City Testimonials: "I hope that you have received 500 calls saying THANK YOU for the new playground at Bonforte Park! It is a terrific neighborhood park and we so appreciate the improvements. I walk by every day and see so many children and parents enjoying themselves." -Citizen Comment "The crew from Engine 15A were professional, knowledgeable, courteous, and extremely helpful, not only did this group of professionals represent the Fire Department in a positive light, they also speak to a city government that is responsive and courteous to the public."- Citizen Comment "We've found with projects we're doing, the City seems to be as proactive as they possibly can be." -Real Estate CEO "Grateful for the progress made by CSPD to curb shoplifting." -Business Loss Prevention Manager "Not only was my concern addressed in a professional and timely manner, but Finance Planning & Analysis Manager Leslie Hickey took the time to let me know that changes were on the way. This is the direct opposite of some folks' perception of local government." -Citizen Comment "Thank you very much for fixing the potholes on the round about for Squirrel Tail and Brainard as well as the divot by the water outlet on Squirrel Tail towards Musgrave. Thank you, thank you, thank you!" -Citizen Comment "Accounts Payable Supervisor Patti McFarland was true to her word, she called me back within days to give a status report. Then she called again to update me. Then, she called today to let me know she had been able to contact the unreachable tow company, received an invoice, and would be reimbursing the portion the business manager agreed to pay! I know that it was a sustained effort because I tried for several months and got nowhere. I can't express my overwhelming gratitude to Patti and your office for their work in this matter. We run a service-based business and try to learn from other organizations whenever we can. I will bring up this instance at our weekly meeting as an example of good service to be commended and followed.Thanks to you and Patti for the surprisingly positive experience I had with your office." -Local Small Business Owner "Thanks to Traffic Technician Pete Doyle, his community attitude to work with the residents is commendable. Thank you once again." -Citizen Comment "Streets Operations Manager Bard Lower has provided me superb customer service, above and beyond what could reasonably be expected. I know that this has been a priority for your administration, and I felt it important to let you know that it is working. Mr. Lower and his associates deserve kudos for their proactive, thorough handling of this five-year-old snow plowing issue and I am grateful to you as well for making the City more responsive to citizen requests." -Citizen Comment "As a new resident of Colorado Springs, it’s apparent that the City really does excel in taking care of its residents and treats its citizens more like neighbors and friends than just customers on a long “to-do” list. Thank you for all your exceptional service." -Citizen Comment

Mayor Bach Town Hall Audience Questions Part Three

February 29, 2012 By

Part Three of the summary from Mayor Bach’s Town Hall Meeting on February 22, 2012 includes two questions that could not be addressed that evening due to time limits.

(Read questions from Part Two of the Town Hall Meeting Summary here and Part One here.)

Q: Are there any plans to keep skyscrapers out of Colorado Springs? Of are we going to create a downtown like Denver?  2nd part – To prevent the youth from leaving CS it may be prudent not to drive them out by excessive regulations on land and housing. (suggestion)  Mixed industrial /residential areas where inventors would like to live.

A: Construction of more high rise buildings in Downtown should be carefully considered to maintain residential area views and to blend in with the overall City center landscape.  Mixed light industrial/residential development can work well in some locations.  We can learn from the experience of successful cities elsewhere which have vibrant downtowns.

Q: The City has no rewards for precise procedures for F W & A (fraud, waste and abuse) whistle blowers.  Strict procedures can protect whistle blowers and accused.  Rewards can incentivize F W & A Reporting.  Rewards can threaten F W & A perpetration.

A: We’re working to empower all City employees to suggest ideas for improving our processes and customer service and to make sure our team maintains high ethical standards.

Please mark your calendars now for the Mayor’s next Town Hall Meeting on May 2, 2012. Details to follow soon.

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Colorado Springs February Mayor Media Meeting

February 15, 2012 By

Mayor Bach’s Monthly Media Meetings provide an opportunity to discuss key issues and answer questions from Colorado Springs media.

On Tuesday, February 14, 2012, reporters from the Colorado Springs Gazette, The Independent, KKTV, KOAA TV, FOX 21 and KRDO TV attended the Mayor’s Monthly Media Meeting. The Mayor’s comments included the following:

Staff Changes.  Changes in City staff are typical when a new leader comes on board. Some may decide to leave, especially those who are at the end of their career. It is possible for people of good will to differ in their opinions and choose other options for themselves.  We’ve done our best to take care of these folks during their transition. We thank them for their service and wish them the best in their new pursuits.

Hiring. We want to draft the best talent available to create a stable civilian workforce. We’re looking for change agents – people who are well qualified and have worked in a variety of public, private and non-profit environments. Our new additions include Chief of Staff, Laura Neumann, who brings extensive experience in the hospitality industry. She understands the customer and since we serve a wide variety of constituents, her background is invaluable. Both Colorado Springs Police Chief Carey and Fire Department Chief Brown were promoted from within after many years of service with the City. It’s also paramount we hire people who want to be in government for the right reasons, which is to make our City better.

Fiscal Sustainability and Economic Vitality. It’s important to stimulate our economy and to do that, we must keep and attract primary employers. We hope the benefits employers gain include the reasonable cost of living, quality of life and a skilled labor force.

Another benefit to our economic vitality is the Pro Cycling Challenge coming up again this summer. The City will contribute in-kind services and we will get paid back in the sales tax revenue this event will stimulate. City Council feels strongly about supporting this event.

Transparency. The purpose of the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) is to ensure citizens have access to information, however, that information should not be limited to a select few. Being transparent doesn’t mean 100% of the information requested is releasable. We are responsible to the citizens of Colorado Springs. So upon a review, the attorneys will make a decision, and then we release the appropriate information.

This is not a punitive decision. We want to do the right thing but we’re not here to promote one media outlet over another. Since we’ve decided to release CORA results to the public, I haven’t heard any complaints from citizens, so we’ll release more of these Open Record Act results in the future.

 

Not everyone gets their information from the newspapers and it’s important for citizens to have access to information. The public should know the costs of each CORA request. We’ve posted a few of them on the SpringsGov.com website to provide access to the public.

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