Bookseller Runs for Vail Town Council

Robert Aikens with his dog, Blu.

Already renowned as one of the nation's premier ski resorts, the quaint, European-style town of Vail, Colorado, is in the middle of a billion dollar redevelopment. And that's a good thing, said Robert Aikens, owner of Verbatim Booksellers. "It needed to be spruced up."

However, the town is also at an important crossroads. As Vail moves forward under the leadership of its elected officials, there is one thing conspicuously absent from the town council. While it includes developers, realtors, and other business owners, it lacks one important ingredient -- a small business owner.

On Election Day, Aikens hopes to change that. He is running for one of the four vacant seats on the town council. "There needs to be a small business voice on the town council," he said. "[If elected], I'd be the only member that enters a shop every day."

As an independent bookseller, Aikens said he believes his experience in keeping a bookstore profitable in a tourist town, where stores do most of their business during a few months out of the year, would serve him well on the town council.

For that reason, one of the main themes of Aiken's campaign is Vail's economic development. He explained that, when he first moved to Vail, there was a local campaign called "ABC, Always Buy Colorado," and he'd like to bring something similar to the town, such as "Vail First." Along with the campaign, he would like to see an Economic Development Committee added to support current businesses, as well as to seek out new and diverse businesses.

"One of the things Vail is facing is, all around us, [developers] are trying to bring in big box stores" to the areas known locally as "down-valley," Aikens reported. And while he is not against all big box stores, per se, he thinks it's crucial that the town has a full understanding of the kind of impact a chain retailer would have on local businesses and attempt to bring in the kind of stores that could complement local stores. "We could have a mix of things that are not competing with local businesses, such as a Sharper Image," he said. "I think you need to find a balance."

Aikens also supports the building of a state-of the art conference center to better serve Vail visitors and local organizations. "This is not a convention center, but a sorely needed facility that could accommodate larger groups," he explains on his website, robertforvail.com. "Many groups like The Future Business Leaders of America have outgrown the currently available meeting space in town. The conference center is right for Vail. Local businesses should be deciding how much staff their stores need in the off-season, not whether to stay open or not."

The other key to Aikens' election platform is the building of the West Vail Fire Station, something that has been in development for a number of years. He explained that while the town spent over two million dollars to dedicate a circle in town to Vail's founder, a much-needed firehouse remains in the planning stages. A fire in Vail, he pointed out, is a very real threat due to dead and dying lodge pole pines, and were one to break out, it would devastate both the local economy and the valley.

As an independent business owner who has learned how to do more with less, Aiken said that he knows "you need to look at your priorities.... You need to look at how you're spending your money and where." --David Grogan