Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper will deliver his third State of the City address on Wednesday, and will no doubt highlight his accomplishments over the past three years. More important, the speech may kick off his re-election campaign, perhaps outlining the goals for his administration’s next term.
Hickenlooper has accumulated so much political capital that no opposition has surfaced for the election next May. Although he has spent some of that capital persuading voters to make strategic investments in their city and region, there’s a substantial balance left in the bank.
So the mayor should feel comfortable exercising the considerable power afforded him by Denver’s strong-mayor form of government. He ought to run the risk of trading 90 percent approval ratings for 60 or even 50 percent. Among other important initiatives, why not commit to the following?
Require that every city-funded building qualify for the minimum Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) silver rating – beginning with the new courthouse, detention facility and post office/parking garage on West Colfax Avenue. The result will be reduced maintenance and operating costs as well as energy efficiency and more innovative design.
Buildings account for 36 percent of U.S. energy consumption, including 65 percent of electricity. The city must lead by example and not back away.
Require recycled or reclaimed materials in the rehab or construction of city buildings in order to reduce toxicity and carbon emissions. Ensure that low- energy, prefabricated polystyrene building blocks with high thermal insulation are used as the primary building material.
Install solar electric cells on the roof of the Colorado Convention Center so the building contributes as much energy into the system as it takes out. Adopting this energy approach will also seal the roof for maintenance and set an example for owners of large buildings interested in reducing operating costs.
Insist the city’s traffic engineers implement the principles of Blueprint Denver and require mixed-use streets. Reduce vehicular lanes and speed to add sidewalks and other pedestrian amenities that encourage pedestrians, promote ground-floor retail and enhance the public space. Begin now with Colfax and 14th Avenues between Bannock Street and Speer Boulevard, adjacent to the Justice Center.
Seek every opportunity to exploit Xcel’s energy-rebate policy and install or retrofit energy-efficient systems – heating, ventilation and air conditioning, lighting and automatic energy management – into as many mid-size and large city buildings as possible.
Direct the mayoral appointees on the Denver Water Board to adopt conservation policies as aggressive as Aurora’s.
Offer free metered parking to vehicles powered by alternative fuels such as propane, compressed natural gas or electricity.
Use the carrot-and-stick approach to encourage smart, green development. Send sustainable development projects to the head of the permitting line, accelerating approvals and cutting red tape. For projects that aren’t energy smart, sustainable in the long term or that contribute to sprawl, levy an energy-eater’s surcharge.
Dedicate 50 to 75 percent of Denver’s next bond issue to creating an annual revenue stream for Denver’s woefully under- funded capital improvement budget. Use those funds for regular maintenance of city buildings, parks and other assets. Abandon Denver’s longtime dependence on bond funds to pay for deferred maintenance and replacement costs.
It’s time to harness our stubborn, visionary Western will and look anew at our city and state. The history of boom and bust is carved into the landscape. At our best, we are innovative, optimistic risk-takers. But too much of that history has been about extraction, not conservation. Vision and leadership must work to shift the paradigm.
The mayor has an unprecedented opportunity to shape a sustainable future for Denver. His legacy – and ours – may depend on how boldly he decides to spend his political capital.
Susan Barnes-Gelt (bs13@qwest.net) served eight years on the Denver City Council and was an aide to former Denver Mayor Federico Peña. Her column appears on alternate Sundays.
