Wednesday’s Aspen Business Luncheon forum on the city’s controversial Castle Creek hydroelectric-plant project was primarily a polite affair, with little in the way of new information to sway the undecided or those looking for a reason to change their opinions.
City Manager Steve Barwick and utilities director Dave Hornbacher stuck to the line that despite recent increases in the project’s budget, the plant still would be a good investment for the community in the long run with little impact on area streams and their ecosystems.
Meanwhile, Paul Menter, CFO of destination services firm Rocky Mountain Connections and a former Aspen finance director, joined Western Rivers Institute executive director Ken Neubecker in attempting to paint a picture of a government initiative that has run amok financially and would threaten environmental harm if allowed to proceed.
No fireworks erupted until late in the proceeding, during the question-and-answer period.
Read more at:
