For a mid-sized city, the Wheat Ridge events calendar can keep the civically curious busy. Here’s a sampling from September: family-friendly bike ride to visit goats hosted by Sustainable Panorama Park; City Plan community open house to inform the blueprint for our future; farm animal emergency preparedness event at 5 Fridges Farm; Explore 44 launch party; painting street murals to improve safety for kids walking to parks and schools; Harvest Festival at Happiness Garden; and new business ribbon cuttings. With so many opportunities to engage, it’s not surprising nearly 8 in 10 Wheat Ridge residents continue to feel positively about the overall quality of life in the city according to the most recent community survey.
In that same generally positive survey, Wheat Ridge scored poorly compared with similar cities on overall natural environment as well as making all residents feel welcome and attracting people of diverse backgrounds. These stand out to me as important indicators of what we need to get right to continue to be a city where civic engagement assumes prosperity and growth while valuing what makes us uniquely Wheat Ridge.
Not all cities are as fortunate. I’ve met elected officials grappling with budget deficits, declining populations, blighted commercial districts, and escalating crime. Their choices are civic triage. Heavy decisions on which services to cut, personnel to let go, repairs to defer. They don’t have the luxury of choosing from an exciting buffet for the near and long term future. Over time, this creates pockets of opportunity for the privileged few and a community divided. Repairing and rebuilding takes decades at an immeasurable cost.
The truth is, cities are either moving forward or in decline; both directions are slow and incremental. The challenge of being a city councilor is solving the calculus of growth without losing our core values. If we fail to prioritize parks and open space, we will drift from preserving community identity. If we falter on our commitment to ensure this city is a place where people with different identities — racial, ethnic, religious, gender, orientations, economic status to name a few — can live and experience the same sense of belonging that makes Wheat Ridge feel like a small town, we risk narrowing our vitality and regional competitiveness. Both lead to decline.
I have confidence we will get these things right with continued community engagement. Why? Because 75% or more of City Plan participants identify with these core values: Independent Minded. Inclusive. Forward Thinking. I can’t think of a better combination to creatively imagine, plan, and build a Wheat Ridge with shared open space welcoming to and enjoyed by everyone. Whether it’s on a ballot or dots on a poster board, success depends on you voting for moving our city forward.
