….where you can stay on top of, and in tune with, the dynamic issues and initiatives that impact all of us who call Durango home. In addition to serving on–and running for re-election for–Durango City Council, I will continue–albeit on a more limited basis–to research, write and share articles, guest editorials and blog posts about issues I’m passionate about, like outdoor recreation, education, economic development, arts and culture, and responsible growth. Through Your Front Row Seat, I strive to present information and facilitate discussion to advance, enhance and support the character and qualities that make Durango special. What drives me is the promise of a high quality of life for everyone who lives here.
You can’t separate Durango from its stunning natural beauty, rugged geography, and world class recreational opportunities. These opportunities represent some of the most unique, inspiring and compelling aspects of our community. As an active outdoor enthusiast and athlete, as well as a current member of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and a member of the Board of Directors for Trails 2000, I have a finger on the pulse of the issues affecting recreation in our area. Check back in for policy updates!
The notion of community – the sharing of common attitudes, values, and interests – is the glue that unites and motivates us to work together toward common goals. I care deeply about protecting and building on the character qualities that make Durango distinct and unique. Stay tuned to stay abreast of what’s happening in Durango.
Among all of the opportunities we want to provide for our children, I believe education is paramount. A solid and richly textured education will give today’s students the tools to become America’s next great leaders. I believe in promoting educational choice and rigorous curricula, and engaging in solution-based conversations about the problems confronting educators in our community (and across the U S) today.
League advocates for issues important to municipalities at state Legislature
Durango City Councilor Melissa Youssef has been elected to serve on the Colorado Municipal League Executive Board, the city announced Tuesday…
Youssef, Buell and Bosmans earn four-year terms
Newcomers Jessika Buell and Olivier Bosmans, along with incumbent Melissa Youssef, won Tuesday’s Durango City Council election, which was largely framed by affordable housing…
Voters in the Durango City Council election that ends at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 6, have time to drop their ballots in the drop boxes around town, but they should…
City of Durango, La Plata County explore new direction for unsheletered
Durango City Council and La Plata County Commission took a significant step forward in a joint session Thursday addressing the…
Council hopefuls sound off on the burning questions du jour
It’s been a bumper crop of City Council candidates this year, with seven locals throwing their names onto the ballot for…
Incumbent City Council candidate aims to bring continuity
Last fall, Melissa Youssef carefully considered whether she would put her name in for another four-year term on Durango City Council. By year’s…
Greetings,
I love serving Durango, which is why I am running for re-election for Durango City Council. I wish I could meet with every one of you in person, but this…
Residents and businesses can apply
Qualifying residents and businesses will be able to get relief on their utility bills as part of a COVID-19 relief program through the city of Durango.
The…
Potential candidates have until Feb. 9 to enter race
Durango residents interested in running for City Council in April still have time to dive into the growing candidate pool.
Three of five…
Additional revenue would go toward tourism, transit and the arts
For the first time in decades, Durango groups have come together to put a lodgers tax increase on the ballot.
The tax…
It’s the right time for the proposed crossing
Among the laudable goals of the city of Durango is the intention to make more of it as livable, walkable and bikeable as…
Three of five seats up for grabs
Three of five seats are up for grabs during the April 6 Durango City Council election, and already new candidates are signing up to…
Under Durango’s Home Rule form of Government, our city’s charter specifies a council-manager form of government. Citizens elect five city council members to serve four-year terms, during which they are…
Amid all the noise and drama of the November presidential election, readers may have missed the full significance of the recent Durango School District 9-R bond vote, also on Nov.…
Do virtual meetings foster or limit civic participation?
Dogs leaping into a city councilor’s lap. Crunching on tortilla chips without hitting mute. Kids yelling and partners doing chores in the background.
