GREELEY — One of the rumors swirling inside this city is that the mayor is spending a good chunk of his full-time job and his huge salary shopping at a local King Soopers.
Also, there’s talk that the city will soon close its recreation facilities while spending way too much on public art.
“We hear a lot of things from people who come into city hall about things they hear (are) going on in the city,” said Cheryl Aragon, Greeley’s deputy city clerk. “And I have neighbors who see me and say, ‘You know, Cheryl, I heard this . . .’ “
Which explains Greeley’s new broadcast venture: “Real or Rumor.” The 10-minute program — airing on the city’s government-access channel, GTV8, and co-hosted by Aragon — looks at all the latest buzz in the city.
“It’s really an attempt to set the record straight on a lot of topics,” said city spokesman John Pantaleo.
The first show, which aired Friday, had Aragon and city staffer Aimee Freeland tackle questions about snow removal and City Council salaries.
The two explained that in Greeley it is illegal to dump snow shoveled from private property and businesses into city streets. A $1,000 fine could be the penalty.
They also dispelled rumors that serving as either mayor or a council member will get you “a second home in Cancun.” The monthly salaries are about $1,200 and $800, respectively.
Also, the stints aren’t full time and don’t come with offices at city hall, Aragon said. Indeed, council members either already hold down full-time jobs or are retired — which explains why one woman saw Mayor Tom Norton at King Soopers on a recent afternoon.
“She was really upset that the mayor was in King Soopers in the middle of the afternoon,” Aragon said. “People don’t realize that these are not full-time jobs for them.”
She said city staffers about a year ago began discussing the need to address municipal misconceptions residents may have, she said.
Topics will be gleaned from citizen comments made at city hall and public meetings, through e-mails and in the wake of local newspaper stories.
“We wanted to put on the table what we’ve been hearing and tell the truth about it,” Aragon said.
Monte Whaley: 720-929-0907 or mwhaley@denverpost.com.
