Mayor Gary Hall and Mayor Pro Tem Kirby Hazelton were selected by the Estes Park Board of Trustees to serve as the interview committee for the upcoming vacant seat on the Visit Estes Park board during Tuesday night’s town board meeting.
This decision came after a discussion among trustees about the town’s role and policies for selecting candidates to fill town-appointed positions, and about ensuring that the town, not the bylaws of different boards, controls the appointment process.
In the past, representatives or executive directors from the receiving boards would sit in on interviews to provide context on the position’s requirements, not to control the decision. However, town staff clarified that, given that Mayor Pro Tem Hazelton and Mayor Hall already serve on the VEP board, any additional involvement by other VEP members outside the town board may not be necessary.
Trustees raised concerns about unintentionally setting a precedent that board appointments must always be handled by liaisons or a board-created nominating task force, as set forth in the VEP bylaws, and argued for retaining the ability to decide on a case-by-case basis who should serve on appointment committees.
Ultimately, trustees did not want to allow VEP bylaws to override town policy. Moving forward, the town will work with VEP’s CEO and the county to reconcile the VEP bylaws with the town’s appointment policies, ensuring the town controls the process and that staff members of organizations do not pick their bosses by hand-selecting their boards.
The vacant seat, currently held by Treasurer/Secretary Sean Jurgens, will be available for a new member in 2027, as Jurgens is term-limited.
Other actions in Tuesday night’s meeting included continuing the planned unit development and subdivision plats for the Fall River Village development to the board’s next meeting, Aug. 25, and approving a contract for design services and construction management assistance for the new Estes Park Public Safety Facility.
The meeting ended with a move to executive session to discuss a potential lease of town property at Elm Road and Marine Avenue and the use of Lot 4 on The Stanley Historic District. No formal action can be taken during the executive session.
Study session
Prior to Tuesday night’s board meeting, trustees held a study session to discuss dark sky certification, floodplain map updates, and municipal policy refinements.
VEP staff members Dana Paiement, senior destination stewardship manager, and CEO Sarah Leonard presented on the economic and environmental benefits of pursuing Dark Sky certification, focusing on the potential implementation of a lighting ordinance and the challenges of compliance.
The International Dark Sky Places program certifies parks and communities worldwide that protect natural nighttime darkness through responsible lighting policies and public education, and outlines policies for communities to follow to achieve Dark Sky certification. Typically, the application process takes one to three years to complete.
Non-negotiable certification requirements include shielding, color temperature, lumen limits, sports lighting, and signage.
“Protecting our night skies isn’t just about conservation; it can help support our local economy,” said Paiement, noting that research projects billions in visitor spending tied to dark sky tourism.
Paiement said that implementation was the biggest concern they have heard raised, and she emphasized the importance of education and incentive programs to assist property owners in compliance rather than forcing immediate replacement.
Trustee Bill Brown said that while incentives are a good idea, he has difficulty imagining the town trying to enforce compliance and anticipates pushback from community members. Trustees Igel and Eshelman echoed concerns about the success of implementation and enforcement.
Overall, the board held support for the goals of becoming dark sky certified but not for the retroactive requirements for existing properties, due to concerns about enforcement capacity, costs to residents, and political blowback.
Several trustees acknowledged the value of darker skies for health, wildlife, and quality of life but questioned whether full Dark Sky Certification is realistic or worth the investment, given the Front Range’s light pollution and limited local resources.
Mayor Hall closed the discussion by emphasizing that Estes Park should keep improving lighting through existing and future standards for new development, consider incentives and education, and treat certification as secondary to long‑term, practical progress on light pollution.
“The important thing is moving in the right direction,” said Hall.
During the study session, trustees also received an update on the FEMA floodplain map adoption process, reviewed their liaison policies, and discussed a proposal for a new policy to create focus groups to engage citizens on projects of significant community interest.