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Manager candidates tour city

Dana Strongin

— The six candidates for Steam–boat Springs’ city manager see the position as an ideal career move that would provide a challenge and an opportunity to live in a great city.

Today is the candidates’ second day in Steamboat. On Thursday, they took a two-hour tour of city facilities, open-space parcels and projects funded by grant money.

The candidates also interviewed with the city manager search committee, made up of Bobbi Hodge, John Chapman, Arianthe Stettner, Tami Havener, Jill Leary and Doug Marsh.



The candidates ate lunch and answered questions Thursday at the Steamboat Springs Yacht Club.

Elizabeth Black, the executive director of the Yampa Valley Housing Authority, said she aspires to the city manager position and that she has spent most of her career in government.



“I enjoy the complexity of all the issues that affect resort communities,” Black said. She said important issues in Steamboat include the recreation and community facilities debate and affordable housing.

Steve Golnar, the former city manager of Livingston, Mont., said he sees Steamboat as an active, involved and proactive community. Steamboat issues that interest Golnar include recreational assets and facilities, transportation, historic preservation and conservation of land parcels that serve as gateways to the community.

George Krawzoff, the city of Steamboat’s director of transit and transportation services, was not at lunch but said in a phone interview that the position would pose a challenge and the opportunity to do something good.

Krawzoff said that Steamboat is a complex community with a lot of assets and some challenges, including affordable housing, transportation and the community and recreation facilities debate.

Alan Lanning, the city manager in Brookings, S.D., said that he once identified Steamboat as one of the ideal cities in which to be city manager. “Steamboat is the top of the pile of our profession,” he said, adding that being a city manager in Steamboat would be a career highlight.

Lanning said that many of the issues he is dealing with in Brookings are relevant to Steamboat, including maintaining the character of downtown, creating an airport master plan, maintaining healthy sales taxes and providing affordable housing.

Ron Phillips, the city of Fort Collins’ transportation services director, said that Steamboat Springs is a very well-balanced community with the resort element.

“It is the premier mountain community in Colorado, and I would like to be a part of its future,” Phillips said. He said he is interested in dealing very thoughtfully with public issues that need to be addressed.

Tom Vosburg, Fort Collins’ chief information officer, said he loves the Yampa Valley as well as the idea of being Steamboat’s city manager.

“It’s my dream job in my dream city,” Vosburg said.

Vosburg said that he is interested in affordable housing issues as well as sustainability.

“I am intrigued by the complexity of policy issues in the community. This is an excellent opportunity to be involved in that debate,” he said.

Today the candidates will interview with the council, which is expected to select one to three finalists. The new city manager likely will start work in early June.

— To reach Dana Strongin, call 871-4229

or e-mail dstrongin@steamboatpilot.com


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