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Council hears plan for a focused legislative advocacy program; committee to refine agenda for 2025 session
Summary
City staff outlined a four-part legislative advocacy program — agenda, committee, advocacy resolutions and lobbying — and said the legislative committee will refine threshold criteria to recommend 3–5 bills for council advocacy in the 2025 session, coordinating as needed with the Colorado Municipal League.
City staff presented a proposed legislative advocacy program and legislative committee update aimed at giving Wheat Ridge City a focused, manageable presence during the 2025 Colorado legislative session.
Cole, who updated the council, said the program has four parts: a legislative agenda, a standing legislative committee, advocacy position resolutions and lobbying activities. "The 4 part program consists of the legislative agenda, the legislative committee, advocacy position resolutions, and lobbying," Cole said.
Under the approach, staff and the legislative committee will use a legislative agenda (draft included with council packets) to screen bills. Cole said the committee met Dec. 3 to begin preparing for 2025 and is considering threshold criteria — alignment with the city's agenda, Colorado Municipal League (CML) priorities, city impact, and community consensus — to help pick roughly 3–5 bills for advocacy position resolutions each session.
If council adopts an advocacy position resolution on a bill, Cole said staff will trigger lobbying activity such as testimony, mailers and working with legislators; the committee also discussed focus areas (affordable housing, transportation) to guide choices. Cole cautioned staff capacity is limited and recommended keeping the list manageable while using partners such as CML to amplify efforts.
Councilors praised the structure, clarified that 3–5 bills is a target rather than a hard minimum, and discussed hosting state legislators locally so city priorities can be presented directly. No formal council action was requested at the meeting; staff said the committee will continue refining the agenda and return the draft for council consideration in 2025.
