New members and a new mayor were sworn in during the Nov. 27 Lakewood City Council meeting. The meeting kicked off with the Pledge of Allegiance led by two groups of young guests: Girl Scout Troop 68211 and Webelos Arrow of Light Den from Cub Scouts Troop 748.
New mayor, new council members inducted
The night began with an induction ceremony for the new mayor and city council members. Mayor Wendi Strom was sworn in by Municipal Judge Nicole Bozarth. She replaces two-term mayor Adam Paul.
After the induction, Paul recessed for a reception in the lobby of city hall. The council meeting that followed was Strom’s first time presiding as mayor.
The newly appointed official found the first meeting to be a mixed bag of emotions.
“It was different,” Strom said. She compared the experience to her tenure as mayor pro tem in 2023. “There were a lot of similarities that helped me feel a little bit more like I knew the flow. It’s so different, running the meeting versus just participating in a meeting.”
Four new Council members were inducted during the meeting as well. Glenda Sinks Ward 1, Roger Low Ward 3, Jacob LaBure Ward 5 and Dave Rein Ward 4 were sworn in. Isabel Cruz Ward 2, was not in attendance and will be sworn in at a later date. Each new councilor was sworn in by Judge Bozarth.
The induction of all the new members was followed by a reception on Monday night.
To see the induction ceremony, tune in to Lakewood, CO on YouTube.
Public commenters speak against the proposed Belmar Park development
Several Lakewood residents spoke up at the meeting against the proposed development planned for 777 Yarrow St. Longtime residents who live next to the park and others who visit the park regularly spoke, imploring the council to prevent the development from moving forward.
Mary Pietro spoke about the birds she sees on her daily walks through Belmar Park. Pietro said the bald eagles and other bird species need to be considered and protected.
James Grant echoed her concerns, asking the council and Mayor Strom to consider the park’s importance to the city.
Other speakers, including those from the Save Belmar Park organization, spoke about the ill effects that the new development would have on the water, the animal habitat, and other aspects of the park.
Other comments covered plowing bike lanes, continuing from the comments left online at LakewoodSpeaks.org. Three comments went into great detail about the issue.
For more information or to watch the meeting, check out Lakewood, Colorado on YouTube.
