More than 60 people attended the Preserve Estes Park-hosted Meet the Candidates event for the Estes Park Town Board of Trustees Monday night, March 23, at the American Legion Hall.
The candidates for town board spent almost two hours answering questions presented by PEP and audience members, where goals for action by the town board were the primary topic discussed. PEP leaders Kristine Poppitz and Jed Eide moderated the discussion.
There are four open seats for the election April 7. Three will serve four-year terms, while one candidate will serve a two-year term, as Trustee Cindy Younglund has resigned mid-term. The individual receiving the fourth-highest number of votes will serve two years, the remainder of Younglund’s term
Mail ballots were sent to registered voters the week of March 16.
On the ballot are Bill Brown, Chris Eshelman, Kirby Nelson-Hazelton, Jamie Mieras, Aidan Rosenau, and Randy Welch. Nelson-Hazelton was unable to attend the entire forum due to a conflicting schedule with the high school girls’ soccer team, which she coaches.
Candidates answered the same questions during the forum, and all six candidates submitted written responses to questions provided by PEP before the event.
During the forum, candidates were asked what they would do if they suddenly had $1 million to allocate to a town project, an organization, or a cause.
Brown said he would donate it to the police department for public safety to address a range of safety issues. Eshelman would give to workforce housing and EVICS, a local charity and family resource center. Mieras and Rosenau said they would use it to fund affordable housing, while noting that it’s only a small portion of what is needed. Welch also listed EVICS as a recipient “to help the working class,” along with Crossroads, another local charity.
All the candidates spoke about the problems of communication between residents, the town board, and third parties, often developers.
Brown proposed a new process to increase citizens’ engagement by educating the public about town projects before developers even make their initial, detailed presentations to the public.
Brown said he would recommend that the board host community meetings for residents to allow developers to listen to their concerns and address them in their first community presentation.
At a second community meeting, the individuals would be better informed to discuss issues surrounding the proposal. According to Brown, both the town and residents would understand each other better from the beginning.
Mieras agreed that holding public meetings earlier in the development process would reduce residents’ frustration and allow them to provide more meaningful input.
Welch emphasized notifying people about neighborhood plans and gathering feedback. “Everything needs to be considered as a big puzzle, and there are ripple effects.”
Eshelman and Rosenau both agreed that communication before action is key.
In written responses, candidates prioritized eight items: transportation, housing, parking, evacuation, preservation of undeveloped land for open space and conservation, wildfire mitigation, wildlife protection, and other.
Brown, a practicing attorney for over 40 years, is an incumbent running for his second term. In his response to the pre-event questions provided by PEP, he did not rate the eight given issues because “the priority of each of these areas in specific decisions varies based upon the nature of the decision involved.” However, he said communication with constituents has been a priority during his time as a trustee, including meetings at coffee shops and breweries, a practice he said he will continue.
Eshelman has 14 years of experience on the Upper Thompson Sanitation District Board of Directors. He introduced himself as a former water superintendent for the town and said that major water decisions are going to be “very expensive decisions for the community, probably the most expensive ones.” He rated the health of the town’s water system as his top priority.
Mieras, a surgeon and podiatrist, is a one-year resident of Estes Park and a 50-year visitor. She ranked “housing” as her number-one priority, saying, “You want the amenities of a town, and to do that, we need people here working. We need to figure out a way to create a stable workforce.”
Nelson-Hazelton, an incumbent since 2022 running for her second term, has a career in marketing and communications and is a former Estes Park small-business owner. Her role as the Estes Park High School girls’ soccer coach made her 90 minutes late for the forum. She listed “wildfire mitigation” as her highest priority, followed by “housing.”
Rosenau introduced herself as a person with “a more humble background” and said she would work “to uplift members of the working and middle classes to help create a more equitable Estes Park.” Rosenau has a background in graphic design, marketing, and construction. She said increasing the amount of affordable housing is her top goal.
Welch has a 30-year career at various engineering and director-level positions, including six years as a business analyst. He said that, while he has lived in the town for two years, he has been a visitor since 1990. Welch said his involvement in the Estes Park Chorale and Oratorio Society and volunteer work at the American Legion “has deepened my connection with the community.” He listed “workforce challenges” as his top priority.
PEP is a grassroots organization started by Poppitz and others in 2022, focused on advocating for the environment, wildlife, and community character.
Clarification, March 26, 2026 3:44 pm: A question was asked of candidates about what town project, organization or cause, they would donate $1 million to if they could. The original question did not specify where the money would come from.