Casey Earp: Edgewater City Council Candidate Questionnaire

Casey Earp, candidate for Edgewater City Council

We asked each candidate for Edgewater City Council five questions to help community members get to know the candidates and their views.

Here are the answers sent by Casey Earp:

Your Occupation:

Territory Manager @Bang the Table

What do you love about Edgewater?

I love the small-town feel and sense of community in Edgewater. Having grown up in a similarly sized city, I have always sought out the ability to be able to connect with my neighbors, walk to my favorite restaurants, and support my community through its local government. I’ve been lucky enough to call Edgewater home for three years and look forward to many more.

What do you view as the role of the Edgewater City Council?

Initially, I want to be a good student. I want to learn from my colleagues and my community about what the top priorities and concerns are. I want to understand how and why certain decisions have been made in the past and develop my own understanding of the things that are important to Edgewater. I then will be able to leverage my professional experienced working in and with local governments across the country to provide viewpoints that will help guide the major decision we will be making in the years to come.

Which of Edgewater’s recent legislative actions is your least favorite? Which is your favorite?

I was a bit let down that there was a decision to not allow entertainment on Roger’s Roof Top. I’d love to watch a Broncos game or listen to a local band up there. Joyride is one of my favorite local gathering places and it would have been awesome to enjoy that space for sports and entertainment. My favorite has to be the adoption of the Sustainability Plan. I have been a member of the sustainability committee since its formation and it was my first experience in Edgewater working on a committee to produce this plan. I generally feel that many of the large initiatives the city is currently pursuing (mobility and comprehensive planning) are things that will help shape the future of Edgewater for the positive. My previous experience in local government will help me bring the best practices to Edgewater that I’ve seen be successful in other communities. I will also be focused on making sure we have lots of community feedback throughout each planning initiative.

What role can Edgewater City Council play in supporting current small businesses and attracting new ones?

My graduate work revolved around local economic development, specifically looking at smaller/rural areas. I am a firm believer that you attract and support local businesses by investing in the community and maintaining an easy to understand regulatory environment. Attraction happens through investing in public space and making it easy for the community to navigate between the different commercial areas. I come from a family of small business owners and will work directly with our local business groups to identify barriers and streamline access to information from the city.

Why should Edgewater residents vote for you?

I would be honored to earn votes from anyone reading this! My experience puts me in a unique position to help support several of these major initiatives already underway in Edgewater. I was raised in a small town and I have always been passionate about building strong local communities. I believe, regardless of the issue, we should have more feedback channels to make sure our residents feel like they have had the opportunity to have their say in the process and understand how/why a decision has been made. I am happy to connect with any of you if you ever have an issue or concern with something happening here in Edgewater. Finally, I believe in this community and its ability to tackle any challenge in a positive way!

Joel Newton

Joel has been a resident of Edgewater, Colorado with his family since 2012. He is the Executive Director of local education nonprofit Edgewater Collective and Editor of the Edgewater Echo.