Greeley City Council welcomes two new members and talks city manager finalists
By Trenton Sperry
Farewells and nice-to-meet-ya’s dominated the chatter during the Greeley City Council’s special meeting Tuesday evening. Two members concluded their time on the council, two new members were seated, and two members renewed their oaths of office following the Nov. 2 election.
Kristin Zasada and Mike Fitzsimmons had their time on council end. Zasada, who was elected to one of the city’s two at-large seats in 2019, was present for the meeting and thanked her supporters and family for their encouragement during her tenure. Fitzsimmons was not present for the final meeting of his four-year stint in the city’s Ward III seat; Mayor John Gates said Fitzsimmons was attending to a family matter.
Zasada said a few friends and even her husband told her she was crazy to run for council in the first place, and she said she at times during the past two years she believed they were right. She noted that serving in government during a pandemic and political upheaval was stressful and difficult.
Gates thanked the outgoing council members for their work, including improvements to the city’s parks, an effort to get body cameras for the city’s police officers, and implementing a new parking system downtown, in addition to the recent renewal of the Keep Greeley Moving taxes. Gates presented Zasada with a plaque honoring her time on the council.
Sworn into terms of office for the first time were Deborah DeBoutez and Johnny Olson. DeBoutez won the Ward II seat on Nov. 2 with 52% of the vote. Olson ran unopposed for the Ward III seat.
Mayor Gates renewed his oath of office after he was elected Nov. 2 to a third and final term with 71% of the vote. Brett Payton renewed his oath of office, as well, although he transitioned from a seat in Ward II to an at-large seat. He won that seat with a plurality -- 40% of the nearly 16,000 votes cast.
After the new members got a quick chance to thank their supporters and pledge their full efforts to improving the city, the council voted for mayor pro tem, essentially the council member who acts as mayor when Gates isn’t present. DeBoutez nominated Ward IV’s Dale Hall, whom she said is a longtime friend, and at-large Councilman Ed Clark nominated Payton, who won the vote by secret ballot. Hall was mayor pro tem during the council’s recently concluded term.
The only other major matter on the slate Tuesday night was setting a date for the council to meet with the three finalists for city manager. Roy Otto, who worked as Greeley’s city manager for 16 years, retired this year and joined the leadership team at The Weld Trust and the NCMC Foundation. The council voted unanimously to meet with the three candidates in executive session Nov. 17 for interviews. Gates said the session will likely last about two hours, as each of the three candidates will spend time with the council individually.
Gates noted that the three candidates will get a tour of Greeley that morning from former Assistant City Manager Becky Safarik, who spent more than 40 years in the city government. She retired last year. The candidates will then have their interviews that afternoon, and then an open house for residents to meet with the hopefuls will take place from 6-7:30 p.m. in the council chambers at the City Center South.
Gates and other council members said they want to allow several days to pass before the council meets again in executive session to discuss the candidates in order to receive feedback from Greeley residents. The council then voted unanimously to meet in a special session Nov. 19 for that effort. A public vote to determine Greeley’s next city manager will likely take place during that meeting.
The council next meets Tuesday, Nov. 16 for a regular meeting. Decisions about which council members will represent the city on which commissions, boards and committees will likely be made during that meeting, Gates said, noting the meeting’s attendees Tuesday evening were eager to celebrate the new and outgoing members with some cake.