Don Rosenthal for EPRD Board
Don Rosenthal for EPRD Board
Who am I?
Don Rosenthal is an avid user of EPRD facilities (fitness, pickleball, swimming) and is an active hiker and skier. Before retiring from the corporate world in 2015, he led financial risk modeling for two large companies: Freddie Mac in the Washington D.C. area and State Street Bank in Boston. Prior to working in finance, he worked with the Federal government in Colorado and Washington D.C. on a variety of issues related to natural resource and energy economics. Don and his wife have lived in Evergreen part time since 2012 and full time since 2015. They also lived in Colorado in the 70s and 80s, and their two children were born in Fort Collins. Don has a Ph.D. in economics from Colorado State University.
Why am I running?
Good management of EPRD is vital to maintaining and enhancing the quality of life in Evergreen. It requires executing successfully on a day-to-day basis (for example, the rec centers are clean and the equipment operates) and balancing requests for new projects with available funds. I've worked in both the public sector (15 years) and the private sector (20+ years) and learned that most organizations have visions for new projects whose costs exceed their budget. If elected, I will use cost-benefit analysis as a framework for intelligently selecting new capital improvement projects as well as reviewing the efficiency of EPRD's day-to-day operations. Economics is not the only lens through which to view EPRD decisions, but it is an important one that must be weighed alongside other factors. I am running because I want EPRD to continue to succeed and I have the time, energy, and experience to contribute to that success.
Fiscal responsibility. EPRD needs to live within its means. Reserving for large capital improvements has been inadequate and this needs to change. For example, the reserves to repair the Wulf pool are insufficient. The 2018 Bond Initiative asked for too much and was narrowly defeated (see below for more info). To be approved by voters, any new bond initiative should be scaled back relative to what was asked for in 2018. Budget, pricing, and borrowing decisions need to take a long-run view. Priority should be focused on properly maintaining what we already have before undertaking major new construction projects, e.g., building new aquatics facilities.
Effective partnerships. Maintaining existing partnerships and building new ones are vital to EPRD's continued success. Many EPRD facilities are on land owned and/or controlled by other entities. For example, decisions about what to do at the Lake House and its access involve the City and County of Denver, Evergreen Metropolitan District, and CDOT. This year we missed a skating season because the new bridge was constructed late. Effective partnerships help ensure that projects involving multiple entities are successful. Partnerships are also important for securing needed grant monies that are a vital part of EPRD's budget.
Innovation. New challenges will always present themselves and a key role of the Board is to provide an atmosphere where innovation is encouraged. For example, when the rec centers re-open, it may be necessary to control the number of people using the facility at the same time. Leveraging an online scheduling system and mobile apps could keep our users informed of available capacity on a near real-time basis.
Develop new land acquired at the intersection of Highway 73 & Malamute Drive. EPRD recently acquired a 2-acre parcel of level land just off Highway 73. This is an excellent candidate for development into pickleball courts. This would provide services to the southern end of the district and address the rapidly growing popularity of pickleball. From a cost-benefit perspective, pickleball courts are desirable because they are inexpensive to build, are heavily used, and take up much less space per user than most other outdoor sports.
Ensure Evergreen Lake is Open for Boating in 2020. EPRD plans to open the lake for boating in 2020. However, because of the risks from aquatic nuisance species (ANS) and the lake's role as Evergreen's drinking water supply, getting the lake opened requires the cooperation of EPRD, the Evergreen Metropolitan District, and the City and County of Denver. We know from the delays in getting the bridge to the Lake House repaired this winter, that such cooperation cannot be taken for granted. As a Board member, I would actively involve myself in this issue to ensure the lake opens for boating on timely basis and stays open throughout the season.
Develop a Plan for Using the Land in Buchanan Park. EPRD purchased 2.2 acres of private land adjacent to its existing Buchanan Park holdings in 2019 for $850,000. From discussions with EPRD officials, it is clear there is not a consensus on how to use this new land and, more fundamentally, EPRD's Buchanan Park holdings as a whole. The last comprehensive Master Plan for EPRD was done in 2015. Rather than reworking the entire Master Plan, EPRD should focus on what to do in Buchanan Park.
EPRD has not adequately set up reserve accounts to ensure the long-term viability of its assets.
For example, in 2017 there was no reserve fund for repairing the 47-year-old pool at Wulf, and repairs were then estimated at $900,000. Currently, a newly formed reserve has just $200,000, yet the repair costs now likely exceed $1 million. Reserves for all significant capital assets need to be established and properly funded.
From public information it is difficult to assess the true financial situation of EPRD. For example, its annual reports focus on "operating" revenues and expenses, but leave unaddressed vital topics such as outstanding debt ($5.4 million at the end of 2019), debt servicing costs and related revenues, and reserve balances.
The allocation of costs to programs is inadequate. Many costs are not allocated and, as a result, the cost-recovery factors for different programs are unclear. This needs correcting. See the 2020 Budget page from the main menu on this site for a revenue/cost comparison by program from the 2020 budget.
The 2018 EPRD bond initiative was narrowly rejected by the voters.
By asking for a 2 mill levy increase for EPRD (the current mill levy for EPRD is 6.9) and authorization to issue a $24 million bond, the initiative, if approved, would have increased EPRD tax revenues by about 50 to 70%.
The initiative defeat showed voters did not want to spend that much to improve EPRD facilities.
Given the lack of adequate budget reserves in the past (see "Budgeting needs improvement"), it is likely that a scaled-back bond initiative is needed and should be put to a vote.
As a starting point, reducing the size of the bond initiative to roughly one-half of the 2018 request is a good starting point from which to begin sizing a new initiative that would have more support.
As I indicated in the "Why am I running section," I advocate the use of cost-benefit analysis to decide which programs to eliminate from the 2018 initiative.
The dog park off of Stagecoach Drive was managed by Jefferson County on land not owned by EPRD.
Nevertheless, I am commenting on this issue because it is of importance to the community and it illustrates how I would address recreational issues if I were on the EPRD Board.
The decision by Jefferson County to 100% close the dog park without opening another park was WRONG!
The overwhelming popularity of the dog park was evidence of its value to the community. Despite this obvious value, the park was closed.
Better solutions than full closure were available such as limiting use through permits and/or fees. Also, Jefferson County should have opened new dogs parks to alleviate overuse or completely re-direct use away from the Stagecoach park.
If elected to the EPRD Board, I would support working with Jefferson County or other agencies or organizations to establish one or more dog parks in the Evergreen area. I am open to different roles for EPRD, including using an intergovernmental agreement to allow EPRD to manage a dog park on land owned by Jefferson County.
Questions or comments? Feel free to write me at donald.rosenthal@gmail.com and I will reply.