The Woodland Park City Council voted to appoint Sarah Salazar and John Hugh to the Downtown Development Authority (DDA), filling two expiring terms and one vacancy, and administered their oaths of office at the June meeting.

The DDA appointments matter because the authority’s membership is limited to people who either live in the DDA district, own property there, or serve as an officer or director of a business based in the district — eligibility criteria the council reviewed before voting. Council members also discussed the three-year length of the terms and the timing of when appointees take office.

City staff said three seats were available as of June 30: two expiring seats (Arden Weatherford and Alborn) and an unfilled seat created when Tony Perry resigned earlier in the year. Suzanne, a city staff member, told the council she received two applications: one from Sarah Salazar and one from John Hugh; she said both applicants met the DDA residency or business‑ownership requirement. Salazar told the council she has experience as a city planner for the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, has worked with small Colorado towns and intern architect training, and that her husband owns a business in the DDA district. “I personally love Colorado,” Salazar said. Hugh described himself as a longtime restaurateur who purchased Joanie’s last July and said, “I love this community. I felt at home the minute I got here.”

Councilmembers voted on the appointments individually. The motion to appoint Salazar passed with three yes votes and two no votes (Case, Nakai and Smith voted yes; Bryant and Gear voted no). The motion to appoint Hugh passed unanimously on roll call (Nakai, Bryant, Gear, Smith and Case all voted yes). The council then administered the oath of office to both appointees; staff said appointed members’ terms would begin July 1.

Council members noted that the two incumbents whose seats were expiring could reapply and be considered at the next meeting if they submitted the required paperwork. City staff also confirmed that the current DDA board membership will change depending on how many members the DDA chooses to have going forward.

Salazar and Hugh were sworn in during the meeting and signed their oath forms to make their appointments official. The council said it would consider any additional applicants at future meetings.