AURORA | Aurora City Council members interviewed three citizens and four industry representatives who have applied to be on a revamped oil and gas advisory committee.
On Feb. 17 and 18, council members interviewed three residents for one of five available citizen positions on the committee. Those applicants included Susan McClain, Polly Page and Nicole Johnston. Council members also interviewed industry representatives Phillip Holmes, James Rogers, Maxwell Blair and Gregory Guyer for spots on the committee.
According to city officials, the committee will assist the council in promoting efficient and equitable handling of oil and gas exploration while protecting the city’s natural resources and local quality of life.
The interview consisted of five questions that asked applicants why they wanted to serve on the committee, how they see their role on an advisory committee, how they handle differences of opinion on oil and gas regulation, how they view the power balance between municipalities and the state when it comes to oil and gas regulation and how they would get information from the committee out to residents.
“The questions were well thought out to find candidates who will work together and communicate what the oil and gas commission is doing to the rest of Aurora’s constituents,” said Johnston, who lives in the Adonea neighborhood near Denver International Airport and many of the new wells.
The city’s new advisory oil and gas committee will consist of five citizen members, with up to two living in areas most affected by oil and gas; three industry representatives who are registered to vote in Colorado; and three surface or property owners.
Only three surface or property owners applied for the three seats. Those individuals who will be appointed to the new committee are Marc Cooper, Chad Polak and Bruce Rau. Council members said they will choose the resident and citizen candidates for the position at a March 14 council meeting.
Due to three citizens not being able to make the interviews or not responding to interview requests, council members will need to do more work to fill those committee seats.
John Dougherty, an Aurora resident and spokesperson for Aurora Citizens for Responsible Energy, was one citizen candidate who was unable to make the interviews because he was out of town helping his 89-year-old mother recover from surgery. Dougherty said he is very interested in being on the committee, but was so far turned down when he asked to do a phone or email interview.
At-Large Councilman Bob LeGare said Dougherty is still eligible to be appointed to the committee and that council members can still speak with interested residents about the position who could not make the interviews. LeGare added that city council can also continue to interview from a pool of citizen applicants who were shortlisted for the committee last year or ask city staff to put out a request for more applications this year.
The panel is only advisory, and city council will still decide whatever issues on drilling and fracking it can not reserved by the state.
The terms for each of the committee appointments will be three years, and members will be limited to a maximum of three consecutive terms.
The desire for an oil and gas committee grew as the debate over energy exploration across Colorado has grown in recent years, with large increases in the amount of drilling over the past three years.
Aurora has had an informal oil and gas committee since 2012 but last year agreed to change its structure amid protests from east Aurora residents over the potential for more fracking near their homes.