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Council sets ballot title for petition tied to entrance-to-Aspen plan; debate over timing and scope
Summary
Council set the ballot title for Resolution 147 — a petition to permit CDOT use of portions of Merelton Thomas properties for the 1998 Entrance to Aspen preferred alternative — after legal counsel advised certification; petition supporters argued voters should decide after years of delay, opponents warned the ballot question may be unclear amid an ongoing EIS process.
The council voted Dec. 17 to set the ballot title and place Resolution 147 on the March ballot, a citizen petition that asks voters to permit the Colorado Department of Transportation to use portions of specified properties for the 1998 preferred entrance-to-Aspen plan (and, as amended in the title, to encompass future records of decision).
Scott Wooley, a petitioner, said the initiative is "about breaking free from 26 years of indecision" and urged the council to let voters decide. He framed the petition as a democratic remedy to stalled processes and litigation. (Scott Wooley)
Opponents and some council members expressed concern about ballot timing and public information. Several councilors said they supported the community-involved EIS process that the city has pursued and worried voters may not be fully informed about technical constraints — for example, which alternatives require coordination with CDOT and federal agencies. City attorney Jim Mayer recommended the council set titles after the clerk certified petitions and noted council has limited discretion on whether to place a certified charter amendment on the ballot. Some council members asked whether seeking a declaratory judgment would be appropriate given opposing legal memos; counsel said a court review could not be completed within the available administrative window.
Council approved the ballot title with a minor edit to clarify that the measure would cover the 1998 Record of Decision or any future record of decision; the title will be published and the measure will appear on the March ballot.
