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Northglenn council shares conference takeaways; staff directed to draft media recap and explore cybersecurity outreach
Summary
Council members reported ideas from recent conferences including two-minute recap videos, ebike systems, grant opportunities and cybersecurity outreach. Staff was asked to produce a mockup of a short recap video and to explore cybersecurity forums for businesses and residents.
Council members returning from recent conferences on July 7 summarized takeaways and asked staff to develop several follow-up items, including a short, two-minute recap video of council meetings and expanded cybersecurity outreach for businesses and residents.
Mayor Leidy opened the debrief and asked council members to share learning from the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the Colorado Municipal League (CML). Council member Burns said she liked a Thornton program that produced a short post-meeting recap and a podcast option, adding, "I think 2 minutes is better than 3 hours for people." Staff recommended producing a mockup for council review, and members asked for that item to be prioritized for an early-August review if feasible.
Council member Kondo described a Breckenridge e-bike system visited on a mobile tour: residents there can buy a seasonal subscription "for a $50 subscription fee per season" for unlimited rides between docking stations, a model Kondo suggested Northglenn consider when talking about first- and last-mile transit connections.
Council member Jaramillo highlighted grant and program opportunities presented by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, including the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), a $35 million transit-oriented communities pool she said could be relevant to Civic Center or the 112th and York station, and the Colorado Main Street program for small-business economic development.
Housing sessions were also reported back to the council. Council member Goff summarized regional housing research: the region has not produced enough housing to match growth, and affordability gaps are concentrated below 60% of area median income. Goff described possible local steps discussed at CML, including reducing parking minimums near transit, permitting modular or factory-built housing that meets state or city standards, and expedited permitting to lower costs.
Mayor Leidy raised cybersecurity as a council concern and asked staff to provide the full IT budget and the percentage devoted to cybersecurity ahead of budget season. She also asked Director Moding to explore hosting a cybersecurity forum for local businesses and a community information series for residents in the fall. "I would actually like to see all by itself the full IT budget," the mayor said; she added that a business-focused "cybersecurity event" could be part of an ongoing outreach program.
Other ideas discussed included lightweight, civic-minded experiments such as rain-activated sidewalk paint to produce ephemeral messages when wet; the mayor suggested partnering with the Northglenn Housing Foundation and the youth commission on a pilot. The mayor and staff also discussed strengthening relationships with local media; Council member Burns relayed a speaker from 9News urging local leaders to email reporters about noteworthy projects rather than relying only on formal press releases.
Council gave staff direction to prepare a 2-minute mockup recap video for council review and to examine options for cybersecurity outreach; other ideas (grant applications, transit strategies, housing-code changes) were discussed as priorities for future staff work but were not adopted as formal motions in open session.
Council did not take formal votes on grants, housing code changes or pilot projects during the debrief; those items would return to council as formal agenda items if staff brings proposals forward.
