Leveraging technology to improve public safety headlines Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi’s 2025 strategic plan. In the first of two parts, Al and Dave dissect the Mayor’s new Strategic Action Doing Items. Wildfire mitigation, evacuation planning, transportation and infill development also get some attention.

Also:

Golf carts instead of buses?

Who benefits from the city’s strong-mayor form of government? Take a guess. And Dave and Al aren’t crazy about it.

Banning-Lewis Ranch and other annexation issues

“Complete Streets” and “Complete Creeks”

A pay raise for city council? Dave and Al discuss the issue, in light of a January 18 Community Conversation hosted by the League of Women Voters of the Pikes Peak Region. See links below for video of that event, or hear it on the Making Democracy Work podcast.

LINKS:

Community Conversation: City Council Pay – video and Making Democracy Work podcast

https://studio809podcasts.com/community-conversation-council-pay/

Colorado Springs Strategic Plan

https://coloradosprings.gov/StrategicPlan

Strategic Doing Action Items

https://coloradosprings.gov/document/2025strategicdoingactions.pdf

The Future of Fountain Creek - Panel and Community Discussion – March 19, 2025

Hybrid Event – noon to 1:30 at Fountain Creek Nature Center (doors open 11:30)

RSVP to attend virtually

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/5RNjoPyYRGCLUQ86pcZzJQ

Loving the Springs celebrates the best of Colorado Springs and elevates the rest.

Plug into what’s happening in the Pikes Peak region, learn about awesome people, places and happenings, and explore opportunities to make life here even better. Local gadflies Al Brody and Dave Gardner love our two springs – Colorado and Manitou, so they give them the mic in this twice-monthly podcast. Nothing’s off the table – recreation, the arts, government, business, politics – if it touches your life, they'll talk about it. We’ll invite the movers and shakers, conspiracy theorists, NIMBYs, YIMBYs, yaysayers and naysayers to join them.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts, and give us feedback and suggestions via comments at https://studio809podcasts.com/loving-the-springs or lovingthespringspodcast at gmail.com

We learn about a unique up-and-coming nonprofit working to “navigate communities towards wellness,” plus Dave fact-checks Al on driving the speed limit (and loses). We’re joined in this spirited episode by Jennaya Colóns, executive director of Highroots Wellness & Consulting. She’s also a Physical Therapist Assistant, Certified Brain Injury Specialist, and outreach liaison at CommonSpirit. Community health is her passion, and when she saw gaps that needed to be satisfied in the city she loves, she founded Highroots Wellness & Consulting.

We were struck by Jennaya’s statement, “Everybody does matter, every single last one of us.” Jennaya served as co-chair of Common Spirit's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council. She is currently Chair of the Patient Navigation Taskforce for the Colorado Cancer Coalition, Chair of the Healthy Community Collaborative's Barriers to Accessing Healthcare Workgroup, sits on the advisory board for the Pikes Peak Business and Education Alliance (PPBEA), and is a recent Mayor's Civic Leader Fellowship graduate.

Later in the episode we learn about the “5-Car Rule” on two-lane highways, and about “normalized deviance,” as Dave continues his crusade to “re-normalize” driving the speed limit – for safety and reduced CO2 emissions.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Peak Education
• Stompin’ Groundz
• Widefield Recreation Center
• Panorama Park
• RISE Southeast
• Yolanda Avila
• Alan Beauchamp
• Mayor’s Fellowship Program
• Amy’s Donuts
• Closure of libraries
• Denver Broncos

LINKS:

Highroots Wellness & Consulting

https://www.highrootswellness.org/

Colorado Revised Statutes Title 42. Vehicles and Traffic § 42-4-1103. Minimum speed regulation

https://codes.findlaw.com/co/title-42-vehicles-and-traffic/co-rev-st-sect-42-4-1103/

Road Rules: The five-car rule

http://pointroberts.staging.communityq.com/stories/road-rules-the-five-car-rule,22803

Loving the Springs celebrates the best of Colorado Springs and elevates the rest.

