Go to one public meeting, write down what happened on this sheet, send it in. It becomes a few lines in the paper with your name on them. One meeting is plenty.
Pick a public meeting that touches the Westside. The easy first one: City Council, the second and fourth Tuesday at 9 a.m., Council Chambers, 107 N Nevada Ave; the next regular one is Tuesday, October 13, then October 27 (Monday work sessions, where they talk but don't vote, are on the same calendar). Agendas, minutes and the video live on the city's Legistar calendar, and you can watch it live or later there. Public meetings are open to anyone. Budget about two hours: the meeting, or the parts that touch the Westside, plus half an hour on this sheet. Print this page; it is the sheet.
The sheet
Fill in what you can. Blanks are fine; "didn't catch it" is a real answer.
- Meeting: which body, date, place or link, start and end time, who ran it
- Who was there: officials by name and title, who was absent, roughly how many from the public
- What was decided: each vote in its own words, the count, who voted yes and who voted no, the ordinance or file number off the agenda, and whether it was a first reading, a final one, or part of the consent list (see the key)
- What was said at the mic: three things people said, as close to their words as you can, with the name if they gave it. Hallway talk needs a yes from the person first.
- What was put off: anything tabled, continued, or sent to a later date
- What is next: the next date, and what is due before it
- Documents: the agenda, the packet, the ordinance or study number, a link or a photo of the page
A short key
- Work session (Mondays): they talk, nobody votes. Regular meeting (second and fourth Tuesdays): votes happen.
- Consent calendar: a stack of routine items passed in one vote. Note the one that touches the Westside, skip the rest.
- First reading / second reading: an ordinance gets two votes on two different days. Say which one you saw.
- Hearing: a zoning or land-use item where people get sworn in and the council acts like a judge. The comment rules are different; the agenda says so.
- Citizen discussion: the open mic at the start, not tied to any item.
What it looks like in the paper
> Sep 22, 2026 · Old Colorado City's downtown development authority (DDA) shut down. Council voted 5 to 4 to dissolve it (yes: Casey, Crow Iverson, Rainey, Risley, Williams). The DDA says it may sue because the ordinance skipped the mayor's desk. The city's own page: the meeting record. In the news: the Gazette. Seen by [your name].
Three things
- Write what happened, not what you think of it. (Your opinion is welcome too, as a letter.)
- If it's your block, your business or your club, say so at the top. It still runs.
- Send it within the week: the box on the front page, hello@westsidewherewithal.com, or the paper by mail to 2320 W Colorado Ave Ste 122. You'll see it before it runs.
Borrowed from City Bureau in Chicago, which pays people to do this. We can't yet. We say so.
Or fill it in from your seat
Same sheet, on your phone. Blanks are fine. It lands in the paper's inbox and a person reads it.