_It’s my privilege to serve as the City Council liaison to the Littleton Public Schools Board of Education.  The City does not have direct oversight of the schools but there’s significant overlap in the constituencies served by each.  Hence, I think it makes good sense to maintain open lines of communication so we better understand our respective and related challenges.  It’s for that reason I requested to serve as the liaison during the 2009-11 Council term and will continue in that position for 2011-13.

On the whole in my opinion, LPS has done an outstanding job of maintaining high performance standards and fiscal prudency in the face of significant school funding reductions imposed by the State of Colorado over the past several years.  Certainly the incremental mill levy approved by voters in 2010 was a milestone and an important resource but it mainly allowed the District to tread water, not reinstate programs or services that had been marginalized by preceding budget cuts.

The attached Denver Post article is a good summary of the District’s focus in addressing their obligation to provide public education services broadly with an expectation of quality outcomes for the students who will be tomorrow’s leaders.  For example, although economic stress indicators have increased (e.g., the number of students receiving free lunches, etc.), standardized test scores for LPS have also increased.  To say the least, that’s not exactly an anticipated outcome and speaks volumes about the District’s efforts in to instill a culture of creativity and passion for the students.

_ Hullo, hullo!  It’s good to be back in the Blogosphere once again.  Although not technically dozing, I’ll confess to feeling a bit sheepish for falling asleep on the job of dutifully recording the comings and goings related to the City and City Council since last summer.  In my defense, there’s been a lot going on which, of course, makes the error of omission somewhat more egregious.  So let’s see if we can get caught up in short order and keep the coffee pot brewing.

First and foremost, a heartfelt welcome to Bruce Beckman (At Large) and Jerry Valdes (Dist. II) as newly elected Council members last month.  Council member Beckman is a long-time Littleton Police commander as well as past president of the Littleton Rotary Club.  Council member Valdes has extensive experience on the Planning Commission and Littleton Housing Authority and is a neighbor and friend of mine in Aberdeen Village.  There’s no doubt both will need but a brief ascension up the learning curve in order to contribute significantly to Council and the citizens.

Next, congratulations to Deb Brinkman who was elected Mayor by Council on 15 November.  Mayor Brinkman brings a passion for honoring the citizens and serving the community first and foremost as she assumes the responsibility of leading Council and I believe we’re excited to get to work with renewed energy and enthusiasm.

Next, another welcome aboard to Michael Penny who assumed his duties as City Manager upon Jim Woods’ retirement at the end of September.  Woods’ leadership was a mainstay and responsible for much of the smooth functioning of the City we all enjoy today.  He also left his mark with projects such as bringing light rail to Littleton, co-founding the award-winning concept of economic gardening, expanding the Littleton Police Department headquarters, initiating a new contract with Denver Water, renovating the dilapidated Arapahoe County Courthouse and helping establish the Littleton Immigrant Integration Initiative and the Greater Littleton Youth Initiative post-Columbine as chronicled in the Littleton Independent.

Michael Penny had been the city manager of Frisco, Colorado since 2004.  Previously, he was the city manager of Ouray, Colorado for two years.  Penny also held positions with the City of Boulder.  Penny earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from California State University, Long Beach.  He received a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Colorado at Boulder.  He is a graduate of the Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government, Senior Executives in State and Local Government program.  Penny was elected by a statewide constituency of local government officials to the Colorado Municipal League Executive Board from 2003 to present and served as president in 2009/2010.  He was elected by his peers to the Colorado City/County Management Association Board of Directors from 2004 to present, serving as president in 2010.

Penny was tabbed from a group of five strong finalists after an extensive interview process by both City Council and senior City staff.  The finalists were culled from approximately 70 resumes submitted during a national search conducted by the Merger Group, an executive search firm.

In August, graduate students from the Daniels School of Business at the University of Denver presented the results of their marketing and branding audit study to Council and staff, and September saw Council review the 2012 annual budget.  I’ll provide more details on both topics in separate posts.  Also in September I participated with Chief Mullin and the City Attorney to negotiate the fire partner contract renewal with the Highlands Ranch Metro District and the Littleton Fire Protection District at the direction of Council.  Most of the substantive issues have been agreed upon and we expect a final version of the agreement to come before Council in December.  I’ll report back on the conclusion of the negotiations as soon as they are finalized.

Lastly, it is with humility and great appreciation that I mention Council in November saw fit to elect me to serve as Mayor Pro Tem for the next two years.  I look forward to working with and supporting Mayor Brinkman as we hit the ground running.

I hope everyone had a very pleasant Thanksgiving and best wishes for a joyous holiday season.

“I haven't seen my analyst in 200 years. He was a strict Freudian. If I'd been going all this time, I'd probably almost be cured by now.”

                                               - Miles Monroe (Woody Allen), Sleeper, 1973