Steamboat Pilot & Today

Routt County commissioners and the Steamboat Springs City Council are expected to appoint 13 members to the new Yampa Valley Regional Housing Authority on Wednesday.

An interview committee chose the members. They are expected to be approved during a joint meeting of the city and county Wednesday.

Those recommended by the interview committee include John Spezia, Curtis Church, Karen Riggio, James Ballard Jr., Kim Mitchell, Katherine Meyer, Brett KenCairn, Bud Rogers, Ron Goodrich, Tony Seaver, George Romberg, Trish Sullivan and Mary Alice Page-Allen.

Appointing board members will mark another step in the years-long process of creating a multi-jurisdictional housing authority. The authority will plan, finance, construct and manage housing projects and programs. Those projects and programs are intended for families with low or moderate incomes and for employees within the jurisdiction of the authority.

With a county commissioner and city councilman also sitting on the board, the total number of board members will be 15.

"I think that affordable housing in all mountain communities and resort areas is something that has to be dealt with," said Loui Antonucci, the city councilman who is on the board. "The (Regional Affordable Living Foundation) has achieved a level of success, but I think the multijursidictional housing authority can improve that level."

Routt County Commissioner Nancy Stahoviak will serve as the county representative on the board.

The housing authority will be more of a branch of government and will have the power to ask voters for a tax to fund its projects or to ask for impact fees.

The board members chosen for the housing authority should represent a range of interests and backgrounds, and should not favor one community, such as Realtors or builders, Antonucci said.

The board members that were chosen model that diversity in their backgrounds, abilities and perspectives, Routt County Commissioner Doug Monger said. They all share an interest in finding affordable housing solutions, he said.

"This is something that's an entity in itself, and they are going to be responsible to the taxpayers ... and electorate," Monger said.

At the Wednesday county and city meeting, an initial kickoff meeting could be planned. But beyond that, the authority will be on its own.

"We want this board to be looking at themselves to come up with programs and what they want to do," Routt County Commissioner Dan Ellison said. "We expect them to be pretty independent."

-- To reach Susan Bacon, call 871-4203

or e-mail sbacon@steamboatpilot.com