Did you know that I ran for Fort Collins City Council in 2021? While I’ve decided not to run again in 2025, the work for a brighter future for Fort Collins has never stopped. I continue to advocate for better, safer transportation options for our neighborhoods, more cohesive and collaborative arts, culture, and small business efforts, and the health and longevity of our community’s parks and recreation options.
I blog frequently about local issues as well as host a podcast called Dear Fort Collins where you can learn more about how things happen in and around Fort Collins!
Historical Perspective: the 1997 Floods in Fort Collins
After the 1997 catastrophic flooding in Fort Collins which killed 5, damaged 2,000 homes, and caused $200M in damage, the City of Fort Collins Government created a Floodplain Management Program. Ours is one of only five communities to achieve top ratings by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Beyond an incredible series of infrastructure projects to…
Tomorrows
If you feel sad today, rather than joyous, that’s understandable. The slow erosion and degredations of our freedoms, the utter spinelessness of a full half of the legislature, the complicity of the Supreme Court who plainly prefers to wrangle one party and set loose another, rather than push for responsible judiciary review, and an Executive…
Community Roots
Did you know that City Park is a Certified Level 2 Arboretum? It’s true. And yours truly got to help plant some trees in City Park on Arbor Day! You can take a self-guided tour here: https://www.fcgov.com/forestry/tree-tour. A brand new fancy map is coming so you can explore all the different varieties. City Forester Kendra…
Connectivity is Economic Prosperity
Did you know that City of Fort Collins Parks and Recreation hosted the first-ever Northern Colorado Trails Summit? It featured partners from municipalities and organizations committed to the completion of the Poudre Trail as well as non-car-centric connectivity throughout Northern Colorado. Two things you may not know: #1: almost every trail in Colorado that you…
I Drove The Bus Today
Today I drove a Poudre School District bus thanks to Nick Peterson and the Leadership PSD team. I also learned a lot about the upcoming PSD mill levy. While PSD staff was very balanced with their information, it doesn’t take a genius to recognize the incredible value of voting yes on the mill levy. Here’s…
Connected/Disconnected – The State of our Youth
Earlier this year, Poudre School District sounded the alarm to direct attention to the youth mental health crisis actively unfolding for our students, especially the LGBTQIA+ community. I was invited to participate in Poudre School District’s State of our Youth two-day conference in January. The event included PSD principles and staff as well as representatives…
Leadership Fort Collins: Emergency Services Day
Leadership Fort Collins was invited to learn about Emergency Services this month – each session I’m humbled by the dedication, passion, and leadership embedded throughout our community working to improve Fort Collins inside and out. Programs like LFC and LNC provide a lot of transparency around complex systems and organizations which can appear as black…
District 1’s Wishlist for 2021 City Council Priorities
The new City Council will soon set its priorities for the next two years. Having walked over 250 miles to connect with as many neighbors in District 1 as possible, I heard many, many shared priorities – I’ve listed them below: 1. Demand creative solutions to achieve the best Hughes outcomes, avoid legal fees, and…
Updated Election Results as of 4/15
Today’s updated election results from the City of Fort Collins Government are posted: https://www.fcgov.com/elections/results Nick Armstrong – 3390 (49.76%)Susan Gutowsky – 3423 (50.24%) It’s easy to become disillusioned when your favored candidate isn’t elected, especially in close races like ours. Disillusioned about the state of things – your neighbors’ priorities, the City, the future. The…
About Those Election Results
The Coloradoan indicated that a difference of 34 votes makes our race too close to call, and the City Clerk’s office has a number of steps to go to finalize a result and has asked for more time to do that. Mindful that our country just went through a divisive election in November, we should…
Walking All of District 1 – A Creative Course Change is Coming
My team and I have been knocking on every door in District 1. Neighborhood after neighborhood, around 10 miles of walking each day. Beyond reaffirming the value of good orthotics and quality footwear, I’ve had some truly wonderful conversations with neighbors.
Let’s talk Hughes and the Environment
Throughout Fort Collins, we’re living the impact of a singular focus on building a community around an admittedly very-special hub: Old Town. While I love and appreciate what Old Town has to offer, when it comes to the edges of Fort Collins, we’ve left it largely to developers to fund and plan literally everything. That’s…
What I’ve learned from talking to organizations and neighbors around District 1
Focused, purposeful outreach is the first step to engaging in the community, and I’ve had conversations with countless organizations, neighbors, and community leaders to learn what they expect from a Fort Collins City Councilperson. In running for City Council, organizations and groups often reach out to you directly. For instance: Here are my responses to…
About those bike lanes and trails in Fort Collins District 1…
Let’s talk about transportation infrastructure in Fort Collins District 1. Today Governor Polis shared this very cool idea and story: “How Colorado’s Free E-Bike Program Fits Into Its Plan To Slow Climate Change” – https://www.cpr.org/2021/02/10/how-colorados-free-e-bike-program-fits-into-its-plan-to-slow-climate-change/ I truly wish something like this was feasible in Fort Collins, but no matter where you live in District 1,…
Nick Armstrong 