Plug into what’s happening in the Pikes Peak region, learn about awesome people, places and happenings, and explore opportunities to make life here even better. Local gadflies Al Brody and Dave Gardner love our two springs – Colorado and Manitou, so they give them the mic in this twice-monthly podcast. Nothing’s off the table – recreation, the arts, government, business, politics – if it touches your life, they'll talk about it. We’ll invite the movers and shakers, conspiracy theorists, NIMBYs, YIMBYs, yaysayers and naysayers to join them.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts, and give us feedback and suggestions via comments at https://studio809podcasts.com/loving-the-springs or lovingthespringspodcast at gmail.com

Dave is on a crusade to tame the trend of more speeding, red-light running, and aggressive driving on our streets. Observing the speed limit and driving courteously will make our streets safer for other motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists. It will also save gas (and money), and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Al debates Dave on the pros and cons of his plan to “normalize” driving civilly by recruiting motorists who care – to start a trend of driving the speed limit. Dave wants to be the leader of the pack, but will he end up being the weirdo in the pack? Al notes Dave is NOT “the blonde in the T-bird.” So, perhaps we need all the “cool people” to lead the charge?

In this episode we discuss:

• Speeding
• Aggressive driving
• Avoiding a road rage incident
• Reporting aggressive drivers (dial *CSP)
• Usage-based auto insurance (that monitors your driving habits)
• Do you have an obligation to pull off the road to let speeders go by if you’re holding them up?
• 2C is slowing down the rate at which our roads are deteriorating
• How bicycle-friendly are our streets?
• Can the extended 2C PPRTA tax improve road conditions in the Springs?

LINKS:

Effective Cycling – by John Forester

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/349449.Effective_Cycling

Requiem for a Heavyweight - John-Forester-1929-2020

https://cyclingsavvy.org/2020/06/john-forester/

Loving the Springs celebrates the best of Colorado Springs and elevates the rest.

Plug into what’s happening in the Pikes Peak region, learn about awesome people, places and happenings, and explore opportunities to make life here even better. Local gadflies Al Brody and Dave Gardner love our two springs – Colorado and Manitou, so they give them the mic in this twice-monthly podcast. Nothing’s off the table – recreation, the arts, government, business, politics – if it touches your life, they'll talk about it. We’ll invite the movers and shakers, conspiracy theorists, NIMBYs, YIMBYs, yaysayers and naysayers to join them.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts, and give us feedback and suggestions via comments at https://studio809podcasts.com/loving-the-springs or lovingthespringspodcast at gmail.com

Colorado Springs’ controversial e-bikes ordinance proposal is discussed with longtime trail advocates Kent and Ruth Obee. The proposal would define Class 1 and 2 e-bikes, powered by an electric motor, as "non-motorized use,” in order to “comply with” or “circumvent” (depending on your point of view) the voter-approved TOPS (Trails, Open Space and Parks) prohibition of motorized vehicles in TOPS-acquired spaces. The proposal was recently approved by the Parks Advisory Board, and is expected to be considered by Colorado Springs City Council in December. It was rejected in a November 6 TOPS Working Committee meeting. E-bikes are currently not allowed on trails in parks and open spaces procured by the TOPS program.

For over 25 years, Kent and Ruth Obee have served on boards and volunteered their time for numerous park and open space projects and agencies, including TOPS.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Mayor Yemi Mobolade

Medicine Wheel Trail Advocates

Steve Harris

Palmer Land Conservancy

Colorado Springs Utilities Budget and rate increases

Closure of the Rockrimmon branch of the library

Downtown safety, recreation and parking enhancements

Downtown Colorado Springs

State Representative Marc Snyder

U.S. House Candidates River Gassen and Jeff Crank

GrowthBusters documentary

LINKS:

City of Colorado Springs Ebike Policy Info

https://coloradosprings.gov/Ebikes

Colorado Springs E-Bike Policy Gains Narrow Vote of Approval

https://gazette.com/news/colorado-springs-e-bike-policy-gains-narrow-vote-of-approval/article_f0309bea-a2d8-11ef-8dc9-9feaa04a5a3b.html

What Is TOPS?

https://coloradosprings.gov/parks/page/what-tops

Colorado Springs Residents Call on City to Help Pay Rockrimmon Library Lease Before It Closes

https://krdo.com/news/2024/11/12/colorado-springs-residents-call-upon-city-to-help-pay-rockrimmon-library-lease-before-it-closes/

