Pueblo City Council interviews five candidates for open position

Five candidates are hoping to fill the seat vacated by former councilman Chris Kaufman.

During Monday’s work session, council interviewed the five finalists: Dennis Flores, a former board president of Pueblo City Schools; Steven Foute, a contractor with Public Technology Institute; Ginger Maggrett, former dean of students at IntelliTec Colleges; Luann Martinez, assistant scout executive with Rocky Mountain Council of the Boy Scouts of America; and Wayne Martinez, former owner of Padgett Business Services.

Flores told council his eight years as a board member of Pueblo City Schools made him uniquely qualified for the position.

“In my past years, I served on the Fountain Creek Commission, the Pueblo Regional Planning Commission, I was on PACGO for a while. I also am going to have a very short learning curve. I understand the city charter,” said Flores in a phone interview from Salt Lake City, UT.

Foute said that council needs to be more proactive in luring companies to move into specific areas of the city. Foute also told council his contracting work has given him valuable experience to serve on council.

“I’ve really worked with, I would say, every department in local government that could possibly exist from fire to police, to parks and rec,” Foute said.

Maggrett shared her experience being unemployed, and the difficulties she’s faced finding a job in Pueblo with a master’s degree. She said she’s qualified to serve on council because constituents can relate to her.

“I believe that I am the face of Pueblo. I am about the median age. I’m a mother, a wife, a daughter. I lost my job so I know what it’s like to have your life completely upended from being comfortable enough to pay the bills,” Maggrett said.

Luann Martinez emphasized the need to improve the quality of life in Pueblo, specifically helping people find jobs.

“This is a community that I grew up in, my parents live in, my children live, all my friends and quite possibly the community where I will retire and die,” Luann Martinez said.

Wayne Martinez said his accounting and finance experience would help council balance its $3.5 million shortfall.

“I’m here to help. I’m not coming to council with some agenda that we need to do x, y, z,” Wayne Martinez said.

Councilman Chris Nicoll said he was troubled by the fact that the finalists were not asked about transparency and how they plan to abide by the Colorado Sunshine Law.

Kaufman resigned last month after accusations surfaced that he, along with councilwomen Ami Nawrocki and Sandy Daff, violated the Colorado Sunshine Law by discussing public city business over emails. Daff and Nawrocki are now the targets of a potential recall election.

“I felt like [the question] was appropriate and should have been left in. It was pulled at the last minute by president Daff with no explanation, which I think is highly questionable,” Nicoll said.

“We’re in a time where we’re moving forward and trying to find someone to replace Councilman Kaufman, and it seemed that the question was a bit mean spirited. And it may not have been intended that way,” Daff said.

Council will vote on a replacement candidate on Oct. 6.