Glenwood Springs city council members
Communication and feedback is vital for progress for local government and its citizens. In the last several years the Glenwood Springs City Council has made concerted efforts to inform citizens about projects, events, and policies by increasing public outreach.
As proud as we are about these efforts, it is not enough. We know there are many voices we are not hearing from regularly and we want to ensure we hear from as many of you as possible.
At last week’s city council meeting, we voted to survey the community on their concerns about infrastructure and what they consider appropriate means for funding upgrades. We need to hear from liberals, conservatives, and unaffiliated voters in equal measure. We need to hear from young families and retired folks, from long-time locals and those newly arrived – but most importantly we need to hear from those of you that don’t regularly contact the city or provide input on projects.
Glenwood Springs City Council member
On May 6, in a 6-1 vote, the Glenwood Springs City Council decided to waste $35,000 of your money on a meaningless “push” poll. Frustrated by the will of the people, the Mayor and others want to try to persuade you to vote for a street tax increase again, despite that tax being decisively defeated in 2019. They want to do this even after almost doubling your water rates in a 5-2 vote (wait until you see your July bill). Two years ago, I ran on a relatively simple platform, fix the streets, maintain our infrastructure, stop the beautification projects and wasteful spending. And, have the government, as we all must do, spend the money it has and “live within its means.”
Glenwood Springs City Council will discuss how to proceed with a major funding shortfall for the Three Mile Creek Confluence project, which came up nearly two-thirds short of the $631,771 estimated cost.
The work most important to the health of the riparian ecosystem was estimated to cost $113,559, which includes restoration revegetation, plantings and irrigation. In total, the project is short $391,021.
Last fall, the city applied for three grants two from the Colorado Water Conservation Board and one from the U.S. National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
“We were successful with the two CWCB applications ultimately receiving a total award of $190,000, the maximum permitted via grant funding stipulations and the city’s matching funds,” the meeting documents state.
Post Independent Editorial Board
As we venture further away from the pandemic’s beginning, our thoughts turn back to the challenges our community faced before anyone knew what COVID-19 was.
With tourism ramping back up and businesses seeking more workers, the perpetual tug of war between growing our community and keeping our community the way it is looms large.
No matter how we feel as individuals, there are no easy answers. Unfettered development would lead to our feeling like sardines in a very cramped Roaring Fork Valley. Locking up development which has already happened to some degree means a long commute for many of our hospitality and tourism workers, and professionals in other sectors, as well, who have for years helped spur economic growth in our communities.
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