Karl Ayers

Why am I running for town board?

I want to continue to help and serve my community. I have many ideas, but more importantly, my strength lies in my ability to ask good questions. I moved to this town because it has a unique character and because it feels more like a community than some of our neighbors. As a newer resident, I don’t have entrenched opinions about the decisions that will come before the board. I want the town to continue to move forward with long-term goals in mind instead of reactionary decisions. I think I can provide a neutral voice in discussions and can represent a wide range of Berthoud citizens because I want to represent the town as a whole not one demographic or special interest over another.

Top three issues facing the town:

Obviously, growth is one of the major issues facing the town. The board and town staff have done a great job so far providing strict guidelines for that growth, for example, with the Co

Karl Ayres

mprehensive Plan and Mountain Avenue Corridor. I want to continue to find ways to hold new development to guidelines that serve the interest of the town while also seeking out ways to improve them.

As the town grows, it is important to make sure that the infrastructure keeps up with that growth. Small towns need good bike/pedestrian avenues so that citizens feel safe walking and biking around town. As we move forward, smart water use should continue to be a priority and utility infrastructure must be a focus.

Affordable housing needs to be accessible. This will increase the ability for citizens to live a small-town life, rather than merely to maintain the appearance of a small town. Diversity is important, as are young families. We exclude these demographics if there is no access to affordable housing.

What would you like Berthoud to look like in 10 years?

In 10 years, I want Berthoud to remain a separate entity on the Front Range, a destination, not simply a bedroom community. I would like there to be an increase in support for the arts and enough commercial strength to at least support the needs of the community. What I don’t want is for us to get lost in the sprawl of the surrounding communities. Our agricultural heritage is important, and I want that to continue to be visible as commuters drive along the I-25 and Highway 287 corridors and to the residents of our town.

Sean Murphy

Why are you running for town board?

Sean Murphy

I am running to make this town a better place for my family and neighbors. I am running because I believe we need pragmatic, experienced leadership that will work cooperatively to address Berthoud’s biggest issues. If elected, I promise to listen to the needs of and amplify the voices of our citizens. I will bring my expertise and hard work to bear for the benefit of our community. It has been my honor to serve on the Berthoud Planning Commission for the past 3 ½ years and I would be humbled to take on the role of trustee. I believe we have made great strides towards a bright future for Berthoud, and we’ll continue to do better with your voice and involvement.

Top 3 issues facing the town?

I believe managing growth is our central challenge. Growth can be beneficial but can also diminish public safety and force higher costs of living. We need to control growth on the front end using our 2021 Comprehensive Plan, by improving our development code, accepting citizen input and demanding more of developers that want to build here. We must move quickly to preserve critical open space and transit corridors. We need to anticipate and counteract the detrimental effects that growth will have on the safety of our streets and our community. Lastly, we need town governance that uses our tax dollars efficiently and responsibly to maintain our high standard of living while easing financial burdens on our residents. With 15 years of experience in public lands, architecture, and planning I will seek answers that always prioritize residents and local businesses first.

What would you like Berthoud to look like in 10 years?

In the next ten years, whether I serve or not, I will work to bring our community closer together and to get more folks involved. I want Berthoud to preserve its historic places, open spaces and its small-town character. I want more amenities and safety for our residents. I want the limited development that does occur to have the highest architectural standards while remaining affordable. We all love this town for what it was, what it is and what it still can be. I want our town to be the envy of Colorado and that requires all of us working together to make that future a reality.

Additional information can be found at murphyforberthoud.com

Tim Hardy

Why are you running for town board?

I am a Berthoud native who cares about the history and future of the community. I want to contribute and give back to my hometown by serving on the board.

Tim Hardy

Top 3 issues facing the town

Growth

Preservation of open space/farmland/environment

Maintaining the quality of life

What would you like Berthoud to look like in 10 years?

I would like to see a town where we all still have a sense of community. A place where we can live, work, play, shop and recreate locally. An inclusive community where affordable housing options are available and small businesses can be started and sustained by local community support.

