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Wheat Ridge legislative committee outlines agenda framework, plans threshold for 2025 advocacy
Summary
The city’s legislative advocacy committee reviewed a draft legislative agenda and proposed criteria for selecting 3–5 bills to pursue in the 2025 session, emphasizing alignment with city priorities, Colorado Municipal League positions, impact and community consensus. No formal council action was taken; staff will return with the agenda in 2025.
City staff and members of the council’s legislative advocacy committee outlined a four‑part legislative program and proposed threshold criteria for picking priority bills for the 2025 Colorado legislative session, but asked only for council feedback rather than formal action.
Cole (city staff) briefed council on the four elements of the program: a written legislative agenda, a standing legislative committee, advocacy position resolutions, and staff lobbying on adopted positions. He said the draft agenda—developed with city departments and aligned with the city’s adopted plans—will guide the committee as it narrows the many bills introduced each session to a manageable number for focused advocacy.
The committee (Councilmembers Fulton and Larson are serving on it) is considering threshold criteria that would be applied when selecting 3 to 5 bills for formal advocacy position resolutions: alignment with the city’s legislative agenda, alignment with Colorado Municipal League (CML) priorities, direct impact on Wheat Ridge, and community consensus. The committee also discussed establishing focus areas—such as affordable housing or transportation—to guide prioritization.
Cole said adoption of an advocacy position resolution would trigger staff lobbying activities, which might include contacting legislators, submitting testimony in committees, and other outreach with guidance from the legislative committee. He told council the committee will continue refining the legislative agenda this winter with the goal of bringing it back for council consideration in 2025.
Councilors expressed support for the proposed approach. Councilor Hoppe said she appreciated the threshold structure and the focus‑area approach. Councilor Hulteen (committee chair) clarified that 3 to 5 is a reasonable target but not a hard cap: some years the committee might take positions on fewer bills, and in exceptional years more could be appropriate. Staff and committee members noted capacity limits and said the city intends to coordinate with the Colorado Municipal League’s lobbyists when appropriate.
No advocacy positions or lobbying directives were adopted at the meeting. The committee invited council feedback on the draft agenda and threshold criteria and plans to return with a refined agenda and, as needed, advocacy position resolutions during the 2025 legislative session.
