The past eight years have arguably been the most consequential period of time in Glenwood Springs since the construction of the Hotel Colorado and the Hot Springs Pool.

This period of time has seen a new library, parking structure, Morgridge Commons, sewer treatment plant, straight shot connection on Eighth Street, outdoor dining on Seventh Street, streetscape upgrades, pedestrian bridge and vehicular bridge. That’s a lot to happen in a small town in such a short period of time!

The city of Glenwood was fortunate that the right people showed up at the right time to guide us through these projects. As in all events of this magnitude, they could have gone terribly wrong. Some of the people that showed up eight years ago were Mike Gamba, Todd Leahy, Leslie Bethel, and Charlie Willman. Having these individuals in key positions helped guarantee that the projects mentioned above not only got completed but were appropriate in design.

I was fortunate to be on the board of the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) at the time. Charlie Willman served as board chair and provided invaluable leadership through this busy time. There is no one who devoted more time or energy to the successful completion of many of the aforementioned projects. As an unpaid volunteer, he worked more hours in some weeks than many people do at full time jobs. As a self-employed worker, he sacrificed time he could have used toward earning more income to give back to the community. That’s a guy I want on City Council. I hope you agree an support Charlie for City Council.

Jodie Collins,

Glenwood Springs