Reflections

Over the course of the semester, I have been able to refine my reporting skills. I learned to be a keen listener and a fast writer. I learned to write down everything, because even if it doesn’t seem important at the time, it could come in handy later. I learned literally everything I know about local government in this class. It has been useful to know more about the city of Greeley. Other people now see me as a credible source when it comes to the Greeley City Council. That being said, I wish I had a little more background on government going into the class because the learning curve was rough for the first few weeks. Creating a blog and our class Web site was my favorite part of the curriculum. My least favorite part was the late-night council meetings. My favorite part about the council meetings was the big stories like the medical marijuana issue, which ended up being a story in the New York Times. My least favorite part about the council meetings was all the discussion about drainage and budget. It was extremely hard to understand and follow. The most difficult thing about this class was the rigorous agenda. If I could give a piece of advice to students next semester, it would be to stay on top of your game and not fall behind in assignments.

Hopeful Wishes

Greeley residents were anxious to ask the new council about improvements they plan on making.

One resident addressed the council regarding the ever-present gang and drug activity. Police Chief Jerry Garner responded by saying they have plans in the works that he could not disclose at the time. He added that crime has continually been on the decline.

Another resident praised the council and the city for all their hard work in the past, but also said said she wants to see positive changes and is done with the embarrassment of the last council.

Other than the hopeful wishes from these residents, the excitement of a new council has started to fade. Council member Donna Sapienza said she was not nervous. They are ready to get to work.

Mayor Tom Norton was sworn in at a special meeting last night. He was not in attendance tonight due to attending a seminar at Harvard University in Cambridge.

Mayor Pro-tem and Councilmember John Gates took Norton’s place tonight. He was unanimously voted Mayor Pro-tem at the special meeting last night.

Over all, the new council seems to take issues a little more slow and steady than the previous council. This meeting would have been shorter if the last council were still in place due to their usual speed through agenda items. This could change with time and experience.

A New Beginning

The swearing-in ceremony of the new Greeley City Council was an exciting beginning for some, “I am excited to serve the city of Greeley at this capacity,” said new council member Sandy Elder, but an emotional end for others.

Don Feldhaus of Ward III began the transitional meeting by reminiscing of his years as a member of the council. “I have spent eight years as a council member. In that time, I have seen three mayors, eleven council members, two city managers, and numerous Tribune reporters,” said Feldhaus. On a more serious note, he thanked the city workers and commended the growth that has happened in the community. His fond memories of the council touched the hearts of many people there, including me, and I have no association with the council at all. When City Manager, Roy Otto, recognized Feldhaus, he said he could not have asked to work with a better person and that Feldhaus is a much respected man. This was proven when he received a standing ovation after accepting his plaque. The room filled with a rush of gratitude for a man that has put so much hard work into this city.

Carrol Martin was next to take the floor. He gave advice for the next council including giving the city staff pay raises and lowering taxes. Otto may have said it best when he said Martin takes a no non-sense, businessman approach to issues. Martin ended by saying, “It has been a real privilege to serve this city.”

Ed Phillipsen added that it was also a privilege for him to serve the city of Greeley. He said he could not have asked for a better, more professional or more dedicated group of people. Phillipsen extended an offer to help the new council members in any way.

While all the council members were sad to leave, they certainly left a legacy. “I don’t want to draw an end to these eight years,” Feldhaus said when asked to motion the adjournment.

Once the new council members were seating, Mayor Ed Clark welcomed them and asked for their remarks. Clark will remain mayor until the votes for the mayoral race can be recounted. It is said to be done by this Friday. The new mayor will be sworn in at a special city council meeting on Monday, Nov. 16 in order to resume regular city council meetings by Tuesday.“I support the new mayor, whoever he is,” said Elder. She is the new At-Large representative.

John Gates is the new Ward III representative. He is also a Greeley City Council legacy; his dad served on the council from 1971 until 1975. “I am honored to be elected,” said Gates.

Mike Finn was appointed to the position of Ward IV representative this summer when Pam Shaddock resigned to work for Senator Mike Udall. He ran for the position this term and won by a slight margin. “I encourage everyone to get involved in the city because we’re doing this together,” said Finn.

