Town Administrator June 24, 2019

CML Conference
Along with 1,300 city and town leaders from across the state, I attended the Colorado Municipal League (CML) conference in Breckenridge last week. I reveled in presentations ranging from community engagement strategies, to place making, to managing water resources. I also connected with old friends and made new ones, including Frederick Mayor Pro Tem Laura Brown and Greeley City Council Member, (and former Weld County Commissioner) Dale Hall, both of whom shared good ideas with me. Getting (and hopefully sharing) valuable insights from others is why I work hard to build a network of win/win working relationships. Here are a few summaries from CML conference sessions that have special significance to Erie:

Xcel Energy.
Mayor Carroll and I met with the Xcel team. They want to explore with us piloting small micro grids and battery storage for municipal operations. We also discussed getting LED versions of the decorative streetlights in downtown.

Planning for Water.
As is always the case, the CML conference is a great place to learn from other municipalities’ successes and failures. In this respect, Aurora has volumetric based tap fees, and Castle Rock has a water budget rate structure that has reduced both total AND peak hour/day water use (the later is what really drives expensive capital improvements). We will review those approaches in more detail as we evaluate the Town’s water and sewer utility rates and rate structure.
That’s enough for this week. I’ll summarize more in the coming weeks, or you can visit the CML website for access to all of the presentations!

Public Participation.
I attended a great presentation about the importance of public participation in decision-making processes. When we create a sense of belonging and a sense of purpose people feel heard, valued and accepted. Appropriate engagement and participation also results in more durable decisions. It was a great reminder of the timeless adage: Tell me - I forget, show me - I remember, involve me - I understand. Some situations benefit from public engagement, while others do not. These slides illustrate the does and don’ts:

Parks and Recreation

Erie Parks and Recreation is gearing up to celebrate Park and Recreation Month in July and invites you to celebrate in two ways:

July 8-19: Download the Scavify App and search for 'Discover Your ExpERIEnce - Summer 2019', gather your scavenger team and begin completing tasks for a chance to win prizes!
July 22: The Medallion Hunt returns! The first clue will be posted at 10 a.m. on the Erie Parks and Recreation Facebook and Instagram pages. Happy hunting!

Police

Trainees Hartman and Willyard have completed the second week of their Field Training Officer (FTO) Program. The length of a typical FTO Program in Erie is 14 weeks.

Some spots left in the free Bike Rodeo! Register soon!

Finance

The Finance staff processed and sent out 15 new business licenses! Of those, 2 were home occupation and the remainder were general business. For more information on the process, visit the business license webpage.

Public Works

Each year, the Town of Erie provides its water customers with the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR). The CCR is designed to provide our customers with information about the quality water and services the Town delivers on a daily basis. Our constant goal is to provide a high quality supply of drinking water at all times.

The Town's operators perform thousands of water tests each year to ensure quality drinking water. The Town also monitors drinking water according to federal and state drinking water standards. Erie continues to meet increasingly high water quality standards in a cost-effective manner for its citizens.

Learn more in the most recent Water Quality Report (CCR).