This event was recorded on February 18, 2025, at Explore Booksellers, in partnership with Aspen Public Radio.
Referendums #1 and #2 will be decided in the March 4 municipal election. The dueling questions were both placed on the ballot via the citizen initiative process as pressure grows to address the aging Castle Creek bridge that carries Highway 82 as it enters town. Referendum 1 would raise the threshold for voter approval from a simple majority to 60% to change the use of a city park or open space, including a portion of the Marolt Thomas Open Space that has been identified for a potential new highway alignment and bridge. Referendum 2, conversely, grants the state highway department the authority to use the open space for a new bridge and roadway that would bypass the “S-curves”.
Aspen Journalism Executive Director Curtis Wackerle moderates a community forum, with Terry Paulson & Neil Siegel representing the group in favor of Referendum 1 and Mike Maple & Rachel Richards speaking on behalf of Referendum 2.