It’s Been an Honor Folks!
As I transition to my recently announced new role as Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development here in Colorado, I want to say that it has been an honor to serve the residents of Northwest Denver for the past seven years on the Denver City Council. I truly thank you for the privilege to serve.
I now look back over seven years. It is clear that public service has been my life. A public servant can not really turn on and off the drive to serve others. For example, I will need to slowly withdraw from my district stewardship of reporting graffiti in obscure locations, making sure the elderly resident across the district has someone to clear her sidewalk after a big snowstorm, taking a late weekend night call from a concerned resident about suspicious activity next door and taking note of every home that goes on the market in the district. Council work brings you close to people’s day to day lives and I always treated my public service with this mantra in mind.
Northwest Denver is a different place today than in 2003, when I was first elected to represent the district. Yes, there are new residents, families, children, attached and detached homes and new commercial businesses throughout, yet the many charms and small town atmosphere still remain intact. Although I have faced some difficult rezoning decision over the years, I have always strived to find the right balance between the need for a mature neighborhood to regenerate itself and healthy preservation. I believe Northwest Denver today has created an eclectic building form with clever reuses and continues to possess both newer contemporary building designs and preserves many significant and historic structures. Frankly, it is this unique ambience that makes our community one of the City's most sought after livable places.
When I think about my two council terms as a legacy, I can say that my advocacy for new city resources, more budget parity, new capital projects and just a renewed sense of respect from city hall for Northwest Denver were all indeed accomplished during my tenure. More tangibly, I am proud for either having delivered or played a pivotal role in the creation of the Camp Rollandet Open Space; funded and completed Parks Master Plans for Berkeley and Highlands Parks; helped to create the Neighborhood Marketplace Initiative through Council; brought millions of capital improvement bond dollars to the neighborhoods namely for West Colfax and Tennyson Street; dedicated a park in honor of Cesar E. Chavez; worked with the community to chase Walmart out of the neighborhood and waited for the Sunflower Market opportunity; launched the Berkeley Park pilot off-leash dog park; witnessed average home prices and the area’s personal income rise; and saw through the successful funding and construction of the West Corridor light rail to recall just a few successes.
There will be some who say that I did not do enough or the right things. However, the hundreds of well wishes and congratulation notes about my Presidential appointment that I have received in the last week are truly humbling and gives me confidence that many constituents and residents of our city appreciated my leadership and successes on the City Council. I know I am leaving Northwest Denver in a much better place than when I started in 2003!
My family and I will continue to be residents of this council district and city. I will indeed miss the direct effect that I have had on many city-policy matters. But my new role will broaden my opportunity for continued public service throughout Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region.
Thank you for all your support, hope, affection and great memories over the past seven years. I will miss my servitude!
Sincerely, Councilman Rick Garcia (2003-2010)
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