Voter guide for District 4: What Shirley Peel and Melanie Potyondy want for Fort Collins
The two people running for Fort Collins' District 4 City Council seat have been at this crossroads before.
Incumbent Shirley Peel faces a challenge from the person who held the seat before her and narrowly lost to her in the last election: Melanie Potyondy.
Peel, who is retired, was elected to the seat in 2021 in a five-way race. The election was held off-cycle to select a replacement for District 4 council member Kristin Stephens, who had been elected Larimer County commissioner.
Potyondy, a school psychologist at Rocky Mountain High School, had been serving in the seat after being temporarily appointed to it following Stephens' departure.
Four of the five candidates in that race were viewed as more progressive, with Peel identifying as more conservative. The race was turned into an example for those supporting the adoption of ranked choice voting in Fort Collins, which was passed by voters in 2022 but won't take effect until the next council election in 2025.
This time, there are only two candidates — the top two vote-getters in the 2021 election — when Peel won by 43 votes.
District 4 covers southwest Fort Collins, with borders generally south of Drake Road and west of College Avenue.
Find your district here.
Read on to learn about these candidates' top priorities for the first months of the term, their viewpoints on key issues and other issues they identified as important to them and for Fort Collins.
These are the candidates' top priorities for the beginning of the term
PEEL:
She said City Council as a whole should continue prioritizing the city's housing affordability issue, along with what residents who participated in the community survey said they cared about, particularly safety and the city's economic sustainability. "I worry about sustainable funding for parks. ... That’s on my mind a lot."
For her district, Peel has identified a few priorities:
Cell service, which affects the safety of residents and police ability to respond to emergencies.
Moving utility lines underground in newly annexed areas. She said a letter sent to residents in 2013 said this would happen and she hadn't been concerned about it until the Marshall Fire in Boulder County. She said her district has a ton of open space, and in front of her own home, an electrical line sparked and fell.
Bringing roads in newly annexed areas up to standards so they can be maintained by the city.
Development on South College Avenue and helping to create a business improvement district there to create an identity. It’s probably going to be more commercial, but it can probably be made more walkable and bikeable and benefit from some traffic quieting, she said.
POTYONDY:
Housing is going to continue to be a No. 1 issue, Potyondy said.
Even if council passes the land use code update on second reading this Tuesday, focusing on attainable housing will continue to be a priority because rezoning is just a foundational step, she said.
A second priority will be focusing on how to meet the needs of the city's unhoused population, she said. "I would love to see us act more quickly on steps we’ve outlined, continuing to work with agencies to make sure we’re going further up the river. This includes making sure mental health and substance abuse supports and family resources are in place so people in need can have child care and help to get into homes."
Third, steps toward environmental sustainability are going to be very important, she said. As she hears often from kids who have a lot of angst about climate change, she would like to see Fort Collins be part of the puzzle and move the needle.
Where the candidates stand on U+2 occupancy rules
PEEL:
"U+2 has been a useful tool for neighborhoods struggling with people who disrupt the neighborhood," Peel said. "Taking into account the changing definition of family, the makeup of households that violate U+2, and the need to utilize empty bedrooms in the interest of affordability, we must revisit this ordinance and craft a better version that works for the community now."
She said U+2's family definitions make it unenforceable and put the city and landlords in a terrible position. "I find that very intrusive," she said.
There are reasonable people on both sides of issue, Peel said, and she sees people on opposing sides willing to compromise.
Since the ordinance was enforced starting in 2005, she said, more student housing has been built and the city's nuisance code has been strengthened.
In 2021, Peel ran for office on a campaign platform of doing away with U+2. But then some residents reached out because they wanted to show her the good things it had done for their neighborhood.
"I really had to rethink that," she said. "And honestly, I would say most of the positions I’ve held before getting on council I’ve had to rethink. Now, I might not have changed my opinion, but I’ve had to take the time to think through, is this still the best solution to this issue?"
POTYONDY:
She supports U+2's mission to maintain the livability of neighborhoods but believes it's overly restrictive and needs to adapt.
"This could either be achieved through a blanket increase in the renter cap beyond three unrelated or a policy that allows for 'right-sizing' by tying the number of occupants to the number of bedrooms or square footage in a home. We must allow for a more flexible definition of what kinds of living arrangements are 'appropriate' and de-emphasize a fixed perspective on what constitutes a 'family.' "
"We are keeping potentially wonderful neighbors out while, at the same time, constraining the rental market. That being said, I recognize that issues between neighbors already arise with our current policy and that guardrails will likely prove beneficial as we adjust it over time. I am a strong proponent of robust and enforceable expectations for property upkeep, safety, and neighborly behavior, not just for renters but also for homeowners."
Where the candidates stand on the land use code changes and the housing affordability problem
PEEL:
She says she supported the now-repealed land development code "because it allowed for gentle density with reasonable restrictions, which in my opinion helped preserve the character of our neighborhoods."
"I have worked hard on this issue to determine what is the best for Fort Collins by holding listening sessions, meeting with people, and taking neighborhood walking tours — sometimes by myself. Personally, I believe more diversity of neighborhood building character equals a richness of people diversity. Diversified housing stock means all who serve our communities can afford to live here, which enables a healthy economic diversity in Fort Collins."
"Practically, I think the city’s responsibility is to first look internally. We should look at our own regulations and policies that are driving up housing costs. We also need to streamline our development process. Next, we must adopt a land use code that allows for best practices to balance the community's desires regarding growth and the need for more diverse housing stock. We know the housing crisis in Colorado is a supply-and-demand challenge."
She said she's interested in exploring how the city could support Colorado State University and businesses in providing more affordable housing for their employees.
