The New Council

Tonight was the first official Greeley City Council meeting after the elections, but Mayor Tom Norton was absent. Norton is currently attending a three-day seminar on "Transition and Leadership for Newly Elected Mayors" at Harvard University.

In his absence, mayor pro-tem John Gates led the meeting. For being asked to lead his very first meeting, Gates seemed very comfortable wielding the mayoral gavel. Gates was direct, clear, and courteous throughout the meeting. He seems ready to lead again if Norton has to miss another meeting.

The meeting itself was extremely short, but it was interesting to see the new council at work. Even with two citizens giving their input, two council members making remarks, and two pulled consent agenda items, the meeting was only twenty-five minutes long. This is by-far the shortest meeting of the semester.

Council member Donna Sapienza attended a Poudre Heritage Alliance event at the university yesterday. She asked City Attorney Rick Brady for more information about the group. Brady, a member of the Alliance, discussed northern Colorado's plan to support the heritage area and hopefully bring in tourists.

This was the last City Council meeting I will be attending this semester, and I can say it has been an interesting experience. They have reinforced my desire to not get involved in politics, even at the local area. I respect the City Council members for doing what they do, but I could never help run a city myself.