The Moment We Have Been Waiting For

The moment JMC 312 students have been waiting for all semester has finally arrived: Greeley City Council Election Day.

We spent the evening at the Greeley Tribune office, watching the events unfold. A buzz of excitement hung in the air. The night began with a writer’s meeting where everyone received their assignment. Then, we sat and waited in anticipation. Conversations all over the office revolved around the outcome. Election result Web site pages were refreshed frequently. We took part in the Tribune’s Live Election Chat while we, some-what patiently, waited for the results.

The real excitement started when the results began to filter in. Mayor candidate Tom Norton was winning by a land slide at first, but as the night came to a close, he only won by .2 percent. If opposing candidate, Ed Phillipsen, wants a recount, he will have to pay for the procedure. The rest of the election results are as follows:

Ward II: Donna Sapienza
Ward III: John Gates
Ward IV: Mike Finn
At Large: Sandra M. Elder

Greeley residents have elected their officials and should be pleased with the results, as this looks to be a fine council, indeed. As to whether or not there will be a re-count for mayor, stay updated at the Greeley Tribune Web site.

Medical Marijuana

The issue of allowing medical marijuana dispensaries was discussed in tonight’s Greeley City Council meeting. There were very strong opinions for each side of the argument. The people in support of having dispensaries in Greeley argued that medical marijuana is a good alternative to other pain medication and that by not having a dispensary in Greeley, the city is missing out on tax revenue. Richard Present, owner of Nature's Medicine, a medical marijuana dispensary, said, “The industry is not going away. It is getting stronger and stronger by the day.” Present suggested the tax revenue collected from dispensaries could assist in aiding the 2010 Greeley city budget. Drew McNeil also owns a dispensary. He said the people wanting to open these businesses want to provide a service and they are more than happy to pay the taxes. A Greeley resident gave a personal testimonial for medical marijuana. Her husband was in a car accident and as a result, became addicted to prescription pain medication. They then considered alternative medication and it has worked much better for him.

There were also many people opposed to permitting dispensaries in Greeley. Council Member Ed Phillipsen said there are many dangers to the use of marijuana. He said, “There is no way of knowing or controlling the THC levels in marijuana.” He argued that it is addictive and that someone can overdose on it. A Greeley resident added, “I am completely against it and, if you do pass it, tax it to the max.”

The ordinance prohibiting medical marijuana dispensaries in Greeley was passed in a vote of six to one.

A Waste of Time?

Mayor Ed Clark told the Director of Finance, Tim Nash that he might have wasted his time presenting a proposal for increasing development fees. “Mr. Nash, I do not know if you have any support here,” Clark said at the Greeley City Council meeting earlier this evening. What concerned the Council and the residents of Greeley the most was the impact the ordinance would have on small business developments and home-buyers. Greeley is a small town that relies on small businesses. Council member Carrol Martin says he is worried that small businesses will not want to build here if the fees are raised. Greeley apparently lost a small business development to Pueblo and it was speculated at the meeting that the reason for this was Greeley’s higher fees. Tom Marrik, civil engineer and member of the Greeley Chamber of Commerce, said he assessed both Greeley and Pueblo developing fees and Greeley is much higher. He added that other cities are reducing impact fees. Chris Moser, President of Weld County Business Association, said the ordinance eliminates the incentives to develop here and small businesses will look at other communities that will better support their needs. Tony Belfiore, home builder, said he has been building homes in the community since he was a student at the University of Northern Colorado in the 70’s and this will be the first time on over 30 years he will not build a new home. The reason he gives for this is the cost of building a new home is higher than the appraised value. Increasing fees would not be “economically responsible,” he said.

Getting Started

Blogging is unlike any other venture, professional or social, I have ever dared to try. I look forward to gaining the general knowledge of blogging because this is the future of the growing and changing field of journalism. I hope to obtain the professional experience that my future employers may look for in an employee. In my opinion, making a blog is more exciting than writing a paper any day so I am very much looking forward to this assignment. Despite my apprehensions of sharing my writing with the world, I am up for the challenge of blog writing.