STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — A field of seven candidates is vying for three seats as a council member of Hayden in the Nov. 3 general election.

The Hayden Town Council is made up of six council members who serve four-year terms and the mayor. None of the candidates have served on the council before.

To earn a spot on the ballot, candidates needed to secure 25 signatures from Hayden voters. Candidates appear in the order that they will appear on the ballot.

Emily Waldron

Waldron has been a resident of Hayden for seven years and hopes to bring energy and enthusiasm for the community as well as a scientific perspective to the council.

“The ability to evaluate the facts and look at the data in front of us and then make a decision based on those observations,” Waldron said.

Waldron is seeking a seat on Town Council because she believes Hayden is facing unique challenges both with a potential depleted tax base in the future and how the community wants to grow in the next decade and beyond.

Having experience working in the oil and gas industry both in the private sector and now the regulatory side, Waldron says she is well versed in the conversation about transitioning away from nonrenewable energy. Her service on Hayden’s planning commission has also prepared her for a seat on council.

“That’s really what made me realize how important zoning is, and how important it is to look at the ways that we want to grow the town instead of just talking about growth as this abstract, always good thing,” Waldron said.

Shannon Fatjo

Fatjo has lived in Hayden for about 12 years and wants to ensure that the council hears all voices of the community.

“I want to ensure we are looking at the big picture and that all voices are being heard,” Fatjo said.

Fatjo said her experience as a care coordinator has prepared her for a position on the council because she deals with advocacy every day.

She has also served on the board of LiftUp of Routt County, an organization that works to provide charitable assistance to meet basic needs and foster self-sufficiency, where she helped make decisions and evaluate how they will impact people.

“My main goal is really just to make sure that we are representing our town in all aspects of it,” Fatjo said. “Making sure that we are really doing our homework in terms of what is best for the community and making sure that we make decisions that are going to be sustainable for us five, 10, 15, 20 years down the road.”

Bob Reese

Reese has lived in Hayden for six years and wants to be a part of decisions that move Hayden forward.

“I hope to represent the people here with common sense. I have no agenda,” Reese said. “I believe issues should be presented to the council, and I believe they need to be researched and acted upon accordingly with the people’s interest at heart.”

Reese has experience in the military, law enforcement and served in leadership roles in his private and professional life.

Reese said that people live in Hayden because of the way of life, and he wants to see it move forward in a way that preserves that. He sees efforts to create after school programs in Hayden as one of the most important issues the town is trying to address and something he would continue to pursue as a council member.

“School gets out at 3:30 (p.m.), there needs to be a place for kids to go and the town is trying to address that, and I think that is an admirable quality for the town,” Reese said. “My desire is to be a part of that.”

Ryan Banks

Banks has been living in Hayden for five years and wants to bring a collaborative mindset and an emphasis on youth programs to the council.

“Now more than ever, I think we need grounded and experienced leadership in all aspects of government,” Banks said.

Banks said his experience in both his professional and personal life managing people, budgets and being able to look several years into the future would be an asset on the council.

As a program director at the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps Banks has had to balance day to day operations while focusing on the future. There he collaborates with various government agencies and private partners on conservation projects.

Before coming to Hayden, Banks ran an at-risk youth program in Wisconsin where he focused on community collaboration, developing projects that would benefit the community.

“As our main income for our tax base from our coal plant and mines starts going away in the next few years, I think diversifying and having a wide breadth on the council would be really valuable.”

Ed Corriveau

Corriveau has lived in Hayden for 19 years and wants to bring his experience in town and his desire to give back to the community to the council.

“I have some insight and experience into the town operations and little bit of knowledge, especially having lived here in Hayden for 19 years,” Corriveau said. “I know what makes the town go.”

Corriveau has worked most of his life in public safety, including 12 years with the Hayden Police Department in several different capacities. He said one focus if elected would be stabilizing rates that residents pay for water and other services, maybe even finding novel ways to reduce the rates.

Another pivotal issue for Corriveau is Hayden’s economic move from coal as the plant closes, and he wants to make sure the town is prepared for the future.

“I want to make sure our infrastructure and finances are solid going forward during the transition from coal,” Corriveau said.

Stacey Schad

Schad has lived in Hayden for two years and wants to serve on the council to give back to the community.

“I am very passionate when it comes to something that can have a positive impact for people or the environment,” Schad said.  “I will put forth every effort in every fight for something that needs to be done, if it is the right thing to do.”

While Schad has never been involved in politics, as an administrator for City Market she has constantly worked to give employees a voice within the company.

Schad, who grew up in the Yampa Valley, wants to work to develop the new community center and grow it beyond what it is planned to be now. She also wants to work to fill vacant storefronts in town and reduce speed limits, enticing more passersby to stop.

“What is nice about Hayden is it is still that small town,” Schad said. “I would like to help develop that town, without it becoming Steamboat.”

Janet Hollifield

Hollifield has lived in Hayden for 14 years and wants to balance the desire to maintain the heritage of Hayden while helping it move into the next decade.

To Hollifield, it is a pivotal moment for Hayden because of the COVID-19 pandemic, a volatile economy in Steamboat and the transition of energy. She believes Hayden will become a desirable place to live as people flock to rural areas.

“Hayden offers an affordable option for a lot of people moving to the area,” Hollifield said. “But with that, we have to be very diligent and grow resourcefully and be smart about how we grow and evolve as a community.”

By working as a nurse both in Craig and Steamboat Springs, Hollifield said she has learned a lot about the culture of the Yampa Valley and understands the needs of Hayden.

“Being a voice for the community and listening to the community and respecting the desire to maintain our heritage and maintain our agricultural roots,” Hollifield said. “But also move into the next decade with an optimism and a responsible growth mentality to help the community evolve into what it is going to become.”