A Model Municipality
Goal 25: The City of Lakewood, as an organization, will operate as a model municipality, setting a positive example in the community by elevating disproportionately impacted communities, demonstrating best practices and new technologies to the general public, and leading in climate resilience, fiscal responsibility, and civil transparency.
The City of Lakewood is dedicated to leading by example as we respond and adapt to change and uncertainties, such as population growth, demographic shifts, evolving conditions in our ecosystem, emerging technologies, and economic and public health challenges. Through the vision, values and priorities outlined within this Plan, the City strives to be a model municipality and fulfill the commitments in equity, sustainability and climate action, community wellness and vitality, opportunity and mobility, and civic participation, as described in the Guiding Principles.
The City is committed to fostering a positive and inclusive work environment where staff can grow and thrive. To accomplish this, the City promotes a culture that encourages collaboration, innovation, and mutual respect, while providing staff with opportunities for professional development, mentorship, and skill-building. The City is also dedicated to providing a highly accessible workplace to ensure every team member has the resources and accommodations they need to succeed.
Goal 25 Strategies: A Model Municipality
This goal and the strategies provide guidance on how the City, as an organization, strives to lead by example. The key strategies include operational excellence, proactive asset management, and support for staff to achieve success in delivering high quality services and programs to the Lakewood community.
Primary Strategies
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Integrate health considerations into City policymaking to improve the health of all communities and people in Lakewood.
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Invest in training, technology, and equipment to keep Lakewood’s first responders up to date with current trends and best practices, and to ensure the necessary resources are provided to innovatively and equitably respond to the diverse safety needs and cultural norms within the community.
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Protect lives, prevent property and environmental damage, and stabilize the economy during large-scale emergencies and disasters. Collaborate with internal departments and external organizations to proactively plan for hazard mitigation, emergency preparedness, emergency response, and recovery efforts in order to increase community resilience.
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Develop and support mental and physical wellness programs for the police department employees and their families.
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Establish, enact, enforce, and monitor best practices and standards to integrate equity considerations into City policymaking, programs, actions, and events that will meaningfully improve accessibility, inclusivity, and cultural responsiveness.
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Building on existing efforts, develop and implement a comprehensive strategy for proactively addressing environmental justice across all relevant City operations. As a baseline, this strategy should be informed by the regular collection and monitoring of necessary data—both quantitative and qualitative.
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Continue to update and integrate climate hazard, risk, resilience, mitigation, adaptation, and impact analysis into city documents, reports, plans, and policies related to neighborhoods and corridors, municipal facilities and operations, parks and open space, infrastructure, zoning and building codes, asset management, engineering regulations, procurement, insurance, emergency preparedness, and the city budget process, among others.
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Invite, encourage, and work to remove barriers for residents to take an active role in the city through intentional offerings for civic participation that actively fosters interaction between residents of different backgrounds and experiences. This may include, but not be limited to, elections, volunteering, applying for city grants, joining city boards and commissions, providing public comments on projects, participating in planning processes, accessing special events, participating in creative placemaking efforts, or other public participation processes.
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Reduce outdoor water use on public lands and in municipal facilities through sector specific plans and strategies including continued use and implementation of new low-water irrigation technologies, creating drought-tolerant and waterwise landscapes, retrofitting facilities with high efficiency fixtures, minimizing water leaks and water waste, and through employee education.
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Enhance the urban tree canopy by planting trees along trails, sidewalks, parks, and waterways in priority heat risk areas and targeted areas identified through regular canopy assessments; developing an urban forestry plan; and engaging the public through educational materials, discounted tree sales, and tree planting events.
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Evaluate and prioritize strategies to ensure that all city assets, including parks, buildings, public art, infrastructure, and other structures, are proactively maintained for safe, comfortable, accessible, and inclusive use by community members, city employees and visitors. Prioritize maintenance and enhancement efforts through routine data collection and assessment, including building and site conditions, greenhouse gas emissions, climate hazards, and community experience input. Ensure that risks are managed effectively, and insurance requirements are engaged appropriately throughout the city’s portfolio of assets.
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Responsibly conserve vibrant parks and open space resources through preservation of biodiversity and wildlife habitat, green infrastructure, sustainable practices and environmental stewardship.
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Seek funding and partnerships necessary to achieve high-quality arts, parks, and recreation programs, services, and facilities that meet community needs as defined in the Imagine Tomorrow Plan and any future updates to the Plan.
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Continue to maintain Certified Local Government Status and a qualified Historic Preservation Commission, and explore resources to support the historic preservation program.
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Continue implementing strategies and partnerships that weave arts and culture into all aspects of the City’s work.
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Facilitate the creation of transformative art destinations throughout Lakewood by encouraging diversification of the public art collection, engaging the community and creating public art that is discovered organically and intentionally.
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Develop and implement a municipal operations greenhouse gas emissions inventory and decarbonization plan in alignment with the City’s greenhouse gas reduction targets to prioritize actions that eliminate climate and health impacts from city buildings, fleet, and operations.
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Encourage a mix of housing types through development regulations, policies, and incentives to accommodate different household sizes, income levels, preferences, and needs.
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Continue to support and grow neighborhood-serving programs and projects, such as the Sustainable Neighborhoods Program, Neighborhood Support Team, and Neighborhood Participation Program.
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Establish and implement a plan, including targets and strategies, for city-owned facilities and operations to support the transition to renewable energy and improving energy efficiency while driving continual reductions of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants over the entire lifecycle of the asset based on market innovation and cost factors.
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Review existing funding and seek additional opportunities for the transportation network that will provide reliable infrastructure, improve safety on streets and highways, and result in efficient transportation options.
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Identify and prioritize opportunities to enhance bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, including approaches for regular maintenance such as snow removal and sweeping.
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Support economic growth and innovation through City policy, regulations, tools, and programs
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Strengthen Lakewood’s Municipal Zero Waste Program (encompassing facility operations, meetings, and events) through enhanced employee resources, training tools, standard operating procedures, adopting reusable dishware, comprehensive waste stream collection services, and a circular procurement policy.
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Continue to develop Smart Building, Energy Management, and Building Automation Technologies to actively monitor and optimize the performance of city assets, extend asset lifecycles, and mitigate and adapt to climate change and risk in a manner that continues to provide information and strategies to enhance ongoing projects and maintenance of city assets
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Municipal facilities will set a positive example for sustainable development in the community by meeting applicable code requirements, diverting construction and demolition debris, and piloting opportunities to demonstrate new technologies to the general public.
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Explore innovative opportunities for resources, such as funding, staffing, cross-departmental collaboration, and technical expertise, to achieve Lakewood’s community goals identified in this Comprehensive Plan.
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Ensure City staff are well equipped to provide the best possible service to the community and the organization by investing resources to provide opportunities for training, cross-departmental collaboration, professional growth, and upward mobility in the organization and cultivating a culture of safety, respect and trust.