Candidate: Ethan Augreen
Office: Longmont Mayor
Website: ethanforlongmont.com
Questions for Candidates
Yes/No Questions – Please answer only with yes/no.
Are you a homeowner? No.
Do you think your City should have a homeless shelter? Yes.
If the City police force was fully staffed, would you advocate for adding more officers? No.
Do you believe there’s a need for more housing? Yes.
Do you believe the City should spend more money on homelessness services? Yes.
General Questions – Please limit responses to 300 words or less.
Why do you want to be mayor?
I have always had a passion for community service. I’m running for mayor because I know I can make a positive impact on the lives of Longmont’s residents and turn our city in a better direction. Because I see poor decisions being made by current leaders that endanger our well-being, my decision to run for mayor is driven by a strong sense of responsibility and a vision for a more hopeful, peaceful, unified, innovative, free, abundant and prosperous future for our city.
First and foremost, I am committed to fostering a sense of unity, excellence, and collaboration. Our city is a diverse and vibrant place, and I want to ensure every community member feels heard and valued by our city government.
We may not always agree about everything, but I believe effective leadership is about listening to the concerns, hopes, and aspirations of community members and working together to address them. The mayor must bring people together and find common ground, not stoke division based on residency status or political partisanship.
Longmont faces critical challenges, including energy security, affordable housing, and precarious economic conditions. These challenges require new innovative solutions and forward-thinking leadership.
With my strong background in environmental leadership and sustainability, I am ideally equipped to lead Longmont towards a more life-affirming, regenerative and resilient future. I am committed to building climate resilience through rational cost-efficient, evidence-based, wealth-building policies, not reactionary crackdown on free enterprise.
Essentially, I want to be mayor because I believe in the strength and potential of Longmont. I am driven by a sincere desire to serve our community, address critical issues, and lead with integrity, transparency, and respect for liberty. Working together, we’ll create a brighter future for Longmont, where individuals can thrive and enjoy the benefits of freedom and prosperity for all.
When was the last time you paid rent, and where was that?
The last time I paid rent was during the time I was pursuing a master’s degree in environmental leadership and living in Boulder in 2016 and 2017. It was hard to find affordable housing and I settled for a series of 5 or 6 short-term 2-month sublets. Moving around so frequently was quite exhausting and distracted me from graduate school studies.
I ended up taking a leave of absence and moved in with, and paid rent to, a friend in Fort Collins when my last Boulder sublet ended and I could not find another place to rent affordably in Boulder. I then enrolled back in grad school in 2018 by commuting to Boulder from Longmont, where I’ve been fortunate to be engaged as the caretaker a small vacation property owned by family and not have to pay rent.
I empathize very much with residents who struggle to pay rising rent costs. While I do not believe rent control is a viable solution, nor do we even have that option locally at the municipal level unless state law changes, I do believe my plan to bring a modular home-building factory to Longmont, as discussed more below, is a ground-breaking idea to promote more affordable home ownership.
When considering new developments, which is more important: density and affordability or preserving neighborhood character?
Listening to the interests and concerns of current residents is the most important priority in the consideration of new developments. However, the two objectives should not be viewed as incompatible.
This is a nuanced and context-dependent issue. While there is no one-size-fits-all answer, wise and balanced leadership recognizes that the question of whether to prioritize density and affordability or preserving neighborhood character is not an either/or proposition. Rather, it’s a complex balancing act that requires careful consideration of various factors and active involvement of the community.
Preserving neighborhood character is undoubtedly important. Communities have unique identities and histories that are worth protecting. However, it’s crucial to understand that neighborhood character isn’t frozen in time; it evolves. While historic preservation is vital, it should not come at the cost of excluding newcomers or making housing unaffordable for residents.
Density and affordability are also essential aspects of responsible urban development. They contribute to vibrant and economically sustainable communities. Ensuring that people from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds can afford to live in a neighborhood enriches its character rather than diminishing it. Density can also promote sustainability by reducing urban sprawl, encouraging public transportation, and minimizing the environmental impact of construction.
