In the City: Gratitude remains good business in Fort Collins

Last week, Gov. John Hickenlooper, the mayor and Fort Collins City Council, and nearly 400 business leaders came together for a “Gratitude is Good Business” breakfast hosted by the city’s Economic Health Office. We celebrated the amazing ways that our businesses strengthen the community, and concluded by encouraging everyone to keep the gratitude going.

In that spirit, here are many of the things for which I am grateful:

I am grateful to live in a community that is proud of our place, and where engaged residents, businesses, educational institutions, philanthropies, nonprofits and the city collaborate to support a high quality of life. 

I am grateful that Sustainability Services is celebrating five years of service to our community. Our unique umbrella that brings together the Economic Health Office, Environmental Services, and Social Sustainability reflects the balanced nature of our community.

I am grateful for all the businesses that attended a recent listening session with the mayor and city manager, and for all that will attend future sessions to help us better serve the business community.

I am grateful for the voter-approved Affordable Housing Capital Fund, established in 2015, to invest in housing for low-income residents. On Nov. 28, City Council will hear from the Affordable Housing Task Force on possible uses of the fund. 

I am grateful that we get to partner with compassionate nonprofits on data-driven strategies to provide services and housing to our neighbors without homes, as well as joint efforts to promote equity and inclusion so that everyone feels welcome and safe in Fort Collins. 

I am grateful for the Healthy Homes initiative, which later this year will unveil a “Do-It-Yourself” online toolkit. This one-of-its-kind program has now exceeded 600 free indoor air quality assessments to help residents breathe well at home.

I am grateful for the community’s bold commitment to climate action through City Council’s adopted goals of 20 percent reduction in 2005 greenhouse gas levels by 2020, 80 percent by 2030, and the vision of a carbon neutral Fort Collins in 2050. Our businesses are already saving $9 million annually in reduced energy costs.

Mostly, I am grateful my family gets to live, work and play in a place with dedicated community members, businesses and staff who work together to make Fort Collins better each and every day for generations to come. 

We look forward to many more years providing exceptional service for an exceptional community. Please let us know how we can continue to engage and support you! I hope you’ll share what inspires your gratitude at #focobiz. 

Jackie Kozak Thiel is the chief sustainability officer for the city of Fort Collins. She can be reached at 970-416-2170 or jkozak-thiel@fcgov.com.