Eight…
Council makes the courageous choice to protect the public from COVID-19
After several discussions and a marathon meeting Monday, Durango City Councilors voted 4-1 in favor of a new ordinance requiring…
Community Relations Commission aims to create inclusive process
As the city of Durango prepares to update trail signs at Horse Gulch, city staff members are asking for input on trail names.…
To the editor,
I want to take this opportunity to convey my deep gratitude to the many members of our community who participated in the search process for Durango’s new city…
‘I am thrilled,’ says Jose Madrigal. ‘I am excited to take on new challenges’
After months of searching for the right city manager candidate, Durango City Council unanimously decided Friday to…
Two candidates ‘exceptionally qualified,’ officials say
Finalists for the Durango city manager position took a citywide tour this week, and both left excited and impressed by what the town has to…
Pair uses wheelchairs to learn about obstacles to access for disabled people
“This is tough. I’m not even going to try to open the door because I roll down the incline,”…
Councilors say coverings improve safety during reopening
The city of Durango will extend its mandatory face-covering order indefinitely in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Durango City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to extend…
Activists have suggested defunding police departments and #8CantWait reforms. What are your thoughts? ( for example, feasibility, challenges, opportunities)
I believe a well-functioning police department that reflects, protects and promotes the…
Restaurants, shops would be allowed to expand operations to the street
Planters, tables and bike lanes could take over the outer edges of Main Avenue by mid-June as Durango tries to…
City outlines cutbacks in face of coronavirus impacts
The city of Durango plans to make budget cuts and furlough employees one day per week to make up for an estimated $10…
Mayor Melissa Youssef leaves office after managing unprecedented events
Durango’s outgoing mayor Melissa Youssef wrote her final here’s-what’s-going-on-in-the-city column for The Durango Herald Saturday (“Well that was quite a year as Durango’s mayor,”…
What extraordinary times these are! On April 21, my term as mayor comes to an end. In a reflection of how life in Durango has changed, I’ll pass the gavel…
Monthly lost sales tax revenue could average 29% through 2020
More than 30 projects planned by the city of Durango in the 2020 budget have been deferred or scaled back, including…
Citizens urged to respect ordinances or lose access
Trail systems serve as the lifeblood for Durango outdoor recreation. Keeping those networks open during the coronavirus pandemic is important to public officials,…
Virus-related restrictions require remote meetings
The city of Durango introduced coronavirus-adapted public meeting procedures for participants in the City Council meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Social-distancing policies and stay-at-home orders have forced…
“Act like you already have it,” officials advise
San Juan Basin Public Health reported 18 positive COVID-19 cases Friday afternoon and one in Archuleta County.
La Plata County and Durango officials told…
Directive limits travel and services to slow spread of coronavirus
On Day 1 of a statewide stay-at-home order, Durango and La Plata County roads appeared congestion-free, parking lots were all but…
At least 19 deaths have been linked to the coronavirus in Colorado
Gov. Jared Polis on Wednesday said he was issuing a statewide stay-at-home order starting Thursday morning to try to…
City hopes to see an order from state of Colorado
The city of Durango issued a stay-at-home advisory Tuesday in an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
La Plata County has…
City Council asks for more time to review 300-plus page document
Durango City Council asked for more time this week to review the city’s 2020 budget, a 300-plus page document that…
City Council plans to open bids for original proposal on March 24, 2020
More options for a pedestrian crossing of the Animas River Trail at 32nd Street to link two now-separated…
City Council, residents acknowledge shift in community attitude
A shift in attitude toward homelessness became tangible, at least in part, on Tuesday when Durango City Council adopted a plan with concrete…
A Jan. 22 article in The Herald, featuring an artist’s rendering of a proposed pedestrian bridge across the Animas River and over 32nd Street, prompted a flood of emails to…
City, community have worked for years to design $4.1 million project
Who knew an image could disrupt years of planning?
That’s the situation the city of Durango found itself in when a…
Small-town politics are unique because local residents are connected to each other in so many ways. We are friends, neighbors and co-workers. We experience multi-layered community relationships and interactions through…
An urban renewal authority would help spur construction
Does Durango have blighted neighborhoods in need of help?
For some city officials and business representatives, the answer is yes.
