Gov. Jared Polis stopped in Durango on Monday for a lunch with local leaders.
Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera, all three La Plata County commissioners, most of Durango City Council, Rep. Barbara McLachlan and Fort Lewis College President Tom Stritikus were among those in attendance at the listening session, which lasted just under an hour.
Unbound by any specific agenda, the governor listened as attendees highlighted areas of concern that should or could be addressed at a state level.
“The focus of our administration for the next session is housing costs,” Polis said in a brief introductory statement.
Polis made SB23-213, known as the “Land Use Bill,” the centerpiece of his 2023 legislative priorities. The bill was gutted after outcry from local governments objecting to the state’s seizure of local control with respect to housing density and development zoning. The bill ultimately failed to pass.
La Plata County commissioners did not support the bill, although they said they did support many of the provisions in it. Commissioner Marsha Porter-Norton told Polis that the initiative would have more support if it were broken down to include regulations that impacted urban and rural areas differently.
She also called on Polis to push for changes that would limit developers’ liability for construction defects, which can drive up the prices of otherwise relatively affordable condos.
Several people made note of History Colorado’s report on the Fort Lewis Indian Boarding School in Hesperus. The full report was released Tuesday, and was prompted by a bill that McLachlan brought to the Legislature.
FLC Student Body President Brittany Bitsilly was also in attendance. She said housing was among the top issues facing the college’s student body.
McLachlan brought up the need for more day care resources in the area. She also named the elephant to which several attendees had previously alluded.
“Thank you very much for coming – rural Colorado is forgotten a lot. A lot of people tell is it is further from Denver to Durango than Durango to Denver,” she joked.
In a brief interview with The Durango Herald after the event, Polis had little in the way of specifics with which to respond.
“I think it’s important to build connectivity with fellow cities on the Western Slope like Grand Junction, with the Front Range,” he said. “It’s really exciting to see a lot of those connections being built, and we’re excited to spend a whole lot of time here visiting a couple preschools and Durango High School.”
rschafir@durangoherald.com
