Town Administrator June 24, 2019
CML ConferenceAlong 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: