Barry Wilson’s top three priorities if elected and why:

  1. SMART Growth to maintain Small-Town Feel: Since the state does not allow municipalities to limit building permits, we must be creative to manage our growth. Our Open Space Tax generates $1.75M/year. Purchased open spaces serve as community buffers, help maintain our way of life by preserving our small-town feel, and limits residential growth. For example, if a large property becomes open space, it could mean 500 fewer homes that would no longer need water, sewer, and other services. It results in about 1,350 fewer residents and fewer cars on the road. As we grow, Windsor also needs to do our part to provide affordable housing. We were a recipient of the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) tax credit award worth $13M. This will bring 62 new affordable senior units to town. We also need more affordable workforce housing. As Mayor, I have a strategy that encourages the Housing Authority to increase their capacity to 350 units. This action would allow them to be financially self-sufficient.
  2. Traffic Congestion & Infrastructure: Growth slowed in 2023 which allowed Windsor to catch up on some road and infrastructure projects. Growth is already increasing in 2024 but is not expected to reach the historic levels of previous years. We need to keep the momentum going and partner with neighbors and the counties to improve community connectors. We need to work with CDOT on HW-257 and HW-392 improvements as well as pursue federal money and grants for major projects, such as widening Main Street (HW-392) all the way to I-25. Extending CR-70 west on the north side of Windsor Lake should be a priority as a northern bypass and alternative to Main Street. Developers need to be held accountable for road and infrastructure improvements needed for their developments. We should work with the school district and explore a better drop-off and pick-up situation at Windsor Middle School.
  3. World Class Parks, Recreation, Trails, and Open Space: Windsor is an active community. Parks, trails, and opens space are at the top of every community survey and should be prioritized. In my first term I passed the ordinance to ban smoking and vaping on our parks, trails, and open spaces. As we grow, we need to plan our budget to improve and maintain these amenities at a high standard. We need Wi-Fi in our parks. More importantly, our parks need to be safe with dedicated police officers. With more guests visiting our parks in the summer months, the security of the community is of vital importance. Using School Resource Officers in the summer months is an excellent option. Unfortunately, we need cameras to deter and record vandals and other bad actors to aid apprehension. We need all neighborhoods to be trail connected so people can safely navigate anywhere in town on foot or on a bike.

Top challenges facing Windsor and how Barry Wilson would address them if elected:

  1. Water Treatment: Windsor is fortunate to have the necessary water rights to support our current residents and future growth, especially with the Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP). Our challenge is treating our water. Instead of taking on this challenge alone or relying on other communities, Windsor is partnering with Severance, Eaton, and the Fort Collins-Loveland Water District on the Cobb Lake Regional Water Treatment Authority. New development fees and Windsor’s cash in lieu of water from new development is funding new water projects.
  2. Improving Traffic Flow and reducing Congestion: 2023 was a banner year for completing large road improvement projects in Windsor and we have several projects planned to make additional improvements. Unfortunately, residents go through short-term pain due to detours and delays during the construction. I will make sure the town plans projects in a manner to minimize the impact, such as not having multiple projects concurrently in the same section of town and planning projects around schools in the summer. We need to communicate better with residents and proactively help businesses that might be impacted by construction. We are making progress, but we can do it better and with fewer negative impacts.
  3. Vibrant Downtown: The Windsor Downtown Alliance (or DDA) has released their Downtown Master Plan. After some past divisiveness, the community is coming together around the new plans for Downtown. As Mayor, I will work to make Downtown a safe and desirable location. Since the residents voted to classify the “backlots” as parking, the town has acquired the blighted properties. Given the high price tag, I would like to design the lots in 2024 and put a price on the project so we can work the improvements into future budgets. We have added a significant number of parking spots recently and I am committed to adding more. We need to underground old utility lines to make a safe, well lit, and walkable alley with flowers and artwork connecting Boardwalk Park, Downtown, and The Windsor Mill. We need to share and enclose dumpsters. We need another crosswalk with flashing beacons near The Windsor Mill. We need a Downtown that does not just survive but thrives.