AYP March Meeting: A Look at City of Arvada Operations and How to Get Involved

The mission of Arvada Young Professionals is to positively shape the future of Arvada through professional development, community involvement, and building authentic relationships. 2021 is all about community leadership experiences.

At our AYP meeting on March 17th, we had the opportunity to hear from Mark Deven, Arvada’s City Manager on how the City of Arvada functions and what you can do to get involved.

Takeaways from the discussion:

1. Arvada’s city management structure is unique and promotes collaboration among different departments.
2. Arvada was faced with a lot of challenges during the pandemic, but because of the work system structure that is set up, the city of Arvada was able to reach the homeless population more effectively. The city permanently housed 33 people who would have otherwise not been reached.
3.  Transparency is important! Keeping the community, city council, and other relevant organizations informed is a big priority to ensure that everything works smoothly.
4.  Arvada’s funding structure is tied to performance and outcomes that are easily tracked and part of the budget. You can check out Arvada’s budget here.
5. Getting involved with a project you are passionate about just takes some communication. Speak Up Arvada, an online engagement platform allows you to make your voice heard on the issues that are important to you.

Get involved!

• Connect with Mark Deven and the City of Arvada
• If you are passionate about politics, running for city council can put you in a position to really help where it matters.
• Becoming a member of a board, commission, or committee is a great way to invest in the city and share your talents. 
• Invest in Arvada with AEDA 

Additional Resources:

• AEDA
• Speak Up Arvada
• Community Table
• Contact the City of Arvada
• Get involved with Ralston House

This article was written in collaboration with the Arvada Young Professionals Action Team members. To learn more about the AYP Action Team and their role within the chamber, please contact AYP Action Team Lead, Hassan Kazi at hassan@homebot.ai or AYP Staff Liaison Molly Kust at molly@arvadchamber.org. 

To explore the many benefits of joining Arvada Young Professionals, visit arvadachamber.org/AYP.