Leaders should also consider the specific circumstances of each neighborhood. What works for one community might not work for another. Flexibility in zoning and development regulations can allow for tailored approaches that respect the character of each neighborhood while addressing the pressing issue of affordability.
The key to successful leadership in this context is community input and engagement. Listening to the concerns and aspirations of current residents is crucial. Inclusive dialogue can lead to innovative solutions that strike a balance between these seemingly competing priorities. I do believe conservation easements should be protected and I’m committed to putting community input first.
Boulder County has experienced extreme natural disasters over the last decade, including flooding and wildfire. How do you plan to address these challenges?
Tragically and unknown to many, the City of Longmont is currently allowing thousands of acres of beautiful forest located in the headwaters above our Button Rock reservoir to be clear-cut by industrial-scale logging in the name of wildfire prevention, counter-productively increasing the risk of dangerous flooding and damage to our water quality from sedimentation.
That is the wrong approach. I will bring common sense and ecological wisdom back to the forefront of decision-making. We need to engage in prevention and preparedness for both wildfire and flooding, with the #1 priority of protecting our pristine headwaters in order to ensure the continuation of Longmont’s great water quality and supply.
First and foremost, we need a comprehensive and proactive strategy that combines disaster preparedness, rapid response and mitigation with community education and resilience. To help achieve this, I plan to establish a new Climate Resilience Commission, replacing the City’s defunct Climate Action Task Force, which has not convened a meeting since 2020.
The Climate Resilience Commission will bring together a wide range of experts and professionals dedicated to addressing risks posed by extreme natural disasters and other climate challenges. By convening a diverse cohort of individuals with the specific knowledge and practical experience necessary to tackle these issues, plus engaging in community education and outreach, I am confident we can develop effective strategies for disaster prevention, response, and resilience.
Crucially, we must recognize that climate systems are highly complex and inherently unpredictable. Rather than relying on the foolhardy notion that humans can control the climate through technocratic measures like geoengineering or wasting millions on unproven technology, we need to embrace a more intelligent and precautionary approach. Climate policy must be rooted in wisdom and common sense, acknowledging the limits of our ability to manipulate the weather or climate.
How do you think you stand out from other candidates?
I am certainly the only pro-freedom sustainability expert among the candidates. I am the only one who stands unequivocally for freedom of speech and will always fight to protect and defend the individual liberties and constitutional rights we enjoy as United States citizens.
I’m the only candidate campaigning to repeal Longmont’s regressive local tax on groceries. Everyone needs food to live and low-income families must spend more of their budget on food. Repealing the food tax would help families put more food on the table and address food price inflation. I also plan to bring a quality discount grocery store to Longmont.
Joan Peck promised ethics reform to address corruption and ethical misconduct afflicting City government but has completely failed to follow through. I will shine a light of transparency on and spare no effort to expose and root out any corruption, including filing complaints for Colorado’s Independent Ethics Commission to investigate if necessary.
Between the Mayor’s Office and City Council, Longmont currently does not have anyone who brings deep knowledge and real-world experience on environmental issues, leading to poor decision-making that is doing real harm to our environment and wasting taxpayer funds on costly, misguided initiatives like the $14 million “smart meter” corporate giveaway boondoggle to a company that the Councilmember leading this project previously worked for – without disclosing that apparent conflict of interest, potentially an illegal act.
I am the only candidate pledging to refocus the City’s environmental priorities by bringing cost-effective, common sense, responsible nature-based and regenerative solutions to the forefront, such as planting more trees and supporting regenerative agriculture, and withdrawing Longmont from our current participation in the global “Smart Cities Connect” consortium pushing techno-authoritarian pseudo-science.
Finally, I’m the only candidate who is truly non-partisan and independent from corrupt establishment party politics.
What question would you ask a fellow candidate on the ballot?
