One-on-one with Colorado Springs City Councilman David Leinweber

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — News5 is taking the time to check in with Colorado Springs city councilmembers to share their voices outside of city council meetings and hear what their messages are to their constituents.

This week, we are highlighting City Councilman David Leinweber. Leinweber was elected to an at-large seat in 2023.

MENTAL HEALTH WAS A TOP PRIORITY FOR YOU WHEN RUNNING FOR YOUR SEAT, HOW FAR HAVE YOU COME WITH HELPING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES OR SUPPORT?

"Well, I'm actually pretty excited about a lot of stuff I've been able to lean into and really elevate in our city. Mental health, as you know, is a big challenge for our nation and particularly for our county, as we have been leading in suicides for really decades. And a large part of that is because we have a military background. But the good news is that military suicides are down 33 percent, which is just amazing. We have some great work by some organizations such as Mount Carmel and Next Chapter is another organization part of Mount Carmel that really is leaning into that group. But the other great news is that the county just announced last year we were down 18 percent in suicides, which is amazing. Now we still had 155 people who took their lives because they just couldn't find meaning or purpose anymore. We just need to keep working to change that. How do we elevate real life and how do we improve that quality of life for everybody that we can really diminish that aspect. So very exciting stuff. And actually the icing on top is that youth suicides were down 60 percent. So it's sometimes difficult to like put numbers to those kind of things, but that is a clear number that really demonstrates that we're doing some good, we're doing something. It is one year. I'm hoping next year we have just as good of results, right?"

WHAT OTHER ACTION HAVE YOU TAKEN TO HELP WITH MENTAL HEALTH IN COLORADO SPRINGS?

"Well, the big thing, and I really can't say enough for Mayor Yemi just really wanting to come alongside, but this idea of community activation, like how do we activate the community? Because Government can't... and shouldn't do everything. We need to get the community engaged and involved. I mean, that's really what builds a strong community. And so community activation piece. And so a big dynamic of that is the initiative that I helped kind of brainstorm, called our neighborhood gatherings. And it was actually a block party, but we couldn't block 1,000 neighborhoods and we couldn't use the word party for obvious reasons. So we came up with neighborhood gatherings and it's been a huge success. We've got tons of neighborhoods that have activated. There was a story I just heard yesterday, this couple who had lived in their community for 50 years and they never knew their neighbors. And for the first time, they threw a block party this summer and they had a fantastic time. And now they've developed some relationships right across the street. I mean, that's what's great, right?"

ANOTHER MAJOR FOCUS FOR YOU HAS BEEN THE OUTDOORS, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THAT YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED IN THAT REALM?

"Well, I think the big part about the outdoors is, one, I want to really establish that we have an amazing city park system. But we have to keep in mind that only goes to the border of the city. Anything beyond that isn't something that we as city officials have any kind of control over whatsoever. So we do a great job. And I'll illustrate that example. You have our Blodgett Open Space. We just finished the master plan. They've already started work on that whole process. It's really pretty exciting stuff. We've really gone in to balance outdoor recreation and conservation in a really meaningful way. Maybe not everyone's happy, but that's probably a good thing. So, but overall, I think it's just a really great plan. But here's the challenge. After you leave the city boundary, there's one mile to the peak. And so the city has been for years trying to work with the Forest Service to allow them to finish the trail, that one-mile trail. And the Forest Service just doesn't have the capacity or the means to do that, even though the city would be doing all the heavy lifting. And so that's the challenge. So how do we work with the Forest Service in such a way that we can finish these things? Because right now there's like 6 just illegal trails, you want to call them, or just social trails or whatever? And they're not designed to handle loads of people. They just scurry up the hill, you know. And so they're not really built in a sustainable way because they weren't built. And the truth of the matter is, in our national forest, we have more illegal or unauthorized trails than we do authorized. And some people might look at that as a big problem. I kind of look at it as people have voted with their feet. They've kind of said where they want to go. how can we come in and determine if that's a good authorized, could that become an authorized trail? And then how do we build it in a way that's sustainable? And then how do we provide a greater resource to the public who's looking to get outdoors and recreate? You know, we have a lot of busy parks like this one here at Red Rock Canyon. And a lot of people concentrate here. You come here on a Saturday, you might not find a place to park, right? So how do we elevate greater opportunities for outdoor recreation throughout our community? Well, that's going to be partnering with key partners about expanding what we can do up on Pikes Peak."

