The Estes Park Board of Trustees held the first of two strategic planning sessions on Monday to begin shaping priorities for the town’s 2027 strategic plan.
Town staff said the planning process starts early each year so the board’s priorities can guide development of the following year’s municipal budget.
“This happens early every year because it feeds into our budget process,” Town Administrator Travis Machalek said during the meeting. “We want to make sure that the strategic plan the town board lays out is strongly connected and integral with our budget process.”
The board will hold a second planning session on April 30, after newly elected trustees are seated. A provisional strategic plan is expected to be adopted in May and used by staff to develop the proposed 2027 budget, which will come before trustees during budget discussions in October.
Unlike previous years, trustees began the planning process before the new board is seated in an effort to avoid delays in the budget timeline. Staff said the change could also make it easier for new trustees to participate in the process rather than being introduced to the full strategic planning framework immediately after taking office.
Community survey highlights priorities
Staff highlighted results from the town’s National Community Survey, conducted every two years, as a key source of feedback to guide the strategic plan.
Survey results show residents are generally satisfied with town services. However, several areas stood out where respondents said service levels should increase.
Those priorities included greater public engagement in planning future town projects, addressing workforce and affordable housing challenges, expanding trails, and acquiring or managing open space and new parks.
Staff also presented a comparison of how residents rated the importance of different community factors against the perceived quality of those areas. Larger gaps between importance and quality may signal areas where additional attention or resources are needed.
Discussion of public engagement
Trustees spent time discussing how the town gathers and responds to community feedback, with some noting that residents sometimes question whether public input meaningfully influences decisions.
During the discussion, a trustee referenced a recent exchange with a resident that reflected that frustration.
The resident questioned why people should pay attention to town issues if public comments do not appear to make a difference.
Trustees further discussed potential tools such as “listening logs,” which track public comments and document how they were considered during projects.
While participation metrics such as meeting attendance can be measured, trustees acknowledged that evaluating the impact of public input on decisions is more challenging.
Several suggested revising language in the strategic plan to emphasize not only gathering input but also valuing and considering it during decision-making.
Safety and community health policies
Trustees also reviewed policy statements related to public safety, health and environmental stewardship.
One discussion focused on the town’s support for restorative practices, which have historically been associated with restorative justice programs in the criminal justice system.
Trustees noted that the concept has expanded locally to include broader community facilitation and conflict resolution efforts. The language may be revised in a future session with input from community partners involved in those programs.
Trustees also discussed substance abuse policy statements and suggested adding language referencing harm reduction alongside prevention, treatment and education.
Financial stewardship
In reviewing policies related to the town’s financial health, trustees discussed adding language emphasizing responsible management of taxpayer funds and government efficiency.
The Board also acknowledged their priority in maintaining public trust when it comes to handling taxpayer money in the best way possible.
Trustees agreed to consider potential wording before the next planning session, possibly emphasizing transparency, accountability and effective financial management.
Transportation system review
Transportation policies were another topic of discussion as trustees considered whether language in the strategic plan should emphasize ongoing evaluation of the town’s traffic system rather than focusing solely on infrastructure expansion.
Some trustees suggested modifying policy language to stress regularly evaluating the efficiency of the town’s multimodal transportation network, including roads, pedestrian crossings, trails and emerging technologies such as smart traffic signals.
Town staff noted that many traffic signals in Estes Park are located on state highways and managed by the Colorado Department of Transportation. However, the state often relies on communities to identify potential issues and work collaboratively on improvements.
Trustees also discussed including trail maintenance alongside streets when referencing transportation infrastructure, noting the town already tracks trail conditions through a trail condition index.
Infrastructure redundancy debate
A longer discussion focused on the concept of redundancy in utility infrastructure, particularly water service.
One policy statement calls for providing “safe, high-quality, reliable and redundant water service.” Trustees debated whether the word “redundant” might imply costly infrastructure projects.
Town staff explained that redundancy does not necessarily mean duplicating facilities but instead designing systems so service can continue if a component fails.
The issue has been part of Estes Park infrastructure planning for years, especially after an explosion at the Lake Carter water treatment plant raised concerns about backup capabilities.
Some trustees said redundancy is particularly important for a mountain community with limited connections to outside utilities.
Others said the strategic plan should acknowledge the need to balance redundancy with financial considerations. Trustees discussed language that would emphasize maintaining an “appropriate level of redundancy” across utilities such as water, electricity and broadband.
Next steps
The session concluded ahead of schedule, with staff noting that many of the town’s foundational policy areas have been refined during previous planning cycles.
Staff will compile feedback from Monday’s discussion and provide an updated document to trustees before the April 30 planning session, when the board is expected to review proposed goals and objectives for the 2027 strategic plan.