State house minority leader visits Windsor

As if Windsor town officials don't have enough questions of their own to answer, one state official gave them one more.

What would a politician, in an election year, from a district 85 miles away, want with Windsor?

Colorado House Minority Leader Mike May, R-Parker, answered that question Monday when he paid a unique visit to the Windsor Town Board during its work session.

Legislators meet regularly with the Metro Mayor's Caucus, which is a group of 32 municipalities in the Denver area, to hear concerns from mayors. But May said it isn't fair to the other mayors around the state, so he is meeting with other boards one-on-one to get the same type of input from smaller communities.

He brought with him Windsor's state representative, Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud, saying he always invites the local representative to the meetings when he goes outside his district.

Board members had no idea until the meeting began what May wanted, but Mayor Pro-tem Mark Weeks said he was encouraged by May's familiarity with small-town politics.

"I was impressed he took the time to go outside his district to talk to the smaller communities," Weeks said.

The board expressed several concerns including transportation, education and water, but most of the discussion was about recent issues with the Weld County commissioners, where land that is part of Windsor's growth management area is developed by the county without regard to Windsor's desires.

May said at the state level he tries to stay out of local governments business unless there is some real trampling of individual rights. He believes government works best when local municipalities handle their own problems without interference from the county or the state.

"It goes to show we're not the only ones facing these problems," Weeks said. "I just hope he continues to remember."