Lorenz named to Monte Vista City Council

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Two candidates interviewed for open seat



MONTE VISTA—The Monte Vista City Council held interviews for the two candidates for the open council seat on Wednesday, May 2. The seat was vacated with the resignation of former councilor Joe Schlabach and only two people submitted letters of interest, John Camponeschi, a history teacher at Monte Vista Middle School and Kathy Lorenz, Neighborhood Watch President and spouse of former councilor Jason Lorenz, who did not seek reelection in 2017.
On Thursday evening, council’s first vote was a tie. Council held an executive session at the end of the meeting and reconvened with a second vote, announcing Lorenz as the winner. Both votes were conducted by secret ballot.
At the Wednesday night interviews, the candidates were separately asked a series of questions by city councilors. Each candidate was also given the opportunity to talk about themselves and ask questions of council.
Camponeschi introduced himself by explaining he is in his 13th year of teaching history, currently at the eighth grade level, joking if he can handle a room full of hormonal teenagers at the end of the school year, he could handle almost any situation. Camponeschi explained he is originally from a small town in upstate New York that is similarly economically dependent on agriculture, although his town was reliant on dairy. He has served on the Legal Defense fund for the Colorado Education Association and recently started a School Safety Commission at the CEA as well. Camponeschi is the father of two small children and his wife works at Adams State University. Lorenz explained she has lived in the San Luis Valley most of her life.
Lorenz worked for a mining company for 11 years out of college, which took her to several places around the western United States, Canada and Alaska. She relayed a story about an isolated camp her team had worked at for four months, which left them without phone service for the first 10 days and living in very close quarters they had to set up. The isolated work environments taught Lorenz how to rely on people and how to interact with people from many different cultures. Lorenz ultimately decided to leave the field when her only job option was likely in New Zealand and moved back to Monte Vista to help care for her mother. She met her husband at that point and they have two teenage children. Lorenz has stayed home the last couple of years to support her children in their last few years at home.
Councilor interview questions were answered by both candidates.
Camponsechi explained his “integrity, positivity and ability to look outside the box” would help council look at creative ways to solve problems, like closing businesses and the opioid epidemic. Camponeschi explained he believes more local people have to become business owners because they will have a better investment in the community. He also explained he is always looking for ways to look out for the interest of Monte Vista’s children. He noted his weaknesses are never having been elected as a public official noting he would have a political learning curve but was willing to reach out to council and city staff and do fact-finding when necessary. “Monte is a unique, wonderful place and the community needs to see that…we need people willing to make changes.”
Lorenz noted she has known Councilor Gary Johnson and Mayor Dale Becker for a long time and has a strong business sense. She has “a passion to see Monte Vista grow and prosper.” She added her dedication to her family could be considered a weakness because she stopped working three years ago to deal with an illness in her family and spend as much time with her children as possible. Lorenz stated she has spent 11 years on the San Luis Valley Health Board of Directors and has been reappointed, discussing the hardest thing she has ever done was vote to close the nursing home in La Jara for financial reasons, “It was hard to displace elderly people… I went home and cried… but the cost reports told us it was the right thing to do… You have to make hard decisions for the right reasons with the right advice,” Lorenz stated.
Becker asked the candidates how the term, which expires at the end of 2019, would fit with their schedules. Camponeschi answered, “I’ve made arrangements [for childcare and other needs], and I’m reporting for duty… All public office involves personal sacrifice.” Camponeschi noted he is willing to campaign for the seat again next year and added “I’m here to serve the political party of Monte Vista, not any other political party.”
Lorenz answered “Serving out this term is not a problem,” adding she has taught her children they have to participate and be involved in their communities and she looks forward to being that example for them. “I will give 100 percent of my effort to the remainder of this term,” Lorenz said, if selected, but would did give a committal statement about seeking reelection in 2019.
Camponeschi emphasized the importance of dialogue in solving problems, even when complete agreement isn’t possible. “Is consensus always achievable? Maybe not, but positivity and fair time to speak and share our backgrounds is. It we can unstop our ears a little, settle our tempers a little bit, we can move forward… As my dad would say ‘you know you’ve compromised when everyone is p----d off.’”.
Lorenz pointed out that Monte Vista’s form of governance with the city manager does not allow councilors to act without approval, but noted the best way to solve problems is to handle them respectfully and sit down in private and discuss it. “As a council member we take an oath to uphold the Constitution and Charter; it’s our responsibility to serve that charter… we have to be accountable to each other in the process of governing and airing dirty laundry doesn’t work in any situation.”
Following the selection of Lorenz, Camponeschi offered this statement, “I would first of all like to congratulate Kathy Lorenz on being selected to the Monte Vista City Council. Since the beginning of my work to fill a vacant city council seat, I have maintained that we need to first of all look after the youth of our community and their livelihoods in order to strengthen our community overall.


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