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Early lesson serves the mayor well

Marbury

Mama taught me to write thank you notes at an early age. Often I grumbled, but it was required in my family. Here we are at the end of the year, and I am sending out my thank you notes. I’m not grumbling but am very humble. December allows me to reflect on 2014 and to look forward to 2015.

I have much to be grateful for as the mayor of Durango. First, I want to thank The Durango Herald for allowing the mayor to write a column.

The city of Durango ends the year on a strong economic note. Sales tax and the lodger’s tax are up for the year. Thank you to all the visitors from across the U.S. and from foreign countries who discovered the joy of a small mountain town in Southwest Colorado.

As I reflect on 2014, I see a list that Santa Claus would love to have. The city entered into a contract with the Durango Fire Protection District for services. The city installed new parking meters, changed the booting regulations, implemented the National League of Cities utility service program and expanded the Community Support funding. We adopted the new Land Use and Development Code, regulations for medical and retail marijuana sales, accessory dwelling units, vacation rentals and the Inter-Governmental Agreement with La Plata County for land use. The city launched Council Connections and Virtual City Hall, saw double digits at the Welcome Center, celebrated 426 commercial businesses that recycle with the city, celebrated an 80 percent single-family resident recycle rate, bought more open space, hosted hundreds of events on Main Avenue and started new infrastructure for Wilson Gulch Road.

The city offered free mulch for residents, participated with the Regional Housing Authority in the Lumien Apartments, installed four new generators to prevent sewage from discharging into the Animas River, won numerous awards and grants, improved streets and Americans with Disabilities Act ramps across the town, witnessed the new turning lanes at the DoubleTree by Colorado Department of Transportation, celebrated Highway 3’s reopening and the Hermosa Watershed Bill being signed into law. In 2014, Durango municipal government accomplished quite a check list.

I swore in policemen during the year, and I spoke at the 40th anniversary of the Main Mall fire. Durango welcomed the new police officers while remembering the loss of our policeman and fireman on that tragic day in 1974.

The City Council saw numerous residents appearing and speaking at public meetings and read hundreds of emails and thousands of pages of documents during the year.

More of Mama’s thank you notes would say thank you, residents, for taking time out of your busy schedule to appear at a public meeting or to write an email. Thanks also to the staff for preparing all the documents for City Council and to our new City Attorney Dirk Nelson for preparation of the many ordinances I have signed during 2014. Thanks to our City Manager Ron Le Blanc for hundreds of hours of work, work and more work. Thanks to our police officers, street crews, transit drivers, library staff, support staff, emergency staff, utilities staff, airport staff, recreation staff, planning staff and all other city employees for keeping the wheels turning.

Just around the corner, 2015 will bring public meetings on accessory dwelling units in Animas City, airport decisions and Oxbow Park and Preserve discussions. The city will see new water and sewer rates, trolley fees, the 1999 half-cent sales tax reauthorization, work on Lake Nighthorse with our partners the Southern Ute and the Ute Mountain Ute tribes. There will be discussions about mandatory transit stops, recycling for new hotels and so many more exciting projects.

2015 projects coming to the City Council will be nonstop. It’s never dull being on the council.

Mama was right. A thank you note means that I appreciate what you have given to me and to our community. I appreciate your thoughtful discussions, your participation in Durango’s government and your love for our home town.

See you at the grocery store.

Thank you, Mama.

Sweetie Marbury is the mayor of Durango, a position rotating among members of City Council. She was elected to the City Council in 2011 and will serve as mayor until April 2015, when she will be succeeded by now-Mayor pro tem Dean Brookie. Reach her at SweetieMarbury@ DurangoGov.org.



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