On Wednesday, his 44th day as Colorado Springs mayor, Yemi Mobolade delivered a progress report on goals he laid out seven weeks ago in a “blueprint” guiding his first hundred days in office.

He met with members of the local media at his office in the City Administration Building downtown for the first of what he plans to be monthly media briefings, delivering on his promise for a more open and transparent government, Mobolade said.

At this first meeting, he shared the progress on three top priorities for his first roughly three months as mayor:

Yemi Mobolade’s unveils ‘blueprint’ for first 100 days in office, guided by 3 top priorities

1. Building support with government officials

Mobolade said Wednesday he is prioritizing building support with government officials at the local, state and federal levels.

His “relationship with the City Council is good,” he said, and his immediate goal is to work with the board to hold a special election, participating in the state’s coordinated election Nov. 7.

Mobolade told the council at its July 11 regular meeting he wants to ask voters this fall to allow the city to retain about $5 million in excess tax revenues to fund construction of a new police academy.

“Both (the mayor’s office and the City Council) are concerned about the safety of our residents,” Mobolade said.

He also plans to hold a joint retreat with the council in August, where Mobolade and the nine-member board that acts as the city’s legislative branch will discuss “a number of issues,” both high-level and strategic, he said.

Mobolade said the 2024 budget planning process is now underway, as well as the process to develop a city strategic plan that prioritizes “city goals and (establishes) measurable outcomes,” the city charter states.

The mayor said he recently visited Washington, D.C., where he met with Colorado’s Sen. Michael Bennet and U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn, along with other federal leaders, to ensure Colorado Springs “has a seat at the table when decisions are made that impact our community,” such as grant opportunities to help fund local infrastructure projects and the permanent location, still to be determined, of Space Command headquarters.

“I want to be the city’s biggest advocate,” he said. 

Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade unveils new city organizational structure

During his first 100 days Mobolade also unveiled a new city organizational structure intended to improve efficiency and effectiveness in delivering essential services, he said.

The new structure features two deputy chiefs of staff, created the new Housing and Community Vitality Department and named a chief housing officer to guide the city’s housing priorities.

2. Engaging the community and building public confidence

Last week, Mobolade launched a series of nine “listening tours” to gather resident feedback at town halls hosted in each of the city’s six districts, he said. The feedback will help guide the city’s direction as Mobolade’s administration begins drafting its strategic plan for 2024 and beyond.

The first such event was held in District 5, covering the central portion of Colorado Springs.

Mobolade also launched the new Office of Community Affairs to focus on engagement with community leaders, neighborhoods, interest groups and community organizations, he said. The new office, he previously said, will serve as a bridge between Mobolade’s office and the community.

Colorado Springs mayor announces new staff focused on building government-community relationships

3. Address the city’s emerging and most pressing issues in the areas of public safety, housing and infrastructure, and economic vitality

Mobolade said Wednesday he is working to build temporary “solutions teams” of 12 to 15 people who can provide analysis and recommendations to his office in the areas of public safety, housing and infrastructure, and economic vitality. Their feedback will help inform the city’s next strategic plan.

The teams will include city department heads and council liaisons, but the majority of their members will be community leaders well-versed in those topics, he said. 

Steve Posey, the city’s former community development division manager recently named Colorado Springs’ chief housing and community vitality officer, will help advance public-private partnerships in the housing arena, Mobolade said. 

The new police training academy Mobolade wants to build will expand on his promises to better public safety, he said.

Retaining police officers has been an ongoing issue and Colorado Springs is still roughly 80 officers short; Mobolade intends to fill each of those positions before his tenure as mayor is over, he said.

Opening a new police academy supports efforts to host a continuous academy every 15 weeks to more quickly get additional police officers on the streets, he said. But some councilmembers this month were concerned about possibly using around $5 million in excess tax revenues, if voters allow it, to build a new facility that could cost $30 million to $40 million, according to unofficial rough estimates Mobolade presented the council this month.

Possible TABOR vote could mean $5 million for Colorado Springs police training facility

City Council is expected to vote at its regular meeting Tuesday whether to hold a special election this fall, paving the way for a possible future ballot question seeking approval to retain excess tax revenues to help build a new police academy.

His efforts to fill more potholes across the city are also coming along, he said, with about 34,000 potholes filled to date.

Mobolade encouraged residents to use the GoCOS! webpage to report issues, complaints or concerns. For example, residents can report potholes, request repairs on park equipment and report code enforcement issues through the webpage, coloradosprings.gov/gocos.

“We depend on (residents) to be our eyes and help inform us of issues,” he said.

A flurry of recent sporting events in the city, from the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb to the World Jump Rope Championships, are helping “fuel” the local economy and put a stamp on the city’s nickname as Olympic City U.S.A., he said.

Residents can view Mobolade’s 100-day blueprint online at coloradosprings.gov/blueprint-mayor-yemis-first-100-days, and can also track his progress on a new digital dashboard launched Wednesday at coloradosprings.gov/100Days.