Oct. 4, 2025

BONUS EPISODE - #3 Hot Nugs Conversation with Tricia Canonico for Mayor of the City of Fort Collins

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Season 5

Tricia Canonico is a candidate for Fort Collins Mayor, and joined me for the third of our Hot Nugs Conversations - a collaboration between LoCo Think Tank, Matador Mexican Grill, Old Town Spice Shop, and The LoCo Experience Podcast.  

Please visit triciaforfoco.com to learn more about her platform, and make sure to vote by or before November 4, 2025!

The LoCo Experience Podcast is sponsored by: Purpose Driven Wealth Thrivent: Learn more

💡Learn about LoCo Think Tank

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Music By: A Brother's Fountain

Transcript
WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.819
Tricia Konica is a candidate for Fort Collins Mayor.

00:00:03.479 --> 00:00:13.349
And join me for the third of our Hot Ns conversations, a collaboration between Loco Think Tank, Matador, Mexican Grill, old Town Spice Shop, and the Loco Experience Podcast.

00:00:14.070 --> 00:00:20.579
Please visit Tricia for Foco to learn more about her platform and make sure to vote by or before November 4th, 2025.

00:00:58.662 --> 00:01:00.643
Welcome back to the Loco Experience Podcast.

00:01:01.213 --> 00:01:06.492
Another episode of the bonus series, hot Nugs, conversations with the Fort Collins Mayors candidates.

00:01:06.972 --> 00:01:13.212
My guest today is Tricia Kako and she is joining us here at the studio at the local experience.

00:01:13.602 --> 00:01:14.442
Hi, welcome.

00:01:14.442 --> 00:01:15.222
Thanks for having me on.

00:01:15.283 --> 00:01:18.192
How excited are you about, uh, the hot sauces

00:01:18.192 --> 00:01:18.313
today?

00:01:18.313 --> 00:01:18.373
Um.

00:01:19.768 --> 00:01:20.697
On a one to 10?

00:01:20.757 --> 00:01:21.927
Yeah, I'm not really sure.

00:01:21.987 --> 00:01:22.828
Maybe a nine.

00:01:22.918 --> 00:01:23.367
Oh, really?

00:01:23.367 --> 00:01:24.237
So you're pretty excited.

00:01:24.237 --> 00:01:24.358
Just

00:01:24.358 --> 00:01:26.003
a little curious about what the hottest one's gonna be.

00:01:26.097 --> 00:01:26.218
So

00:01:26.218 --> 00:01:27.987
you wish we had more hot ones?

00:01:28.018 --> 00:01:28.468
No.

00:01:28.528 --> 00:01:29.097
Oh, okay.

00:01:29.097 --> 00:01:29.878
Decidedly not.

00:01:30.688 --> 00:01:30.897
Alright.

00:01:31.347 --> 00:01:32.158
'cause we could do that.

00:01:32.158 --> 00:01:33.537
We have one more adaptation.

00:01:33.537 --> 00:01:33.628
Nope.

00:01:33.628 --> 00:01:34.768
We could pump it up a notch.

00:01:34.828 --> 00:01:35.097
Nope.

00:01:35.668 --> 00:01:36.147
All good.

00:01:36.237 --> 00:01:36.567
Okay.

00:01:36.867 --> 00:01:39.028
Well one of your opponents, uh.

00:01:39.397 --> 00:01:42.847
Is like allergic to a bunch of peppers and spices and stuff.

00:01:42.847 --> 00:01:45.188
So we're gonna have to figure out a whole different thing there.

00:01:45.188 --> 00:01:45.817
I'm guessing it's Emily.

00:01:46.207 --> 00:01:46.597
Yeah.

00:01:47.498 --> 00:01:49.298
So these guys are working on that.

00:01:49.298 --> 00:01:52.117
I'm not the foodie, they're the foodies, but we're gonna keep her safe.

00:01:52.477 --> 00:01:52.537
Yeah.

00:01:52.537 --> 00:01:54.548
And hopefully challenge her taste buds a little bit.

00:01:54.908 --> 00:01:57.608
That's don't kill off any of the.

00:02:01.123 --> 00:02:02.128
I, I really like Emily.

00:02:02.128 --> 00:02:02.668
We're friends.

00:02:04.918 --> 00:02:11.638
Well, um, we have, as you know, a, a handful of questions each tied to, uh, a, a nugget.

00:02:12.027 --> 00:02:23.848
And as soon as we get our first, um, dip in here, which is actually just a, uh, barbecue sauce from Matador, then we will have that, um, Ava, are you on that with the barbecue sauce?

00:02:25.242 --> 00:02:27.073
Or Sean or, okay.

00:02:27.073 --> 00:02:27.432
Thank you.

00:02:29.082 --> 00:02:32.443
So, um, we'll just first dip taste.

00:02:32.473 --> 00:02:32.502
Okay.

00:02:32.893 --> 00:02:37.603
Um, we're just doing one container, but most of the candidates are okay with a double dip.

00:02:37.603 --> 00:02:40.633
As long as you flip policy.

00:02:40.633 --> 00:02:40.723
It's

00:02:40.723 --> 00:02:42.133
no direct double dipping.

00:02:42.432 --> 00:02:42.582
Yeah.

00:02:42.582 --> 00:02:43.032
No direct

00:02:43.032 --> 00:02:43.992
double dipping, you know.

00:02:44.353 --> 00:02:49.812
Um, but, uh, you might want a little more sauce for the other side of the nugget, so we'll just do that and then I'll ask the first question.

00:02:50.082 --> 00:02:50.143
Okay.

00:02:59.293 --> 00:03:02.233
I didn't say that before the No double dip unless you flip, but I like it.

00:03:03.312 --> 00:03:03.733
I like a,

00:03:06.163 --> 00:03:10.483
I think I'm not gonna double dip because that's gonna be a lot of nugget eating by the end.

00:03:10.693 --> 00:03:10.962
Yes.

00:03:10.962 --> 00:03:11.293
And if you

00:03:11.293 --> 00:03:15.013
don't wanna finish a nugget, we can, you know, you can leave them half finished too.

00:03:15.372 --> 00:03:16.543
Depends on how late your lunch was.

00:03:19.078 --> 00:03:19.377
So

00:03:19.677 --> 00:03:21.538
that is very delicious barbecue sauce.

00:03:21.598 --> 00:03:22.497
Yes, I agree.

00:03:22.677 --> 00:03:25.768
What would you say if you were trying to describe it to somebody?

00:03:26.608 --> 00:03:26.907
Um.

00:03:29.608 --> 00:03:32.487
I worked in this, uh, restaurant industry for a long time.

00:03:32.728 --> 00:03:32.967
Hmm, okay.

00:03:33.087 --> 00:03:35.997
In college and, uh, grad school.

00:03:36.418 --> 00:03:39.657
And my favorite description of a wine was, it was Foxy.

00:03:40.168 --> 00:03:40.527
Okay.

00:03:41.247 --> 00:03:48.448
I don't know if I'd call this foxy, but I think it's really got some interesting characteristics and I'm thinking about, you know, the finish and all of that.

00:03:48.538 --> 00:03:48.747
Nice.

00:03:48.747 --> 00:03:49.557
That's really nice.

00:03:49.677 --> 00:03:50.098
I like it.

00:03:50.277 --> 00:03:52.108
I think that's a pretty apt description actually.

00:03:52.108 --> 00:03:52.677
'cause it is.

00:03:53.758 --> 00:03:56.127
I was almost gonna describe it as a specimen barbecue sauce.

00:03:56.127 --> 00:03:57.627
Like it's just kind of what you want.

00:03:57.747 --> 00:03:57.837
Mm-hmm.

00:03:58.108 --> 00:04:02.818
But it's too much more unique than like a traditional barbecue

00:04:02.818 --> 00:04:03.177
sauce.

00:04:03.237 --> 00:04:03.298
Yeah.

00:04:03.302 --> 00:04:03.342
No.

00:04:03.348 --> 00:04:03.508
It's got

00:04:03.508 --> 00:04:05.907
too many other spices kind of running around in there, playing with you.

00:04:06.087 --> 00:04:06.328
Yeah.

00:04:06.598 --> 00:04:08.307
A lot of interesting things going on in your mouth.

00:04:08.518 --> 00:04:09.568
Yeah, it's actually spicy too.

00:04:09.598 --> 00:04:16.437
'cause I can tell, I'm, I'm gonna have a, a, a long, sweaty conversation today'cause I'm kind of already sweaty.

00:04:18.838 --> 00:04:21.382
Um, James Merkley, uh, one of our.

00:04:22.737 --> 00:04:31.048
Co collaborators here with Story Path Creative asks, what is your fondest story to share about the people or community of Fort Collins?

00:04:31.617 --> 00:04:36.447
You know, what I think really strikes me about our community is how generous everyone is.

00:04:36.478 --> 00:04:36.658
Hmm.

00:04:37.257 --> 00:04:41.997
And so, um, throughout my time in Fort Collins, I've been here for 15 years now.

00:04:42.478 --> 00:04:42.987
I.

00:04:43.077 --> 00:04:45.327
I really tried to bring together community.

00:04:45.387 --> 00:04:48.298
Um, and so when I see a need, I just have stepped up.

00:04:48.507 --> 00:04:48.747
Okay.

00:04:48.807 --> 00:04:52.017
Um, and I started feed the NOCO front line.

00:04:52.752 --> 00:04:55.543
Immediately following, uh, the outbreak of COVID.

00:04:55.963 --> 00:05:02.593
And, uh, within five weeks we raised$40,000 to help support local restaurants.

00:05:02.593 --> 00:05:09.492
We supported over 50 restaurants and to feed all of the health facilities, um, across Northern Colorado.

00:05:09.523 --> 00:05:09.612
Oh, wow.

00:05:10.218 --> 00:05:12.588
And just to see the people step up.

00:05:12.588 --> 00:05:18.408
I was talking with, um, a business owner yesterday and she asked me what made me think I could succeed with that.

00:05:18.918 --> 00:05:22.218
And prior to that, um, I was in spin class one day.

00:05:22.398 --> 00:05:27.077
My spin instructor mentioned that her daughter was going through third round of cancer.

00:05:27.257 --> 00:05:27.348
Mm-hmm.

00:05:27.767 --> 00:05:30.588
And they wanted to go see YouTube and couldn't afford it.

00:05:30.648 --> 00:05:30.887
Hmm.

00:05:30.978 --> 00:05:32.987
So I put together a fundraiser for her.

00:05:33.418 --> 00:05:34.137
We got them there.

00:05:34.137 --> 00:05:41.398
We got the backstage passes, front row tickets of, uh, makeovers, photo session, limo dinner out, and then had it had a little

00:05:41.398 --> 00:05:42.418
private make abo.

00:05:42.687 --> 00:05:43.798
Yeah, yeah.

00:05:43.798 --> 00:05:49.197
And then, uh, it then became a benefit concert at odells with a YouTube cover band.

00:05:49.288 --> 00:05:49.377
Oh, wow.

00:05:49.377 --> 00:05:52.677
And we raised a lot of money to help with her medical bills, so.

00:05:53.317 --> 00:05:56.708
Knowing, just putting that out there in the community and that it succeeded.

00:05:56.767 --> 00:05:57.007
Yeah.

00:05:57.067 --> 00:06:02.978
I just had a feeling when we did this for our healthcare workers and our restaurants, everybody would wanna get involved and Yeah, and they did.

00:06:03.247 --> 00:06:09.278
I remember Focal Cafe in particular really did a lot of meal delivery within that effort as well.

00:06:09.278 --> 00:06:11.918
Was that part of your coalition, if you will, or not necessarily?

00:06:12.038 --> 00:06:16.358
I think, you know, talking with this business owner yesterday, she had done a small.

00:06:16.783 --> 00:06:21.372
Um, one on her own where, oh, some people had donated a few thousand dollars to Yeah.

00:06:21.372 --> 00:06:22.603
Her coffee shop.

00:06:22.603 --> 00:06:25.663
And then, um, so maybe no cofa there were some independence.

00:06:25.663 --> 00:06:25.872
Yeah.

00:06:25.877 --> 00:06:26.148
Yeah, yeah.

00:06:26.262 --> 00:06:26.682
Fair enough.

00:06:27.132 --> 00:06:27.343
Okay.

00:06:27.343 --> 00:06:29.202
I think we're ready for the next.

00:06:29.593 --> 00:06:29.923
Okay.

00:06:29.923 --> 00:06:31.333
Uh, this one's a rub actually.

00:06:33.463 --> 00:06:33.793
Thank you.

00:06:34.213 --> 00:06:35.112
It's been a found favor.

00:06:35.112 --> 00:06:39.492
This is the, uh, Buffalo rub from Old Town Spice Shop.

00:06:39.492 --> 00:06:39.612
Great.

00:06:39.853 --> 00:06:42.973
So ladies, first this time, I'm sorry I jumped in front of you last time.

00:06:45.418 --> 00:06:45.708
Okay.

00:06:50.562 --> 00:06:56.112
Oh, it's got a little curry to it.

00:06:56.117 --> 00:06:56.307
Mm-hmm.

00:06:56.497 --> 00:06:57.283
It's really good.

00:06:58.182 --> 00:06:58.872
Little spicy.

00:06:59.322 --> 00:06:59.473
Mm-hmm.

00:07:01.002 --> 00:07:01.122
Yeah.

00:07:01.122 --> 00:07:08.142
I can see if you rubbed something with this and then seared it a little bit, it might really be nice.

00:07:08.473 --> 00:07:08.802
Yeah.

00:07:10.317 --> 00:07:12.507
I'm thinking like a veggie stir fry.

00:07:12.958 --> 00:07:13.317
Mm-hmm.

00:07:14.007 --> 00:07:15.358
So not even on using it as a rub.

00:07:15.358 --> 00:07:16.437
More straight seasoning is what?

00:07:16.437 --> 00:07:20.127
Well, as a side, so chicken or shrimp.

00:07:22.408 --> 00:07:23.187
It'd be really nice.

00:07:25.947 --> 00:07:30.148
You'd like how I set myself up there by taking a bite right before.

00:07:31.827 --> 00:07:32.848
It was my turn to talk.

00:07:33.507 --> 00:07:36.718
Our next one is from Paul, who you just met from Matador Mexican Grill.

00:07:36.927 --> 00:07:37.017
Mm-hmm.

00:07:37.557 --> 00:07:42.267
What is your plan to help support small businesses to start and grow in Northern Colorado?

00:07:42.658 --> 00:07:43.048
Yeah.

00:07:43.137 --> 00:07:45.507
Um, I was a small business owner myself.

00:07:45.507 --> 00:07:48.117
I sold my business when I moved to Fort Collins.

00:07:48.177 --> 00:07:48.507
Oh, really?

00:07:48.718 --> 00:07:48.927
Yeah.

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Can I ask what?

00:07:49.637 --> 00:07:49.968
Business was.

00:07:49.968 --> 00:07:50.447
Sure It

00:07:50.447 --> 00:07:53.627
was, um, in the hobby and craft industry.

00:07:53.658 --> 00:07:53.898
Okay.

00:07:54.077 --> 00:07:57.588
And then I kind of expanded into a travel component as well.

00:07:57.978 --> 00:08:01.398
So I put on, um, a conference on the island of Menos in Greece.

00:08:01.458 --> 00:08:01.608
Oh wow.

00:08:02.478 --> 00:08:03.557
Yeah, it was a lot of fun.

00:08:03.557 --> 00:08:04.668
I really enjoyed it.

00:08:04.997 --> 00:08:12.617
But moving and having a third child and my husband working in Denver, um, just thought it was a little much to Yeah, fair to keep on.

00:08:12.978 --> 00:08:18.677
So, um, anyway, you know, having been a small business owner, I'm aware of.

00:08:19.677 --> 00:08:25.887
A lot of the issues that they encounter trying to make payroll, um, you know, all the added expenses right now.

00:08:25.892 --> 00:08:26.072
Yeah.

00:08:26.072 --> 00:08:26.757
Um, yeah.

00:08:27.148 --> 00:08:28.617
Insurance goes up every year.

00:08:29.247 --> 00:08:32.217
Your customers don't like it if your prices go up every year, but they have to.

00:08:32.457 --> 00:08:32.847
Yeah.

00:08:33.087 --> 00:08:38.307
And the, uh, you know, um, taxes right now, property taxes have really increased.

00:08:38.307 --> 00:08:38.577
Yeah.

00:08:38.577 --> 00:08:41.337
And if you're not the owner, your rent does instead.

00:08:41.427 --> 00:08:41.758
Yeah.

00:08:41.967 --> 00:08:42.357
Yeah.

00:08:42.837 --> 00:08:45.192
Um, but for the interest, um, I.

00:08:45.748 --> 00:08:57.567
For small businesses in general, we have the multicultural and entrepreneurial center that I would like to keep us moving forward with and providing those services to our small business owners to help them succeed.

00:08:58.018 --> 00:09:11.758
But I also also think there's some interesting things that we could do with a restaurant industry, like start a food incubator and look at, um, underutilized city properties where we could help them kind of advance.

00:09:11.758 --> 00:09:12.597
So I think about, um.

00:09:13.663 --> 00:09:18.643
Taco Stop and what's the other one I, oh, bread chick.

00:09:18.913 --> 00:09:29.773
How they started out, you know, very small farmer's market or as a food truck, and now how they have expanded their business and how can we help other restaurants move in that direction.

00:09:30.072 --> 00:09:31.243
We all love good food.

00:09:31.243 --> 00:09:31.393
Mm-hmm.

00:09:32.592 --> 00:09:33.312
Good sauces.

00:09:33.763 --> 00:09:34.423
Good rubs.

00:09:35.322 --> 00:09:35.383
Yeah.

00:09:35.383 --> 00:09:39.373
But how do we help as a city to see our small businesses succeed?

00:09:39.373 --> 00:09:42.222
And I think those are a couple things that we can be doing as a city.

00:09:42.227 --> 00:09:42.307
Okay.

00:09:43.633 --> 00:09:44.413
All right, thank you.

00:09:45.192 --> 00:09:55.903
I think we're ready for number three, and this one is the honey jalapeno sauce also from Matador.

00:09:57.432 --> 00:09:57.883
Okay.

00:09:58.602 --> 00:09:58.962
And

00:10:00.462 --> 00:10:05.682
several of our guests have really enjoyed it, or not several.

00:10:05.682 --> 00:10:06.462
You're our third.

00:10:06.462 --> 00:10:08.082
So two prior.

00:10:08.113 --> 00:10:08.143
Okay.

00:10:09.597 --> 00:10:12.628
So hopefully with the honey it's got a little sweetness and not too spicy.

00:10:12.628 --> 00:10:12.893
Yeah, it's

00:10:12.893 --> 00:10:13.378
not too spicy.

00:10:13.977 --> 00:10:15.687
Just a little dab two.

00:10:19.437 --> 00:10:20.368
It's getting spicy for you.

00:10:21.238 --> 00:10:21.658
What's that?

00:10:22.317 --> 00:10:23.967
Was that a, that's actually kind of spicy.

00:10:23.967 --> 00:10:24.148
Look.

00:10:24.207 --> 00:10:25.587
No, no, no, no.

00:10:25.587 --> 00:10:30.133
I was, um, trying to figure out how to describe it.

00:10:30.452 --> 00:10:30.533
Hmm.

00:10:30.832 --> 00:10:31.052
Yes.

00:10:31.587 --> 00:10:32.398
It's part of the game.

00:10:32.908 --> 00:10:33.207
Yeah.

00:10:33.807 --> 00:10:34.227
So nice.

00:10:34.498 --> 00:10:38.398
It's got that honey starts out kind of mellow and then has that.

00:10:39.163 --> 00:10:39.403
Yeah.

00:10:39.702 --> 00:10:41.592
After bird, like a late latent heat almost.

00:10:42.072 --> 00:10:42.373
Yeah.

00:10:42.378 --> 00:10:42.388
Yeah.

00:10:46.332 --> 00:10:46.513
Hmm.

00:10:51.133 --> 00:10:54.493
So was your experience in the restaurant industry before you started your business?

00:10:55.003 --> 00:11:04.123
Yeah, so throughout college and grad school I worked in with a hostess, um, server in a lot of different restaurants.

00:11:04.153 --> 00:11:04.212
Yeah.

00:11:04.273 --> 00:11:06.283
Um, and where did you come from,

00:11:06.552 --> 00:11:06.913
if I may?

00:11:07.753 --> 00:11:10.363
So coming to Fort Collins was my 24th move.

00:11:10.692 --> 00:11:11.082
Oh boy.

00:11:12.643 --> 00:11:16.572
So is your husband like in corporate or something, you moved around with him or was your family early?

00:11:16.783 --> 00:11:18.342
Both of us grew up in the military.

00:11:18.432 --> 00:11:18.702
Okay.

00:11:18.702 --> 00:11:22.212
And so by the time I graduated from high school, I had gone to 12 different schools.

00:11:22.212 --> 00:11:22.273
Wow.

00:11:22.332 --> 00:11:25.602
And had moved, I think 18 times by then.

00:11:25.903 --> 00:11:33.403
So I had lived, um, I've lived in Germany, the UK a couple times, Paris, all over the East coast, Midwest.

00:11:33.403 --> 00:11:35.832
Yeah, Oregon and Colorado a couple

00:11:35.832 --> 00:11:36.043
times.

00:11:36.043 --> 00:11:37.842
And then how long in Fort Collins now?

00:11:38.052 --> 00:11:39.493
We've been here since 2010.

00:11:39.822 --> 00:11:39.883
Okay.

00:11:39.883 --> 00:11:43.543
So I think that's really a testament to how much we love this city.

00:11:43.543 --> 00:11:43.602
Yeah.

00:11:43.648 --> 00:11:43.807
Yeah.

00:11:43.812 --> 00:11:46.753
And uh, you know, it's been a great place to raise our three children.

00:11:47.023 --> 00:11:47.173
Yeah,

00:11:47.743 --> 00:11:48.222
that's really neat.

00:11:48.673 --> 00:11:49.482
It's a hard place to leave.

00:11:49.753 --> 00:11:49.903
For sure.

00:11:50.293 --> 00:11:51.493
It's a really hard place to leave.

00:11:51.493 --> 00:11:52.842
We have no intentions of leading.

00:11:53.562 --> 00:11:57.403
Our third question is from, uh, mayor Wade Trel, former mayor.

00:11:58.062 --> 00:12:05.623
Um, Fort Collins has been described as the choice city of Colorado and is known for beers, bikes, and bands and more.

00:12:06.072 --> 00:12:09.883
What is your vision for the evolving brand for the city of Fort Collins?

00:12:10.493 --> 00:12:12.202
In 30 years, what might that look like?

00:12:12.712 --> 00:12:16.493
So I think we'll see a lot of the same things that we're proud of today.

00:12:16.523 --> 00:12:16.643
Yeah.

00:12:16.942 --> 00:12:22.763
Uh, you know, this thriving, amazing downtown area, the great outdoor spaces that we have.

00:12:23.062 --> 00:12:24.173
Definitely bikes.

00:12:24.173 --> 00:12:24.232
Yeah.

00:12:24.322 --> 00:12:28.072
Um, level road bikes, but really beefed up.

00:12:28.253 --> 00:12:31.013
So I'd love to see us become the, um.

00:12:32.263 --> 00:12:36.102
First diamond level, uh, bike friendly community in the country.

00:12:36.102 --> 00:12:37.842
We're one of five platinum level.

00:12:37.847 --> 00:12:37.918
Okay.

00:12:38.018 --> 00:12:41.923
And so I think we need to strive and get to okay, feed that next level.

00:12:41.923 --> 00:12:44.472
So I'd like to see that happen in the next 30 years.

00:12:44.952 --> 00:12:52.123
Um, I think we continue to be a place where art and culture thrive, where we have incredible restaurants.

00:12:52.567 --> 00:12:56.888
Keep the beers and, um, other things like that.

00:12:56.888 --> 00:13:00.427
But I'm also on the front range passenger rail district board.

00:13:00.758 --> 00:13:00.817
Hmm.

00:13:00.878 --> 00:13:03.998
So working to bring rail to Fort Collins by 2029.

00:13:03.998 --> 00:13:04.327
Okay.

00:13:04.748 --> 00:13:13.148
And so I hope we have a, a thriving rail line and we have alternatives on ways to get up and down the front range.

00:13:13.327 --> 00:13:17.288
I've thought about that a lot in the past as an easier way for.

00:13:18.013 --> 00:13:27.582
Commuters to get to Denver for their work and stuff, but probably just as impactful as an easier way for Denverites to get the hell out of Dodge and come up to Fort Collins for the weekend too.

00:13:27.972 --> 00:13:28.212
Yeah.

00:13:28.212 --> 00:13:32.113
So really the economic impact that that could have for our community.

00:13:32.682 --> 00:13:32.743
Yeah.

00:13:32.743 --> 00:13:33.913
And then also, well if we go

00:13:33.913 --> 00:13:36.673
down there and get our paychecks and then they come up here and spend their money.

00:13:36.717 --> 00:13:37.008
Yeah.

00:13:37.008 --> 00:13:37.607
That's a double.

00:13:38.143 --> 00:13:38.352
Yeah.

00:13:38.352 --> 00:13:38.923
Double whammy.

00:13:39.462 --> 00:13:39.972
Keep going.

00:13:39.972 --> 00:13:40.302
Sorry.

00:13:40.423 --> 00:13:41.263
Oh no, that's good.

00:13:41.263 --> 00:13:48.253
And you know, I mean, now you try to get to Denver and you don't know if you're gonna get there safely or if you're gonna get there in an hour or three hours.

00:13:48.253 --> 00:13:53.202
I was down just in Commerce City on Saturday, and it took me two and a half hours to get home.

00:13:53.383 --> 00:13:53.653
Yeah.

00:13:53.802 --> 00:13:54.253
So.

00:13:54.322 --> 00:13:58.793
I think everyone will be excited to see another way to travel in our state.

00:13:58.942 --> 00:13:59.092
Yeah.

00:13:59.212 --> 00:14:00.533
So I'm excited for that.

00:14:00.592 --> 00:14:05.753
And then I think we're gonna just continue to be this forward looking, innovative place.

00:14:05.753 --> 00:14:10.893
I hope we see some of the, um, new sectors that really fit well with what we're doing.

00:14:10.937 --> 00:14:11.227
Yeah.

00:14:11.227 --> 00:14:12.467
Like climate, maybe we could

00:14:12.467 --> 00:14:15.802
add brains, brains, beers, bikes like it, bikes and bands.

00:14:16.972 --> 00:14:17.543
B four.

00:14:18.863 --> 00:14:19.222
Yeah.

00:14:20.602 --> 00:14:21.653
Before 2030.

00:14:21.832 --> 00:14:22.102
Yeah.

00:14:22.163 --> 00:14:32.423
Um, well, we're already got a lot of brains here and that's part of, we do, you know, why we succeed is we've got, we over punch in terms of our, uh, intellectual and educational capabilities for a town of our size.

00:14:32.513 --> 00:14:32.962
Right?

00:14:32.993 --> 00:14:37.312
Like I would say, um, I represent district three, which is the southeast corner of the city.

00:14:37.312 --> 00:14:37.322
Okay?

00:14:37.322 --> 00:14:37.368
Yep.

00:14:37.788 --> 00:14:40.398
And 9% of the district has a PhD.

00:14:40.607 --> 00:14:41.148
Oh, my.

00:14:41.148 --> 00:14:41.597
I know.

00:14:41.597 --> 00:14:41.993
And I, for real,

00:14:42.197 --> 00:14:42.768
for real.

00:14:43.038 --> 00:14:45.498
I think that's really an incredible statistic.

00:14:45.557 --> 00:14:52.577
Um, I can't imagine there's that many, uh, council districts across the country that have that percentage of PhDs in them.

00:14:52.577 --> 00:14:52.607
I

00:14:52.668 --> 00:14:54.288
wouldn't imagine very many places.

00:14:54.888 --> 00:14:56.868
Um, I think we're ready for number four.

00:14:56.868 --> 00:14:57.138
Eva.

00:14:58.908 --> 00:14:59.927
Snappy that time.

00:14:59.927 --> 00:15:00.227
Good job.

00:15:01.967 --> 00:15:03.197
Is this the rebel uprising?

00:15:03.197 --> 00:15:04.607
It looks like the rebel uprising.

00:15:06.477 --> 00:15:11.158
This is one, this is one of my favorites, if not my favorite from among these various.

00:15:11.158 --> 00:15:19.048
It's got a little more punch, you'll notice and, uh, we can get our milks filled up after when we take a break here after this question.

00:15:19.048 --> 00:15:26.878
But, um, I think it has a very nice, uh, profile.

00:15:31.378 --> 00:15:33.028
Yeah, it's, it's pretty smooth.

00:15:33.388 --> 00:15:34.048
It's getting hot.

00:15:34.437 --> 00:15:35.462
It's getting a little warm in here.

00:15:36.133 --> 00:15:37.543
It's getting hot in here.

00:15:38.248 --> 00:15:38.607
Oh wait.

00:15:39.807 --> 00:15:41.067
Explicit lyrics ahead.

00:15:42.508 --> 00:15:45.508
You might be my mayor here a few months.

00:15:46.528 --> 00:15:54.508
Um, how would you describe, if you will, to somebody, uh, wondering what the rebel uprising is like?

00:15:55.288 --> 00:15:56.263
Um, I.

00:15:58.107 --> 00:16:00.673
I would say more of a Mexican flare.

00:16:00.942 --> 00:16:01.182
Mm-hmm.

00:16:01.903 --> 00:16:04.903
Um, definitely spice forward.

00:16:05.023 --> 00:16:05.113
Mm-hmm.

00:16:05.592 --> 00:16:06.913
Feeling it in the front of my tongue.

00:16:08.173 --> 00:16:09.852
Um, yeah.

00:16:10.783 --> 00:16:13.452
Kind of a tomato forward, I would say for a hot sauce these days.

00:16:13.572 --> 00:16:14.052
Yeah.

00:16:14.682 --> 00:16:15.673
Taking it up a notch.

00:16:16.187 --> 00:16:16.477
Good.

00:16:16.482 --> 00:16:16.493
Good.

00:16:16.783 --> 00:16:16.873
Mm-hmm.

00:16:17.173 --> 00:16:20.322
Well then you'll be ready for milk here after this question.

00:16:21.643 --> 00:16:24.493
This one's from Sean, old Town Spice Shop.

00:16:25.827 --> 00:16:31.197
The proposal for paid on street parking in Fort Collins aims to address revenue and parking turnover.

00:16:31.857 --> 00:16:39.868
How do you plan to balance the city's need for revenue and parking management with the concerns of business owners and customers regarding accessibility and affordability?

00:16:40.528 --> 00:16:43.648
Yeah, so I think we really need to be mindful as we move forward.

00:16:43.648 --> 00:16:49.138
How do we ameliorate, um, the adverse impacts of a program like this?

00:16:49.648 --> 00:16:50.033
Um, I'm.

00:16:51.013 --> 00:16:55.873
Interested to see it come forward to, uh, city council for first reading.

00:16:56.413 --> 00:17:07.782
Um, and I, as I said, you know, as a small business owner, I understand those worries and concerns about what your customer base continues to look like.

00:17:08.323 --> 00:17:17.413
Um, I think the staff has really researched this deeply and, you know, I, I look to our peer communities.

00:17:17.472 --> 00:17:17.593
Yeah.

00:17:17.998 --> 00:17:19.978
Do you know what the proposal is at this point?

00:17:20.397 --> 00:17:20.728
Yeah.

00:17:20.847 --> 00:17:25.798
Um, it will be paid parking in the garage and also the streets.

00:17:25.798 --> 00:17:25.827
Okay.

00:17:25.827 --> 00:17:29.698
It's looking at, um, a dollar 50 to$2 an hour on streets.

00:17:29.758 --> 00:17:33.117
Um, slightly more for the parking garages to Okay.

00:17:33.567 --> 00:17:38.758
Kind of incentivize, um, people who are staying longer term to use the garages.

00:17:39.327 --> 00:17:44.907
And then, so out of the 19 peer communities, 16 have paid parking.

00:17:45.478 --> 00:17:47.188
So, um.

00:17:47.938 --> 00:17:53.367
You know, and looking at that list, these are thriving communities that have strong businesses.

00:17:53.847 --> 00:17:58.347
Um, so I, I think we can work it out and make it work for everyone.

00:17:58.377 --> 00:17:58.528
Yeah.

00:17:58.798 --> 00:18:00.208
And then also I think that is how will

00:18:00.208 --> 00:18:02.942
people pay just those little QR code scanner things, just like the.

00:18:03.282 --> 00:18:05.593
City paid parking lots now and different things.

00:18:05.653 --> 00:18:06.103
Yeah.

00:18:06.103 --> 00:18:14.952
And my hope is that we move towards more of a European system, um, where once your license plate is in the system, that's it.

00:18:15.012 --> 00:18:16.512
You don't have to think about it again.

00:18:16.512 --> 00:18:18.192
It automatically does it for you.

00:18:18.192 --> 00:18:18.492
Oh, interesting.

00:18:18.522 --> 00:18:20.232
So as you enter.

00:18:20.242 --> 00:18:23.363
Or leave a, a parking lot or parking garage.

00:18:23.752 --> 00:18:24.653
You're charged.

00:18:24.653 --> 00:18:24.712
Yeah.

00:18:24.712 --> 00:18:27.653
And'cause I do think like you're in a hurry and you I was pain in

00:18:27.653 --> 00:18:28.192
my butt.

00:18:28.192 --> 00:18:28.522
Yeah.

00:18:28.528 --> 00:18:28.688
Yeah.

00:18:28.883 --> 00:18:31.313
I don't care about the money as much as I do, like Right.

00:18:31.343 --> 00:18:33.022
Hoping the app doesn't not work.

00:18:33.022 --> 00:18:33.413
Right.

00:18:33.413 --> 00:18:37.133
Or I mistype my credit card number if it's the first time I'm using it.

00:18:37.373 --> 00:18:37.792
Yeah.

00:18:37.972 --> 00:18:38.363
Yeah.

00:18:38.367 --> 00:18:42.893
So I hope we think about the ease of use as we move forward.

00:18:42.923 --> 00:18:45.623
Would there, would there, and could there be any kind of like a.

00:18:46.452 --> 00:18:55.002
Annual pass or locals pass, I think about like for employees of our restaurants and of the various retail shops and things like that.

00:18:55.002 --> 00:18:58.002
For, for them that dollar 50 an hour is a lot.

00:18:58.303 --> 00:18:58.423
Yeah.

00:18:58.423 --> 00:19:03.583
You know, that's 10% of their wage almost, you know, 8% of their wage sometimes.

00:19:03.762 --> 00:19:04.063
Yeah.

00:19:04.242 --> 00:19:04.452
Yeah.

00:19:04.452 --> 00:19:05.472
And I think about that too.

00:19:05.532 --> 00:19:07.512
Um, I worked in Larimer Square.

00:19:07.887 --> 00:19:08.667
In grad school.

00:19:08.698 --> 00:19:08.758
Yeah.

00:19:08.758 --> 00:19:14.518
And I'd get there, you're familiar, 5 55 and think I didn't have to pay the meter and inevitably I'd get a ticket.

00:19:14.938 --> 00:19:24.897
Um, but yeah, you know, you have to think about how that's going to impact employees who, um, are lo lower wage and No, but the

00:19:24.897 --> 00:19:27.417
proposal right now doesn't have any kind of allowance for that.

00:19:27.508 --> 00:19:27.807
No, but

00:19:27.807 --> 00:19:30.478
I, I can address that when we bring that forward.

00:19:30.778 --> 00:19:30.897
Okay.

00:19:30.897 --> 00:19:31.198
Yeah.

00:19:31.347 --> 00:19:36.357
But I think the opportunity here too is how we can better use our curb space.

00:19:36.778 --> 00:19:37.198
Um.

00:19:37.978 --> 00:19:42.657
So more for deliveries or for handicap accessible?

00:19:42.657 --> 00:19:43.438
I, um.

00:19:43.633 --> 00:19:47.383
I had a bike accident in the fall and broke my ankle, so, okay.

00:19:47.383 --> 00:20:00.103
It was a really great exercise as an elected official to be mobility impaired and be on a scooter and really have to think more about getting around and the accessibility and, you know, getting off a curb.

00:20:00.403 --> 00:20:01.393
Um, so.

00:20:02.133 --> 00:20:06.542
I think we need to make sure we have adequate parking for, um, our

00:20:06.782 --> 00:20:08.192
Oh, so that on street parking?

00:20:08.222 --> 00:20:08.613
Yeah.

00:20:08.613 --> 00:20:16.123
So it, it'll allow us to rejigger and then also, you know, 15 minutes spots for people who are picking up something quickly.

00:20:16.173 --> 00:20:16.353
Quickly.

00:20:16.353 --> 00:20:16.742
There really isn't

00:20:16.742 --> 00:20:19.143
very good handicap parking downtown is there?

00:20:19.143 --> 00:20:20.823
There's not a ton, I would say.

00:20:20.823 --> 00:20:20.883
Yeah.

00:20:20.942 --> 00:20:23.012
I haven't tried to notice that.

00:20:23.133 --> 00:20:24.752
I noticed when I go to.

00:20:25.498 --> 00:20:30.508
Whatever target and there's 11 empty handicap spots.

00:20:30.688 --> 00:20:30.748
Yeah.

00:20:31.137 --> 00:20:35.053
You know, I noticed that The Economist to me is like, okay, you know?

00:20:35.442 --> 00:20:35.732
Yeah.

00:20:35.752 --> 00:20:36.292
But should be

00:20:36.292 --> 00:20:36.958
a flex option.

00:20:37.407 --> 00:20:37.768
You know?

00:20:37.768 --> 00:20:40.557
That's a valuable commodity when you really think about it.

00:20:40.557 --> 00:20:45.597
Our curbside parking in our old town area, and how can we maximize that for everyone's benefit?

00:20:45.597 --> 00:20:45.928
Yeah.

00:20:45.988 --> 00:20:52.137
No, and I can, I can make a strong argument for those that are ability impaired in that way.

00:20:52.137 --> 00:20:53.008
In particular, that.

00:20:54.313 --> 00:21:01.512
The current system of driving around hoping to find a street parking, I wish we could get more people to just use the parking garages more.

00:21:01.633 --> 00:21:01.782
Yeah.

00:21:01.962 --> 00:21:02.202
Right.

00:21:02.202 --> 00:21:10.482
And I guess that's part of the notion is people would actually use these parking garages if they had to be in for a a, a trifle on the street too.

00:21:10.782 --> 00:21:10.992
Yeah.

00:21:11.952 --> 00:21:12.357
Hopefully.

00:21:13.357 --> 00:21:13.518
Yeah.

00:21:13.603 --> 00:21:15.403
Alright, well let's take a break Oh.

00:22:04.905 --> 00:22:04.996
Yeah.

00:22:04.996 --> 00:22:05.685
and we're back.

00:22:06.496 --> 00:22:10.455
Thanks to morning Fresh dairy for equipping us for this next segment.

00:22:13.486 --> 00:22:14.566
The next one's not too bad.

00:22:15.165 --> 00:22:17.175
Okay, this is the Matador buffalo sauce.

00:22:17.296 --> 00:22:17.746
Okay,

00:22:18.256 --> 00:22:19.875
so ladies first again, please.

00:22:39.030 --> 00:22:41.431
You didn't make us happy with a face on that one or as a spice

00:22:41.760 --> 00:22:53.881
No, I'm trying to, um, I'm afraid I'm not gonna be a really good, um, describer of the sauces, but that one, it didn't taste very buffalo to me.

00:22:53.881 --> 00:22:55.050
It was a really nice flavor.

00:22:55.050 --> 00:22:56.971
It has a little bit more barbecue.

00:22:57.030 --> 00:23:04.681
That's, that's what I would, components I would say, Paul, we think you should just rebrand this as like spicy barbecue or something because the buffalo rub.

00:23:04.726 --> 00:23:06.885
It tastes like buffalo is supposed to.

00:23:06.885 --> 00:23:10.096
Yeah, the Frank's hot sauce plus buttery flavors kind of thing.

00:23:10.605 --> 00:23:13.935
So sorry you're not the first to kind of dis on the

00:23:14.355 --> 00:23:15.076
I'm not to think.

00:23:15.076 --> 00:23:15.556
Nice.

00:23:16.155 --> 00:23:17.655
It's good, it's lovely.

00:23:17.655 --> 00:23:17.836
It's good.

00:23:17.836 --> 00:23:19.155
It just isn't Buffalo we eat.

00:23:19.276 --> 00:23:19.695
Yeah.

00:23:19.816 --> 00:23:22.816
The, I guess that was what I was trying to figure out flavor.

00:23:23.026 --> 00:23:24.766
Yeah, that's the Love you Paul.

00:23:24.766 --> 00:23:24.945
Odd look.

00:23:25.276 --> 00:23:28.935
Even though though, uh, we're uncertain about your naming on that one.

00:23:29.445 --> 00:23:31.306
Um, the next question.

00:23:32.086 --> 00:23:32.355
Okay.

00:23:34.246 --> 00:23:35.955
Is our social hot topic.

00:23:37.246 --> 00:23:42.570
How would you rate the city of Fort Collins on its homelessness initiatives in recent decades and recent years?

00:23:43.665 --> 00:23:46.546
And what changes would you recommend to the program going forward?

00:23:47.205 --> 00:23:52.905
Yeah, I think we've done a lot of great work since I got on council in 2021, you know, right after COVID.

00:23:52.935 --> 00:23:53.266
Sure.

00:23:53.355 --> 00:23:54.556
Um, so, and the need

00:23:54.556 --> 00:23:56.566
was probably the most extreme for a while there.

00:23:56.625 --> 00:23:57.435
Yeah, yeah.

00:23:57.435 --> 00:24:00.976
Over the big camps, over by Schrader's Country store and stuff like that.

00:24:01.230 --> 00:24:10.020
Yeah, so we have the Hope team, which um, works with, um, our population and experience homelessness.

00:24:10.441 --> 00:24:12.901
And we also have Outreach Fort Collins.

00:24:12.901 --> 00:24:12.990
So

00:24:12.990 --> 00:24:15.181
City of Fort Collins has a hope team Yes.

00:24:15.181 --> 00:24:15.810
Of the, oh, is that right?

00:24:16.260 --> 00:24:17.250
Police services.

00:24:17.310 --> 00:24:17.671
Okay.

00:24:17.820 --> 00:24:17.971
Yep.

00:24:18.000 --> 00:24:18.181
Yeah.

00:24:18.181 --> 00:24:18.601
And then we, and I'm

00:24:18.601 --> 00:24:22.111
familiar with Outreach Fort Collins that came to my Rotary Club, but please share a little bit about that.

00:24:22.141 --> 00:24:24.060
'cause I don't think people know about it much.

00:24:24.141 --> 00:24:24.980
About outreach?

00:24:24.980 --> 00:24:25.730
Fort Collins?

00:24:25.730 --> 00:24:25.790
Yeah.

00:24:25.790 --> 00:24:26.480
Or the Hope team?

00:24:26.510 --> 00:24:26.661
Either way.

00:24:27.080 --> 00:24:28.971
Again, they help provide resources.

00:24:28.971 --> 00:24:41.871
So if you, um, encounter someone who is experiencing homelessness, you can reach out to Outreach Fort Collins and they can help, um, get those individuals squared away with resources.

00:24:41.901 --> 00:24:41.931
Okay.

00:24:42.020 --> 00:24:48.111
Um, and then the same thing with our Hope team, which, um, is police services again.

00:24:48.931 --> 00:24:49.471
Wonderful.

00:24:49.471 --> 00:24:51.330
Officer Annie leads that team.

00:24:51.421 --> 00:24:51.661
Okay.

00:24:51.750 --> 00:25:04.770
And, um, I've been able to do a ride along with them and just really see them in action and their compassion and the work they do to really work with those experiencing homelessness to make sure they're taken care of.

00:25:04.800 --> 00:25:05.340
Um,

00:25:05.611 --> 00:25:07.465
so you feel like they've been doing a pretty good job the last.

00:25:08.115 --> 00:25:08.506
Decade?

00:25:08.925 --> 00:25:11.570
Uh, yeah, since, since I've been on on, especially since you've been there.

00:25:11.570 --> 00:25:11.580
Okay.

00:25:11.895 --> 00:25:12.316
Yeah.

00:25:12.586 --> 00:25:14.596
I mean, there's still a lot of work to do.

00:25:14.596 --> 00:25:15.256
Um, yeah.

00:25:15.256 --> 00:25:20.415
We know we had the fire recently at, um, the rescue mission here in Fort Collins.

00:25:21.016 --> 00:25:21.796
Oh, I don't think I knew about that.

00:25:21.796 --> 00:25:22.786
I don't read the news very much.

00:25:23.955 --> 00:25:24.556
Yeah.

00:25:24.556 --> 00:25:27.076
So maybe that was about a month ago.

00:25:27.076 --> 00:25:27.105
Okay.

00:25:27.195 --> 00:25:29.355
And a kitchen fire.

00:25:29.415 --> 00:25:31.635
And so they don't have any kitchen facilities.

00:25:31.635 --> 00:25:32.625
They're not in the building.

00:25:32.625 --> 00:25:35.326
So we're have temporary shelter right now.

00:25:35.330 --> 00:25:35.510
Oh wow.

00:25:36.096 --> 00:25:42.246
Uh, fortunately there we are celebrating the ground groundbreaking of the new shelter.

00:25:42.276 --> 00:25:42.336
Yeah.

00:25:42.336 --> 00:25:46.056
Which will have much more capacity than the rescue mission here.

00:25:46.056 --> 00:25:49.056
I, I believe it's the next week or two.

00:25:49.086 --> 00:25:49.445
Sorry.

00:25:49.445 --> 00:25:49.455
Yeah.

00:25:49.455 --> 00:25:49.550
Yeah.

00:25:49.550 --> 00:25:50.391
I haven't, I remember It's

00:25:50.391 --> 00:25:50.510
right.

00:25:50.590 --> 00:25:50.711
Upcoming.

00:25:50.740 --> 00:25:51.030
Yeah.

00:25:51.036 --> 00:25:51.125
I.

00:25:51.976 --> 00:25:52.246
Yeah.

00:25:52.246 --> 00:25:54.645
So that'll be an exciting move forward.

00:25:55.185 --> 00:25:55.246
Yeah.

00:25:55.246 --> 00:25:58.006
And that'll be, um, trauma informed design.

00:25:58.246 --> 00:25:59.865
It'll be wraparound services.

00:25:59.865 --> 00:26:01.635
It'll be a 24 hour shelter.

00:26:01.905 --> 00:26:06.465
So I really am hopeful about, um, the services that'll be provided there.

00:26:06.615 --> 00:26:06.855
Yeah.

00:26:07.455 --> 00:26:17.026
Then we have so many great partners that are working in the community that are, are trying to help, um, with this issue and, and help everyone who's unfortunately in that position.

00:26:17.746 --> 00:26:23.836
Um, and then I, I think, you know, we are looking at some more.

00:26:24.421 --> 00:26:28.320
Difficult moments ahead, potentially because Loveland's closing their shelter.

00:26:29.221 --> 00:26:30.540
Um, Loveland's,

00:26:30.901 --> 00:26:41.520
that was kind of gonna be my question is like, does having this amazing shelter with all these wraparound services and things like that potentially become a magnet for those experiencing homelessness?

00:26:41.520 --> 00:26:48.451
Like everybody in Lovelin currently experiencing homelessness is gonna be like, Hey, they got a great new place up there in Fort Collins.

00:26:48.780 --> 00:26:50.671
Yeah, I, I don't really think so.

00:26:50.941 --> 00:26:51.990
Um, last time I.

00:26:52.486 --> 00:26:54.226
We really dug in on the data.

00:26:54.346 --> 00:26:54.435
Okay.

00:26:54.465 --> 00:27:01.096
Um, for continuum of care, which is, um, works with all of Northern Colorado on this issue.

00:27:01.185 --> 00:27:02.145
Um, they.

00:27:03.121 --> 00:27:07.320
I believe it was a very low percentage that were from outside of Larimer County.

00:27:07.411 --> 00:27:09.901
So what we're seeing is, okay, it's, it's our own.

00:27:09.901 --> 00:27:10.230
So it's not

00:27:10.230 --> 00:27:11.131
much transient.

00:27:11.131 --> 00:27:12.931
It's Yes, it's homegrown.

00:27:13.020 --> 00:27:13.351
Yeah.

00:27:13.355 --> 00:27:13.465
Homeless.

00:27:13.830 --> 00:27:21.211
And so another component of all this is how do we make Fort Collins more affordable for, um, those that live here, that work here?

00:27:21.211 --> 00:27:21.570
I think we had a

00:27:21.570 --> 00:27:22.921
question on that front coming up.

00:27:23.250 --> 00:27:24.451
Oh, here later, don't we?

00:27:24.871 --> 00:27:25.411
I forget.

00:27:25.411 --> 00:27:26.221
I don't think so.

00:27:26.226 --> 00:27:27.661
I'm not, no, let's talk about it then.

00:27:28.141 --> 00:27:29.340
No, it should have made the list, but it's,

00:27:29.611 --> 00:27:30.090
yeah.

00:27:30.090 --> 00:27:30.840
And so I'm, I'm.

00:27:31.250 --> 00:27:36.891
Proud of our, um, eviction prevention fund that we've funded through this cycle.

00:27:37.040 --> 00:27:37.070
Okay.

00:27:37.070 --> 00:27:43.070
Um,$440,000 for, um, both 20 25, 20 26 Okay.

00:27:43.070 --> 00:27:45.141
To help keep people in their houses.

00:27:45.381 --> 00:27:45.651
Okay.

00:27:45.980 --> 00:27:47.000
And then, um, it's like

00:27:47.000 --> 00:27:50.266
if they're facing eviction, they can be like, Hey, I need Yeah.

00:27:50.336 --> 00:27:50.826
Some help.

00:27:50.826 --> 00:27:50.836
Yeah.

00:27:50.836 --> 00:27:51.020
It's milk.

00:27:51.141 --> 00:27:51.621
Yeah.

00:27:51.621 --> 00:27:56.901
And then we, again, we have so many great programs like Neighbor to Neighbor that helps to keep people in their houses.

00:27:56.901 --> 00:27:56.961
Yeah.

00:27:56.961 --> 00:27:57.260
Don't kill for

00:27:57.260 --> 00:27:57.590
years.

00:27:58.096 --> 00:27:58.516
What's that?

00:27:58.605 --> 00:27:59.715
I've known Kelly for years.

00:27:59.715 --> 00:27:59.955
Yeah.

00:27:59.955 --> 00:28:03.226
I mean they did some amazing work, especially during the COVID Nation Times.

00:28:03.256 --> 00:28:03.405
Yes.

00:28:03.405 --> 00:28:03.736
Yeah.

00:28:03.826 --> 00:28:05.865
And just so many incredible partners.

00:28:05.895 --> 00:28:11.385
Um, and then I think we have to think about, um, our school district as well and how we partner with them.

00:28:11.385 --> 00:28:13.605
'cause there are so many homeless students.

00:28:13.786 --> 00:28:13.996
Hmm.

00:28:14.145 --> 00:28:22.786
Um, and then I think another thing that we're looking at piloting now is a safe lot where people can be parked in their cars.

00:28:22.786 --> 00:28:24.016
'cause we know so many.

00:28:24.546 --> 00:28:26.705
Are forced to live in their cars.

00:28:26.705 --> 00:28:28.296
They don't have other options.

00:28:28.415 --> 00:28:29.945
That's an interesting notion actually.

00:28:29.945 --> 00:28:30.036
Mm-hmm.

00:28:30.276 --> 00:28:37.685
It would probably alleviate a lot of tenting and parking on in neighborhoods and whatever, right?

00:28:37.715 --> 00:28:38.226
Yes.

00:28:38.226 --> 00:28:41.236
And so loved one has had, uh, you know, not just loved one, but.

00:28:41.955 --> 00:28:43.546
Communities across the country.

00:28:43.605 --> 00:28:43.875
Yeah.

00:28:44.115 --> 00:28:47.685
But loved ones had one in place for, uh, quite a while now.

00:28:47.685 --> 00:28:59.086
And so really kind of working with them, using that as a model to see how we can have a successful program that doesn't have, um, outside, um, impacts on the neighborhood, not of overhead.

00:28:59.445 --> 00:28:59.925
Yes.

00:28:59.955 --> 00:29:00.286
Right.

00:29:00.316 --> 00:29:00.465
Yeah.

00:29:00.705 --> 00:29:01.155
You know, it's

00:29:01.155 --> 00:29:04.965
just a, a, a space that's reasonably secure.

00:29:05.175 --> 00:29:05.625
Yes.

00:29:05.625 --> 00:29:09.165
And working with our community partners again, mostly, um.

00:29:09.901 --> 00:29:11.191
Faith institutions.

00:29:11.221 --> 00:29:11.520
Yeah.

00:29:11.566 --> 00:29:14.611
To, to sponsor those safe lots.

00:29:14.611 --> 00:29:14.760
Hmm.

00:29:15.330 --> 00:29:21.300
I was thinking that you saw my big ambulance camper out here and my wife and I go on long road trips with it.

00:29:21.300 --> 00:29:24.385
I want to eventually start taking like month long and working from the road and stuff.

00:29:25.155 --> 00:29:27.915
But it would be nice if there was a lot of those safe lots I could pop in there.

00:29:28.131 --> 00:29:28.330
Yeah.

00:29:28.391 --> 00:29:31.665
It was in Lincoln, Nebraska or Fort Collins or you know, wherever.

00:29:32.086 --> 00:29:37.395
Anyway, that's probably not what it's for, but I always like this city subsidized security for my rig.

00:29:37.816 --> 00:29:37.905
Yeah.

00:29:37.935 --> 00:29:40.185
Um, so Well thank you for that.

00:29:40.246 --> 00:29:41.625
I think we're ready for the next one.

00:29:44.596 --> 00:29:45.076
Pow.

00:29:45.496 --> 00:29:51.586
This is, it's, it's pretty high up in our sequence, but in my opinion, it's not that spicy.

00:29:51.586 --> 00:29:55.215
This is a jerk seasoning from, okay, uh, old Town Spice Shep.

00:29:55.905 --> 00:29:59.895
Um, to me it doesn't hit as hard as the rebel or the buffalo.

00:30:00.076 --> 00:30:01.875
Okay, give it a go.

00:30:03.435 --> 00:30:04.576
Ladies first please.

00:30:09.415 --> 00:30:09.905
Here we go.

00:30:10.050 --> 00:30:10.471
Yeah.

00:30:11.820 --> 00:30:20.911
I appreciate your, oh, I set you up for No, you just breathe.

00:30:20.971 --> 00:30:22.891
You try to breathe the uh, sauce.

00:30:22.891 --> 00:30:29.520
I will make some, I'll fill some dead time here while you're preparing yourself to respond.

00:30:33.316 --> 00:30:34.665
I like the sweet side of that one.

00:30:34.726 --> 00:30:34.965
Mm-hmm.

00:30:36.316 --> 00:30:36.401
I agree.

00:30:37.905 --> 00:30:38.715
And I like to milk.

00:30:38.776 --> 00:30:41.266
The milk is really nice accompanying these things.

00:30:41.266 --> 00:30:41.326
Yeah.

00:30:41.986 --> 00:30:43.006
I mean, I like bourbon too.

00:30:43.066 --> 00:30:43.665
You like beer?

00:30:43.665 --> 00:30:46.605
You know, we, we like beers, bikes, bands, brains.

00:30:47.355 --> 00:30:49.695
Uh, but milk also.

00:30:49.695 --> 00:30:49.875
Good.

00:30:50.566 --> 00:30:52.096
I'll have to come up with a B word for milk.

00:30:53.476 --> 00:30:54.556
Bovine juice.

00:30:54.736 --> 00:30:54.885
Yeah.

00:30:57.286 --> 00:30:59.056
It's probably not like a par of our brand though.

00:31:00.526 --> 00:31:00.586
No.

00:31:00.586 --> 00:31:03.256
How would you like, you like the sweet part of that jerk?

00:31:03.885 --> 00:31:04.276
I do.

00:31:04.276 --> 00:31:04.605
Um.

00:31:05.010 --> 00:31:07.830
Would you like jerk chicken in general, or jerk, whatever else?

00:31:08.250 --> 00:31:08.760
Jerk shrimp.

00:31:08.971 --> 00:31:10.381
Jerk shrimp, but jerk chicken.

00:31:10.411 --> 00:31:10.471
Yeah.

00:31:10.471 --> 00:31:10.560
You're

00:31:10.560 --> 00:31:11.401
more of a shrimp girl.

00:31:11.911 --> 00:31:12.191
Sounds like.

00:31:12.276 --> 00:31:13.020
I do like seafood.

00:31:13.080 --> 00:31:13.381
Yeah.

00:31:13.830 --> 00:31:14.490
What's your favorite?

00:31:15.060 --> 00:31:15.121
Hmm.

00:31:17.550 --> 00:31:19.980
Well, I did live in Maine for a couple years.

00:31:20.010 --> 00:31:20.280
Okay.

00:31:20.881 --> 00:31:23.851
And we could get a lobster for$3 and 50 cents a pound.

00:31:24.391 --> 00:31:24.750
Right.

00:31:25.441 --> 00:31:29.490
And our favorite place to go for live lobsters was the grocery, not the grocery store.

00:31:29.490 --> 00:31:31.050
The, um, gas station on the corner.

00:31:31.171 --> 00:31:31.500
Oh, wait.

00:31:31.681 --> 00:31:31.921
Yeah.

00:31:32.250 --> 00:31:34.351
They just had a pot full of live lobsters ready to go.

00:31:34.740 --> 00:31:34.980
Yeah.

00:31:35.490 --> 00:31:36.090
They had a tank.

00:31:36.121 --> 00:31:36.330
Yeah.

00:31:36.391 --> 00:31:37.111
In the gas station.

00:31:37.141 --> 00:31:37.320
Yeah.

00:31:37.381 --> 00:31:37.530
Yeah.

00:31:37.770 --> 00:31:38.490
That's pretty cool.

00:31:38.671 --> 00:31:44.490
I, I want, they used to feed lobster to like prisoners and stuff in the early America because it was.

00:31:44.925 --> 00:31:47.895
So annoyingly abundant must not be good.

00:31:49.395 --> 00:31:50.175
Oh, wish it still was

00:31:50.746 --> 00:31:50.986
right.

00:31:52.066 --> 00:31:52.726
Um,

00:31:53.806 --> 00:31:55.155
but that one's staying with me a little

00:31:55.846 --> 00:31:56.115
good.

00:31:56.895 --> 00:31:57.615
That's what we're here for.

00:32:00.375 --> 00:32:02.115
We actually have the grab bag now.

00:32:02.895 --> 00:32:05.955
So I'm gonna pass this to you and ask you to draw three.

00:32:06.256 --> 00:32:08.385
You must answer at least one.

00:32:09.226 --> 00:32:12.046
Um, but I'll ask you all the questions, right?

00:32:12.046 --> 00:32:14.355
And if you want to just grab your three and then you can hand it back to me.

00:32:14.355 --> 00:32:15.526
I'll hide it back onto the table.

00:32:16.546 --> 00:32:16.816
Boom.

00:32:18.465 --> 00:32:18.990
And order.

00:32:19.006 --> 00:32:19.816
You choose.

00:32:20.836 --> 00:32:26.205
Okay, so six,

00:32:26.300 --> 00:32:26.520
six.

00:32:26.520 --> 00:32:27.080
This is a six.

00:32:28.695 --> 00:32:33.915
If you could only eat one color of food for the rest of your life, what color would it be?

00:32:34.486 --> 00:32:34.935
Hmm.

00:32:42.435 --> 00:32:43.185
How about beige?

00:32:45.945 --> 00:32:46.516
Sexy?

00:32:46.846 --> 00:32:47.596
Are you Norwegian?

00:32:47.891 --> 00:32:51.070
No, Swedish, but

00:32:51.891 --> 00:32:55.230
my wife is actually from, uh, Northern European heritage and.

00:32:55.786 --> 00:33:05.115
She likes to have meals once in a while where everything is like beige, beige sauerkraut with potatoes and country style ribs please.

00:33:05.715 --> 00:33:08.596
But I was thinking that'll give you the greatest variety.

00:33:09.016 --> 00:33:10.425
'cause then you could have fish.

00:33:10.486 --> 00:33:10.816
Yeah.

00:33:10.875 --> 00:33:11.865
Lots of different fishes.

00:33:11.925 --> 00:33:14.191
Potato, not salmon, but otherwise, yeah.

00:33:14.191 --> 00:33:14.296
Yeah.

00:33:14.385 --> 00:33:15.135
French fries.

00:33:15.855 --> 00:33:16.875
Um, bananas.

00:33:17.415 --> 00:33:19.905
That's pretty good actually, we haven't, apples haven't touched on that.

00:33:20.685 --> 00:33:21.405
Oh, you just peel them.

00:33:21.705 --> 00:33:23.086
You get the bay part of the inside, right?

00:33:23.086 --> 00:33:23.326
Yeah.

00:33:23.530 --> 00:33:25.066
Kind of like a yellow apple though.

00:33:25.336 --> 00:33:25.726
Oh, sure.

00:33:25.726 --> 00:33:26.056
Pears.

00:33:26.086 --> 00:33:26.355
Yep.

00:33:26.476 --> 00:33:26.925
Oh yeah.

00:33:26.925 --> 00:33:27.675
Asian pears.

00:33:27.736 --> 00:33:27.855
Mm-hmm.

00:33:28.635 --> 00:33:28.965
Yummy

00:33:29.175 --> 00:33:29.326
though.

00:33:29.326 --> 00:33:29.865
It's lemon.

00:33:29.865 --> 00:33:30.556
Cucumbers.

00:33:30.556 --> 00:33:31.965
They all, all this stuffy.

00:33:33.226 --> 00:33:35.385
I guess that's kind of bey kind of yellow.

00:33:35.385 --> 00:33:35.746
I'm gonna,

00:33:35.746 --> 00:33:37.246
I'm gonna, you know, beige

00:33:37.455 --> 00:33:38.056
yellow.

00:33:38.121 --> 00:33:43.701
Spectrum of spectrum because you're so, it a boring, uh, answer with beige, uh,

00:33:43.790 --> 00:33:44.661
but green, I give you a lot

00:33:44.661 --> 00:33:45.441
of credit actually.

00:33:45.651 --> 00:33:48.471
You, you've impressed me intellectually with coming around to that.

00:33:48.500 --> 00:33:51.080
'cause I think the, like red and green is kind of the obvious.

00:33:51.080 --> 00:33:53.631
Like red meat or green plants, whatever.

00:33:53.661 --> 00:33:53.840
Mm-hmm.

00:33:54.080 --> 00:33:55.851
I say green is very limiting.

00:33:55.911 --> 00:33:56.901
Yeah, for sure.

00:33:57.111 --> 00:33:58.671
There's no green meat for one thing.

00:33:58.851 --> 00:33:59.090
Mm-hmm.

00:33:59.330 --> 00:33:59.590
Well, I don't eat.

00:34:00.151 --> 00:34:00.601
Red meat.

00:34:00.601 --> 00:34:01.290
So not at all.

00:34:01.296 --> 00:34:01.596
No, wouldn't big.

00:34:01.596 --> 00:34:01.715
Yeah.

00:34:01.721 --> 00:34:01.830
No

00:34:01.830 --> 00:34:02.191
pork.

00:34:02.191 --> 00:34:03.570
Just chicken and fish mostly.

00:34:03.721 --> 00:34:03.901
Yeah.

00:34:04.141 --> 00:34:04.740
Pescatarian.

00:34:04.921 --> 00:34:06.780
Do you call yourself pescatarian with chicken PEs?

00:34:07.381 --> 00:34:07.861
Oh wait, yeah.

00:34:07.861 --> 00:34:08.101
Duh.

00:34:08.880 --> 00:34:11.670
Well, chickens are basically like land fish.

00:34:12.990 --> 00:34:13.081
Okay.

00:34:13.141 --> 00:34:13.440
Yes.

00:34:13.440 --> 00:34:13.800
Then I'm a pescatarian.

00:34:16.380 --> 00:34:16.916
You want the next question?

00:34:17.746 --> 00:34:18.235
16.

00:34:21.735 --> 00:34:24.300
Who has had the most significant influence in your life?

00:34:26.115 --> 00:34:28.516
Um, you know, I would say my husband.

00:34:28.635 --> 00:34:28.876
Yeah.

00:34:28.996 --> 00:34:29.385
Yeah.

00:34:29.385 --> 00:34:32.985
He's just, I just saw something the other day where like,

00:34:33.016 --> 00:34:33.585
does he have a name?

00:34:34.126 --> 00:34:35.175
He has, the name is Scott.

00:34:35.190 --> 00:34:35.650
Hi Scott.

00:34:35.655 --> 00:34:35.746
Yeah.

00:34:35.865 --> 00:34:36.076
Yeah.

00:34:36.106 --> 00:34:37.005
You'll probably listen to this.

00:34:37.126 --> 00:34:39.916
It was like the weighted vest club.

00:34:40.036 --> 00:34:40.065
Okay.

00:34:41.326 --> 00:34:41.505
I like it.

00:34:41.505 --> 00:34:42.045
Do you have a weighted

00:34:42.045 --> 00:34:42.615
vest yet?

00:34:42.735 --> 00:34:44.626
No, um, but I've been thinking about it.

00:34:44.775 --> 00:34:49.905
Honestly, my brother-in-law was wearing one for a long time, for a big event he was gonna do and stuff.

00:34:50.206 --> 00:34:52.246
But this was, you know, it was on Instagram.

00:34:52.246 --> 00:34:57.106
It was a joke, but you couldn't join the neighborhood vest club unless you're willing to bitch about your husband.

00:34:57.405 --> 00:34:57.795
Oh.

00:34:57.795 --> 00:35:02.326
And so I was like, well, like right now, he's, um.

00:35:03.585 --> 00:35:06.405
He, I mean he's, we've been married for 20, he late run for mayor.

00:35:06.436 --> 00:35:07.666
He let me run for mayor.

00:35:07.876 --> 00:35:07.965
I know.

00:35:07.965 --> 00:35:08.505
That's gotta be a

00:35:08.505 --> 00:35:10.186
relationship tester, I'm sure.

00:35:10.215 --> 00:35:10.425
Yeah.

00:35:10.425 --> 00:35:13.755
And he is, uh, become, he's, he's testing out.

00:35:13.755 --> 00:35:15.016
Did he encourage you to run for mayor?

00:35:15.646 --> 00:35:16.525
Uh, or he's encouraging you?

00:35:16.525 --> 00:35:16.960
No, he did not.

00:35:16.965 --> 00:35:17.835
You made the decision

00:35:17.835 --> 00:35:19.306
and now he's encouraging it within it.

00:35:19.576 --> 00:35:19.786
Yes.

00:35:19.936 --> 00:35:22.606
She's gonna do what she's gonna do and I might as well Yeah, yeah.

00:35:22.606 --> 00:35:23.056
Try to help.

00:35:23.056 --> 00:35:23.840
Um, so just.

00:35:24.496 --> 00:35:29.385
Taking care of basically every aspect of life right now that, so I can just concentrate on running.

00:35:29.445 --> 00:35:29.746
I dig it.

00:35:30.166 --> 00:35:31.545
I dig it Well, good job, Scott.

00:35:31.815 --> 00:35:31.996
Yeah.

00:35:31.996 --> 00:35:32.565
You got a fan?

00:35:33.735 --> 00:35:35.775
You wanna do the last question too, or at least hear it?

00:35:35.775 --> 00:35:36.735
You can pass it.

00:35:36.735 --> 00:35:37.065
We can hear it.

00:35:37.065 --> 00:35:37.076
Yeah.

00:35:37.076 --> 00:35:38.380
Until you've already answered 2 30, 30.

00:35:41.400 --> 00:35:42.900
Describe your first kiss.

00:35:43.081 --> 00:35:43.411
Oh.

00:35:43.686 --> 00:35:44.340
Oh gosh.

00:35:44.400 --> 00:35:45.150
Was it with Scott?

00:35:45.150 --> 00:35:45.721
Probably not.

00:35:46.170 --> 00:35:46.530
No.

00:35:47.731 --> 00:35:49.081
Well, you have to choose what?

00:35:49.561 --> 00:35:50.280
Wayne.

00:35:50.280 --> 00:35:50.820
Lloyd.

00:35:51.181 --> 00:35:51.811
Oh, ooh.

00:35:52.110 --> 00:35:53.010
A double first date.

00:35:54.181 --> 00:35:55.231
Well, first and last, yeah.

00:35:55.231 --> 00:35:55.380
Well, it

00:35:55.380 --> 00:35:55.621
was rural

00:35:56.585 --> 00:35:57.626
Georgia, so.

00:35:57.735 --> 00:35:58.025
Okay.

00:35:58.025 --> 00:35:58.146
Well

00:35:58.170 --> 00:35:59.610
that's, there's a lot of Wayne Lloyds down there.

00:36:00.090 --> 00:36:00.181
Mm-hmm.

00:36:00.721 --> 00:36:03.811
I think we, we went out for three days, so, okay.

00:36:04.081 --> 00:36:04.231
Yeah.

00:36:04.351 --> 00:36:05.431
And you were in what grade?

00:36:05.791 --> 00:36:06.360
Um.

00:36:07.170 --> 00:36:08.550
I think it was eighth grade.

00:36:08.581 --> 00:36:09.331
Okay.

00:36:09.331 --> 00:36:09.960
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:36:09.960 --> 00:36:10.891
I snuck a quick on

00:36:10.891 --> 00:36:11.701
Ville Middle school.

00:36:11.851 --> 00:36:11.940
Yeah.

00:36:11.940 --> 00:36:13.141
Underneath the bleachers or something?

00:36:13.380 --> 00:36:16.170
No, waiting for the buses to come.

00:36:16.260 --> 00:36:17.221
Oh, really?

00:36:18.030 --> 00:36:19.110
Just closed it.

00:36:19.110 --> 00:36:19.650
Oh yeah.

00:36:19.655 --> 00:36:19.706
Yeah.

00:36:19.771 --> 00:36:21.721
Well, Wayne, you missed out.

00:36:22.170 --> 00:36:23.251
I'm just kidding.

00:36:25.081 --> 00:36:30.661
I think we're ready for the next, like, so this one.

00:36:30.721 --> 00:36:31.561
Oh, I can take those back.

00:36:31.561 --> 00:36:31.920
Thank you.

00:36:35.206 --> 00:36:38.985
This one is the red from Matador.

00:36:39.135 --> 00:36:39.675
Okay.

00:36:39.675 --> 00:36:41.385
Does it have any sort of description?

00:36:41.626 --> 00:36:42.556
Uh, the red.

00:36:42.916 --> 00:36:43.275
Okay.

00:36:45.675 --> 00:36:47.115
But it's not a true red.

00:36:48.045 --> 00:36:48.436
I mean,

00:36:48.851 --> 00:36:49.460
it's got a little,

00:36:49.811 --> 00:36:53.896
yeah, it's got some brownish tones in there, I guess, or whatever.

00:36:53.925 --> 00:36:54.740
Yeah, it could be redder.

00:36:59.731 --> 00:37:00.271
Hmm.

00:37:00.811 --> 00:37:01.291
Okay.

00:37:01.561 --> 00:37:02.130
You like that one?

00:37:02.641 --> 00:37:03.451
Now we're moving up.

00:37:07.231 --> 00:37:07.530
Hmm.

00:37:08.431 --> 00:37:09.150
Little smokier?

00:37:09.510 --> 00:37:09.871
Yeah.

00:37:10.170 --> 00:37:10.291
Mm-hmm.

00:37:10.891 --> 00:37:13.860
It must have some kind of smoked pepper in there as part of that base.

00:37:16.246 --> 00:37:17.266
I eating all of my nuggets.

00:37:17.746 --> 00:37:20.266
Uh, which I got another podcast right after this.

00:37:21.556 --> 00:37:24.916
Lately I've been doing it'cause I was getting hungry after the five o'clock podcast.

00:37:24.916 --> 00:37:27.346
But I should stop, I should start doing partials.

00:37:28.126 --> 00:37:28.275
Okay.

00:37:32.025 --> 00:37:33.585
How would you describe that to your friends?

00:37:34.695 --> 00:37:36.706
Smoky, spicy, but I'm.

00:37:36.960 --> 00:37:37.110
Pretty,

00:37:37.740 --> 00:37:38.311
you're managing

00:37:38.311 --> 00:37:38.460
it.

00:37:39.150 --> 00:37:41.280
Spice limited, I'd say so.

00:37:41.340 --> 00:37:43.201
Well, you seem to be toughing it out pretty good.

00:37:43.201 --> 00:37:44.701
You're not like freaking out or anything.

00:37:45.061 --> 00:37:45.990
I wouldn't staying with me though.

00:37:46.411 --> 00:37:46.740
Yeah.

00:37:47.400 --> 00:37:47.581
Yeah.

00:37:47.940 --> 00:37:48.331
Well, good.

00:37:48.541 --> 00:37:49.021
A little milk.

00:37:49.471 --> 00:37:49.561
Mm-hmm.

00:37:49.891 --> 00:37:51.121
Before we get onto this next question,

00:37:51.990 --> 00:37:53.820
it's, yeah, it just keeps giving,

00:37:55.141 --> 00:37:59.371
I think if that keeps on giving, um, the community hot topic.

00:37:59.940 --> 00:38:06.210
How can the city of Fort Collins maintain financial strength in light of declining sales tax collection trends?

00:38:06.990 --> 00:38:12.601
What mix of cost cutting and revenue enhancement strategies do you envision as being the most important?

00:38:13.590 --> 00:38:13.920
Yeah.

00:38:13.920 --> 00:38:17.911
So, um, this is our topic for tomorrow night is budget.

00:38:17.940 --> 00:38:18.360
Okay.

