The Estes Park Town Board on Tuesday recognized the community’s volunteer workforce, honored outgoing Trustee Cindy Younglund for six years of service, and received an annual funding and project update from the Estes Valley Watershed Coalition.
Mayor Gary Hall proclaimed April as Volunteer Month in Estes Park, citing the work of 262 volunteers who contributed 27,321 hours to the town in 2025 through boards, commissions, programs, services, and events. Town officials estimated the value of that work at $950,498.
A group of Rooftop Rodeo volunteers and members of the Estes Park Police Department Auxiliary joined the mayor and trustees for photos after the proclamation was read.
Trustee Mark Igel, the Town Board liaison to the police department, used his trustee comments to recognize members of the auxiliary, who he said contributed nearly 8,000 volunteer hours in the past year.
He singled out chaplains Doris Ratch, who reached 500 cumulative hours of service, and Larry Strong, who reached 1,000 hours. He also recognized Julie Lee, an auxiliary commander, for 1,000 hours of service; auxiliary officers Dennis Hoshiko for 1,000 hours; Steve Ferman for 3,000 hours; Bill Bradford, who was named auxiliary volunteer of the year, for 5,000 hours; and David White for 10,000 cumulative hours.
Town Administrator Travis Machalek said the town’s operations “could not occur without that support from the community,” noting that 10,000 hours is roughly equivalent to five years of full-time work.
Younglund recognized for service
The board also formally recognized Younglund, who is stepping down for personal reasons after six years as a trustee.
In a resolution read by Mayor Pro Tem Marie Cenac, Younglund — who grew up in Estes Park — was credited with helping guide or support a wide range of town initiatives, including the Estes Forward Comprehensive Plan, the workforce housing and childcare funding plan, paid parking, wildfire mitigation efforts, the downtown Estes Loop, ballot measures related to sales and lodging taxes, the Family Advisory Board, and the Estes Park Sister Cities program.
The resolution also noted her work as the board’s liaison to several groups and her involvement with organizations, including the Estes Area Lodging Association, Estes Park Chamber of Commerce, and the Estes Park Wedding Association.
Trustee Kirby Hazelton thanked Younglund for her “institutional knowledge” and said her preparation and thoughtfulness would be missed.
Younglund, speaking briefly after the recognition, encouraged residents to stay engaged in local government.
“Please get out and vote and volunteer for positions,” she said. “It’s just such a learning experience.”
Watershed coalition marks a decade of work
Bob Leavitt, president of the Estes Valley Watershed Coalition, presented the organization’s 2025 base funding report and described how the group has evolved since its formation in response to the 2013 flood.
Leavitt said the coalition’s work has expanded beyond river restoration to include forest health, wildlife habitat, and wildfire mitigation.
The coalition received $50,000 in operating funding in both 2025 and 2026, with $25,000 from the Town of Estes Park and $25,000 from Northern Water. Leavitt said those funds support grant writing, project development, and staffing.
Among the coalition’s recent accomplishments, he said, is the removal of 230 tons of woody biomass from neighborhoods since 2020 through a community dumpster program designed to reduce wildfire fuel loads.
Other business
In other action, the board approved the reappointment of Julie Phares to the Estes Park Planning Commission for a six-year term through March 31, 2032.
Acting as the local liquor licensing authority, the board also approved applications for Estes Perk and Mary Jane’s, both on Elkhorn Avenue.
The board unanimously approved a final subdivision plat for Freelan Heights, a proposed 10-lot residential development in the Stanley Historic District, moving the project forward despite objections from neighboring homeowners and an ongoing lawsuit tied to the proposal.
Local Realtor Gerald Mayo, who said he was representing about 40 adjacent homeowners, urged the board to postpone action until the lawsuit is resolved.
The vote followed a public hearing in which town planning staff, the developer and nearby residents offered sharply different views on whether the project complies with the district’s master plan and development standards.
Trustees also approved naming a small pocket park near the Moraine Avenue roundabout as Monteverde Park, in recognition of the sister-city relationship between Estes Park and Monteverde, Costa Rica, which began in 2004.