In light of a report I’ve seen where Joan Peck admits in private conversation that the City is not on target to achieve 100% carbon-free electricity by 2030, I would ask her a multi-part question about the progress and feasibility of Longmont’s “Zero Carbon” agenda:
Mayor Peck, why are you gaslighting on Longmont’s renewable energy transformation, insisting in public that everything is going fabulously while acknowledging in private the opposite is true? Five years after the City officially adopted this extremely ambitious goal, why has so little measurable progress been made?
Given the fact that Longmont City Council unanimously approved the Colorado Communities for Climate Action policy update in April 2023, including the strategy “to maximize deployment of local clean energy,” why is virtually nothing being done to scale up production and distribution of clean energy within city limits?
Mayor Peck, as a member of Platte River Power Authority’s board of directors, are you totally asleep on the job or have you done anything at all to hold PRPA accountable for its role implementing the 100% carbon-free electricity transition? What sense does it make to effectively give PRPA a blank check in the form of a 7% rate increase, which you support, when PRPA still has not presented any semblance of a realistic plan to reach the 100% renewable electricity by 2030 target?
If the City of Longmont and PRPA don’t get their act together, what’s going to happen in 2030 when our region’s coal-fired power plants shut down and electricity supply is no longer sufficient to meet demand? Are you happy with the skyrocketing electricity rates and power blackouts that will crush our economy, Mayor Peck, or do you have any clue how to prevent this avoidable catastrophe with a comprehensive wealth-building plan to preserve energy security like mine?
What are your solutions for the growing population of people experiencing homelessness?
First, I’d put an end to terrible government policies that promote homelessness. Locking down the economy and driving people out of work over a poorly understood health scare, for example, was a calamitous mistake we’re still suffering serious consequences from. Never again!
I answer “yes” to spending more money on homelessness services solely on the assumption it will be spent wisely and strategically, but throwing money around haphazardly is not the answer and I don’t believe there is a one-size-fits-all solution.
Each person experiencing homelessness is a unique case. I would have the City employ a dedicated team of mental health and social work professionals whose job is proactively getting to know unhoused people individually and identifying solutions on a case-by-case basis to support folks getting off the streets, whether it’s assistance finding employment, addiction treatment, access to wraparound services provided by local nonprofits, etc.
And while I don’t support criminalizing homelessness, we must simultaneously draw a line that homelessness cannot be tolerated as an excuse for perpetrating crime, which is reportedly a destructive pattern we are seeing in law enforcement.
Local youth, who recently answered a City survey on the needs of Longmont’s young people, said opening a youth homeless shelter is the #1 priority – feedback I take seriously.
I will be super focused on bringing more good jobs to Longmont, breathing life back into Main Street, eliminating vacant storefronts, and doing the mayor’s part to ensure every homeless person who’s able to work has opportunity to be gainfully employed.
Finally, I oppose bringing a train up from Denver now during the current homelessness emergency because, honestly, the train will inevitably be another conduit facilitating more homeless people, drugs, and criminal activity moving to Longmont. Let’s focus on solving the problem we already have, not make it much worse!
What’s your plan for creating more affordable housing in Longmont?
The single largest barrier to affordable housing is the soaring cost of housing construction. My plan to open a modular housing factory in Longmont is the singular breakthrough strategy we need to achieve huge progress in housing affordability.
I envision Longmont’s new modular housing factory will create lots of good-paying jobs and facilitate the construction of hundreds of affordable homes every year, which will help address housing needs not just locally but also on a regional scale.
The City can utilize tax and business development incentives to attract an experienced modular homebuilder to open a new factory in Longmont, and I’ve already talked with one well-established national company interested in moving here.
Modular homes are equal or superior in quality to conventional homes and can be built much more efficiently while integrating state-of-the-art green design considerations, while saving tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars per home. Hemp fiber grown on City agricultural open space lands can be used to build modular homes, employing local sustainable resources to create affordable housing. I also envision using a section of the factory for rapid construction of super affordable compact modular homes geared for people experiencing homelessness.
