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REGULAR MEETING ASPEN CITY COUNCIL JANUARY 25, 2022
At 5:00 p.m. Mayor Torre called the regular meeting to order with Councilors Doyle, Hauenstein
Mesirow and Richards joining via WebEx.
CITIZEN COMMENTS:
Robert Fryklund – Mr. Fryklund said he lives at 795 Cemetery Lane and that he needs guidance regarding
equal protection to taxpayers to access city facilities and more specifically, the golf course. He’s been a
member of this community since the late 90’s. This year, the qualifications and rules have changed for
the golf course because he doesn’t have a CO drivers license. He would like suggestions on how he can
be put on the “locals list” and gain equal status and rights as a taxpayer.
Mayor Torre asked him to send an email with his information and they will take it from there.
Andrea Bryan – Ms. Bryan said her comments are directed to the Board of Health and Pitkin County, but
she is speaking tonight at council because they are leaders of our community. She wants a return to
normal. She noted that people are shoulder to shoulder in packed bars and restaurants, but their
children are stuck 2020 still masked non-stop. The restrictions on the kids don’t make sense anymore.
Morgan Warth – Ms. Warth said she’s a mental health therapist in the valley. She said the Hope Center
reported a 130% increase in crisis evaluations for kids eleven and under. This is pretty severe. There has
been a 64% increase for adolescents 12-18, and a 28% increase for adults. These are staggering
statistics, and our families are in crisis. There are speech delays in kids due to masks. She’s suggesting a
risk benefit analysis be done.
Anna Zane – Ms. Zane thanked city council for this public forum. She said she’s a mom and she’s calling
for these mask restrictions to end for their children. We must now deescalate the fear culture. Day in
and out our children are the ones who bear the burden of these restrictions. The children are depressed
and scared and continuing to be expected to be resilient. Our children are not ok, and we need a return
to normal. She gave some personal anecdotes. We need your help and feel like we have no where else
to turn.
Jill Edinger – Ms. Edinger said she now lives in Garfield County, and she is here because many other
parents are too scared to speak out. She has a lot of grit and stamina, but she is at her breaking point as
a parent. She’s falling apart at the seams because of the pressure of all the COVID policies. She
constantly has a child home since October because of constant quarantines. The kids feel the stress and
she is feeling despair. This isn’t sustainable and we are going to have a huge mental health crisis so
please consider reasonable policy changes.
Summer Berg – Ms. Berg is also a parent and echoes what other people have said. Government needs to
start being more flexible now. It’s time for the tables to turn and let families make the best decisions for
themselves. It is affecting all of our kids. She’s asking that they start to back off the stringent policies and
put the matters back into families’ hands.
Julia Russo – Ms. Russo is a parent and back in August, she wrote a petition asking for the mask mandate
be amended to be optional for children. Now she’s taking her child down valley for daycare because he
doesn’t have to wear a mask. She said it’s best to let the parents decide what is best for their children at
this point.
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