with some folks … to really help us come up with the appropriate guidelines,” Council Member Gary Gallagher said, noting the council should look beyond Summit County.
Council agreed to seek advice for the commission and to let Gigliello and Carleton lead council’s efforts.
