Looking Ahead to a Better 2021, Focused on Community

By Broomfield Mayor Pat Quinn

As your Mayor and neighbor let me begin by saying what you already know, 2020 has been a very difficult year.

Even before the health and economic crises, the City and County of Broomfield started the year with a new City Council; many elected for their oil and gas activism.

While the land use and oil and gas regulations are now the models for the state, I am proud to say this Council has also made significant strides around attainable housing, sustainability, making mental health services more accessible, and addressing the complex issue of diversity, inclusion, and equity. These topics are on top of our ongoing commitment to ensuring our streets are safe and free of potholes, and securing the critical water necessary to build out.

More than any other Council I have been involved with, together we seek transparency on each and every subject. From April to September 2020 City Council met 31 times and hosted an additional 21 special meetings to continue enhancing public engagement. While many included resident Town Halls to discuss the impact of COVID, we also hosted three new budget workshops, a Town Hall about racial equity, and a few discussions around support for the business community, among others.

One of the most far-reaching decisions our city ever made was to become its own county in 2001. Prior to that, Broomfield was located in four different counties, with four different health directors, which looking back now would have made navigating COVID almost impossible. As a county, Broomfield has its own Public Health Department, whose director, Jason Vahling, has helped guide the City Council and community on how to best respond, react, and prepare for the next phase of this debilitating global pandemic.

As I write this, Broomfield is at Level Red, and our beloved restaurants are closed or can only serve curbside or delivery, school districts teach virtually, and many of us are struggling with the emotional strain. My heart goes out to our health care workers, teachers, and most of all to the more than 50 Broomfield families that have lost loved ones.

These are challenging times, but there is light at the end of the tunnel, a vaccine is on the way and winter will bring spring and recovery. Of this I am confident.

Let me close by saying that as Mayor now and from 2007 through 2013 one of the things that always amazes me is the spirit of our community. When I campaigned for Mayor the first time, I quickly realized it didn’t matter whether you were born here or moved here 25 years or two years ago, we have all made a huge investment in our community. This is the place we chose to raise our families, start our businesses, or to retire and enjoy our grandchildren.

Broomfield is our home and we all look forward to this year’s Great American Picnic, Broomfield Days Parade, and big neighborhood gatherings with conversations, not about politics but about how we came together and came out stronger and better.