Is Nancy Freed a shoe-in for city manager?

City manager candidates Nancy Freed and Skip Noe attended a candidate reception today at the Aurora Municipal Center.
Most of the people in attendance were employees of the city or candidates for public office (Nancy Jackson, Rhonda Fields), or local community leaders (Citizens Budget Advisory Commission, Havana Business Improvement District).
Although no one would comment on which candidate they preferred, three people I talked to said Freed was well-liked and well-known in the community, and they didn't know much about Noe. Freed certainly knows more about the city, since she has been working for Aurora as the deputy city manager since 2003. Her knowledge of the city was evident in the responses to the 5 questions she was asked in a video presentation at the reception. It's also evident that Noe has a lengthy resume and extensive experience in the public service sector, but does he know enough about Aurora to make city employees and residents confident that he would make a good city leader?
If Freed did get the city manager post, some people might question why the city spent $23,000 on a hiring firm to recruit 45 qualified candidates just to end up hiring from within. That discussion was brought up by a member of CABC. A few city employees suggested that if Freed did end up getting hired, it was important for the city to carry out their due diligence in seeking out other qualified candidates. City officials want to select the best of the best, even if it takes a nationwide search to find that a qualified city manager is actually in-house, suggested city employees.

What does the city manager do, anyway?  According to Aurora's website, the city manager is responsible for:

• Ensuring that policy direction set by council is carried out
•  Ensuring that the city's public services are of high quality and provided in an efficient and cost-effective way
• Preparing a recommended budget for council
• Recruiting, hiring and supervising Aurora employees
• Providing the city council objective information and recommendations regarding the issues and decisions

 Council members are expected to choose the next city manager at an Oct. 11 executive session.

Read profiles of the two candidates here, and don't forget to read Thursday and Friday's paper to see what Freed and Noe said about the city's budget, public safety, and home foreclosures.

Got health coverage?

This Halloween, parents across the metro Denver area will be handing out several thousand flyers about health insurance coverage for kids, along with the usual yummy treats they get in their Halloween baskets.

Here's an advance copy of the flyer, given to me by Gretchen Hammer, executive director of the Colorado Coalition for the Medically Underserved.

FYI: About 121,000 (14 percent or about one in six) of Colorado’s children without health care coverage. This rate puts Colorado at 45th among the 50 states, according to the Colorado Health Foundation.

Got Health Coverage? Get Health Coverage!

If your child is one of the many thousands of Colorado kids who

lack health insurance, you may be able to do something about it.

a) Child Health Plan Plus

Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) is a low-cost insurance option for children and pregnant women who earn too much for Medicaid, but cannot afford private health insurance. Even if you have been turned down in the past, you may be able to get health coverage for your kids now.  Learn more at www.chpplus.org or 1-800-359-1991.

b) Medicaid

Colorado Medicaid is public health insurance for families, children, pregnant women, persons who are blind or persons with disabilities and the elderly.  Learn more at www.colorado.gov/hcpf or 1-800-221-3943.

c) Additional Options

The new national health care law provides both private and public opportunities for coverage for kids and families.  Learn more at www.healthcare.gov or www.CuidadodeSalud.Gov

Our opportunity is now.  Colorado kids can’t wait.

All Kids Covered works to deliver what Colorado families need: affordable, reliable health coverage and access to care. 

All Kids Covered is partner of Aurora Health Access.

Learn more at www.allkidscoveredcolorado.org.

Is there a chance that the Mission Viejo library could re-open??

Today at the Community Partnership Committee Meeting, Councilwoman Barb Cleland asked library board officials to provide council with information as to how much it would cost to "hypothetically" re-open the Mission Viejo library again, even if it's only for a few days a week.
If there was "hypothetically" some left-over money in the city's budget, Barb said, it might be worth considering re-opening the library. Councilman Bob FitzGerald echoed Barb's statements, saying that if the city had money to spare, it would benefit residents to have a few thousand books and a few computers in the library, even if it was only staffed part-time or a few days a week.
The Mission Viejo library is one of the four libraries that closed last year due to budget constraints. The city only has three libraries now, instead of the seven it had before a failed ballot initiative in 2009.
The city is currently in the process of finalizing its budget for 2011, with the budget forecasted to be about $232.5 million. However, about $7 million is expected to be cut from next year’s proposed budget to address the city’s shortfall. However, city officials say no major cuts will be made to city services.

Does the thought of partially re-opening the library appeal to you? Let me know!