Colorado mountain town leader says proposed development is inevitable ahead of recall vote for 3 council members

A council member in the town of Dillon tells CBS News Colorado proposed development in the town is inevitable. This comes amid a petition for a recall vote that could see him and two fellow town council members on the outside looking in very soon. 

Councilman James Woods, Dana Christiansen and Renee Imamura have been called out by petitioners for their support of the metro district plan presented by Porritt Group JGJP Dillon. It would see the developer build a parking garage, supermarket and restaurants in Dillon in exchange for percentages of sales and lodging taxes, public funding and a half acre of land. 

Woods spoke to CBS Colorado. He believes a deal with this developer is in the best interest of Dillon, which he said cannot rely on property tax to get them through budget issues while current restaurants continue to close in town. He said he joined the council in part to help turn around the flow of businesses leaving Dillon. 

"Since then, (the) 'A Café' left. So we're going in the wrong direction since my time here, and we are trying to solve that," Woods said. 

Woods said he believes, by adding the metro district, the prime real estate location near the Dillon Amphitheatre could become a moneymaker for the town again.  

"We live on sales tax and, more recently, the lodging tax," Woods said. "Unfortunately, because businesses have closed in the past couple of years, our sales taxes remain flat, while our expenses with all this inflation are going up -- so that we have to balance the budget every year."

That comes down to cuts the town does not want to make, but Woods says need to be made. 

"That's caused the town to reduce our recreation budget for this coming summer by $400,000," Woods said. "That's a $400,000 reduction of things that would appeal to the residents here, and the reason is because we just don't have the money."

Woods said, since it's a small town, the recall efforts have gotten personal among the roughly 300 people who voted in the last election in town. 

"It hurts when people that you thought were your friends attacked you personally with things that I consider to be not truthful," Woods said. "So that hurt."

In the end, whether he is recalled, Woods believes the development plan with the Porritt Group JGJP Dillon is inevitable. 

"It's going to happen. The question is I wanted it to happen before I get too old to see it happen," Woods said. "I'm 65."

Woods also shared his thoughts with CBS Colorado on the decision by Dillon petitioners to put the recall vote through the process. 

"If they do the math for the recall, you only needed 17 petitions to require the town to have this recall election, which is going to cost the town $30,000," Woods explained. "If I was that type of person, I could tomorrow go out and get 50 signatures within two hours to recall somebody else, but should we do that? I don't think that's the way."

Previously, Barb Richard, who favors the recall vote, spoke to CBS Colorado about that and the proposed development. Richard now stands as a potential successor candidate for Dillon Town Council. CBS Colorado spoke again to Richard in a new interview. Along with Richard, she and recall petitioner Laura Johnston both received a letter from an attorney representing the developer, who was looking to curb their efforts. 

"I did receive a letter from Illinois licensed attorney Caroline Quack on behalf of JGJP Dillon," Richard said. "It is basically a demand letter that asked me to cease and desist from, basically, public discourse, so talking to my neighbors," Richard said. 

Richard was on her way to speak with Dillon residents Monday afternoon, which she said has been a highlight of this whole town disagreement. 

"As we go door-to-door, everyone has been polite, whether they are a 'no' or a 'yes' side," Richard said. "Everyone just wants more info. I am charmed by the people of Dillon, and I'm proud to live here in Dillon."

Dillon voters have until 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 4 to return their ballots to town hall.   

As for the letter, Richard said it follows similar tactics by other developers in other areas trying to pass metro districts, and she's wise to the playbook. 

"I am not losing sleep over it because I called John Henderson, who is the metro district expert with Coloradans for Metro District Reform, and they have seen this kind of tactic before," Richard explained. "So they steered me to the Colorado anti-SLAPP law, which stands for strategic lawsuits against public participation."