Emilie Mitcham

Mountain View

Behind Every Criticism is a Wish

I have been so saddened over the last several weeks, as our sweet town has been thrust into the spotlight because of a news story which did not even happen in town. Staff, council, and myself have received emails and calls from all over the world. Most have been calls for me to take action

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Mountain View

Your Voice, Our Future!

As you may recall, last month the Mountain View Town Council officially adopted an updated comprehensive plan that will guide our development and growth for the coming years. This plan is a result of extensive community outreach over the course of a full year, and it articulates a shared vision for the future of Mountain

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Mountain View

Celebrating Progress and Planning for the Future

Mountain View held our first town-wide yard sale this past month and it was a rip-roaring success. Over twenty households participated in our twelve-block town, and many community members told me they earned more money than anticipated. In addition to the usual furniture, books, and kitchen items, Venezuelan snacks were sold on Chase Street, cookies

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Mountain View

From Big Dogs to Big Decisions: Securing Mountain View’s Future

The other night, a big dog was roaming the neighborhood unattended. He shuffled down the sidewalk, and then slowly wandered into the street without looking both ways. Concerned for his safety, I called Jeffcom’s non-emergency line. The operator informed me that Animal Control wouldn’t be available until the morning, due to after-hours. Could I hold

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Mountain View

The Future of Mountain View: A Plea for Bipartisanship

I was recently asked what I would change if I could wave a magic wand. I didn’t have to think very long to know my own heart. I said I would erase the partisan divides that sometimes cloud our town conversations. I have been working to achieve this goal without magic since I took my

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Mountain View

The Hottest Secret Neighborhood

Recently, I read a story about “the hottest” Denver neighborhoods, and it got me thinking. What does it mean to be “hot” as a neighborhood? Probably different people would have varying opinions, but I am not too shy to share mine. For this mom of four, Mayor of 550, Mountain View fits the bill.  We

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Mountain View

Recipe for Community: Say Hello, Plant Trees, Eat Tacos!

Spring is in the air bringing good moods, cheery waves and neighborly gatherings. Walking down Ames Street this week, a woman I wasn’t sure I recognized was walking in the opposite direction on the other side of the street, talking sweetly to a child in her arms. She waved at me across the street and

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Mountain View

Mountain View Has a New Town Administrator

Mountain View is different! And not just due to our size. We are uniquely independent, creative, and determined – always forging our own path. This spirit has defined us from the beginning.  Mountain View adopted a strong mayor-council government when it organized as a home rule municipality in 1972. (Although founded in 1904, our town’s

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Mountain View

Code Enforcement 101: What Does Snow Removal Have to do with Community Spirit?!

This year, the Town of Mountain View will be announcing Community Spirit awards at the Spring Fling on Saturday, March 30th, for community members who most consistently shoveled their sidewalks promptly this winter.  Not everyone knows the rules. That is part of the problem, and so this year, we are working to help everyone understand

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Mountain View

Let’s Stop Wish-cycling and Start Real-cycling

This past year, I was faced with an appalling fact. Statistically, only about 20% of what the community was putting out to recycle was being recycled. Instead, residents were seeing their recycling bins that had contamination — items that are not, in fact, recyclable — picked up by the trash trucks and taken to the

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Mountain View

The New Year is a Good Time to Renew Our Commitment to Work Together

Happy New Year to you. May the new beginning bring you a fresh perspective and renewed energy. This past year, the Town of Mountain View has engaged in many important discussions, and in the coming year, we will again be handling some issues that are critical to the future of our town. I would like

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Mountain View

The Past Is The Past, But The Future Is Here

One of the best parts of living in Mountain View is the flexibility we have as a community to pivot, be creative, and design our own present and future. Recently, we’ve had ample opportunities to see this in action. The Comprehensive Planning process has provided several key insights about who we are, and although the

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Mountain View

Comprehensive Planning Helps Us Chart Mountain View’s Future

At the beginning of this year, the town council began the process of engaging our community in order to update the Comprehensive Plan. A plan with robust input from the community articulates a shared vision for the future and guides the town in decision making. The shared vision must be rooted in shared values. And

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Mountain View

A Love Letter To Mountain View

I ran for mayor because I enjoy Mountain View so much, but it’s never been easy to quantify exactly why. The Town Clerk told me a story today however, that helped bring it into perfect focus. A delivery person brought something to the office the other day and said, “There’s something really special about this

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Mountain View

Small Businesses: The Backbone Of Our Community

Although I always appreciated the idea in theory, I didn’t fully understand the importance of supporting small businesses until I took office as mayor and could see how critical they are to Mountain View. Our small businesses are the backbone of our town and we would not be able to function well as a municipality

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Mountain View

Yay For Town Council!

Watching our national politics these days, I can’t help wishing that the rest of the country could run more like Mountain View. There is so much “us versus them” in national politics right now, that it sometimes feels like the country has gone mad. But Mountain View is a place where the local leaders have

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Mountain View

Thank You To Our Public Works Coordinator Extraordinaire!

The Town of Mountain View is very lucky to have the services of our Public Works Coordinator, David Nugent. Readers will notice that every part of our Neighborhood Gazette content this month is related to the important work he does. And I want to take the opportunity to thank him publicly. David came to us

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Mountain View

Trash Service Changes in Mountain View

The Town of Mountain View will be making some big changes to the waste hauler services this month. Bins will be standardized, multiple sizes of bins will be offered, and composting will be added as an additional option for residents. After using GFL for many years, Mountain View Town Council recently decided to put the

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Mountain View

Constituents, Neighbors, Friends

As Mountain View mayor, community engagement is one of my highest priorities. I believe that the needs of the community should form the backbone of the work at Town Hall.  A year ago, when I first took office, I shared my plan to hold what I called, “Community Office Hours.” Each month, on the third

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Mountain View

Town Comprehensive Planning Outreach To Start Now

I’m very happy to share that the town of Mountain View has launched a new comprehensive planning project this month.   A comprehensive plan is a long-term guide that captures the shared vision of what a community wants to be in the future. It is a comprehensive roadmap with a set of goals and policies

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Mountain View

Council Planning For The Future Responsibly

I wanted to take this space to share a little about the Mountain View Council’s current plans regarding three different issues: The Town Hall Remodel Council has been talking about how best to remodel Town Hall for several years now. The building has numerous problems, not the least of which is that it simply is

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Mountain View

Mountain View To Unveil New Town Website

Every interaction between a community member and a local government is an opportunity to create a positive civic experience. After putting the project of creating a new Mountain View website out to bid, and reviewing three bids in early 2022, the Mountain View Town Council will be unveiling a new website during the first quarter

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Mountain View

Get To Know Our Police Department Command Leadership

Chief Steve Davis, Mountain View Police Department 1. How long have you lived in Colorado? How long have you been employed with the Town of Mountain View? I am a native of Colorado, born and raised in Boulder. I have been with the Town of Mountain View since 2018 as a police chaplain, then Chief in

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Mountain View

Code Enforcement And Fundamental Community Values

It is the policy of the Town to promote the health, safety, morals, convenience, order, prosperity and welfare of the present and future inhabitants of the Town and, therefore, the Town Council declares that every public nuisance shall be unlawful and shall be restrained, prevented, abated and enjoined. –Mountain View Town Code 7.01.010 This section

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