00:38:19.320 --> 00:38:20.641
And at city council, I guess?

00:38:20.641 --> 00:38:20.940
Yes.

00:38:20.971 --> 00:38:21.271
Okay.

00:38:21.360 --> 00:38:22.110
And, um.

00:38:22.981 --> 00:38:25.380
You know, I came on council at a pretty interesting time.

00:38:25.380 --> 00:38:30.271
I would say it was 2021, um, April, 2021.

00:38:30.271 --> 00:38:32.670
So we were still kind of in the midst of COVID.

00:38:32.670 --> 00:38:32.731
Yeah.

00:38:32.731 --> 00:38:37.590
Everything was, uh, still kind of remote and I'm still tasting S spice.

00:38:37.981 --> 00:38:38.431
Um,

00:38:38.971 --> 00:38:39.420
good job, Paul.

00:38:40.981 --> 00:38:41.731
But you kinda like it.

00:38:41.731 --> 00:38:43.021
Am I sensing that correctly?

00:38:43.021 --> 00:38:45.090
Like it's kind of a good pain.

00:38:45.090 --> 00:38:47.760
That's the hitting my, getting towards my limit.

00:38:48.210 --> 00:38:48.661
Um.

00:38:48.871 --> 00:38:51.150
But money was flowing.

00:38:51.150 --> 00:38:52.081
It was a tough time.

00:38:52.081 --> 00:38:52.380
Right.

00:38:52.710 --> 00:38:53.880
So, you know, the,

00:38:54.871 --> 00:39:04.380
I mean, I think that's part of the problem is the city kind of grew, its spendings a lot because of temporary dollars and those dollars have gone away in some parts.

00:39:04.710 --> 00:39:05.101
Yeah.

00:39:05.101 --> 00:39:10.951
And I think we tried to be really mindful where we could, that this was temporary money that wasn't going to stay.

00:39:11.010 --> 00:39:11.311
Yeah.

00:39:11.400 --> 00:39:12.905
But, um, I don't.

00:39:13.771 --> 00:39:18.391
I think there needs to be, I, I, I'm seeing this as an opportunity.

00:39:18.630 --> 00:39:18.690
Okay.

00:39:18.690 --> 00:39:21.661
We can be, we can be scrappy and Okay.

00:39:21.780 --> 00:39:29.306
I think, you know, when you do have an opportunity to tighten your belts, I'll, I'll call it dot, the sauce is affecting you a little bit at this point.

00:39:30.166 --> 00:39:34.110
Um, it makes you examine what you're spending money on.

00:39:34.110 --> 00:39:34.320
Yeah.

00:39:34.380 --> 00:39:34.690
And is it.

00:39:35.190 --> 00:39:37.021
The priorities that you really want.

00:39:37.021 --> 00:39:39.871
So I, I am seeing this as an opportunity.

00:39:39.871 --> 00:39:41.760
It's not going to be the easiest.

00:39:41.760 --> 00:39:43.320
So there will be some cost cutting,

00:39:43.320 --> 00:39:48.570
there'll be cost, cost cutting, and, but I think we can like work around the edges.

00:39:48.811 --> 00:39:53.311
Uh, you know, my hu like my husband's been an unemployed a couple times.

00:39:53.311 --> 00:39:53.731
Yeah.

00:39:53.731 --> 00:39:59.251
And when that happens, you really kind of dig into your budget and you're like, wow, I didn't realize I had that

00:39:59.251 --> 00:40:00.030
subscription.

00:40:00.030 --> 00:40:00.420
Totally.

00:40:00.630 --> 00:40:01.900
And you know, just trying to.

00:40:02.956 --> 00:40:16.755
My wife and I adapted from a hundred thousand dollars income to a$60,000 income when I left banking to start a restaurant that didn't work and turned into local think tank that did kinda, you know, so, and, but it was.

00:40:16.891 --> 00:40:16.951
Yeah.

00:40:17.490 --> 00:40:21.811
One of the best seasons because we had to figure out how to Yeah.

00:40:21.811 --> 00:40:24.871
You know, and we didn't see nearly as many concerts anymore.

00:40:25.710 --> 00:40:28.050
We didn't go to beaches nearly as often.

00:40:28.050 --> 00:40:29.521
You know, there was real sacrifice.

00:40:29.581 --> 00:40:29.940
Yeah.

00:40:30.391 --> 00:40:37.771
And there, there will be some changes that won't be, um, as enjoyable as it would've been if we had that same

00:40:38.130 --> 00:40:38.371
sure

00:40:38.760 --> 00:40:39.630
option that we did.

00:40:39.630 --> 00:40:42.030
Like 20 21, 20 22.

00:40:42.030 --> 00:40:42.300
Yeah.

00:40:42.481 --> 00:40:43.530
But, um.

00:40:44.190 --> 00:40:47.161
I think there's ways that we can make it not as painful.

00:40:47.161 --> 00:40:52.231
So for instance, we were hiring someone to help, uh, do that work well.

00:40:52.936 --> 00:41:00.255
We hadn't filled that position and now we've already rolled it into another position that's like a 50% of one FTE's job now.

00:41:01.065 --> 00:41:03.496
So is the public gonna really feel that difference?

00:41:04.036 --> 00:41:04.126
Right?

00:41:04.126 --> 00:41:04.965
I don't think so.

00:41:05.206 --> 00:41:07.846
Is that like the volunteers that cross the streets and stuff?

00:41:08.206 --> 00:41:08.806
Well, just really

00:41:08.806 --> 00:41:16.335
identifying where there are shortcomings in our students safely reaching school and what are the road projects that we need to occur.

00:41:16.666 --> 00:41:20.175
Um, making sure there's sidewalks or bike trails that really help.

00:41:20.175 --> 00:41:20.356
Gotcha.

00:41:20.385 --> 00:41:22.005
But somebody just figuring all that out.

00:41:22.070 --> 00:41:23.570
Um, is hard.

00:41:23.840 --> 00:41:24.201
Yeah.

00:41:24.320 --> 00:41:24.530
Yeah.

00:41:24.530 --> 00:41:25.940
But maybe it doesn't need to be a full-timer.

00:41:26.181 --> 00:41:26.570
Yeah.

00:41:26.630 --> 00:41:33.771
And so I think then too, like we, we have a chance to look through our budget, see where we're not being as efficient as possible.

00:41:34.431 --> 00:41:36.920
You know, the hiring freeze is helping to.

00:41:38.371 --> 00:41:46.891
We're, everyone gets, everyone is keeping their positions, but do we really need all these positions that we had intended to hire for?

00:41:46.981 --> 00:41:47.041
Yeah.

00:41:47.610 --> 00:41:53.190
Um, so I think there's that, and I think we can really look at technology and how we can incorporate it.

00:41:53.581 --> 00:41:59.940
Um, cities like Commerce City and Castle Rock have started going to, um, drone first responders.

00:42:00.391 --> 00:42:04.945
So you know when you're somewhere and all of a sudden you see.

00:42:05.956 --> 00:42:08.416
Four police cars and three ambulance.

00:42:08.416 --> 00:42:08.746
Sure.

00:42:08.956 --> 00:42:13.186
So what if a drone said, was able to evaluate this situation?

00:42:13.365 --> 00:42:13.576
Oh.

00:42:13.576 --> 00:42:15.585
And said This is what we need here.

00:42:15.615 --> 00:42:16.065
Yeah,

00:42:16.246 --> 00:42:17.626
so that's, you know, I have

00:42:17.626 --> 00:42:20.940
seen it at times where there's like seven cop cars and it's one dude and his.

00:42:21.826 --> 00:42:24.525
Volkswagen and you're like, did everybody need to come?

00:42:24.525 --> 00:42:25.126
You know, where's

00:42:25.485 --> 00:42:25.965
Yeah.

00:42:26.146 --> 00:42:31.335
And then last week I had the opportunity to, um, tour the jail.

00:42:32.025 --> 00:42:34.456
And that was a really interesting conversation.

00:42:34.456 --> 00:42:38.451
Part of it was, um, each, um, inmate now gets a tablet.

00:42:39.585 --> 00:42:43.456
And I know you're like, wait, that so seems like a big expense.

00:42:43.456 --> 00:42:45.346
Why would we give each inmate a tablet?

00:42:45.585 --> 00:42:45.795
Well,

00:42:46.126 --> 00:42:46.635
but

00:42:46.755 --> 00:42:50.206
if it decreases their recidivism, because they can actually educate.

00:42:50.445 --> 00:42:50.655
Right.

00:42:50.655 --> 00:42:55.936
But all their, um, any visits they need to have with their lawyer or other services.

00:42:56.175 --> 00:43:00.315
They can schedule through the tablet and not need to interact with a staff member.

00:43:00.465 --> 00:43:00.585
Hmm.

00:43:00.675 --> 00:43:03.735
If they want books, it comes through the tablet.

00:43:04.126 --> 00:43:04.186
Yeah.

00:43:04.186 --> 00:43:07.065
You know, if they're taking classes, they can take it through the tablet.

00:43:07.365 --> 00:43:12.405
And also like their earphones are plugged into the tablet to watch the tv.

00:43:12.675 --> 00:43:16.786
So there's like, it was remarkably quiet in the pods.

00:43:16.996 --> 00:43:17.115
Hmm.

00:43:17.550 --> 00:43:19.380
So there's less fighting.

00:43:19.590 --> 00:43:25.411
And so all that staff time that's being saved and all those interactions, so it, they were,

00:43:25.710 --> 00:43:26.820
it's just give'em screen time.

00:43:26.820 --> 00:43:28.501
It's like how you get rid of your annoying kids.

00:43:28.920 --> 00:43:29.400
Yeah.

00:43:29.400 --> 00:43:31.891
But it was, it was more like, I'm teasing a little bit.

00:43:32.581 --> 00:43:32.760
Oh.

00:43:32.760 --> 00:43:41.371
And all their mail comes through on the tablets, so it's another way, you know, instead of going and passing out all these males Sure.

00:43:41.371 --> 00:43:41.920
And, and

00:43:42.150 --> 00:43:43.201
walking around.

00:43:43.291 --> 00:43:43.650
Yeah.

00:43:43.650 --> 00:43:45.181
So it was really remarkable.

00:43:45.181 --> 00:43:46.561
I hadn't thought about,

00:43:46.590 --> 00:43:46.650
yeah.

00:43:47.326 --> 00:43:47.505
Okay.

00:43:47.746 --> 00:43:54.735
How that tablet is saving so many hours and, and staff time and makes the job of the deputies there easier.

00:43:54.735 --> 00:44:01.126
So I, I think, you know, how do we look at technology in that way that we can save money and time and

00:44:01.576 --> 00:44:01.606
Okay.

00:44:01.606 --> 00:44:05.235
So you don't imagine necessarily raising taxes to try to cover the shortfall?

00:44:05.536 --> 00:44:07.666
No, I, I don't see that happening right now.

00:44:07.726 --> 00:44:07.755
Okay.

00:44:07.936 --> 00:44:08.175
Yeah.

00:44:08.295 --> 00:44:08.476
Alright.

00:44:10.036 --> 00:44:13.755
And I, I do think that we also have to look on the positive side.

00:44:13.996 --> 00:44:14.146
Yeah.

00:44:14.416 --> 00:44:16.306
How do we bring in other businesses?

00:44:16.740 --> 00:44:22.050
How do we bring in those sectors that we've talked about and we're really concentrate on economic development.

00:44:22.081 --> 00:44:22.351
Yeah.

00:44:22.891 --> 00:44:27.331
Well, I mean, being a really efficient city would be an amazing thing, right?

00:44:27.360 --> 00:44:27.601
Yeah.

00:44:28.860 --> 00:44:34.320
Before I drift to the next question, I'm thinking about like, like the parks and the maintenance of the parks and stuff.

00:44:34.320 --> 00:44:34.411
Mm-hmm.

00:44:34.650 --> 00:44:37.860
Is a huge number like.

00:44:38.760 --> 00:44:39.001
Yeah.

00:44:39.570 --> 00:44:40.561
Anything to be done there?

00:44:40.561 --> 00:44:44.911
Would you ever envision giving any parks back or anything like that or,

00:44:45.510 --> 00:44:50.076
well, you know, we pa thanks to all of our residents who passed the 2050 Yeah.

00:44:50.081 --> 00:44:50.280
Yeah.

00:44:50.280 --> 00:44:54.210
Tax to help, um, refresh our parks and keep them moving forward.

00:44:54.630 --> 00:44:58.621
Um, I do think, you know, maybe we have to get used to.

