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Wheat Ridge legislative advocacy program outlines a 3–5 bill targeting approach and threshold criteria for 2025 session
Summary
City staff updated council on a four‑part legislative advocacy program (agenda, committee, advocacy position resolutions, lobbying); committee plans to vet a legislative agenda, use threshold criteria to select 3–5 priority bills for advocacy and coordinate with Colorado Municipal League and local legislators.
City staff reviewed a proposed legislative advocacy program and the council discussed criteria for selecting priority bills for the 2025 Colorado legislative session.
Cole, presenting for staff, described the four components of the proposed program: a legislative agenda that states the city’s positions on types of bills to support or oppose; a legislative committee to vet priorities; advocacy position resolutions that explain impacts and authorize staff lobbying; and lobbying activities such as testimony and outreach to legislators. The legislative committee met Dec. 3 and plans to continue refining a legislative agenda for council consideration in 2025.
To narrow the many bills filed each session, the committee proposed threshold criteria to select about three to five bills for advocacy position resolutions: alignment with the city’s legislative agenda, alignment with Colorado Municipal League priorities, direct impact on Wheat Ridge, and evidence of community consensus. Committee members said the 3–5 target is a manageable working number given staff capacity but emphasized flexibility: the number could be fewer or more depending on the session’s activity and urgent threats or opportunities.
Council members on the committee (the mayor and councilors Larsen and Holten) and other councilors welcomed the approach. Councilor Hoppe praised the threshold framework and the committee’s work; Councilor Dozeman asked whether staff capacity limits the number of active advocacy items, and staff said capacity favors a small, focused set but the city will respond to critical issues as needed. Several councilors suggested using existing avenues such as the Colorado Municipal League and hosting state legislators locally so the city can present priorities directly.
Staff said the next step is to refine the legislative agenda and bring it to council early in 2025; the committee will then recommend specific advocacy position resolutions when particular bills arise. No formal council vote or advocacy position was requested at the study session.