“I do think that there…
City reported misappropriated funds, financial irregularities late last year
Durango plans to hire a new auditing firm to scrutinize city spending, adding to a growing list of remedies sought to understand…
Colorado Department of Local Affairs will review document
The city of Durango is working with the Colorado Department of Local Affairs to review the 2020 budget for accuracy and best practices,…
Councilors plan to fill position sometime this spring
The Durango City Council wants input from community leaders in its search for a new city manager, a position it hopes to fill…
Three cities hope to get an economic boost from their arts and culture scenes after receiving Creative District designations from the state.
Sterling, Durango and Loveland join 23 other communities across…
Each December, City Council fulfills one of its most important responsibilities – approving a budget for the coming year.
In council’s view, the budget should be directly linked to council’s established…
Santa Rita water facility produces cleaner water with less energy
With the snap of oversize scissors Wednesday at Santa Rita Park, the city of Durango signaled the completion of its most…
I hope you read my column last month (“This is why we’re scrutinizing city’s budget,” Nov. 2). In addition to summarizing all that City Council has accomplished in the past…
Officials informally agree to pony up $150,000 per year
Durango city councilors and La Plata County commissioners gave their informal blessing Monday to a new navigation center that would provide a…
As I write this column we’re still enjoying beautiful fall weather – but I’m reminded I’m past the halfway point in my term as mayor. As you know if you’ve…
As Arctic air moved into Durango on Tuesday night bringing below-freezing temperatures, residents discussed practical options for helping homeless residents endure the cold.
Mayor Melissa Youssef and La Plata County Commissioner…
Durango City Council decided Tuesday to terminate City Manager Ron LeBlanc’s contract, ending his 12-year tenure, and appointed Assistant City Manager Amber Blake to serve in the interim position.
It is…
Our city’s annual budgeting process is now underway and won’t be completed until December.
I can speak for City Council when I assure you that we’re always cognizant of the fact…
This famous quote coined by Zig Ziglar was taken to heart by the city of Durango at its Aug. 20 board meeting (see the Herald’s Aug. 27 article). Never heard…
Durango City Council’s policy goals changed this week for the first time in five years, despite an almost $30 million revenue increase since 2014.
Most of the money the city spends…
During a city council meeting on Aug. 20, City Manager Ron LeBlanc announced his retirement after almost 12 years of service.
Although his announcement took City Council by surprise, we recognize…
City Council vows to research how to achieve carbon-neutral goal
Dozens of area residents are asking the Durango City Council to set a goal of powering the city with 100% renewable…
Durango’s city manager may soon be under a more watchful eye as the City Council mulls dozens of evaluation criteria for the municipality’s top administrator.
Five city councilors identified more than…
All over the world and through the ages, streets historically served as the most basic public spaces in communities.
Streets were populated by local markets and door-to-door vendors. They were places…
As elected officials in Durango, Colorado, and Aztec, New Mexico, we each serve communities that are very different. But what we have in common is a 2,500-square-mile problem that affects…
What a wonderful time of year to be in Durango!
City council has worked hard throughout June and made significant progress on a number of important projects. I’m very optimistic that…
Durango marijuana enthusiasts have almost a dozen places to buy cannabis, but there aren’t any public venues to consume it. That may change next year, but only if city leaders…
Spring has arrived in Durango and change is in the air.
Mother Nature delivered both negatives and positives this past year, with a devastating drought and a wildfire that raged for…
Dear Durango Community-
What are the biggest issues challenging Durango?