00:45:00.255 --> 00:45:04.695
The turf being mowed every week and a half instead of every week.

00:45:04.695 --> 00:45:05.115
Like yeah.

00:45:05.175 --> 00:45:07.996
Could we do with a little less perfection in Fort Collins?

00:45:08.025 --> 00:45:08.536
Yeah,

00:45:08.925 --> 00:45:09.945
that's an interesting question.

00:45:10.065 --> 00:45:10.335
Yeah.

00:45:10.786 --> 00:45:14.431
Maybe the flowers, we were just down in Boulder, my exchange student and I, uh mm-hmm.

00:45:14.510 --> 00:45:16.425
Took a 150 mile motorcycle right.

00:45:16.425 --> 00:45:17.025
On Saturday.

00:45:17.175 --> 00:45:17.596
Wow.

00:45:17.686 --> 00:45:22.365
And, uh, went down to Netherland and then dropped down Boulder Canyon and hung out in Old Pearl Street.

00:45:23.565 --> 00:45:26.146
Fort Collins Flowers are way better than Pearl Street Flowers.

00:45:26.326 --> 00:45:28.666
Just saying in Boulder, you, you got ways to go.

00:45:28.666 --> 00:45:29.925
'cause we, I don't know if they're just better.

00:45:30.465 --> 00:45:30.675
Yeah.

00:45:30.675 --> 00:45:43.186
I was in Old Town yesterday and I saw these two women going up to the flowers and examining all the different leaves and I was like, it's so nice to see people really engage with what we've invested in our old town.

00:45:43.186 --> 00:45:43.365
Right.

00:45:43.396 --> 00:45:44.626
What makes it really special?

00:45:44.626 --> 00:45:45.556
And you know.

00:45:45.990 --> 00:45:50.460
I'd love to have one third of the flower budget in my bank account.

00:45:50.581 --> 00:45:51.451
'cause that would be a lot.

00:45:51.541 --> 00:45:51.721
Yeah.

00:45:52.115 --> 00:45:52.235
Yeah.

00:45:52.380 --> 00:45:55.501
So, so it goes, um, this is the last one.

00:45:55.860 --> 00:46:01.710
This is the, uh, I forget the Room two 17.

00:46:02.490 --> 00:46:12.210
Uh, this is also from, uh, well, it's called Brewhouse Sauces, but Old Town Spice Shop retails this on their website and it's ghost pepper, uh, in part.

00:46:12.210 --> 00:46:12.971
So you've got.

00:46:13.576 --> 00:46:15.226
Just enough milk left probably.

00:46:15.226 --> 00:46:16.126
You feel good about that?

00:46:21.240 --> 00:46:22.425
I don't think I like those words together.

00:46:24.135 --> 00:46:24.315
Here.

00:46:24.315 --> 00:46:27.255
Want me to, here I can tip this so you can get a nice, good.

00:46:27.346 --> 00:46:39.016
This is the last dab, so I think I'm gonna dab The tradition is to just gonna dab the tradition is to like soak it up real good, but you can get more if you want to on the backside.

00:46:41.206 --> 00:46:41.536
Taste it.

00:46:46.965 --> 00:46:47.056
Yeah.

00:46:48.226 --> 00:46:48.976
Tasting notes.

00:46:49.485 --> 00:46:49.876
Hmm.

00:46:52.846 --> 00:46:55.096
Well, I don't typically go that hot though.

00:46:55.485 --> 00:46:56.925
It's a little hard to describe.

00:46:56.925 --> 00:47:02.235
Definitely more heat than everything else, than still like blooming.

00:47:04.081 --> 00:47:06.795
What would you say about the flavor profile outside of the heat?

00:47:12.181 --> 00:47:14.550
I don't really know'cause I'm just concentrating on the heat.

00:47:15.601 --> 00:47:21.210
This actually reminds me of, I, I did a quite a bit of research watching Hot Ones, uh, episodes.

00:47:21.871 --> 00:47:27.811
I don't know if you're familiar with that show, but this is at least a, an honoring tribute to, um.

00:47:28.606 --> 00:47:31.936
Like movie actresses and stuff come on to promote their new movie.

00:47:32.115 --> 00:47:32.326
Mm-hmm.

00:47:32.686 --> 00:47:37.996
Um, but have to go through an experience kinda like this, but with hot wings and even hotter sauces.

00:47:38.715 --> 00:47:45.885
Um, we're being gentle in comparison, but, uh, it's surprising how much your brain can't really.

00:47:47.596 --> 00:47:53.596
Do things right when you're really heated up and you're trying to think and talk and mm-hmm.

00:47:54.016 --> 00:47:58.456
Drink milk and reflect on flavor profiles.

00:48:00.976 --> 00:48:02.206
I think there's a little bit of, I.

00:48:06.690 --> 00:48:08.760
Like, is there some Scotch bonnet in there too?

00:48:08.760 --> 00:48:13.050
It almost feels like in addition to the Ghost Pepper that has got a little bit of that cream flavor.

00:48:13.050 --> 00:48:15.451
I don't, don't eat that either, so it's too hot for me too.

00:48:17.371 --> 00:48:24.210
So this is the really the only part of this conversation that's traditional to the Loco Experience Podcast, which is the closing segment.

00:48:24.960 --> 00:48:30.451
The craziest story or moment from your lifetime that you're willing to share with our listeners?

00:48:30.811 --> 00:48:31.561
You are sweating, huh?

00:48:31.590 --> 00:48:31.920
Oh, yeah.

00:48:32.010 --> 00:48:32.311
Oh yeah.

00:48:32.311 --> 00:48:32.971
No, I'm sweaty Betty.

00:48:36.121 --> 00:48:36.420
Okay.

00:48:36.840 --> 00:48:38.581
Let's see if I can say this.

00:48:38.581 --> 00:48:39.240
Muscle through.

00:48:39.451 --> 00:48:39.780
Yeah.

00:48:39.900 --> 00:48:40.981
My spicy story.

00:48:41.940 --> 00:48:46.561
Um, so summer I was 22.

00:48:46.561 --> 00:48:46.951
I.

00:48:47.340 --> 00:48:51.630
Was backpacking across Europe with my then boyfriend, now husband.

00:48:52.081 --> 00:48:52.501
Oh, really?

00:48:52.590 --> 00:48:52.920
Okay.

00:48:52.981 --> 00:48:53.041
Yeah.

00:48:53.041 --> 00:48:56.101
And we went to the running of the bowls in Pamplona.

00:48:56.161 --> 00:48:56.610
One of my good

00:48:56.610 --> 00:48:57.871
friends just came back from that

00:48:58.501 --> 00:48:58.650
Oh.

00:48:58.650 --> 00:48:59.431
Uh, like a week and a half ago.

00:48:59.431 --> 00:48:59.940
Did he run?

00:49:00.181 --> 00:49:01.141
He did, yeah.

00:49:01.740 --> 00:49:02.760
And they didn't get trampled.

00:49:03.271 --> 00:49:03.751
Good job.

00:49:03.840 --> 00:49:04.021
Yep.

00:49:05.130 --> 00:49:10.170
He was talking about how like if you're older, you have to kind of like get like screened at the gate.

00:49:10.170 --> 00:49:12.690
Nowadays they, they, if you're over 60, I think.

00:49:13.590 --> 00:49:16.501
It's cool, but you, you gotta like, they'll, they'll scope for you.

00:49:16.501 --> 00:49:20.130
If you look like you're 75 and you move like you're 75, they're not gonna let you in anymore.

00:49:20.581 --> 00:49:20.701
Yeah.

00:49:20.701 --> 00:49:22.141
They, they were not screening.

00:49:22.965 --> 00:49:23.085
No,

00:49:23.085 --> 00:49:23.405
that's,

00:49:23.945 --> 00:49:25.681
and then that's why old people got trampled.

00:49:25.681 --> 00:49:27.451
'cause they didn't do no screening anyway.

00:49:27.451 --> 00:49:27.990
So you're at the

00:49:28.411 --> 00:49:28.681
Yep.

00:49:28.981 --> 00:49:31.920
And, um, I did not run with the bowls.

00:49:32.070 --> 00:49:34.530
My, my husband and his best friend did.

00:49:34.530 --> 00:49:34.561
Okay.

00:49:34.710 --> 00:49:36.721
Um, but there is the tower.

00:49:37.456 --> 00:49:48.346
In this, um, square where everybody was hanging out and dancing and having fun, and people were climbing this 15 foot tower and diving into the crowd below.

00:49:48.465 --> 00:49:48.585
Oh, okay.

00:49:50.476 --> 00:49:53.626
So I made a bet with another girl that if she did it, I'd do it.

00:49:53.626 --> 00:50:01.360
And unfortunately, she climbed the tower and dove off into the crowd and, uh, you know, people were holding their arms.

00:50:02.596 --> 00:50:09.271
Uh, across and with the, the people across from them to catch the people as they jumped or dove and, um.

00:50:10.621 --> 00:50:14.340
Huge guy ahead of me was like 6 3, 6 4.

00:50:15.001 --> 00:50:15.601
They caught him.

00:50:16.050 --> 00:50:16.800
No problem.

00:50:16.860 --> 00:50:22.170
Well, you gotta remember when you dive into a crowd, you need to belly flop and not swan die.

00:50:22.231 --> 00:50:22.351
Oh

00:50:22.351 --> 00:50:22.681
shit.

00:50:24.271 --> 00:50:26.971
So I dove between their hands and, oh no.

00:50:26.971 --> 00:50:31.650
Got to visit a Spanish emergency room and slashed open my hip and

00:50:31.831 --> 00:50:32.550
Oh dang.

00:50:32.641 --> 00:50:33.030
Yeah.

00:50:33.121 --> 00:50:34.021
Your head didn't hit the ground though.

00:50:34.021 --> 00:50:34.320
My head

00:50:34.320 --> 00:50:35.340
did not hit the ground.

00:50:35.340 --> 00:50:36.271
So, um.

00:50:36.675 --> 00:50:40.155
The Spanish doctor, luckily she spoke French.

00:50:40.155 --> 00:50:43.036
I spoke French'cause we didn't have other language in common.

00:50:43.036 --> 00:50:45.856
And um, she just was like, you dumb foreigners.

00:50:47.025 --> 00:50:49.576
We, Spaniards are too smart to do this, right.

00:50:49.635 --> 00:50:53.956
It's just the Americans and sometimes the Aussies who this dumb shit.

00:50:53.956 --> 00:51:00.016
So nobody died, um, with the running of the bowls, but three people died diving from the tower that week.

00:51:00.016 --> 00:51:00.346
For reals?

00:51:00.391 --> 00:51:00.590
Yeah.

00:51:00.891 --> 00:51:01.391
Oh dang.

00:51:01.905 --> 00:51:02.175
Yeah.

00:51:02.416 --> 00:51:03.746
So I felt very lucky with just my.

00:51:04.576 --> 00:51:05.715
Yeah, my sliced open hip.

00:51:05.715 --> 00:51:09.856
Well, and you're lucky somebody deflected your swan dive away from the ground at least.

00:51:10.726 --> 00:51:10.965
Yeah.

00:51:11.686 --> 00:51:11.746
Yeah.

00:51:11.775 --> 00:51:13.186
So that's the lesson.

00:51:13.335 --> 00:51:14.626
Don't swan dive, the newer crowd.

00:51:16.141 --> 00:51:16.561
Never.

00:51:16.590 --> 00:51:17.371
Yeah, I never will.

00:51:17.490 --> 00:51:21.630
No, I'm, I'm an expert at back flopping, so I think I would just do that.

00:51:23.610 --> 00:51:26.161
Well, Tricia, I thank you for the time.

00:51:26.340 --> 00:51:26.701
Well, thank you Kurt.

00:51:26.701 --> 00:51:35.251
Um, it looks like your nose is starting to run at least a little bit there, so I'm glad I You're not as sweaty as me though,'cause um, then you wouldn't be able to endure this election season.

00:51:37.800 --> 00:51:39.661
Yeah, it's gonna, it's gonna heat up still.

00:51:40.081 --> 00:51:41.010
No, it's still heating.

00:51:41.251 --> 00:51:41.371
Yeah.

00:51:43.320 --> 00:51:43.891
Thanks again.

00:51:44.130 --> 00:51:44.791
Well, thank you.

00:51:45.001 --> 00:51:46.081
I appreciate the invitation.

00:51:46.081 --> 00:51:46.951
That's good luck in November.

00:51:47.041 --> 00:51:47.431
Thank you.

00:51:47.496 --> 00:51:47.985
Bye-bye.