Heard about fraud lately? I sure have. At CCCMA in February this year, Charles Jones, Professor at the University of Kansas taught The Shape of Ethics: Two Columns, Three Triangles. In his presentation he said “ethics and policy have a human face.” He urged city and county managers to open Read more…
I am still absorbing the U.S. Mountain Community Summit presented by APX1 and hosted by the Town of Vail January 14-17th to sift through what set it apart from other forums on the resort housing challenge. For one, it wasn’t the usual one-hand clapping conversation among public officials and staff Read more…
This year’s annual Economic Development Summit hosted by the Steamboat Springs Chamber on October 19th was themed “Backcountry to Boardroom: the business of the outdoors.” Few Colorado communities outside a metro area have grown outdoor sector manufacturing better than Steamboat Springs which boasts local startups Smartwool, Big Agnes, HALA Gear, Read more…
We have a crisis of civility in this country. Civility skills are not being taught or modelled at the federal level, and not in the mediums by which many citizens take in information about what is happening. In fact, in-civility is highlighted so frequently as “news” that it seems to Read more…
I wrote an article in the August edition of NWCCOG eNews about Grand Adventure Brewing that reveals a proprietor who opened for business to become a community anchor. Kremmling concurs because “Brewery” is already on a wayfinding sign in the center of town. Kremmling is unusual in its wayfinding signs Read more…
In our increasingly tribal culture, it matters what we choose to commit to vs. what we don’t. Our choices are shaping our culture and the places we live. Recently, I had the honor of facilitating a retreat for a newly-formed group of county commissioners that were exploring how the group Read more…
Recently, I ran into a friend whom I worked with when I was a project manager. He’s the best landscape architect I know, and he knows it. His company prices work accordingly. Bids were unapologetically 20 to 30% higher than others, which required explaining to my clients—who often chose his Read more…
I just started a book called How Democracies Die. Suddenly it is not an idle question. I am reminded that our governance model is a grand experiment and not a particularly lengthy one as history goes. In fact, I have been fond of reminding my entrenched peers on lowly town boards Read more…
An inspired movement led by local government leaders is underway in the Colorado high country providing a stunning example of “local governments as laboratories of democracy.” In May 2017, Aspen Mayor Steve Skadron convened a group of cities and counties that were already individually working on sustainability, resiliency and climate Read more…
Reporting “Live” today, January 17, 2018, from Red Cliff Town Hall, and emailing in over Wi-Fi. A small click for me, a giant one, a long time coming for Red Cliff. Today, Anuschka Bales, Mayor of Red Cliff is hosting a Thank You Party—plates of cookies, urns of coffee and Read more…