Ryan Berry

1. It is important to contribute to our community in ways that we feel can make a positive impact. I believe that my experience as a business leader, community volunteer and communicator can serve Berthoud and help build a board that is focused on the long-term health of the community that actively engages the citizens of this town. Working together is key to positive development, and I feel that how well the board works with one another and with the people of the town is reflected in the quality of the decisions made.
2. 1. Growth is certainly a major concern to me, particularly Berthoud’s capacity to handle internal growth as well as the external growth from surrounding communities. It is important that we have a strong plan in place that is not simply growth for the sake of growth but directed to build an image for Berthoud that we can be proud of.
   2. A community is only as strong as its foundation. While we’ve seen many projects lately to add decoration or amenities to the town, I feel we cannot lose sight of core nee
      

      Ryan Berry

      ds. There are many areas of town that need attention. An example would be the sidewalks in some of the older areas of Berthoud that have heaved to the point that they have become dangerous to walk on, particularly during the winter. I would like to see more effort in improving our core infrastructure – sidewalks, roads, water, etc. — to ensure our foundation is sufficient to meet our current and growing needs before we find ourselves trying to play catch up later.

   3. Our main thoroughfare on Mountain and immediately surrounding streets have been the core of Berthoud that has supported this town for generations. I wish to work together with our small businesses to find more ways to support these businesses and beautify our main street in town. Berthoud is a town that should be focused on the community that we love – I do not wish to lose sight of that.
3. I would like to see Berthoud grow into a thriving community that keeps the charm of what has drawn so many of us to live here. I’m proud to live in a town where people know one another and help anyone who needs something. The small-town feel is really a core of what drew so many of us to Berthoud and cannot be forgotten. However, the fact is that the front range area is growing, and Berthoud will ultimately grow with it, so it is important to have a strong plan in place now that helps prevent issues like suburban sprawl and traffic congestion if we are to keep that feeling alive.

Alex Johnson

Why are you running for the town board?

A Board of Trustees can be defined as a group of people entrusted with the growth and development of a community. I make it my personal mission to connect with as many in the community as possible, giving me a unique opportunity to hear a diverse range of voices and opinions. I’ve noticed a theme in the conversations that turn to the state of our town, a thread of dissatisfaction within the community. Love of community is languishing because our citizens don’t feel heard or valued. I’m running for the Town Board because I love this community and I want that passion to spread throughout this town. I want to ignite hope and dreams for our community and help pave a path through the growth and expansion our community is experiencing that allows us to hold close our traditions and values while also intelligently handling the current community needs and planning for future needs.

Alex Johnson

Top 3 issues facing the town?
Berthoud has three issues facing it currently, growth, growth and growth. Our town is expected to double in size in the next 10 years. That brings up infrastructure growth. From maintaining current infrastructure by fixing sidewalks and roads in town to planning infrastructure for the future. This is a struggle that we see in a lot of our neighboring communities. Severance, for example, had to pause new residential construction because they do not have enough water taps. This brings up outside growth. We do not want our town to be boxed in while the communities around us grow. Growth is going to happen whether we want it to or not, but we need to plan for the upcoming years and decades to maintain the small town that we know and love, without losing it to other cities. Lastly, financial growth, we need to be able to have solid plans on how to maintain and increase town funding as we grow. There are resources and bonds that need to be used in an effective manner to promote smart growth and we need to promote new industries to bring in new cash flow for years to come. There are many reasons why each of us has chosen to make Berthoud our home, and we have the ability to keep Berthoud the place to live and grow.

What would you like Berthoud to look like in 10 years?

In ten years, Berthoud will be home to 20,000 people. It’s no longer the small town we know and love today, but the charm and community we love are alive and still flowing through the community. Our neighbors are friends, the type you head to a local brewery with after work and cheer with during a youth soccer game. TPC Colorado is hosting PGA tournaments, putting our small town on the national stage. With that, downtown is vibrant with new business, expanding our economic reach beyond Berthoud and into Northern Colorado. Our traditions have grown stronger over the past ten years and we’re excited to be sharing them with more people. Berthoud is one of the best places to live and raise a family, but we’re still trying to keep that a little quiet so the growth is manageable. Through great leadership that embraces the diverse voices and needs of the community, Berthoud has grown to be a place that easily accommodates a well-rounded industry and has become a place that benefits all.