Eagle County is a great place to live! It has been my honor to represent you as your county commissioner for the past several years to address the issues you have told me are important to you. I look forward to continuing to build a stronger community with your vote again this election year.
I am committed to addressing our housing challenges. During my time as commissioner, 701 new affordable housing units have been created with 151 more on the way. The nine Bold Housing Moves initiatives have been deployed to assist renters and buyers. We increased funding for down payment assistance and 300 loans have been approved since 2015. The sale of Lake Creek Village generated $50 million to be spent on affordable housing projects while assuring rents remain affordable for the Lake Creek tenants into the future.
We continue to support our community’s early childhood system by supporting quality, capacity, and access to child care for our children and their parents. Improving our child care system helps assure that parents who want to work are able to find safe, high-quality care for their little ones.
I am committed to continuing progress in building an inclusive and welcoming community for all. A new outreach coordinator has been hired to engage, support, empower, and listen to our Hispanic community. The county has created a new Spanish website and newsletter. (el Ojo del Aguila) with information curated, not just translated, to be of interest to our Latino residents.
What started with funding from the marijuana tax in 2017 has developed into a true mental health system for our community. This enhanced system now includes a co-responder model for crisis calls, mental health clinicians at all schools, and the groundbreaking of a new mental health healing center in Edwards.
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The natural beauty of our county is an integral part of our lives and livelihood. This beauty is what brought many of us to Eagle County and keeps us here. I have worked to protect these resources and ensure that development is strategic, balanced, and mindful of our magnificent landscapes. We have preserved 2,371 acres of open space and created a new Eagle County Department of Natural Resources to coordinate efforts for wildlife, water, and land.
Fire danger surrounds our community and I will continue to work to assure we can respond quickly and effectively to fires in addition to preventing them. I’m very proud of all our emergency responders and the stellar responses to the Lake Christine, Grizzly Creek, and Sylvan fires. To prevent and reduce the risk from future fires we have helped protect 4,200 acres through wildfire mitigation and prescribed fires.
The effects of climate change require bold plans and action. With buildings and vehicles being the biggest contributors to CO2 emissions, the county invested in solar and renewable energy sources and now 100% of electricity in all county buildings is utilizing renewable sources. We have entered into a partnership with the Northwest Colorado Council of Governments to assist our lower-income communities with weatherizing and electrifying their properties.
Through this partnership, 14 mobile homes have been weatherized and fully electrified. This work will continue for an additional 250 homes by 2027. We continue to advance the work of the Climate Action Collaborative and are making progress in electrifying our vehicles with the purchase of three electric buses for public transportation and replacing more than 25 county gas vehicles with electric.
We are committed to completing the last 12 miles of the Eagle Valley Trail by 2024. The trail will connect the community from Vail to Dotsero and will also connect Eagle County to Breckenridge and Aspen. Soon we will be able to ride on a bike path from Breckenridge to Aspen through the Vail Valley!
Despite the unique challenges of the past two years, Eagle County managed to continue work on our strategic initiatives of supporting our workforce, creating a resilient economy, and protecting our mountain ecosystem.
The job of a county commissioner isn’t always easy, yet it offers a wonderful way to touch and improve so many lives. I will meet any new challenges with the same focus on bold long-term solutions and a collaborative spirit I bring to our county government.
For more information, you can check out my website JeanneMcqueeney.com. give me a call or stop by for a visit.
Jeanne McQueeney is an incumbent Eagle County commissioner who is seeking reelection in November.