NEW City Parking and Curb Management Plan Survey

https://coloradosprings.gov/2024ParkingPlan

2025 Art on the Streets Call for Entries Now Open – Feb 12 deadline

https://downtowncs.com/art-on-the-streets-call-for-entries

GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth (documentary produced by Dave Gardner)

https://youtu.be/_w0LiBsVFBo

EVENTS:

Ice skating in Acacia Park – opened November 15

https://downtowncs.com/event/skate

RMFI's Annual ShinDIG – fundraiser (Rocky Mtn Field Institute)

Thursday, November 21, 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Meanwhile Block, downtown

https://www.rmfi.org/shindig

November 29 - December 22, 2024: Sense & Sensibility

Ent Center...

We celebrate the giving season by learning all about the annual Give Pikes Peak campaign, which launched November 1, from Victoria Norton. Victoria is executive director of Give Pikes Peak, which has raised over $18.5 million for local nonprofits since 2009.

Also, Dave delivers alarming climate news, and in the ensuing discussion, Al stands up for people who eat regularly at all the fast-food hamburger chains. Plus, Al goes off on a mild rant about the metric system.

LINKS:

Give Pikes Peak

http://www.givepikespeak.org/

UN Emissions Gap Report

https://www.unep.org/resources/emissions-gap-report-2024

UPCOMING EVENTS:

November 16: The Youth Documentary Academy presents the World Premiere of new films produced by the Class of 2024. 2 different screening blocks, special reception, food trucks https://www.peakradar.com/event/youth-documentary-academy-world-premiere-of-new-films-3/

November 18: Join Award-Winning Singer-Songwriters Edie Carey and Sarah Sample as they celebrate the release of their new album “Lantern In The Dark: Songs Of Comfort And Lullabies” at Millibo Art Theatre https://www.peakradar.com/event/edie-carey-sarah-sample-album-release-concert-for-lantern-in-the-dark/

Celebrating the best of Colorado Springs and elevating the rest.

Plug into what’s happening in the Pikes Peak region, learn about awesome people, places and happenings, and explore opportunities to make life here even better. Local gadflies Al Brody and Dave Gardner love our two springs – Colorado and Manitou, so they give them the mic in this twice-monthly podcast. Nothing’s off the table – recreation, the arts, government, business, politics – if it touches your life, they'll talk about it. We’ll invite the movers and shakers, conspiracy theorists, NIMBYs, YIMBYs, yaysayers and naysayers to join them.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts, and give us feedback and suggestions via comments at https://studio809podcasts.com/loving-the-springs or lovingthespringspodcast at gmail.com

Get to know the Democratic candidate for U.S. House in Colorado District 5. In this casual conversation, we get into:

• Demographics – younger people moving here
• History of the position and the D/R split
• Rental rates in Colorado Springs vs Denver
• Pueblo and El Paso Counties shifting toward blue
• More younger voters tending to be unaffiliated
• Military spouses not getting much attention
• Importance of education
• Holding the V.A. accountable
• Energy and climate
• Immigration
• What’s concerning about her opponent

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

River Gassen’s campaign website

https://riverforcolorado.com/

Election Forums Hosted by the League of Women Voters of the Pikes Peak Region

https://lwvppr.org/forums2024

Witches, Warlocks & Ghouls bike ride – October 26, 12 to 5 p.m.

https://www.coswitchesride.com/

Colorado Springs Podcasters Meetup - October 26, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/colorado-springs-podcasters-meetup-podfest-podtour-stop-tickets-1043767736397

Colorado Springs City Council Redistricting Public Meeting – October 30, 3:30 p.m. at

https://coloradosprings.gov/2024Redistricting

Reflections on the Living Dead - Independent Film Society of Colorado Documentary Screening

November 1

https://ifsoc-docs.eventive.org/

Flash Cadillac – final performance November 1, Stargazers Theatre & Event Center

https://stargazerstheatre.com/product/flash-cadillac-nov-1/

Tony Exum, Jr. performs at Stargazers Theatre & Event Center

https://stargazerstheatre.com/product/tony-exum-jr-nov-8/

Celebrating the best of Colorado Springs and elevating the rest.

