Issues

Centennial has continued to be one of the safest cities in Colorado and community safety will remain my highest priority. I have worked with Council and the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office to ensure that we hold the ACSO to the highest standard in law enforcement practices. In 2020, I lead the City through a number of community open houses and meetings with the ACSO that allowed citizens to ask questions and get answers directly from the ACSO. This process increased all of our understanding of how the policies and procedures within the ACSO benefit everyone within our community.

Our School Resource Officer (SRO) program in an invaluable component with our ACSO contract. SRO’s work in the schools within the City of Centennial and are funded by Centennial. I advocated for additional funding for this program my very first year on Council and I will continue to support this program that has proven its value within our community. The community meeting that highlighted the value of this program can be reviewed by clicking here.

Centennial has also established a Citizens Advisory Group that meets regularly with Sheriff Tyler Brown to review and discuss concerns within the community. This CAG is an important way to citizens to engage with the ACSO directly for the betterment and safety of our city.

Areas where this is most impactful:

• Centennial will continue to be one of the safest cities in Colorado and the nation

• Our citizens have confidence in the response from the ACSO

• Students and parents have confidence in our support for safe schools

Supporting Small Businesses

I will continue to focus on helping our small businesses recover from the negative impacts of Covid-19 shutdowns.  During 2020, I ensured that Centennial received its share of CARES Act Funding and brought dollars to businesses in a direct and easily managed manner. Nearly $10 million was distributed to our local businesses through the Centennial Cares Grant program.

Having a diverse business community creates resiliency in our tax base. Sales tax is the primary funding mechanism for Centennial and attracting and retaining new and diverse retail that meets the needs of our community will be vital to our future success. 

Areas where this will be most impactful:

• Jones District Development

• Strategic Redevelopment

• Citizen Working Groups on Redevelopment Strategies

• Fiscal Responsibility and Increasing Government Efficiency

One of the first actions I took as Mayor was to join Xcel Energy’s “Partners in Energy” program. This relationship has allowed Centennial to bring educational opportunities to Centennial residents on electric vehicles, has brought our businesses and citizens real solutions to making their homes and businesses energy efficient and looks to the future to embrace solar solutions that will really work for our residents. Additionally, Centennial is working with contractors to explore ways in which their fleets (along with Centennial’s) can upgrade to more environmentally friendly and efficient vehicles.

Additionally, as a member of the RAQC (Regional Air Quality Commission) Centennial has received grant monies to install EV Charging Stations at our municipal buildings and are actively working with the region and Xcel Energy to explore the potential expansion of EV Charging Stations in the future and what our Land Development Code needs to update in order to ensure that we are forward thinking on the potential this opportunity presents.

My degree in Environmental Science from the University of Michigan has provided me with a great background with which to pragmatically look at how we can work as a community for the betterment and enjoyment of the environment around us. I have served and/or chaired several of our regional boards that are dedicated to water quality and conservation. Cherry Creek Basin Water Quality Authority works to protect the Cherry Creek Reservoir and its upstream creeks from negative water quality impacts and creates stream stability and reclamation programs that preserve the beneficial uses of these incredible community assets.

Areas where this will be most impactful:

• Improving energy efficiency for businesses and residents

• Reducing the City’s environmental impact

• Bringing new opportunities for Electric Vehicles charging stations

• Updating development standards to include alternative energy options

• Providing educational opportunities for Centennial residents

• Preserving riparian corridors and stabilizing creek beds to protect water quality

• Enhancing parks, trails and recreation

Strategic Planning & Infrastructure

As Mayor, I initiated the first long range strategic plan for the City of Centennial.  It is important for Council and City Staff to be on the same page while planning where we are going and executing how we are going to get there. Being able to have the resources necessary to leverage funding to complete projects in the interest of our citizens is vital to our continued economic health.  It also requires us to be constantly looking inward to how we can manage resources efficiently to get the most bang out of every tax dollar.  

Areas where this is most impactful:

• Centennial’s Budget

• IT Infrastructure

• Public Works/Roads

• Public Private Partnerships

• Public Public Partnerships

• Next Generation Infrastructure