Boulder Weekly sent candidate questionnaires to all candidates on Boulder County ballots. These are their written responses, edited for length and clarity. Read more Election 2024 content.
Emily Baer
EmilyforErie.com
Relevant experience
Erie Town Council Member, 2022-present
Joined neighbors to help re write Erie’s Chapter 12 Oil and Gas Regulations after the passage of SB19-181
Priorities
- Continue to lead with compassion and connection in the community. I commit to continuing to arrive at decision making tables, amplifying the lived experience of residents.
- Continue to advocate for road safety improvements for all users, connectivity and access, including improvements to CO7 and Hwy 287. I’m very excited for the launch of Erie’s On-demand Flex Ride service early next year. As well as continued opportunities for trail connectivity and improvements across Erie and into neighboring jurisdictions.
- Youth Council! I have advocated for a Youth Council and helped to move that through the planning process. I’m excited to hold space for our upcoming leaders and ensure they have a voice for Erie’s future.
What are you most proud of from your most recent term?
I am proud to see the respect and influence Erie has earned in recent years at regional, state and federal tables. The Town of Erie has talented staff, well-respected in the region who are experts in their fields. It has been an honor to join them at decision making tables as we work through local and regional issues and advocate for funding that focuses on Erie’s priorities from land use, transportation planning, open space and trail dedication, water infrastructure, oil and gas regulations, sustainability efforts and more.
Lightning round
Do you support local efforts to increase the minimum wage? No
Do you support government interventions for human-caused climate change? Yes
Do you support Erie joining RTD? Yes. RTD has great programs like Free Fare for Youth, Free Fare to Vote, Reduced costs for seniors, Free Fare for Better Air. These services highlight the disparity faced by underserved communities. Erie has one of the only high schools in the district that is not served by RTD, and that is because of our patchwork of service. Having the whole town opted into RTD service will allow more equitable access to service and allow the town to qualify for grants and services we can’t otherwise. ‘
Do you support allowing recreational marijuana sales in Erie? Yes, if voters decide to have marijuana sales in Erie.
Do you support more diversity of housing in Erie (townhomes, apartments, efficiency units, etc.)? Yes.
The population that most benefits from planning that includes diverse housing types and density is our older homeowners. Density is an important component for keeping Erie affordable for all of us. It is important to address our housing gaps.
Do you support the development of the Draco Pad? NO. This application highlights the shortfalls in the state’s protections for people living with oil and gas development nearby. We fought hard for the 2000-foot setback, but with emerging technology that makes five-mile laterals possible through dozens of plugged and abandoned wells, it is clear we need to have new standards and considerations for public safety.
Do you support SB24-157, which narrowed the definition of what constitutes a public meeting? No. I honestly didn’t follow this bill this session. It only applies to state legislators. I think transparency is important in government and in any decisions that affect populations of people.
When was the last time you paid rent? How much was it? And where?
The last time my family paid rent was prior to 2003. We rented a small home in Louisville. Rent was $1,300/month.
Long-form questions
What would you say are the top three issues facing Erie, and what are your plans to address them?
An important issue for Erie to tackle is the completion of our Comprehensive Plan Update and our Transportation Mobility Plan Update. These are way overdue. They are the visionary plans for the town that help lead us with intention to a sustainable future. Maintaining Erie’s small-town charm is an important part of the vision for the future.
That future has to include thoughtful provisions for affordable housing. Erie is missing housing options for our essential workers. Highplains Librarians, Mountain View Firefighters and EMT’s, Erie Police Officers, and St. Vrain Valley School District Teachers all have annual incomes lower than what it takes to live comfortably in our community. With careful planning, we can support our essential workers and ensure our housing options are diverse. Erie’s Housing Needs Assessment, completed in 2023, shows that our 65+ population could triple between 2020 and 2040. Older residents benefit the most from diverse housing types and higher densities. It is essential that we plan for future community needs, while also being intentional about maintaining affordability for current residents. Density is an important component in maintaining affordability by dispersing costs to upkeep our water infrastructure and keep our roads in good repair.
I have spent a lot of my time on council working with staff at regional, state and federal tables on Transit and Transportation planning as we address traffic corridors while also prioritizing the safety and comfort of pedestrians and those who use other modes of transportation. These are important endeavors that should continue.
There are several rulemakings and conversations that are happening at the state level that impact Erie residents. From the Cumulative Impacts rulemaking, the application for the Draco Pad just outside Erie town boundaries with intentions to drill under the length of town, to grant opportunities for projects addressing health and safety and sustainability. I have been involved in a lot of these conversations. It’s imperative that Erie continues to have a seat at the table to advocate for our community.
