Childcare, gun control, smart meters and density were some of the themes that emerged from Tuesday’s open forum with Longmont City Council.
Members of the public were given up to five minutes to speak on any topic of their choice, with council members also given the option to respond to those comments.
Two speakers highlighted the lack of childcare in Longmont and possible solutions.
“All of us in this community are suffering from the fact that women want to work and they cannot afford to, particularly in areas of nursing and education,” resident Sarah Sharp said.
Matt Eldred, executive director of the TLC Learning Center, spoked about a capital project to create an Early Childhood Hub that is underway and about 70% funded.
He also said he and other leaders are contemplating establishing a special district for early childhood to create a dedicated funding source for supporting local children ages 0-5. Such an endeavor would be one of the first of its kind, and discussions are still in the early stages.
Several members of the public spoke about density in Longmont related to various pending in-fill developments, worrying about the effect of that on surrounding single-family neighborhoods.
“Please lessen the building, especially of the apartment complexes,” resident Susan Groshong said. “... It’s overcrowding our lifestyle, which promotes irritability and anxiety in city dwellers.”
A few highlighted their continued concerns with the city’s recent implementation of advanced metering and their worries about potential health effects. Councilmember Marcia Martin explained that the meters will help with energy efficiency, which is meant to aid in the city’s long term goal of combating climate change — a major health risk.
The hottest topic on Tuesday night, however, was probably gun control. Some speakers were unhappy with the city’s public safety stance issued last week and the surrounding discussion, including a specific comment from Councilmember Sean McCoy about not wanting the Second Amendment to trump other rights.
“To characterize people who stand up for their rights as selfish is counterproductive,” resident Antoinette Kemper said. “As an elected official such a public comment can or may be interpreted as an attempt to shame and silence people who disagree with you.”
However, others asked for the city to do more about gun control, while a reverend at the CENTRALongmont Presbyterian Church highlighted the approach pushed forward by Councilmember Tim Waters last week to seek solutions in a hopeful and productive manner.
“I have to tell you that I have no interest in another discussion about gun control,” David Barker said. “But I will absolutely commit to being a part of a discussion about peace and peacemaking.”
Other topics raised during the three hour open forum included climate change, pedestrian safety, homelessness and locally grown food.
