Robbie Shine, a 30-year resident of Steamboat Springs and longtime city employee turned resort snow groomer, has thrown his hat in the ring for the at-large seat on Steamboat Springs City Council. 

Known locally for his years of service in the city’s Parks & Recreation Department and at the city’s Howelsen Hill Ski Area, Shine, who will face off against six other at-large candidates in November, enters the race with a platform focused on improving recreational amenities, government transparency and community-centered growth.

Originally from Laramie, Wyoming, Shine was drawn to Steamboat by its winter sports culture, small-town values and the “welcoming people.” 

His perspective reflects a deep appreciation for the town’s identity — something he believes is at risk.

“I think we’re about to lose Steamboat as a whole,” he said in an interview with the newspaper on Wednesday. “Someone needs to step in and break up what’s going on with the seven people in that (City Council) chamber.” 

“Now that I’m not a city employee, I am able to do so,” added Shine, who stepped down in February after 21 years of service with the city, first as a parks crew leader and then as the Howelsen Hill ski and rodeo supervisor. 

His professional background and proximity to city operations, he said, gives him unique insight into the nuances of local issues.

“I know a lot about the city,” he said. “I know how the city is run and I believe there are spots where it can be improved on internally, without having to raise taxes to find money to pay for personnel and that cost.” 

When asked about Steamboat’s biggest challenges, Shine echoed common themes of housing and transportation, but underscored a broader issue: an idleness among city leadership disproportionate to the gravity of community needs.

“We’re stuck, not improving,” he said. “I want Steamboat to be a better town, and right now we’re not doing that. We’re not being the better people.”

Shine was frank in his assessment of the current council, whom he referred to as “underperforming” and “setting policies that have no backbone.”

“There’s a hidden agenda there somewhere,” he said. “I don’t know what it is, but it’s underperformance and they’re not serving the people of Steamboat … we need to cut the fat.”

Key issue for Shine: Enhancing recreational amenities

Shine, currently employed by Steamboat Resort as a night snow groomer, sees recreation not just as leisure but as a vital part of the community’s identity and quality of life, noting that “there’s so much more to value in Steamboat than looking at affordable housing.”

“We need to add a park … we haven’t added a park in 20-plus years,” said Shine, who also mentioned the city’s aging sports fields. “We need to have green space, space for youth sports organizations to play.” 

Extending the core trail network is another priority for Shine, who emphasized the importance of connections to key neighborhoods like Steamboat II, Heritage Park and Silver Spur to provide safer, more accessible multi-use paths.

Shine also suggested that city officials look into expanding Howelsen Hill. 

“We extended a bunch of biking, but to me, we’re Ski Town USA, and I’d like to keep it that way,” he said.

Shine pointed to his achievements during his tenure at the city as indicators of his expertise.

“Everything I touched in the Parks Department, I improved,” he said. “You go to Whistler Park, I put in that whole irrigation system, re-sealed the whole park. That was 2007. It’s still immaculate today. Howelsen Hill, if you ask anyone before I took over in 2019 – it was run the same way for the last 30 years, and that’s not the way I saw it. I put the work into it.”

Solutions for housing and regional transit

While not as prominent on his platform as some of the other candidates running for City Council, the local housing crisis is still a pivotal concern for Shine.

He suggested the city consider infill housing strategies to promote affordability, such as rezoning underused commercial areas near transit hubs for housing development. 

“People want to live in town,” Shine said, highlighting the congestion on the west side and the inefficiency of long bus routes serving sprawling neighborhoods.

On the controversial Brown Ranch housing development, Shine expressed support for finding a path forward but raised caution about the scale and pace of proposed construction and its ultimate impacts on city finances.

“Brown Ranch should be phased — it should not be all at once. If it has to be 10 phases, it has to be 10 phases, but to do it all at once is not cost-effective,” he said. “I don’t think the city should be in a position to become bankrupt over trying to develop something that’s going to possibly put the city under.”

“If we have to do it 700 times, we do it 700 times,” he added. “I think we have to slow down, Steamboat, and do it right.”

Shine was hesitant to talk specifics on the leadership of the Yampa Valley Housing Authority, calling Executive Director Jason Peasley a “friend,” but generally acknowledging issues with transparency. 

“Transparency is the number one issue with the housing authority and city government in general,” he said. “It’s been very secretive in the last year on both sides.”

“Brown Ranch should always be a people’s vote,” he continued, referencing council’s 2023 vote against sending the annexation proposal to voters. “Seven people shouldn’t have to decide the fate of such a big decision.”

Shine is a strong proponent of regional transit solutions but called the proposed bus-based Yampa Valley Regional Transportation Authority plan a “mistake.” He instead championed the commuter portion of the incoming Mountain Rail system, which would connect Craig, Oak Creek and Steamboat Springs using existing rail infrastructure.

“We have a rail system that used to have eight coal trains a day,” he said. “Now there’s one train a week. That’s a miss.”

Shine sees rail as a safer, more efficient, and more forward-thinking transportation solution that could reduce highway congestion and improve regional connectivity, and said the valley is “too far behind” for a regional bus system. 

At the close of the interview, Shine summed up his campaign by calling himself “the voice for the little man.” 

“I’m every blue collar and white collar person’s candidate,” said Shine. “I’m here for city employees. I’m a voice for fish, birds, everything … whether you have money or not.”

To reach Shine or learn more about his campaign, contact ShineOn4CC@gmail.com.