Because they are built indoors in a factory, modular homes can be completed in a matter of a few weeks, as opposed to months. A modular home-building factory in Buena Vista, CO is constructing 2 houses every day. “It’s not whether you like modular or don’t like modular. There is no other option,” says the CEO of that factory.
In fact, Boulder already has plans to open a new modular home-building factory (on a relatively small scale) in 2024. Longmont should take heed and join the modular home-building revolution while also tweaking zoning regulations to allow more creative housing options.
How will you address climate change? How do you plan to meet some of the City’s climate goals?
I will bring nature-based regenerative solutions back to the forefront of Longmont’s climate conversation. Planting 30,000 trees by 2030, for example, is an effective climate action that is ambitious yet achievable. Trees sequester carbon, reduce urban heat, and enhance air quality.
Additionally, let’s harness the potential of greenhouses to grow tree seedlings and food on City open space lands, extending the agricultural growing season and ensuring resilience to weather extremes.
The inconvenient reality of climate systems on planet Earth is they are much more complex and chaotic than pop science caricature would have us believe. When the President is reportedly considering the use of geoengineering to block out the Sun, I fear irrationality is weighing too heavily on policy.
I bring a more balanced perspective. Ecological wisdom should guide our climate policy. We can’t reliably control the weather or climate, as they are inherently nonlinear and unpredictable. Rather than pursuing foolhardy pseudo-solutions like geoengineering, we should focus on responsible policies rooted in prudent science.
I propose a comprehensive, wealth-building plan to mobilize deployment of renewable energy at the local level, which is the key missing link in Longmont’s push to maximize carbon-free electricity. At the same time, we must reevaluate prevailing “Zero Carbon” ideology in light of technological and economic constraints.
I do not believe 100% carbon-free electricity by 2030 is realistic without huge technological breakthroughs and massive investment. Preserving energy security is one of my pillars of climate resilience and essential for emergency response in the face of climate chaos. This is climate realism.
Protecting our watersheds, particularly Button Rock Preserve, should be our top priority. We need a proactive wildfire prevention strategy that does not depend on clear-cutting the forests. I envision convening a Climate Resilience Commission to reassess our climate strategy with a foundation in ecological wisdom.
What are your goals for transportation and how will you achieve them?
It’s time to end the great train robbery. I’ll put a referendum on the ballot ASAP asking voters to repeal the RTD train tax and claw back the money we’ve expended over 2 decades to fund the non-existent train.
Our regional transportation priorities should be linking up daily bus transit to Lyons, Estes Park, and the Carbon Valley (Dacono, Frederick, Firestone). Inside city limits, I would aim to expand our great bus transit to reach all corners of the city, because we still have neighborhoods without existing nearby bus service.
As an avid cyclist, I will increase the connectivity of bike trails across the city and finally complete the long delayed St. Vrain Creek trail, as well as linking up bike paths with more nature and hiking areas.
In addition, I would focus on safety of the transportation sector citywide, including rail and airport safety, which is critical to work on preventatively because we are seeing an increase in transport-related disasters, such as train derailments, across the country. To start, I would add safety-oriented subcommittees to the City’s existing Airport and Transportation Advisory Boards and task them with comprehensively evaluating Longmont’s transportation safety vulnerabilities.
Last but not least, top on the City’s transportation agenda must be ensuring that the roads are safe and in good repair. Although I don’t drive a vehicle personally, I hear constantly from constituents that drivers are mad about potholes and the generally poor condition of many roads. As wear and tear on the roads has increased from Longmont’s growing population, the City must keep up with basic road maintenance, and I’ll put this first alongside enhancing sustainable and alternative transport options.
How do you plan to engage non-English speaking constituents?
Since launching a Spanish “E-Notification Category” in April 2020, the City of Longmont’s engagement with non-English-speaking constituents has barely advanced, and most City communications are still not being translated into Spanish.
First and foremost, I plan to ensure all City news releases, newsletters, emergency alerts, meeting agendas, public information and proclamations are translated into Spanish. I will pass a bill directing Longmont Communications, a division of the City Manager’s office, to create Spanish-language social media channels and a streamlined process for live Spanish translation of City Council meetings.
