gathering info from the open forum

When I get a chance, I check in on the council members with the city of Longmont, via the videos on their website. This task is not for the weak. This month, they had an open forum, which I find a long but interesting way to hear about some of the major issues and questions about development, always a good thing for me to educate myself about.

So, a few observations:
Is Union Reservoir *really* the only place a crowd of people can attend an outdoor concert? Aren't there other open spaces in Longmont? One reader of the Times-Call however, suggested that people park in one area with a shuttle service, right through downtown on the way to the concerts. I thought that sounded like shameless self-promotion, and a good idea.
I thought the council made a good decision to say no to the solar energy rebate. Some might be surprised I feel that way, given that I've written our own governor about the scant few opportunities for Georgians to invest in renewable energy. However, 150K is a lot for town to front before receiving matching funds. Chris Rodriguez might be smug, and his blog might be kind of harsh, but I agree that there are numerous things people can do to lower heating and electricity costs via conservation before they ever call a solar installer. I'm also not sure why the focus is on solar only, as opposed to wind and geothermal. Personally, I would love to invest in geothermal for this house, though I wonder if the geological makeup of Colorado makes geothermal less attractive.
However, it was clear that the debate within the council was pretty evenly split, and in watching the dynamics within the group, I was able to get a general impression of the veteran and new councilmembers. What I think so far:
Bryan Baum, Mayor: Really really polite. Really really big head. Astonishingly good hair. Not to mention the alliteration in the name. Verdict: Absolutely no idea.
Alex Sammoury: I disagreed with a comment he made, on how the city planned to increase the number of households using renewable energy. He said that, given the number they needed, "doing this 10 households at a time just isn't going to get us there." Well, how else does he plan to get Colorado there, but a few at a time? Verdict: Undecided.
Katie Witt: Okay, I know she was voted in to break up some liberal voting bloc within the council, but.... really? I'm going to be frank, she registers high on the twit meter. When discussing the solar rebate, she alluded to a neighbor who made a solar cell for $80 for a science project, saying she felt subsidies led to the high cost of solar. Eh? Not to mention, she couldn't even remember councilmember Sammoury's name, and they have nameplates in front of each of them. Great hair though, seriously. Verdict: Not Impressed.
Brian Hansen: Brian seems polite enough. That aside, he scored higher in ECON 101, for pointing out that a drop in solar prices comes from increased volume, owing to more people buying solar systems. Hence a pro-subsidiy position. I would assume he voted for the rebate. Being on the Energy Strategy Task Force must give him enough data to make an informed decision. Still, he seemed to defer to the final vote of the council. Having opposing opinions is kind of the point of diversity on the council, if at the end, the members can agree to abide by the vote. So, Verdict: OK so far.
Gabe Santos: Honestly, I didn't get enough of a feel for him to form an opinion. I notice however that he seemed ready to capitalize on the shift in the makeup of the council this year, as in their regular meeting, he wanted to reintroduce topics that had already been presented during the previous administration. Verdict: Undecided.
Sean McCoy: No idea, he didn't contribute much. Verdict: Undecided.
Sarah Levison: So I'm guessing Sarah was also part of the liberal voting bloc in place before the last election. I can see why she upsets conservatives. She has strong opinions. She's well-spoken. She seems to have a solid understanding of the technical rules of order. And she unapologetically wants to fund every project which comes before the council. There were things I liked about her and things I didn't. For example, does she have to talk ALL the time? It must be exhausting to be in meetings with her. Having said that, there were some real looneybirds at the open forum, and she was respectful to them. I automatically admire people who are more polite than I am. So what do I say about someone like Sarah, particularly when I think of myself as a liberal? Verdict: I am glad she's not the ONLY person on the council. I think when choosing projects to gain city/council support, it's important to evaluate the difference between public responsibility and private responsibility. She needs someone to balance her. But am I glad she's there? Yes, I am.