[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 127 (Tuesday, September 16, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1808]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING TOM BAKER OF BASALT, CO

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MARK UDALL

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 16, 2003

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the 
distinguished service of Mr. Tom Baker, the Town Manager of Basalt, CO. 
Mr. Baker is the recipient of the University of Colorado's Leo. C. 
Riethmayer award for the ``outstanding public administrator of 2003''.
  Mr. Baker has proven his dedication to the Roaring Fork Valley since 
1983, having held a variety of local government positions during his 
residency. In particular his tenure as Town Manager has provided him 
with the authority to restructure Basalt's local government process by 
downplaying the role of elected officials in the town's decisionmaking 
processes, which has successfully promoted increased citizen 
involvement.
  Specifically, Mr. Baker has created citizen committees, in which ten 
percent of Basalt's residents participate, to ensure broad constituent 
involvement in the decisions of the town government. The utilization of 
these committees has enabled the town to avoid failures that are often 
associated with uninformed policy decisions. The dedication, vision, 
and selflessness with which Mr. Baker has pursued his work deserves our 
most sincere thanks. Thus, I ask that my colleagues join with me in 
thanking Tom Baker for his service and many contributions to his 
community. He is much appreciated.
  For further information on our colleague, I am attaching a copy of a 
recent story about Mr. Baker that appeared in The Aspen Times newspaper 
on July 25, 2003.

                Baker Named ``Outstanding'' Town Manager

                           (By Scott Condon)

       Basalt Town Manager Tom Baker has received a top honor in 
     Colorado as the ``outstanding public administrator of 2003.''
       The Colorado Chapter of Pi Alpha Alpha and the Graduate 
     School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado, 
     Denver, selected Baker as the winner of the Leo C. Riethmayer 
     award. It is given annually in Riethmayer's memory as the 
     founding father of public affairs studies at CU.
       While Baker was honored to receive the recognition, he was 
     characteristically humble about his role in earning it.
       ``To be singled out for recognition is almost 
     uncomfortable,'' he said. ``The whole community is really 
     being acknowledged.''
       Baker was a finalist for the award last year, when his 
     nomination was coordinated by Basalt Town Councilwoman Jacque 
     Whitsitt. The selection committee contacted Basalt Mayor 
     Rick Stevens this year and urged him to re-nominate Baker 
     because he was such a strong candidate.
       Baker has drawn accolades for helping create a 
     ``horizontal, informal'' type of governing in Basalt that 
     downplays the role of the elected officials as decisionmakers 
     and promotes citizen involvement.
       Town officials estimated 10 percent of Basalt residents, 
     roughly 220 people, are working directly with the town 
     government on one of many citizen committees. There are 
     currently 14 citizen committees working on issues ranging 
     from the water rate structure, to how property along the 
     Roaring Fork and Fryingpan rivers should be developed.
       The idea of drawing so much community participation is to 
     empower individuals in the decisionmaking process, Baker 
     said. It is meant to avoid the ``us versus them'' trap 
     politics often falls into when a handful of elected officials 
     make decisions in a vacuum.
       Baker was hired as the town manager in late 1998, and from 
     the start he nurtured the idea of the town building ``social 
     capital.'' Instead of just reviewing land-use applications, 
     the Town Council and town staff work to strengthen civic 
     organizations and causes, both permanent and ad hoc.
       Baker received his Bachelor of Science degree in City and 
     Regional Planning from the Illinois Institute of Technology, 
     and his Master of Public Administration from CU Denver.
       He has been a resident of the Roaring Fork Valley since 
     1983 and has held a variety of local government positions, 
     including Aspen Assistant City Manager, Executive Director of 
     the Aspen/Pitkin County Housing Authority, and Assistant 
     Planning Director for Aspen and Pitkin County. He received 
     the Leadership Aspen Alumni Award in 2001 and serves on The 
     Aspen Institute's Community Forum Board. He is an 
     accomplished facilitator and serves as an advisor to the 
     Institute of Social Ecology and Public Policy at Monterey, 
     California.
  The official presentation and celebration of the Riethmayer Award 
will take place on Tuesday, August 12, in Basalt. This event usually 
happens on the Front Range, but this year the Pi Alpha Alpha Colorado 
chapter board members will come to Basalt to honor Baker in his 
hometown.

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