In the same bill, I will initiate processes for other non-English language communities residing in the city to openly and transparently petition for language translation services, as well as appointing volunteer community liaisons who are fluent in the languages spoken by the largest non-English speaking communities in Longmont.
In addition, I plan to establish a dedicated online Language Access Portal where residents can access essential city information in multiple languages. Personally, I plan to meet and dialogue in person with any non-English speaking community and constituents who request a meeting with the mayor.
How does diversity factor into your policy making?
Protecting and defending liberty, particularly freedom of speech, stands as the paramount pillar in the promotion of diversity within society. While it may seem counterintuitive to some, the intrinsic connection between liberty and diversity becomes evident upon closer examination.
Freedom of speech constitutes the bedrock of any free and diverse society. It provides individuals with the liberty to articulate their thoughts, ideas, and opinions without the fear of censorship or retaliation. This fundamental right empowers individuals, irrespective of their background or identity, to engage in public discourse, challenge prevailing assumptions, and contribute to the vast marketplace of ideas.
In essence, freedom of speech fosters diversity within society. It guarantees that every voice, even those considered unconventional or representing minority viewpoints, can find a platform for expression. This inclusivity contributes to a diverse intellectual landscape, allowing a myriad of perspectives, experiences, and concepts to coexist harmoniously.
Moreover, freedom of speech encourages open and meaningful dialogue. In its absence, society would stifle conversations that are imperative for comprehending different cultures, beliefs, and perspectives. Through the free exchange of ideas, greater cultural awareness, tolerance, and acceptance can be cultivated.
Crucially, liberty empowers marginalized communities, providing them with the means to peacefully voice opposition against discrimination, injustice, and prejudice. Freedom of speech exposes and challenges biased or discriminatory practices, propelling society toward greater equality.
Additionally, freedom of speech is a catalyst for innovation within diverse societies. When individuals are free to innovate and express their creativity, it often leads to breakthroughs across various fields, including science, technology, and the arts.
Liberty is a shield for minority rights. In societies where liberty thrives, minority groups are less susceptible to persecution and discrimination. Liberty’s protection helps in creating a society where diversity is cherished, safeguarding the rights of all its members.
How will you reach residents who have different lived experiences than you?
I cherish the uniqueness and individuality of Longmont residents. Indeed, every person has a different lived experience than me. I will strive to be the most transparent and inclusive mayor in the history of Longmont, convening frequent town hall meetings and community listening sessions where all residents are welcome and invited to express themselves.
Building on the successful “Coffee With Council” events, but recognizing that not everyone in the community is available to attend on Saturday mornings at 9 am, I will hold more of these types of events on different days and at diverse times, such as “Kombucha With Council” in the evening and “Kebab With Council” for a Sunday afternoon barbecue in one of Longmont’s beautiful parks.
I enjoy actively meeting and talking with people of all backgrounds and political persuasions. I have an open-door policy as a candidate and I will continue this in the mayor’s office. I invite folks to reach out to me at (720) 336 0429 and leave a voicemail or send a text message if I do not immediately answer the phone.
In addition, please email me your ideas and concerns at [email protected]. What issues are you passionate about? How can we collaborate to build a better Longmont? I would love to hear from all residents who have a different lived experience than me.
I can frequently be found in public at the farmer’s market and other community events. I will continue to prioritize community outreach after I am elected mayor, actively participating in cultural festivals, neighborhood gatherings, and events. This active engagement will demonstrate my commitment to connecting with all residents.
Finally, like our elected Congressman, I will hold virtual town hall meetings via phone and the Internet to reach residents who prefer these modes of engagement over meeting in person.
Rank your top 5 issues in priority.
1) Ensuring Public Safety First
2) Protecting Liberty and Defending Freedom
3) Preserving Energy Security
4) Strengthening Climate Resilience
5) Affordable Housing and Homelessness
