Kali Janda, Edgewater City Council Candidate
Over the next week, we will be spotlighting candidates for Edgewater City Council and Mayor. All candidates were sent the same questions. We do not edit the answers and post them as they were sent.
Kali Janda, Candidate for Edgewater City Council
Occupation
Mom + American Sign Language Interpreter + City Councilwoman
What do you love about Edgewater?
There is so much to love about Edgewater, and I sincerely adore this city. I love my neighbors. I love walking and riding bikes/scooters around town with my family. I love shopping at Edgewater businesses and engaging with city programs, sports and activities with my wife and our 2 year old and 5 year old kiddos. I love the Edgewater Pride parade each June and the Hometown Festival each September. I love the way we work together as a community to innovate and create a sustainable future, while still honoring the past and the quirkiness of our small town.
I love it for the same reason many others do, too – that small-town charm nestled between the big city and the beautiful mountains. I feel exceptionally lucky to live in Edgewater and to be raising my family here. It truly is the “city of choice.”
What do you view as the role of Edgewater City Council?
A councilmember is a nonpartisan public servant of our small, yet mighty city. The Council acts as a body that represents the greater community in supporting and guiding Edgewater infrastructure, implementing goals from the city’s strategic plan and community’s comprehensive plan, and being good stewards of the budget. It’s important that the City Council works in tandem with the community, the city manager, the mayor, the boards and commissions to consider the needs of all and advance appropriate solutions. But when it really boils down to it, the primary role is to care. To listen and to consider everyone. To take time to research and ask questions and make decisions that support our community. To check your ego and your biases at the door before entering chambers. And to show up for the people who live, work, learn, shop or play in Edgewater – regardless of their age, who they love, what they look like, how they worship, if they rent or own or are unhoused, the language they use, or where they are from.
Which of Edgewater’s recent legislative actions is your least favorite? Which is your favorite?
Our city has taken some exceptionally innovative steps over the years. My favorite recent legislative action was probably Ordinance 2023-07, which establishes a local minimum wage requirement in Edgewater. I support Ordinance 2023-05, concerning sidewalk widening standards for updates and new projects, essentially making our city more accessible for all future builds and updates. This legislation passed in March of this year, and we can already see it in place on the sidewalk along 20th Avenue. [I am passionate about ADA accessibility, and this is a lens I’ve added to many conversations on Council since my appointment in May.] That said, there are still sidewalks and parts of Edgewater that are inaccessible and figuring out a financing structure that works for property owners and the city is both a challenge and a continuous priority to me. There aren’t any recent ordinances I would consider a “least favorite.”
What role can Edgewater City Council play in supporting current small businesses and attracting new ones?
Small businesses are the heart of our city. City Council can support small businesses by making sure they are aware of and have access to the various city resources available, like the small business grant program or “Leading Edge,” a 10-week business course for Edgewater restaurants. Being patrons of our local businesses is important, sharing and spotlighting them to the community is imperative as well. Helping current businesses thrive also helps attract new businesses to our community. Although Council does not have the purview to make decisions on privately-owned business spaces, there are potential opportunities for city-owned spaces to be zoned for “mixed-use,” which gives the city unique options for diverse incoming small businesses.
Why should Edgewater residents vote for you?
Edgewater residents, you have great folks on your ballot this fall! Please vote for me because I’m extremely passionate about our city… it honestly brings me to tears! I’ve already been serving on City Council for 6 months, since my appointment for a vacant seat earlier this year, so I will be able to dive right in on day one of this term. I also sit on the board of directors for the Edgewater Collective and Edgewater Pride. Being connected in this way has helped me meet so many amazing neighbors, which is what led me to apply for the appointment and begin this Council journey.
My family has been in Edgewater for generations; my wife and I have lived in our home here since October of 2015 – exactly 8 years on Halloween! My roots run deep in this community, and I plan to raise my family here for the long run. In three decades, I’ve personally observed drastic change in Edgewater. But I’ve also seen a lot of special elements of this city that haven’t changed… our neighborly compassion, our love for this place we get to call home, and a shared dream to continue enjoying this beautiful city for many years to come.
To learn more, please visit my website, www.kaliforedgewater.com or email me, kaliforedgewater@gmail.com. You can also find me on Instagram, @kaliforedgewater. I would be honored to receive your vote.
Joel has been a resident of Edgewater, Colorado with his family since 2012. He is the Executive Director of local education nonprofit Edgewater Collective and Editor of the Edgewater Echo.
Be the first to comment on "Edgewater City Council Candidate Spotlight: Kali Janda"