Plug into what’s happening in the Pikes Peak region, learn about awesome people, places and happenings, and explore opportunities to make life here even better. Local gadflies Al Brody and Dave Gardner love our two springs – Colorado and Manitou, so they give them the mic in this twice-monthly podcast. Nothing’s off the table – recreation, the arts, government, business, politics – if it touches your life, they'll talk about it. We’ll invite the movers and shakers, conspiracy theorists, NIMBYs, YIMBYs, yaysayers and naysayers to join them.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts, and give us feedback and suggestions via comments at https://studio809podcasts.com/loving-the-springs or lovingthespringspodcast at gmail.com

Dylan Craddock with the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region fills us in on Arts Month happenings in October. The conversation in this episode ends up covering downtown art, murals, art on the street and public art maps, economic impact of arts nonprofits, the LART budget, the mayor, Pridefest, Veteran’s Day Parade, candidate forums, Colorado Springs City Council redistricting project, and the Mayor’s Civic Leaders Fellowship.

Our guest, Dylan Craddock, is Program Manager, Creative Economy, of the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region (COPPeR).

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Arts Month Events: https://artsoctober.com

Colorado Springs Council Redistricting: https://coloradosprings.gov/2024Redistricting

Mayor’s Civic Leaders Fellowship: https://coloradosprings.gov/civicleadersfellowship

Peak Radar: https://peakradar.com

Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival: https://rmwfilm.org/festival/

Fine Arts Center: https://fac.coloradocollege.edu/

Ent Center for the Arts: https://entcenterforthearts.org/

COPPeR (Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region: https://culturaloffice.org

Candidate Forums hosted by the League of Women Voters of the Pikes Peak Region

https://lwvppr.org/forums2024

Celebrating the best of Colorado Springs and elevating the rest.

Plug into what’s happening in the Pikes Peak region, learn about awesome people, places and happenings, and explore opportunities to make life here even better. Local gadflies Al Brody and Dave Gardner love our two springs – Colorado and Manitou, so they give them the mic in this twice-monthly podcast. Nothing’s off the table – recreation, the arts, government, business, politics – if it touches your life, they'll talk about it. We’ll invite the movers and shakers, conspiracy theorists, NIMBYs, YIMBYs, yaysayers and naysayers to join them.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts, and give us feedback and suggestions via comments at https://studio809podcasts.com/loving-the-springs or lovingthespringspodcast at gmail.com

We review both the good news and the challenges shared by Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade in his recent State of the City address. We also congratulate Mayor Yemi for shaking up the tradition of Springs mayors delivering State of the City addresses exclusively at high-dollar business lunches or breakfasts.

Covered in this episode: self-licking ice cream cones, utility rate increase, potholes, the homeless and housing, litter, Aimee Cox, Survive and Thrive project, Pikes Peak Rising, Susan Whelan and El Paso County Public Health, fall colors, Bright Spots of Hope, bighorn Sheep in town, voter education efforts by the League of Women Voters of the Pikes Peak Region.

LINKS:

MS Bright Spots of Hope: https://www.msbrightspotsofhope.org/

Pikespeakrising360: https://pikespeakrising360.crediblemind.com/

Making Democracy Work podcast: https://studio809podcasts.com/podcasts/making-democracy-work/

Elevating Pikes Peak Women podcast: https://studio809podcasts.com/podcasts/elevating-pikes-peak-women/

Candidate and Ballot Issues Forums:

• Schedule: https://lwvppr.org
• On YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHATzh2-HdCGgCQL5VtHTqvV0w3teOyCW&si=wTMinjKGdV52QaY0

Plug into what’s happening in the Pikes Peak region, learn about awesome people, places and happenings, and explore opportunities to make life here even better. Local gadflies Al Brody and Dave Gardner love our two springs – Colorado and Manitou, so they give them the mic in this twice-monthly podcast. Nothing’s off the table – recreation, the arts, government, business, politics – if it touches your life, they'll talk about it. We’ll invite the movers and shakers, conspiracy theorists, NIMBYs, YIMBYs, yaysayers and naysayers to join them.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts, and give us feedback and suggestions via comments at https://studio809podcasts.com/loving-the-springs or lovingthespringspodcast at gmail.com