All five candidates running for Durango City Council have repeatedly been asked this question in recent weeks. Our answers are appearing in…
Since I started “Your Front Row Seat” in summer 2016, it’s been both gratifying and inspiring to see the level of interest in the local issues presented. I’ve also been…
I have been wanting to send an update for weeks now..… This campaign is a B-I-G effort and has been a full-time-PLUS job in terms of time and energy as…
New Initiative in Durango Focuses on Teen Suicide, Bullying and Mental Health Awareness
We want our teens to live lives of joy and purpose. Far too often that joy can be…
This month, students at Fort Lewis College will for the first time enter the brand new Geosciences, Physics and Engineering Hall. The building is the culmination of a massive infrastructure…
Melissa Youssef announced Wednesday she’s running for a Durango City Council seat, and she promised to invest in Durango’s infrastructure, provide transparent fiscal oversight and work with the community to…
An Invigorated Fort Lewis College Commits to STEM-Focused Education
In January 2017, students at Fort Lewis College (FLC) will for the first time enter the brand new Geosciences, Physics and…
Q & A with Cathy Metz
Cathy Metz has served the City of Durango as Parks and Recreation Director for 20 years. The Parks and Recreation Department is nationally accredited by…
Organic Park Management in Durango, Plus a Q&A with Cathy Metz, Parks and Recreation Director
Last week on “Your Front Seat,” guest contributor Cody Reinheimer wrote a blog post on Durango’s…
Guest Opinion: Cody Reinheimer on Parks are for People and Pets, Not Poison
Cody Reinheimer of Durango, CO
A public park is exactly that—a place where the public can park themselves…
Hello Friends!
Just a note to let you know how GRATEFUL I am to be on this journey with you through my blog, “Your Front Row Seat.” I’ve learned so much…
Guest Opinion: Bill Zimsky on Airports, Roads and Bridges in La Plata County
Now that the voters have rejected mill levy increases for both the expansion of the airport and for…
“You can’t get there from here!” These words are NOT a hallmark of a healthy community!
Public transportation has been a vitally important social service for Durango since 1982, connecting residents…
Guest Opinion: Roger Zalneraitis, Executive Director La Plata County Economic Development Alliance – Airport Ballot 1B Guest Opinion
As the director of the Economic Development Alliance, we have been strong advocates…
Not unlike air traffic controllers directing flights in and out of the world’s largest cities, La Plata County voters in the coming election are asked to determine what routes will…
Back in 1990 when I was a student teacher at Durango High School, the Internet didn’t yet exist and a flip-phone was purely Star Trek fodder. Now, the flip-phone is…
Guest Opinion Post by Dave Farkas
As an educator at a PBL/EL charter school, we’re trying everything we can do to motivate our kids and present a unique and interesting approach…
I’m an ardent proponent for educational choice. I believe in supporting and promoting diverse educational venues where parents and students can opt for excellence via educational pathways that best meet…
Durango Business Improvement District: Ensuring That Downtown Durango is a Desirable Destination for Locals, Visitors, and Business Owners
Although Durango has many thriving neighborhoods, most locals and visitors consider downtown the…
Backed by support from the Parks and Recreation and the Natural Lands Advisory Boards, the Durango City Council prohibited electronic bikes on city trails as of May 2016. Safety was…
There’s no question that Durango residents want public access for recreation on Lake Nighthorse. It is, however, a complicated and contentious issue with many stakeholders involved. After decades of negotiation,…
In November 2015, voters in La Plata County said no to a mill levy increase on residential property taxes. In July 2016, the La Plata County Board of Commissioners voted…
It has been my privilege to serve on the City of Durango Parks and Recreation Advisory Board since January 2014. Members of the Board collectively provide recommendations to City Council…
When the mayor of America’s largest city is ecstatic that 38 percent of New York City students passed the Common Core test for English, we have a problem. From a…
Those of us fortunate enough to live in Durango, Colorado have access to amazing experiences around every corner. From recreation to culture to serving and shaping the future of our community – these opportunities motivate me every day. Inspiration is ever-present and the rewards are many. Read More
City councilor elected to serve on Colorado Municipal League board June 29, 2021
Durango voters elect three City Council candidates April 7, 2021
Our View: Vote Youssef, Bosmans, Furtney for City Council April 1, 2021
Our View: City, county move in the right direction on homelessness March 31, 2021
Candidate Forum – The Durango Telegraph March 29, 2021
Youssef runs for re-election with an eye on finances March 12, 2021