Town Administrator

Lafayette IGA. Last week we met with Tyler Carlson to work through issues with the proposed IGA and the impact on the Nine Mile development. I am very pleased with the progress we made and will be reviewing details and next steps with the Board of Trustees and URA next week.  
 
Organizational Structure. Last week I reviewed the proposed changes with  the Management team and next week I will present my intended changes to the Board of Trustees.
 
Downtown Developments. We had exciting meetings on two different projects that we will bring to the Urban Renewal Authority for consideration later this month or early next. Stay tuned!  
 
CCCMA Conference. Wednesday through Friday this week I will be attending the Colorado City/County Management Association annual conference in Glenwood Springs. The following sessions are ones I think may be especially informative:

• Program Mapping. During this session I will meet with others to identify the services we all offer and explore ways we might provide better and more cost effective service through partnerships, merged/consolidated services, in-sourced regionally provided services, or out-sourced opportunities. 
• Storying Your Town and the People Who Live There. Towns, cities, and counties are made of stories. The history, biographies, anecdotes and gossip of a town is what connects the citizenry, so learning how to "story" your community is the single most important skill when connecting, messaging and enrolling the people who live there.
• The Value of Loving Where You Live. Peter Kageyama, author of For the Love of Cities (a book I read two years ago!) will talk about how city leaders can foster the love of cities (and Towns!), and work with that energy to advance all areas of the Town’s operations and governance.
• Build your Facilitation Skills: The Principles and Practices of Effective Facilitators. During this session I hope to learn some new facilitation skills (or strengthen some I already have) to create meetings that are engaging, fun, and result in real outcomes that have accountability and focus.
• Driving Dynamic Development. In this session I hope to learn additional ways to promote positive development in Downtown Erie by reviewing and discussing two case studies from two other towns.
• The Shape of Ethics. This session focuses on this premise and questions: Ethical dilemmas are among the most vexing, important and sometimes even gratifying challenges facing public administrators. How do we make ethical decisions? What are the considerations and processes? And on the skills of doing the right thing while inculcating ethics into public agencies.
• Meeting With Xcel. I’ll be meeting with Xcel’s Area Manager, Craig Eicher (who I worked closely with while in Louisville) and other Xcel staff to talk about how to partner on quantifying and then achieving the Town’s Carbon Goals.
• Economic Outlook for 2019. Richard Wobbekind, Executive Director of the Business Research Division CUs’ Leeds School of Business, will give his current update on Colorado and U.S. economic trends for 2019. His presentations for the CCCMA group always highlight key points from different economic sectors relevant to towns and cities.
• Engaging the Entire Community: Techniques for building and keeping an audience in your community engagement practice. Session leaders discuss techniques used, locally and globally, to reach new audiences and develop trust in community engagement practices.

As you can see, it is going to be a busy three days. I look forward to coming back from Glenwood even more energized than I already am, and with new tools and techniques to help Erie!

Economic Development

Economic Development has received multiple inquiries from developers interested in the 255 acres recently purchased thanks to an article in the Colorado Business Journal. Read the article on the Town of Erie LinkedIn page. 

Parks & Recreation

Parks and Recreation staff are accepting letters of interest from design firms with expertise in designing disc golf courses. Once a company is selected 7-10 citizens will be invited to participate in the project throughout 2019.

Summer job positions were posted this week at https://www.erieco.gov/145/Human-Resources.

Police

Erie PD Officers, with the assistance of Lafayette PD Officers, apprehend an auto theft suspect who had multiple felony warrants. The vehicle was returned to the Erie resident.
 
Vehicle thefts continue to be on the rise in Erie and in surrounding jurisdictions. The Erie PD recommends never leaving your keys in an unsecured vehicle and never leaving your vehicle running to warm up (unless it can be secured).

On Saturday Chief Stewart was an esteemed judge at the Erie Methodist Church’s Chili Contest. She said, “Pepsid for the real win!”

Human Resources

Staff has posted more than 50 seasonal employment opportunities ranging from parks maintenance to fitness instructors to recreation attendant.

Human Resources announced the vacancy of Parks and Open Space Division Manager. The position will plan, organize, coordinate and manage the operation and maintenance of parks, open space, trails, sports fields, urban forestry, irrigation systems, cemetery, and landscaped areas at various municipal facilities.

Apply today!  

Public Works

The Public Works Department is working with a seismic testing operator to ensure that any planned testing fully considers the needs of Town residents while protecting Town infrastructure.

Public Works and Engineering have been preparing 10 year capital improvement plans, and system data in advance of the 2019 Rate Study for water, sewer and storm drainage. 

Communications & Marketing

2019 Town of Erie Event Calendar
Tree Incentive Program
Up With People Coming to Erie
Advisory Board Vacancy for Open Space and Trails