“Time is appropriate for reflection, action,” The Colorado Springs Business Journal, October 10-16, 2014, 23.

Time for Reflection and Action

Every businessperson knows that there isn’t enough time to think through decisions, that time for reflection isn’t usually scheduled during a hectic week.

The Jewish High Holidays are just that kind of time, asking us to stop and reflect, in a span of ten days, on what happened last year and what we hope to accomplish in the next year. 

The yellowing aspen leaves remind us of this time of the year as well; time for change.

Young residents cynically say that we should keep Colorado Springs “lame,” that in fact nothing has or will change in this sleepy village just south of the vibrant Denver metropolis. Should we?

As a challenge, I suggest four ways in which we can overcome our lameness and think of ourselves as potentially good enough, if not great. Yes, it’s about conceptualizing first and then doing, the way we offer a business plan to be executes later.

First, we should acknowledge past grievances in order to overcome them. Enough with the political bickering between the Mayor and City Council. Unless they want to compete with the low approval rate of Congress, they should change.

The Mayor should meet with each councilmember alone (with a therapist in tow?) to air old concerns in order to build a civil environment if not outright trust. If the Truth and Reconciliation Commission worked in South Africa after apartheid, it can work among our leaders.

Second, whatever has gone on in the past with city utilities, it’s time to think ahead to the future of our young entrepreneurs, those who care about the air they breathe and want to ensure a bright and healthy future for their children.

Why is CSU the “other” rather than “our” very own utility? Our best interests should be on their minds rather than threats of rate increases; as stakeholders and outright legal owners, we should determine the future of CSU.

Looking around the country at what is happening in every utility enterprise, we can quickly conclude: coal is out, renewal energy is in; old plants are out, efficient new ones are in. It’s not complicate to figure out how to be stewards of our environment—just some common sense and goodwill.

Third, let the City of Champions come forth and bring some fresh air to our stale old city. Despite the bickering and power moves, despite the concerns about wasting money and raising taxes, what else can transform the old warehouse district into a viable center?

Look northward to Denver and see what it did, with city leadership and financial support, to renew various areas that were moribund, that could be crime scenes rather than party spots. Has anyone been recently up there? It’s alive!

The four parts of this grandiose plan, the Air Force Academy—a federal entity that will take care of its allotted share, UCCS—a state entity that can be counted to take care of its future leaves the other two. Rumor has it that Dick Celeste said that he’ll lead the effort on behalf of the Olympic Museum; so what’s left? One fourth of the total, and we can’t find out how to handle it?

Fourth, I have proposed for years (to two different heads of the Convention and Visitors Bureau) to copy Colorado’s mountain towns. They somehow managed over the past decade to transform their heavy reliance on the ski season into a year-round programming that brings visitors every weekend for different festivals.

Breckenridge, with about 5,000 residents, hosts over 1.5 million guests annually. Can Colorado Springs, with 500,000, at least match that? I proposed to have something called “100 days of summer” (to Ms. Palus—Director of Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services—with no response). Here’s the plan.

Starting sometime in May or June, going all the way to late August or September, we should have an event every day in Acacia Park downtown: from farmers’ market to a local band, poetry reading and silent movie projection with a live piano player, all the way to street chalk paintings, mimes, and puppeteers. You name it, we can do it.

Who’ll fund this? I suggest we ask local individuals and business to contribute $500 for each day, thus completely underwriting the 100 days; some things will require less, some more, but $500 daily average should cover the costs. I volunteer to fund 2 days. Is anyone listening? Does anyone care?

These are just four ideas that I’m sure others can improve on. These are just some reflections that deserve to be heard and debated, just as I’m sure others, younger and smarter than I can offer theirs. What forum can they use? CSBJ? Social Media?

Raphael Sassower is professor of philosophy at UCCS. He can be reached at rsassower@gmail.com See previous articles at sassower.blogspot.com

“Mayor Bach is well-equipped, so let him lead,” The Colorado Springs Business Journal, January 20 - 26, 2012, 17.

