Leading up to the July 15th City Council meeting, councilmembers and the mayor had received various e-mails from constituents voicing their opinions on the same issue: the possible installation of a synthetic turf field in Greenwood Village. Although the majority of these e-mails expressed overwhelming support for synthetic turf, the conversation dealing with how to move forward regarding this issue was not simple by any means. With the community’s opinions in mind, the Council discussed both the advantages and disadvantages of investing in such a field. The main benefits seem to be the water savings that would result from replacing a traditional grass field with a synthetic field as well as the fact that synthetic grass can often be used during inclement weather and therefore provide for extended use when compared with natural grass fields. On the other hand, synthetic turf fields also have some drawbacks, including the high costs of installation, maintenance, and sanitation. With doubts about how useful one turf field will be and if there is room in the city’s budget for such an undertaking, the Council found itself not only deliberating these pros and cons, but also debating how to best respond to the public pressure to move forward with the installation of turf.
Elected officials at all levels of government in the United States regularly face a similar predicament of balancing the wishes expressed by some constituents and taking the course of action that is best for the community as a whole. Personally, I feel that in order for our system of government to work productively, it is essential for elected officials to listen to and be respectful of the public’s opinion. However, this process is complicated, as many constituents are often not well-versed about every side of a complex issue or the impact that a decision will have on the entire community. Therefore, for our system of government to operate at its full potential, responsibility falls on both the governed and the government. Constituents must strive to stay informed in order to effectively communicate their preferences with government officials. In turn, it is vital for municipal, state, and national governments to pay attention to the community’s desires. Elected officials must then weigh the pros and cons of an issue alongside the public’s opinion and then remain transparent and explain its decision making process to citizens.
Along these lines, the City Council remained realistic in its discussion of the installation of a synthetic turf field. Realizing that there is no room in the 2014 Capital Improvement Budget (CIP) for an investment of this nature, the Council kept the e-mails it had received in mind and suggested both putting the installation of a synthetic turf field into a future CIP and also continuing to communicate with the public about this issue.
Olivia Solow Niederman
Having just completed my junior year at Cherry Creek High School, I am looking forward to going beyond the classroom to pursue my interests in government, politics, and public policy. For the past two years, I have given back to my community by serving as a board member on the Rose Youth Foundation, where I collaborated with 22 other teenagers to allocate grants to organizations working to better the greater Denver area. In addition to community service, an important part of my life has always been gymnastics. I have competed for USA gymnastics since I was six and have been a member of the varsity team at Cherry Creek High School since freshman year. From maintaining commitments to time management to conquering fears, I have gained so much from all of these experiences and am excited to learn more from serving as an intern for Greenwood Village.
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