Fort Collins, Colorado: An Expectation of Public Engagement

Abstract

Government leaders in Fort Collins, Colorado say that the expectation citizens have regarding engagement has shifted the way they work and the outcomes they produce. For example, in many communities, dealing with the mosquitos that cause West Nile virus is a choice between aggressive spraying of pesticides or none at all. For Fort Collins another way forward was apparent only after engaging residents. Instead of all or nothing, they found an approach that respected and reflected the concerns of a community that cares deeply about health and environmental issues. It is an example of how civic engagement has helped the city and residents identify a solution to a problem that might have been different from the initial starting points. City officials, in other words, sought to understand the different views and find a workable consensus.