LITTLETON — The Littleton City Council selected Bill Hopping to serve as its seventh and final member this week, filling the vacancy left by Randy Stein’s recent resignation.
Hopping was sworn in Tuesday night at the Littleton municipal building just moments after his fellow Council members voted unanimously to name him to the seat.
He will represent the city’s District 1 through the Nov. 3 municipal election when voters will be asked to chose the person who will serve out the remaining two years of Stein’s original 4-year term, .
Hopping, who went to Littleton High School, was on the city’s historic preservation board for 10 years until term limits forced him to take a break from public service in 2013.
“I thought this was a good opportunity to get involved again,” he said.
The City Council interviewed Hopping and six other hopefuls for the vacant seat two weeks ago. There was no Council discussion Tuesday before Hopping was named to the position.
. He ran unopposed in 2013 to represent District 1, including Historic Downtown Littleton.
Stein who successfully campaigned for a measure limiting the powers of the city’s urban renewal authority as a reason for his resignation. The measure, which on March 3, will require a public vote before Littleton can implement many common urban renewal tactics such as tax increment financing and eminent domain. Stein said the vote was major setback to positive growth and development.
Hopping called urban renewal strategies a “good tool to have,” but expressed high hopes for what city leaders can do without them.
“I’m sure we’ll figure out ways to attract quality development without them,” he said.
Joe Rubino: 303-954-2953, jrubino@denverpost.com or twitter.com/RubinoJC