WITH A BUDGET SHORTFALL, HOW ARE YOU KEEPING PARKS AND OPEN SPACES OFF THE BACKBURNER WHEN IT COMES TO THE BUDGET?

"In terms of conservation, this is one of the things that is really amazing about our city, because yes, we want to try to conserve land and kind of reduce development on things that we might want to protect for generations, right? Well, welcome to our TOPS program. TOPS was designed to be able to raise money. It's a sales tax that we collect, and that money goes into a bucket that we can then leverage to buy property, which that's what we've done. Like Blodgett Peak, for example, I just mentioned, that was purchased with TOPS funds. And so that is not connected to the city budget. That is not part, it is set aside and designed for that purpose of expanding open space and opportunities for people to enjoy recreation and just being out in nature. So that's the great news is we have that program and it's really been proven to be a huge success and very exciting.

WHY CHOOSE TO MEET ME IN RED ROCK CANYON OPEN SPACE?

"I think the big thing, I mean, I could have been in a number of different places, but the value is, I mean, just take our military, for example. Every time someone retires, where do they want to live? They want to live in Colorado Springs. Lots of people want to live here because of the values we have around outdoor recreation. And so when we look at the economic values, not just in the industry itself, outdoor recreation, by the way, is a $1.2 trillion industry nationally. It's huge. And just to give the viewers context, if you take the entire pharmaceutical industry and the entire oil and gas industry and combine them, outdoor rec would be larger than both of them combined. That's how big and powerful outdoor recreation is. And you don't have to look far. Look at all the stuff you have in your garage, right? You've contributed to the outdoor recreation economy and all the hotel stays, the ways that people go to communities, tourism benefits, all that. Our sales tax is largely dependent upon tourism. And most of those tourists come here for our outdoor values. So who or what is Colorado Springs? I wouldn't say it's a building. I'd say it's this." [LEINWEBER MOTIONS TO THE OPEN SPACE AROUND HIM]

WHAT ARE YOU DOING RIGHT NOW TO HELP LOCAL BUSINESSES?

"Well, the key part there is that, is really... encourage business to consider shopping local and helping local businesses really thrive. That's always, I mean, that's the general motto. But I think another piece to that is really welcoming people to come and visit Colorado Springs. Again, I mentioned tourism. We had 25 million people visit here this last year, 25 million. And those people came and ate at our restaurants, they stayed at our hotels, they bought our gas, they went into our retail stores, and they contributed a huge part of our sales tax that we didn't have to pay. So someone else is helping pay our bills. And so if we can encourage friends and families to say, come on out, let me take you on some of these amazing trails that we have, or up to Pikes Peak and get a donut, or to go out fly fishing, right? I might know of a company that does that."

TELL ME MORE ABOUT YOUR COMPANY ANGLER'S COVEY.

"So currently, I'm still the primary owner and she's number two [his daughter].
I've been a heavy advocate for outdoor rec for a number of years. I helped start Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance, and it's become just a model throughout the state for regional partnerships of gathering people together to take on the outdoor rec challenges that we have. We have over 100 different partners now that are part of our organization that's really leaning in, and we're really trying to tackle some of the challenges that we have. So in that context, I was just one of those players. And certainly, I know a lot about fly fishing, and we try to do the best job we can. I hear good reports that we're doing a good job. And our numbers are good. And I really am thankful for all the customers over the years that have really supported us. But I had some challenges there because eight years ago, we had two guides who committed suicide in a year. And I turned for resources as a business owner that really cares deeply about employees and family. And in that experience, I couldn't find what I needed. And that led me to kind of think about, well, who's advocating for this? Who's pushing these type of things? And I didn't hear the conversation during the mayor race when Mobilati one, and I didn't hear it at first. And so I began to kind of voice, and then I decided that's what I need to do. I need to run to elevate the voice for mental health. And that's that part with community activation that we talked about earlier."

SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS, TWO EMPLOYEES IN ONE YEAR MUST OF BEEN INCREDIBLY HARD ON YOU.

"But that's every small business. I mean, every small business is dealing with challenges within their employees as they try to create that family environment, right? That's what's really special about working in a small business versus a big corporation."

WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM YOUR CONSTITUENTS?

"Well, there's no question that the homeless crisis is really here and we need to deal with it in a thoughtful way. Some of the things that I believe we're doing are correct, but there's a big missing gap. And that gap is that we do not have a mental health hospital in our region. We just don't have it. So right now, for particularly the people that are very mentally challenged or really gone down the path of drug addiction and all the things involved with that, really people that are really... Our rescue mission is an amazing rescue mission. They've won a number of awards and do great work. And their bar for like what it takes to be able to get in is very, very low. But there are still 100 people that don't make that bar because they're too much of a risk to that population. And we're not addressing that group. And that's the group that's shouting at the corners. That's the group that's throwing chairs through windows and businesses. That's the group that's doing all these things. And where do they go? Well, they can go to jail. Well, that just doesn't last very long and they cycle out. Or they can go to our emergency rooms. Well, that's a high cost to the community. We haven't looked to invest in something that can really address this issue, some kind of crisis stabilization unit of some sort. So I'm trying to bring key partners together to really kind of elevate this conversation around this. How do we address the chronically mentally ill that are on our streets? How do we address these issues? And it's a difficult topic because we just don't have people who just need a job. There are certainly that group that is out homeless right now. They need to just get a job, no question. But there's a lot of people that just don't have that ability because of some of the mental health and drug addiction challenges that they have. And we need as a community to come alongside them and really try to navigate that so that we can get them to a more stable position and move them through our process of really elevating them in our community somehow."

HOW CAN THE COMMUNITY HELP IN THAT MISSION?

"Well, it's identified... President Trump identified it in an executive order on the disorderly streets and crime executive order. Within that, he talks about the need for these mental health centers and what that's going to look like at the federal level. We don't quite know yet, but how are we as a community getting ready for that moment when there might be some dollars available? How do we together really identify this issue and work with the state And then really, how do we bring key partners together like UCHealth, like Common Spirit? I mean, they're feeling the blunt of it in their emergency rooms. If you've ever taken a loved one to an emergency room, particularly in the evening, you can't help but notice the amount of homeless people that are at our emergency rooms. Using that doctor's time when your loved one needs to be taken care of. And that's a big challenge, I think."

ANY INDIVIDUAL OR ORGANIZATION YOU WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE?

