Actions speak louder than words – Estes Park Trail-Gazette

Gary Hall is the mayor of Estes Park and the former chief information officer for Estes Park Health. (Gary Hall/Courtesy photo)

Thanks to the Estes Park Trail-Gazette for the opportunity to offer my thoughts.

After a recent column in which I referred to my advocacy for Estes, I was asked, “But what are you actually doing? What steps are you taking?”

Well, each mayor largely charts his or her own course. I try to provide a service to everyone while maintaining human and human relationships in every interaction. It is important to understand, however, that the mayor in our mayor/council form of government does not run the operations. The mayor does not order city staff around (although the city administrator and city attorney report to the board). I put forth my philosophy and opinions and help where I can within the legal limits of my position. If you would like to see the City of Estes Park’s governance policies, including the mayor’s lengthy responsibilities (Section 1.4 of this collection), let me know and I will send them to you.

I interact with local and national media, providing them with information on various topics in a proactive and reactive manner. They want to know the Mayor’s opinion on certain topics and they request messages from their listeners/readers who may choose to travel to Estes.

I listen to residents, business owners, guests, contractors, anyone, on any issue, and then decide if there are helpful steps I can take (within appropriate legal limits) to help solve the problem. I may be asked questions about the Loop or other citywide issues, or about individual issues. In some cases, after researching the issue, I help the person or group connect with the right resource. In some cases, I provide my opinion on issues to the city administration. I think it’s fair to say that the mayor’s opinion (as well as that of other administrators) is taken seriously when it is given in this way.

In some cases I cannot take definitive action, but I try to give a full explanation of the reasons when I say “no.”

“Can the mayor help us with this?” Often, I can. I’ve connected citizens with the state insurance board. I’ve helped store owners apply for construction impact assistance funds. I facilitate communication for anyone I can help. I have been contacted about short-term rental (STR) licensing and regulations, homeowners association (HOA) challenges (including insurance challenges), personal issues, zoning opinions, a wide range of potential uses of AI for the city, streets and accessibility, dysfunctional traffic signals, sales tax change review, Cinco de Mayo, the duck race, Paint Estes Pink, solar panel regulations, various Estes events, diversity resources, proposed projects, natural foods, sales tax changes, J-1 workers, and much more. And I have only been on the job for ten weeks.

I prepare for and lead the twice-monthly city council meetings. The preparation is extensive: lots of reading and research to understand the issues and be prepared to lead the council in discussions and effectively manage the meetings. And I still have work to do to make these meetings truly effective.

I express my own opinions: If you have followed the board meetings and read my other articles, you know my opinions on many topics. It is important for me to publicly express my preferred directions and outcomes, even if when it comes time for the board to decide, I am only one vote among seven.

I meet at least once a week with the city administrator. I meet with other city directors, managers, and staff to get information on issues so I can address them effectively. I sign the various documents that the council has voted on. I have coffee with the various administrators (only one at a time, of course, to comply with the rules of open meetings), not to get votes, but to better understand the different perspectives on the issues.

I network with other municipalities, mayors, Larimer County, the state, and other political entities to discover new approaches to solving our problems. I support legislation that helps Estes Park, including reaching out to our legislative representatives to advocate (there’s that word again) for the direction I’d like to see these bills go. I serve on the board of the Platte River Power Authority (PRPA). I’m a member of the Larimer County Behavioral Health Policy Council.

There are many requests for me to speak at ceremonies or events, such as Disabled American Veterans, Schools, Streetcar, Pride, Rodeo, Scotch-Irish Festival, Open World Delegation, Women’s Club, League of Women Voters, and many others. I give speeches and issue proclamations when requested. These latter tasks are fun and a rewarding part of the job.

I spent a LOT of time educating myself in those first few months: during orientation sessions, touring and learning about our facilities, visiting other partner sites, reading city and other relevant materials, and asking lots of questions.

All of this is done while balancing the need to maintain the beauty of Estes with the need to evolve the town appropriately to feed our future.

Did this help you answer the question? Onward. I hope you had a great Independence Day and a wonderful summer and a happy rest of 2024.

If you have any questions or comments, you can also contact me at [email protected], through my phone at City Hall at 970-577-3706, or by requesting an appointment at https://dms.estes.org/Forms/mayormeetingrequest

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