Greg Mikolai
Occupation:
Instructor and Video Producer at Colorado Mesa University
How long have you lived in Palisade?
Over 25 years
Why are you running for a position on the Town Board, or for Mayor?
I want continuity in our governance so we may continue the progress seen over the last two years. Management and oversight have greatly improved and I want to ensure that endures. Also, I want to emphasize fiduciary responsibility and best practices in all Town activities and duties.
Are you willing to commit to attending a majority of the Town Board meetings, missing meetings only in extreme cases?
I have a very good attendance record as a Trustee.
Are you ready to put the time in to read and understand the packets prior to meetings and doing the other work that a Board member should do? I am always prepared for every meeting.
How many Town Board meetings have you attended to date?
Over 40 since being elected to the board in April, 2018. I have only missed three meetings in that time, due to family issues.
What do you think are the big issues Palisade is presently facing?
We need a viable and affordable plan to deal with waste treatment. Several ideas are being researched and they all need to be vetted carefully.
Infrastructure improvement demands attention to keep Palisade an attractive place to live. We need to continue our efforts to increase pedestrian and bicycle as viable conveyances.
Economic development needs attention so that infrastructure improvement is feasible. This should include efforts to revitalize the town center and seek every opportunity to bring new businesses into town.
How are you presently involved in the community of Palisade?
I presently serve on the Board of Trustees and served as the representative for District E on the District 51 School Board for eight years.
What would you do to promote economic development in Palisade?
We must continue to maximize what already draws people to Palisade and that’s our fruit and wine agri-business; however, I would like to see us diversify and develop more industry and business beyond agricultural and retail. I would like to see more light-industrial brought into the immediate area.
What intrigues you about Palisade’s history?
I think Palisade’s ability to maintain its standing as the heart of the fruit and wine industries in Colorado through decades of boom and bust on the Western Slope. This has proven an invaluable asset to our identity and character; however, I think there’s still a misconception that we are only a bedroom community for Grand Junction. We may share common goals with our neighbors to the west, but we proudly recognize ourselves as Palisade.
How does it apply to Palisade’s future?
The fruit and wine activities of Palisade will remain the anchor of our economic wellbeing; however, we need to try and develop economic objectives and plans beyond agri-business and that are intrinsic to our own particular interests, though they may work in partnership with the Grand Valley as a whole.
What do you see in Palisade’s future?
Growth. The attractive nature of our town is drawing great interest. The congenial atmosphere and relaxed living are beckoning to many in the Grand Valley and Colorado.
What would you do to guide/direct it?
I would work towards managing the expected growth so that it does not adversely impact what makes Palisade such a great place to live. Growth is inevitable, but it should not balloon so quickly that it bursts our capabilities to accommodate it.