LET THE MAYOR LEAD

I supported the strong mayor initiative and wrote favorably about the Jenkins Proposal that made it happen. I also supported Richard Skorman out of loyalty and a belief that with a new structure in place, experience would count.

I still believe that given our council, a strong mayor is essential, and now believe that Mayor Bach is the right man for the job. His inexperience may be his biggest asset: he doesn’t just go along with what has traditionally been done, and as a one-term mayor, he’s doing what’s right, not what will get him re-elected.

One example the mayor cites is the multi-year budget process: next year’s budget proposal is based on the previous year’s one, rather than on actual revenues and expenditures. This means, for example, that out of a $223M budget, around $5M has been allocated for “authorized positions” at maximum pay even though they are not filled. Why keep this allocation in the budget?

City budget planners could argue that it’s the sensible way of doing business: keep the lines funded even when unoccupied, since they might be filled at some later point. Has the city suffered from these positions remaining unfilled? If unclear, keep them unfilled, and reduce the budget by whatever amount was allocated to them.

What happens if they are needed in the future? Then add them to a revised budget. Having worked on small ($1M/yr) and large budgets ($35/yr), budgets must be periodically revised, given the dynamic nature of organizations: people retire or leave, opportunities materialize, or markets dry out. Though council has to approve the budget annually, and though the mayor has veto rights, it seems that council relishes its ability to over-ride the mayor, as seen recently.

It all looks like the federal farce we are witnessing in Washington, when congress muscles its way to paralysis, leaving a befuddled president powerless. If the intent of council is to show the mayor who’s boss, they should all resign. Perhaps the three incumbents resent the fact that they are not the mayor—they could have run for the position—while the six new ones are as inexperienced as the mayor and still don’t know what role they ought to play.

The mayor claims to have reached out to all of them individually, only to find out that they don’t communicate with each other. The best he could get from them is a rejection of a contingency operating fund of $1.5M which they deemed his “slush fund.” This is a public institution with required transparency. So, it’s not that they don’t trust him, they probably don’t trust themselves.

Unlike them the mayor has offered four initiatives or Solutions Teams: community volunteers in the areas of Parks (Richard Skorman), Transit (Robert Shonkwiler), Streetscapes (Dave Munger), and Downtown (Chuck Murphy). Notice that two chairs were his opponents in the run for mayor. Only councilman Leigh has proposed initiates, and other council members mock him.

Some might be worried that the mayor’s new staff appointments are expensive, especially in this economy. Cindy Aubrey, Chief Communication Officer earns $95,000; her predecessor, Sue Blumberg, made $116,000; her department shrank from 12 to 8 positions. Laura Neumann, who replaced Steve Cox at $182,488, makes $165,000. Steve Cox is making the same salary in his new role as Economic Vitality Chief as before, heading a department with 4 rather than 8 members, while withdrawing $70,000 in subsidy from the EDC.

If these numbers don’t convince you that the mayor is prudent with city expenditures, or that he’s not applying his business acumen to his role as mayor, two other areas may prove the point.

First, he’s drawing on his experience as a commercial real-estate broker to promote the city to local and outside companies. He’s the salesman in chief! And for this role he has trained for forty years, convincing companies to buy buildings and plant their roots here.

Second, he’s trying to make the city business-friendly. What does it mean? I doubt he’ll be able to reduce fees, since our tax base is so low, and fees are essential to maintain an operational infrastructure. But, just talk to the Fire Chief and you’ll hear the mantra of business-friendly. I proposed that the department provide pre-purchase inspection drafts (for a fee) to potential buyers so they’d know in advance what to expect from code enforcement. He promised to consider it. More than can be said about the Regional Building Board (on whose board councilman Bernie Herpin sits), where the mayor has no say.

Perhaps councilmembers should do their jobs as directors of Memorial, Utilities, and RBD and let the mayor run the city. It might be best that council is divesting itself from overseeing Memorial; perhaps council should do the same with CSU and RBD, and let the mayor oversee them, too!

Raphael Sassower is professor of philosophy at UCCS. He can be reached at rsassower@gmail.com Previous articles can be found at sassower.blogspot.com