RE: Town Council appointment

Dear Jackson Town Councilors,

Thank you for the opportunity to share our thoughts on the important process of appointing a new Town Councilor. We agree that there were many qualified candidates and we are heartened by the community’s interest in this position.

As the decision regarding the Town Council vacancy approaches, we want to express our trust in your leadership and your commitment to making the best choice for the future of Jackson. Under normal circumstances, we would conduct an in-depth endorsement process to evaluate potential candidates. However, given this short timeline, we hope to help inform your deliberations by sharing a list of qualities we believe future Town Councilors should embody. Our priorities include:

1. Collaboration: Coalition building is a critical part of furthering housing solutions. The right candidate will have an ability to engage with people from different backgrounds and political perspectives without jeopardizing the viability of pro-housing solutions.
2. Commitment to public service: We contend that the right person will have demonstrated a dedication to serving this community, ideally through professional or sustained public service efforts beyond volunteer work, reflecting an understanding of and commitment to addressing the complex issues we face—especially regarding the housing crisis.
3. Diverse representation: As decision-making is guided by personal experience, government is more effective when it represents the people it serves. We encourage you to prioritize candidates whose identity and lived experiences bring new perspectives to the Council, particularly regarding gender identity, race, socioeconomic class, housing status, professional background, and/or age.
4. Past experience: While we acknowledge that a foundational understanding of how our local government operates and experience on elected bodies and/or local boards can position applicants for success, we also believe that this unique opportunity to join the Council without the onerous, expensive, and esoteric task of running a campaign should be used to add a fresh perspective to the Council. We hope you choose someone who’s qualified, but also someone who might not otherwise be well-positioned to win an electoral race.
5. Support for housing solutions: Housing remains one of our community’s most pressing issues. We encourage you to prioritize candidates who openly support housing solutions, demonstrate a willingness to make difficult decisions in favor of housing security, and have a working knowledge of current and potential housing initiatives. We expand on this item below:

All of the top five candidates acknowledged in their applications that addressing the housing crisis is a top priority. We ask you to examine the candidates closely regarding the following issues during their interviews:

1. We need a candidate who will ensure the success of current deed-restricted projects through to their completion.
   1. Do they unequivocally support the Virginian Lane project with significant added opportunities for homes for locals as proposed by Pennrose and the Jackson/Teton County Affordable Housing Department?
   2. Do they understand the complex history behind Northern South Park and what it will take to actualize affordable homes for locals in this new subarea?
2. We need a candidate who understands the economic realities facing the housing market in our region. Do they outwardly acknowledge that free market solutions alone will not address the housing crisis?
3. We need a candidate who will help us build inroads in Cheyenne. Do they have any state-level connections that will help us gain traction surrounding state-level issues like property tax relief?
4. We need a candidate who sees the opportunity in reforming our land development regulations in relation to the housing crisis. Do they support regulatory updates, including but not limited to:

1. 1. Rezoning areas of town for added by-right density for deed-restricted projects?
   2. Examining how parking minimums affect the viability of housing development?
   3. Establishing basic tenant rights?
   4. Updating tools like housing mitigation and the 2 for 1 bonus?

5. We need a candidate who is reliable. Do they have a proven record of personally or professionally supporting housing initiatives in our community which have led to added housing opportunities for local residents?
6. We need a candidate who is bold. Will they be able to say “yes” to Affordable and Workforce housing development in the face of opposition from anti-growth community members?

We understand the complexity of this decision and appreciate your careful consideration. Thank you for your service to our town and for ensuring that this appointment will help address the need for homes locals can afford.

Best,

Clare Stumpf

On behalf of ShelterJH board members and membership