L3 – Leveraging Local Leaders
Increasingly in Colorado, policy-making is happening at the local level under “local control.” City councils, county commissioners, mayors, and professional staff hold power over major issues like affordable housing, labor requirements, products and services regulation, economic development, water and energy policy, and transportation development and investment. Like any other job, holding elected office requires an understanding of impacted parties and functions in one’s role. L3’s mission is to strengthen Colorado’s communities by recruiting, training, and supporting pragmatic and solutions-oriented civic leaders.
Leveraging Local Leaders (L3 – 501 c3) seeks to identify, recruit, and train a diverse and promising group of citizen leaders in Colorado’s communities to run for office or otherwise engage meaningfully in local politics giving them the tools to be successful servants and their constituents effective policy-makers. We provide expert training and mentorship on how to run for office, while educating on top public policy issues to ensure citizens are prepared to run and govern well.
This six-month program meets one day per month from January through June, in which students learn how to run a local campaign while also learning about major public policy issues and governance processes from the most accomplished experts in the state. To date, L3 has trained 38 people in four cohorts between 2021 and 2024. Numerous graduates are in the pipeline to run for office, with five having been elected and four having led successful citizen initiatives.
Loveland.org
EPO1: Advocacy Update with Bill Becker
The topic of affordable housing seems a priority for the majority of legislators. It is mentioned as important in many speeches from the floor. However, there seems little focused effort for answers to the high cost of housing dilemma. Employers find their employees cannot live near where they work. The increased travel and stress costs are real but no easy answer seems on the horizon.
Proposed legislation to ease regulations on modular housing construction is planned but nothing specific yet.
We've mentioned the nearly one-billion-dollar revenue shortfall the State of Colorado is facing. I learned of an example this week of a program using AI to significantly improve wildfire detection in such a way that could save many millions in firefighting costs by early detection. A seven million dollars expenditure would be required to put the system in place, and most agree the savings would be huge versus the costs of another major wildfire. With no funds available, this “good idea” was scrapped for now.
The banning of semiautomatic firearms in Colorado continues to generate the most emotion at the Capitol. While tangential to some business interests, this “policy” debate is being fought hard on both sides. Even some anti-gun legislators feel this may be going too far.
What all this illustrates is that as we continue to monitor our legislative scene, navigating the often-choppy waters is a big part of what your Chamber does. And reporting back to our members in this and other formats is an important part of our work for you, our members.
Loveland.org
Loveland Downtown District Hip Streets Plan
Learn more about downtown and The Heart Improvement Plan which includes:
– Updating deteriorating infrastructure
– Replacing utilities
– Reconstructing the roads
– Improving sidewalk conditions to meet ADA compliance standards
– Installing new lighting
– Replanting trees, adding planters and seating
– Expanding existing patios as well as add new patios
– Other surface level improvements
Loveland.org
NCLA Legislative Update
Are you wondering…WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON AT THE COLORADO LEGISLATURE?
In this episode, we bring you an update on what’s been happening in the Colorado House and Senate. Thirty-nine days have passed, and several hundred bills have been introduced. We’ll explore potential legislation that could impact your business and personal lives. They say in politics: “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.”
Loveland.org
Special Election Candidates for Ward 1
Ward 1 Candidates, Geoff Frahm and Jennifer Swanty are asked a series of probusiness questions and given the opportunity to allow listeners to learn more about them and their election platforms.
Loveland.org
