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Mike Lawrence

Call Mike Lawrence at 871-4203 or e-mail mlawrence@steamboatpilot.com.

The City Council got a new president last week.

Susan Dellinger officially took over for previous council president Ken Brenner in January. But during her first few months in the center chair at Centennial Hall, Dellinger primarily served as a moderator - as someone who facilitated discussion, fostered consensus and went whichever way the majority wind was blowing.

That changed a week ago.

How many over-budget dollars to spend on the new Steamboat Springs Community Center, and whether the city should even build the center at the much-maligned Stock Bridge Transit Center site, was Dellinger's first tough choice as council president.

Dellinger held the deciding vote on a council split, 3-3.

And there was plenty of room to wiggle out of a choice.

Councilman Loui Antonucci asked that the city take another look at the community center's costs, to try and "take some more money" out of the $3.6 million price tag. Brenner said an eleventh-hour proposal by Steamboat resident Liz Rawlings - involving temporary, transportable structures predominantly made of heavy fabric - was "a good alternative : and something we can afford."

Dellinger could have voted for more analysis, further studies and so forth, especially given how much the community center's cost has inflated since the council's $1.7 million approval last summer.

But once it became obvious she had support from council members Paul Strong, Steve Ivancie and Karen Post, Dellinger's skills as a former hockey goalie came out and the puck stopped there.

Deciding enough debate and controversy was enough, Dellinger began a monologue thanking city staff, architect Nan Anderson, the public : basically everyone except us newspaper columnists.

The speech showed not only that her decision was firmly made, but also that months of community center discussion were undoubtedly over. And it showed that, for good or ill, the City Council has a new president.

In January, after Brenner stepped down due to physical ailments related to surgeries and an inability to remain neutral on political issues, Strong called Dellinger "the natural choice" for council president. But he also said how she would impact the council's effectiveness remained to be seen.

"We won't know until we see Susan in operation for a while," Strong said at the time. "She listens to everyone, she typically has an open mind on things, but how that will impact how meetings are run, we'll have to see."

Steamboat saw it for the first time last week.

Who was that?

To the person who called me this week with a different take on the burglary at RideSports in Gondola Square: call me back. You didn't leave a name or phone number.

Also, to all, if you send an e-mail via the newspaper's Web site, please include your name in the text of the message itself - a name doesn't come through otherwise. Thanks.

I'd love to hear local thoughts on issues from the Legislature that people would like to know more about. Call or e-mail anytime: 871-4203 or mlawrence@steamboatpilot.com

To reach Mike Lawrence, call 871-4203 or e-mail mlawrence@steamboatpilot.com