POTYONDY:
"I maintain a core value that basic needs must be met for individuals to fully realize their potential as productive citizens. Our current housing situation in Fort Collins directly contradicts this tenet," Potyondy said.
The community needs to be thinking of people like teachers and other essential workers, she said. If the city doesn't make decisions that make Fort Collins more livable, "that’s who we’re missing out on. They'll commute, click out, leave, and I think that degrades our community. We’ve got to make decisions where all Fort Collins residents can contribute their gifts" if we want to have that caring, diverse community.
She said her own research on best practices supports an approach that includes "sensible density increases across zoning areas, concentrated density in areas of town that are closest to commerce and public transportation, diversification of housing types to meet changing needs/desires of tenants, and provisions for multifamily homes to include affordable units. Not only does evidence support all of these practices for stabilizing/reducing housing costs, they align with the city’s stated priorities (and my personal values) for sprawl reduction, climate action (i.e., reduced commuting from out of town, fewer car trips in town, smaller and more energy efficient homes), and smart water use through minimization of water-dependent landscaping."
"I am grateful that, after the repeal of the previous proposed code via citizen petition, time was taken to hear more perspectives before embarking on a new round of document revisions. I am especially hopeful that outreach was inclusive of residents whose housing options in Fort Collins are currently most limited, as these individuals often experience multiple obstacles to having their voices heard."
Even if the city does a lot to publicize its desire for feedback, "there are populations that don’t have the social capital, the time, the transportation, they feel nervous, they don’t feel confident in the system," she said. "A lot of people who are most impacted are not in that room."
She said she spoke with a resident in her district who grew up in Fort Collins and lives in an affordable housing community here who said nobody has ever reached out to her to ask what she needed.
"We’ve got to identify in each district where we could go to them, and ask them directly: What do you need, what are their experiences?"
Where the candidates stand on the two city tax proposals
2A, the sales tax to fund parks and recreation, transit and pollution reduction:
PEEL:
She said she's very much in favor of the parks, and community members are asking for more pool lanes, which this tax could fund. She said the transportation plan is a good one but the city will need the money to implement it. She voted to put the item on the ballot so the people can decide, but isn't sure packaging them together is the right move. She said the city needs to do a budget audit to make sure it can maintain what it's building. When 30% of playgrounds have exceeded their life, we've not done a good job, she said.
POTYONDY: She said parks, transit, environmental action and affordable housing are all high on the list of what Fort Collins residents value. She said it's understandable that some voters might be more comfortable with separate ballot issues for them and there may not be an appetite to approve the tax now, but she's comfortable with asking the voters to get a sense of what they're feeling.
2B, the property tax to fund affordable housing:
PEEL: In August, Peel voted against placing this item on the ballot. In her interview with the Coloradoan in late September, she said with property values going up so sharply she's not sure people will want to do it, but she supports it with some hesitation. "I don’t know if people are going to want to do it. I think it is a good idea, but I would have preferred to see an end date," she said.
POTYONDY: Her response on the previous question covered both ballot issues.
We asked: What sets you apart as a candidate for this seat or a City Council member?
PEEL:
Peel said her voice offers balance to the other voices on council now. "I often hold a little bit different view," she said. "There is a part of our population that needs our voice."
"I like to tell people, jokingly, I'm a progressive conservative because I do want to be on the cutting edge of what's happening, I do want to look at new ideas, I do want to move forward, but I also want to be conservative in examining all of that to make sure it's the best approach."
POTYONDY:
She said she is a traditional progressive who is person-centric and views things from a human services lens. With her mental health background working in public schools, she hears what the struggles and successes are with kids and their families. As a working mom of young kids, she said she brings the perspective of someone in that specific life stage who is navigating this city with her family. She views herself as a problem solver.
"Being a mental health professional, I am always looking forward, and I do think we need to be proactive for how we’re going to grow," she said. "Change is going to happen," and "change agents will steer the ship toward where we want to go. I think that’s what a true progressive is."
Endorsements
PEEL: None provided.
POTYONDY: Former U.S. Rep. Betsy Markey, former state Sen. Bob Bacon, state Sen. Janice Marchman, state Rep. Cathy Kipp, state Rep. Andrew Boesenecker, former state Rep. Randy Fischer, Larimer County commissioners John Kefalas, Jody Shadduck-McNally and Kristin Stephens, YIMBY Fort Collins, Larimer Alliance for Health, Safety & the Environment, Poudre Education Association, Climate Cabinet Action, CO Working Families Party, CO Immigrant Rights Coalition Action Fund
Campaign finance reports
Individuals, groups, entities and organizations may contribute up to $75 to a City Council candidate committee or up to $100 for a mayor candidate each election cycle. Donations from political parties are not allowed.
This is information is for the first reporting period, which ended Oct. 1.
PEEL: She received at least 231 contributions amounting to $16,170 and spent $7,838. That includes $515 of her own money. She has $8,332 remaining.
POTYONDY: She received at least 400 contributions amounting to $20,850, with an additional $310 on hand prior to the election. Her contributions include $736 of her own money. She spent $10,233 and has $10,928 remaining.
The city also requires the reporting of any independent expenditures on behalf of a candidate, separate from the candidate committee, if they exceed $250. There were no independent expenditures reported by the city clerk's office as of Oct. 10.
Still need more info?
If you want to dig even deeper into Peel's and Potyondy's thoughts on key issues in Fort Collins, including transportation infrastructure, climate goals, inclusion and more, read their full Q&As below:
Q&A: Shirley Peel, running for reelection to Fort Collins City Council District 4
Q&A: Melanie Potyondy, running for Fort Collins City Council District 4
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins City Council District 4: Shirley Peel, Melanie Potyondy
