Chris La May, who has been Bayfield town manager for more than eight years, has submitted his resignation.
La May is leaving to take a position as north central regional manager with the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. He will continue as town manager until Feb. 14. In the meantime, town trustees and staff will hold a public workshop at 6 p.m. Thursday to discuss the transition, which will overlap with the April board elections. For La May and trustees, it’s a bittersweet departure.
“I have mixed emotions,” La May said. “I definitely have a fondness for the area of Bayfield. But I think it’s ... time to move on.”
In his new position, La May will connect Front Range cities with state resources, continuing to help communities reach their goals.
“It’s a position I’ve always coveted just because it provides an opportunity to assist multiple local governments,” La May said. “It’s a great opportunity.”
“He is the glue that holds everything together. It is a very important position,” said Mayor Matt Salka.
As town manager, La May manages the day-to-day tasks that keep the town running, like writing grant applications and managing the budget, and he advises the Board of Trustees.
He joined Bayfield town government in 2010 after working as town manager in Elizabeth, Colorado, southeast of the Denver metro area.
Since that time, La May’s leadership has helped Bayfield improve its infrastructure, bring in new business and prepare for future population growth, said Salka and Trustee Ashleigh Tarkington.
In December, La May helped the town receive a $1 million grant to improve water infrastructure without increasing utility rates. Bayfield also upgraded its water treatment plant in 2013 through a deal with the La Plata Archuleta Water District, again at no cost to ratepayers.
La May has helped bring in new businesses, upgrade roads, improve parks and trails, expand broadband infrastructure and navigate controversial land-use code policy updates.
Tarkington said she was shocked when La May called to inform her of his resignation.
“It’s a huge blow to this community,” she said. “He’s been wonderful to work with and for him, and his leadership will be missed.”
Salka said La May’s departure comes at the best time it could. The budget is balanced, projects are getting approved and winter is a slow time for the town.
But the transition will come with challenges – especially considering the board elections in April when four of seven board seats will be up for election, Salka said.
“It is kind of like, ‘Oh man, all right, we’ve got to worry about a new board coming in,’” he said. “That is one of my worries. ... The dynamic will change.”
When La May was hired, the process took about seven months, Salka said. The hiring process to replace La May could take until June, depending on the pool of applicants.
The town is also still working on its broadband infrastructure. Groundwater still dilutes the sanitary sewer system through cracks in pipes. The controversial district plans in La Plata County are completed, but the land-use code review will continue into 2020.
“There will always be unfinished business, and there will always be projects and challenges,” La May said. “I would like to think that during my tenure, I was a good steward and that I’m leaving it in a good place.”
The town trustees are already working with the Colorado Municipal League, DOLA and other contacts to find an interim manager during the transition. At the Thursday meeting, they will brainstorm strategies to carry large projects through the transition.
“As the board, we’re all in agreement that it’s time to roll up our sleeves and start getting to work,” Salka said.
smullane@durangoherald.com