As a town council member, what tools at your disposal would you use to protect residents from the impact of oil and gas operations, both existing and future?
In 2019, I advocated for the passage of SB19-181 at the legislature. After it passed, I joined neighbors, staff and then-elected officials as we re-wrote Erie’s UDC Chapter 12, oil and gas regulations, applying the authority the new law afforded local governments.
Since then, I have stayed plugged in at the state level as the ECMC has undertaken rule makings, shifting their priorities from fostering oil and gas development to their mandate to protect public health, safety, welfare and the environment. The work to protect people from the impacts of oil and gas operations did not end with the passage of SB19-181. In fact, we’ve seen recently how important it is to continue to show up and amplify the lived experience of impacted people at the ECMC. The Cumulative Impacts rulemaking is happening now.
While local governments, including Erie, have advocated for rules that prioritize health and safety, the industry has made suggestions to roll back protections put in place after SB 181 — protections like the 2,000-foot setback that we have relied on to prevent neighborhood drilling and protect residents, as recently as with the Coyote Trails application.
It is imperative that elected officials continue to show up and hold our regulatory authorities to their mandate. I am committed to doing just that.
Do you believe there is a need for more affordable housing in Erie? If so, what is your plan to make it happen?
Erie’s Housing Needs Assessment, completed in 2023, shows that our affordable housing stock stands at 1.3%. Erie’s housing cost conundrum is exacerbated by our development history, which catered mostly to private developers who were responding to market demand and only building single family homes at the highest prices. The result is that 88% of our housing stock is single family homes.
This historical lack of foresight has left us with serious affordability gaps. We are missing housing options for our essential workers; librarians, MVFD Firefighters, EMTs, SVVSD teachers, EPD officers. In 2020, 1 in 4 Erie households were estimated to be housing cost burdened. We can expect that number to rise given the latest property tax and insurance cost increases. It is estimated that Erie’s 65+ population could triple between 2020 and 2040. Older homeowners are the population that benefit the most from planning for diverse housing types and density.
With careful planning, we can meet the current and future needs of our community by leveraging tools that have been neglected or were not an option in years past. We can ensure our Comprehensive Plan recognizes the importance of density to keep Erie affordable for all of us by dispersing the cost of infrastructure maintenance. It should identify corridors where density makes sense. Ensuring our UDC and zoning are in agreement with our vision for the future, and developing an Inclusionary Housing Ordinance and Affordable Housing requirement for new development, are important to have in our tool box. The town has positioned itself to be able to benefit from available state and federal grants and funding, using ARPA dollars to purchase land, and DOLA grants to conduct our Housing Needs Assessment to gain understanding, foresight and innovation.
How do justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI) factor into your policy making?
Justice, equity, diversity and inclusion are the foundation of every discussion and decision I engage in this role. In fact, I keep a copy of the GARE Equity Toolkit taped in the back of my town notebook and often refer to it during meetings. I am proud of the town’s intentions to center equity in everything we do from the hiring process to parks design to our BIPOC history initiative and business incubator. I have taken advantage of the many DEI trainings offered through the town and have learned so much.
What efforts do you make in your daily life to consider and understand people with different lived experiences from your own?
I think this is a natural part of representing a large, diverse group of people. I rely on hearing from folks to understand their perspective and lived experience and to hold me to a standard of recognizing how decisions we make may affect people. I have made it a priority to show up in the community, having conversations, meeting for coffee, and connecting. I volunteer most weeks with our senior lunch. They are really great at helping me shift my perspective.
When’s the last time you changed your mind about something, and what was it?
I love this question. Probably the last time I changed my mind was last week when I decided to try a sparkling water I thought I didn’t like. On the second try, I realized I did in fact like it.
But a time I changed my mind about something important was several years ago. I was uninformed and believing the fear-narrative that often accompanies the discussion around affordable housing and density, not recognizing that way of thinking is rooted in bias. When my daughters were approaching college graduation and the reality of living on their own became imminent, I began to do my own research and look for real data on what affordable housing actually is and how it serves to be a landing as well as a launch pad and how important it is for creating welcoming inclusive communities.
What question would you ask a fellow candidate on the ballot?
What is the guidepost for your leadership as you make decisions?
Mine is: “In order to innovate, solve problems, and serve people, we have to be vigilant about creating a culture in which people feel seen, heard, safe, and respected.” — Dr Brene Brown