When I was appointed to Edgewater City Council in April, I graciously stepped into a civic body that had been dedicated to keeping our community thriving during the heights of the pandemic. Subsequently, I got my vaccine and had my first post-vaccine haircut, pedicure, playdate with our baby and date night with my husband within Edgewater’s city limits; it’s been heartwarming seeing our community buzz again! City council’s recent retreat was the first time I attended a council event in person. It felt great. And our work ensuring vitality and safety continues now as the world has started to open back up.
Council is excited to see the city push forward on traffic calming measures outlined in our Mobility Plan, and is shaping policy to keep flavored tobacco products out of the hands of our kids. As a former middle school teacher I have seen the detrimental targeting of tobacco products towards our youth, and I’m proud to be part of a government that leads in protecting children’s health. We invite all interested parties to join us at our council meeting July 20 to participate in the next discussion on this.
I have also had the pleasure of getting to know our area school and district leaders. My husband and I chose to start our family in Edgewater, and the quality of our schools is important to us as I know it is to fellow families in town. There is exciting momentum in these schools, with new programs across the board and both new construction as well as the new principals at Lumberg and Jefferson. Council looks forward to connecting with school leadership and hearing from area families in the coming months.
Our boards and commissions have been busy as well. My family took advantage of the free and discounted energy audits available to Edgewater residents through a partnership, led by our Sustainability Board, between the city and Xcel. If you and your household want to join us, you can learn more at xcelenergy.com/HomeEnergySquad or call 303-466-7910 to schedule your visit.
Finally, council, staff, and our boards and commissions continue to welcome public participation. Council meets at 6:30 p.m., the first and third Tuesdays of the month, both virtually and in person. Meeting information is shared in the Town Cryer, which you can sign up for at edgewaterco.com/towncryer. With that, we invite community input anytime and hope you all have a safe and healthy summer!
Edgewater Councilmember Hannah Gay Keao can be reached at hgaykeao@edgewaterco.com and 970-515-3842.
