Minturn seeking a new council member after George Brodin, 19-year elected official, steps down to pursue other interests
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The Minturn Town Council is seeking to fill a seat after receiving a resignation from longtime Town Council member George Brodin.
Brodin was originally elected in 2004 in the wake of a controversial RV park proposal, in which RV park adversaries rode a wave of opposition into office. Brodin voted in favor of sending the proposal to voters in Minturn, who shot down the effort.
Brodin has remained in office ever since, and while there are no term limits in Minturn, he said he has decided it’s time to step down. Brodin has been working as a teaching assistant at Red Hill Elementary in Gypsum, a position which has brought him much joy and fulfillment, and the relinquishing of his seat on the council will allow him more time to focus on this position.
At the Feb. 15 council meeting in Minturn, several council members said they have been inspired by Brodin’s community-service mindset.
“He had told me last year that he was not going to make his full term, but he did want to stay around long enough to get a few things done,” said Mayor Earle Bidez. “He thought he’d be done by early summer and, of course, we kept him on.”
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Bidez credited Brodin with the creation of the Minturn signs greeting motorists heading into town on U.S. Highway 24, as well as the Minturn Boneyard open space and several other high-profile projects.
“He pushed council to be sure to keep as one of their top priorities the wilderness access to our head gate for the water system,” Bidez said. “And there was so much more that he did, a lot of hard work, and he always made his decisions based on the good of the town as a whole.”
Council member Terry Armistead said Brodin has been invaluable in Minturn.
“He really encouraged all of us to remain ethical, to ask questions and to always accept that we don’t always win our battle, but keeping our head in the game and going forward is really important, and not to take it too personally,” Armistead said. “I’m gonna miss him on council.”
March 15 appointment
The Minturn Town Council is now seeking to fill Brodin’s seat by appointing a new member to the seven-person council. The seat will be held until the next regularly scheduled election in April of 2024, at which time the appointed member will have an opportunity to run for a 4-year term.
Interested applicants must submit a letter of interest to Minturn Town Clerk Jay Brunvand by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8.
Interested applicants must be at least 25 years old and must be a citizen of the United States for no less than seven years. Applicants also must have been a Minturn resident for the last two years and have not been convicted of a felony.
The council plans to review the letters, interview the candidates and appoint the seat at the March 15 Town Council meeting.
