Thursday’s Pints and Perspectives was the final session before the series turns to election topics. The conversation centered on social capital and our guests were Kirsten Pellicer, second generation owner of Longmont’s Ace Hardware, and Dr. Don Haddad former superintendent of SVVSD. Their message resonated with me. The more time and care we invest in one another, the stronger and healthier our city becomes. Volunteering and giving back are contagious. When people see their neighbors pitch in, they are more likely to join.
Dr. Haddad shared a line that stayed with me. If the goal is to win once, set a goal. If the goal is to win again and again, build a system. That is how I think about service. Longmont needs systems that make collaboration the default. Residents, schools, businesses, nonprofits, and city departments should be able to find one another easily, share information and solve problems quickly. That requires clear points of contact, simple processes, and a culture that rewards teamwork.
This is what that looks like in practice. Bring everyone to the table. No single group has all the answers. Listen to renters and homeowners, students and seniors, small business owners and workers and people with different political views. Make city help easier to use. Align departments so residents and businesses can reach a real person, receive clear steps, and move forward without avoidable delays. Keep Longmont moving. Build safer crossings, calm fast streets, improve wayfinding, and make transit and first and last mile connections more reliable so everyday trips feel easier. Keep families here. Expand attainable and for sale options such as duplexes, townhomes, and tiny homes that give kids stability and help working households put down roots.
A question from the evening asked whether leaders should be the trunk of the tree or the leaves. The trunk is steady and anchored. That is the model embraced here. Positions do not change with the audience. Residents deserve consistency and plain talk, not words that shift with the wind. Count on hearing the same message in every room.
It has been a privilege to learn alongside this community through the series. Many candidates have rotated through, and a few have been steady faces from one session to the next. My promise going forward is simple. Keep showing up. Listen more than talk, since we have two ears and one mouth for a reason. Keep building the social capital that makes Longmont stronger. If this vision reflects where Longmont should go next, please donate to this campaign to help me win this election.
