S.U.N.Y.
S.U.N.Y.
… For standing bravely on its university’s record of compliance with established federal education law and the rule of law that guards against “improvisatory changes to legal assurances” and “new requirements” lacking the force of law. To see SUNY’s brief letter, click here.
… For balancing the importance of transparency and the need for justifiable executive sessions when it recently amended its charter. Click here. Kudos for etching this balance in the city charter, requiring voter approval for future changes.
… Many cities talk about helping mobile home communities, but the City of Lafayette walked the talk by providing a $495,000 interest-free loan to help residents purchase the land under their 34-unit mobile home community. In their amazing journey, the residents formed La Luna Community Cooperative to work with several funding partners that enabled them to take more control over their mobile home community. You can read more about this success story in a Colorado Sun article.
… In these dark days of destructive politics, it is good to see an organization that tries to unite groups for important causes like fair elections, government accountability, and public safety. A look at States United’s Advisory Board reflects a truly unified effort to support a “government of the people, by the people, and for the people.” See https://
… for unanimous City Council approval to apply to the Colorado Department of Local Affairs for a $3 million grant for a 125-unit owner-occupied affordable housing project. Reportedly, 95% of Golden workers live outside of Golden. Similarly, during my time at the Thornton City Attorney’s office of 18 employees, I can recall only two living in Thornton. Like it or not, Golden is doing more than talking about “affordable housing.”
…For having a Career Service Board that adopts and enforces rules governing the merit-based personnel system, probationary periods, grievance procedures, and adjudicates employee appeals of termination and discipline decisions. Employees with “career” or “classified” protected status (rather than “at will”) should greatly appreciate the protection from being fired or disciplined at whim without notice and justifiable, provable “cause.” Requiring a sufficient lawful “cause” should protect employees in those unfortunate times where there might be an arbitrary, discriminatory and/or retaliatory supervisor, human resource director, and/or city manager. A Career Service Board provides yet another layer of protection and prevents the accumulation of too much power in the top city executives, especially when the board (not HR) hires the hearing officers for employee appeals.
…For substantively engaging its community through its Human Relations Commission comprised of residents empowered to: recommend to city council proposals for administrative or legislative action; issue publications and investigative reports; work with other governments to eliminate prejudice, intolerance, and discrimination; make budget recommendations; promote diversity –- supported by an Office of Diversity Equity & Inclusion presently conducting a disparity study.
… For its substantive community engagement in 2022 in three ways. First, during redistricting, Commerce City created a helpful 39-minute explanatory video. See https://youtu.be/Tc3nvBOhnQ0?t=10. Second, it empowered residents with the ability to draw community of interest maps online. See https://youtu.be/Tc3nvBOhnQ0?t=1964. Third, City Council distributed a survey asking about the number of individual City Council seats, the method of election (by ward or citywide), and the mayor’s role.
… For amazing transparency and public accountability by posting online for viewing and downloading its Council meeting recordings back to 2006. Similarly, the City of Lafayette’s recordings online go back to 2008. This allows the public to freely access years of recordings without asking permission.
… For ultra-transparency and successfully conducting its government business with a city charter that nowhere authorizes closed-door “executive sessions” for council meetings. Boulder’s success shows that transparency and effective government can co-exist.
… police transparency and cultural sensitivity by posting its police policies online in English and Spanish, a visible commitment to community and diversity.
… opting for transparency on July 12, 2022, in announcing at least three finalists (rather than only one) for its vacant city manager position unlike the University of Colorado that earlier in 2022 announced only one finalist for its vacant president position.
