2021 Edgewater City Council Candidate Spotlight: Hannah Gay Keao

Edgewater City Council candidate Hannah Gay Keao (photo credit Lee Stiffler-Meyer of Let the Light in Studio)

This weekend we will be spotlighting the candidates for Edgewater Mayor and City Council. There is only one candidate for Edgewater Mayor, current City Councilmember John Beltrone. There are four candidates for four seats on Edgewater City Council. The City Council candidate with the least number of votes will finish the last two years of former Councilmember Micha Rosenoer’s term on Council.

You can read the candidate spotlights as they are released here.

Today we are spotlighting one of four candidates for Edgewater City Council, current Edgewater City Councilwoman Hannah Gay Keao.

Your Occupation:

Part time Consultant to nonprofits & mission-focused businesses + Part time Mom to a one year old + Part time Edgewater City Councilwoman

What do you love about Edgewater?

I asked our neighbors the same question while knocking at nearly one thousand doors for this campaign. Time and time again I heard about Edgewater’s small town feel. Some of my favorite stories were from folks who grew up here then started their own adult lives and families here near their parents, which is so emblematic of what we all love most. Yet I also value our commitment to creating safer, more inclusive, and more sustainable paths forward, particularly for our children’s generation. This is why I raised my hand, as a new mother, and applied for a vacancy on City Council earlier this year.

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

Our job is to equitably serve the needs of our diverse community – our residents, our businesses, and our visitors. Edgewater is so small, but we’re right next to this big metro area and peeking out on the eastern edge of JeffCo. So part of our role also includes stewardship of Edgewater regionally. Additionally, we have a unique attribute of having eight elected officials in a very small city, which means that we absolutely have the ability to be accessible and responsive to each and every community member. 

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

When I canvassed this city, not once did a resident mention wanting another place for dining. I have, however, learned a lot recently about our region’s low supply of workforce housing; our teachers, postal workers, police – those who serve our community tirelessly – often can’t afford to live here. We were slated to get a restaurant at the old municipal building at 24th and Sheridan, but the developer recently backed out of that contract. As we go back to the drawing board with that property, it’s an opportunity to explore residential development or mixed use property that could house hard-working families. ​​Building an Edgewater we are all proud of means that the people who work in Edgewater can afford to live here.

I’m also really proud that we now have a housing navigator on staff who helps our homeless and rental populations become and stay housed, and will soon be hiring co-responders, or social workers who will assist our police and code enforcement in helping those who are struggling in our city. Public safety is a top priority of our residents according to our recent Community Survey, and I’m grateful that our police, city staff, and residents alike have all spoken to me in favor of these supportive services.

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

As we continue to invest in growth and development, we need to further design our city to give our small business the pedestrians on which many of them very much depend. I think we’re on the right track here; the development coming in at 25th and Gray is going to act as a great anchor for that strip of storefronts, and we’re doing some exciting work on 25th Ave near Sheridan. The continued implementation of our traffic calming Mobility Plan will also help. 

There are also many more opportunities to look at how we might provide financing or help alleviate startup costs for small businesses, while helping ensure financial success and thus sales tax revenue on the flip side. 

Finally, we need to prioritize a diversity of businesses that meet our community’s needs. We lack retail on 25th, and I hear residents wanting retail options. Let’s figure out how to make that a sustainable reality.

Why should Edgewater residents vote for you?

While I have spent my entire career serving the needs of communities and our most marginalized populations – starting off as a middle school teacher – I’m also a successful small business owner and strategic consultant who solves problems and gets results informed by a balance of community voice and solid data. I am invested deeply in the success and future of Edgewater, served on its Sustainability Board, sit on the Board of the Edgewater Collective, and have proactively sought and listened to the input and concerns of so many residents and small business owners in my six short months on Council so far. I’m also a woman and a mom, and at most there will be two of us serving on City Council after this election. Our voices are both vital.

I welcome anyone to reach out to me at hannahforedgewater@gmail.com or at 970-515-3842, to follow my work on my Facebook page, to find out more at hannahforedgewater.com, and I would be humbled to have your support.

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.