My family has been visiting Steamboat regularly since the 1980s and planted roots in the Whistler Park neighborhood in 2012. Now, I hope to make an even greater commitment to this community by serving you on City Council.
After retiring last year from a career in high-tech, I now spend my time pedaling local singletrack, cheering on my high schooler as he competes on skis and mountain bikes, and dedicating hours to local decision-making, particularly around issues involving the Yampa River watershed and adjacent development. Participating in that process as an informed citizen made me wish for greater transparency in our local government. And so, with my City Council bid, I’m stepping forward to offer exactly that.
Some political candidates disguise their true platform while campaigning in an attempt to win votes — but that’s not me. I’m upfront about my position and what I hope to achieve for Steamboat Springs as City Councilman. Looking decades into the future, I believe we have a boatload of work to do to make sure that this remains a livable community in 20 years and beyond. That includes:
Upgrading transportation networks. I’d coordinate with CDOT, Routt County and state representatives to enact immediate improvements to U.S. Highway 40 that would improve that corridor for current and future needs. I’d also foster emerging plans for regional rail that would connect Craig, Hayden, Steamboat and Oak Creek.
Our nearby coal-fired power plants are expected to close by 2028, and feasibility studies have already begun to explore scenarios that would repurpose those rails from coal delivery to passenger service. Exploiting those opportunities will benefit residents across the region by managing traffic and expanding commuters’ options.
Enacting the Climate Action Plan. Adopted by City Council in July 2021, the CAP outlines a path for achieving a 74% reduction in municipal greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 — but only if it’s actually implemented. I support the creation of a working group that will thoughtfully turn the CAP recommendations into city policy.
Creating attainable housing. This community’s lack of worker housing has reached crisis proportions, and will only grow worse unless we seize the opportunity to create Brown Ranch. No, it’s not a magic wand, because there is no perfect solution to the problem that’s strangling our resort community and so many others. But the Brown Ranch proposal is a very good one, and it promises to make a real difference in our ability to attract and retain teachers, public safety officers, veterinary technicians, dental hygienists — the list goes on. Assuming that the community agrees to postpone development of that area’s parks, Phase 1 of the Brown Ranch development is already fully funded — but only if we act now and take advantage of grants offered by the state and other outside entities.
Supporting in-fill housing. Every roof counts. I will initiate a project to make residential development of ADUs (caretaker units) more streamlined.
Establishing a residential transfer tax. Steamboat Springs needs more sources of tax revenue to fund their infrastructure needs. Most other Colorado resort towns have achieved this by implementing a real estate transfer tax. We also need to develop a residential transfer tax, and by doing so, we alleviate the need for property taxes. Working with our state representatives, Steamboat Springs can modify TABOR to enact a 1% real estate transfer fee (which would have generated $14 million last year, representing a 10% increase to the city’s annual budget).
Improving transparency. I will restart the monthly Coffee with Council sessions to provide an open-table discussion forum that is open and available to the community.
These agenda items can be performed in parallel, and are described in greater detail on my website, JohnAgosta.com. Some ideas will take years to come to fruition, but our future is worth the effort — and we need action today. Serving on City Council is a big job, but I’m eager to devote the time and the passion required to represent this community and help ready our systems for future decades of success.
John Agosta is running for the at-large seat on Steamboat Springs City Council.