"Well, I think the biggest thing is. Pikes Peak is what we're recognized for now. I get the Olympic City USA. I understand that. I think it's a good logo and everything, but when you actually talk to people about Colorado Springs. They're going to say, oh yeah, Pikes Peak, because that's America's mountain. And when you really look at America's Mountain and how well it's developed in terms of outdoor recreation and really balancing it with conservation, I mean, that's the key thing. We don't want to make it a Disneyland per se, but we do need to weigh in and look at greater opportunities that we can do with our mountain and with our region in terms of elevating outdoor recreation opportunities and draw tourists here and actually disperse people from different areas like this park here. I mean, we're here during the week and we don't have a whole lot of people behind us. But I can tell you on Saturday, this parking lot is full and there's usually people parked down the street. And so these type of areas are just overwhelmed. we need to have more access points to the outdoors. So how do we create that? And so I'm really proud of the fact that I helped create a plan with the help of Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance. And it's about a 300-page document that lays out a master vision for Pikes Peak, what it could be, and particularly around an idea about creating a different management model. So on the Arkansas Headwaters, there's 152 miles of the Arkansas River, and there's five different land managers. It's managed by one agency, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and they have been doing an amazing job. And there's a test to that. You know what the test is? Their bathrooms are the cleanest in the state. That is the test. If you have clean and open bathrooms, you're doing something right. And so anyway, we're looking at trying to take that model And how could CPW possibly take over the management? Well, they currently manage all wildlife, okay, across the state, but how could they manage humans on Pikes Peak in terms of outdoor recreation and conservation and those kind of pieces? Now, the Forest Service will still own their land. It's still going to be the forest. Utilities and Colorado Springs will own their land. The county will own their land. BLM will own. And those will clearly be recognized and valued. But in terms of managing folks, we just need better management. And so I'm really excited that we've kind of, we've got an agreement between the land managers that they are looking forward to how can we look at this type of model for Pikes Peak. And it could become a recreation area. The governor is 100% behind it. He's actually been down here twice. He wants to see America's mountain really taken care of and done, just really improved the qualities and the things that we can offer. What's the customer experience? That's my retail background, right? What's the customer experience? How can we elevate that? I mean, it shouldn't just be about donuts, right? Although we do have an amazing summit house, okay? But do we have great picnic spots along the way on the highway? How can we get those developed? Camping on the peak, there's only 11 campsites on the entire massive of over 250,000 acres. There's only 11 campsites. How do we develop greater opportunities like that in a way that is managed well? And that's what CPW does. If you've been to any state park, you've recognized that. Cheyenne Mountain is a great example. What an amazing state park that's right, just right here. And so that is probably one of my biggest, I think, accomplishments that's in process still. But the thing is we have people talking. That's the hardest part, right? Is to get people talking and saying, how can we move forward to really elevate Pikes Peak and America's Mountain and really bring greater opportunity for both our residents and the 25 million people that visit us every year."

ARE YOU BEHIND REBRANDING OLYMPIC CITY U.S.A. TO SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF PIKES PEAK?

"I don't think it's... I love Olympic City USA. I love the whole concept and I love the idea. There's no reason those things can't run in parallel. Because what athlete doesn't want to leverage the asset of Pikes Peak? I mean, a number of races go up Pikes Peak. You know, we've got a number of marathons, all those kind of things, right? So I find that they're in harmony. But Pikes Peak is what brought people here. I mean, it's been around a few years, a lot longer than Olympic City USA. And I think we need to elevate that. And the other thing that's really, really important here is the outdoor rec community, although I express how big it is, $1.2 trillion nationally, like we should be leaning into that, right? But the other piece is the quality of life issue. So when those defense contractors or the defense industry and those businesses and stuff look for places to live, do you think they really want to live in Alabama? Or would they want to live here in Colorado Springs? I can tell you where they want, where they want to live. They want to live here because of our outdoor values. So how do we elevate those values? And and really, that's that's what makes us different than Austin, makes us different than a lot of other communities that we're competing with on an economic level for some of those high-priced jobs and those big businesses. We're competing, and so that's what gives us a little bit of extra, is being able to live in this environment, of course I want to live here, right? So That's the downside for those that are already in the door, is that we have a lot of people that want to come join us. And so, but we have to look at that as a positive. Change is always, change is hard, but necessary. And if you don't have growth, then you have stagnation. And man, you don't have to look far in America to see stagnation and what it's done to communities like Detroit and so are these other communities. I mean, when you get stagnation, you have serious issues. You can't pay your bills. There's a number of things that go wrong with stagnation. So we do not want stagnation. We have to maintain growth, not like accelerated growth, but with good plan, growth. And of course, city council has a big part in trying to kind of figure out what that future growth might looks like. And it takes a moment to really think through that. Like, would this development really benefit the community? And so sometimes I voted for them and sometimes I voted against them. And that's kind of a key part of it. So I take my small business mindset and I look at it and I know I want more customers, but is this the right thing for Colorado Springs right now?"

ANY LAST MESSAGE YOU HAVE TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS?

"You know, one of the cool things I like about Colorado Springs is there is a lot of people that really have leaned into our community and volunteer in many different ways. whether it's at the hospital, whether it's working on a trail, whether it's working with homeless folks. That effort is so rewarding. And I think we do a great job. And I would like to inspire people to try, how do we get to an Olympic level? How do we do an Olympic job? Like, how do we get our entire community to lean in and think about how can they give back to the community in some shape or form. And what they'll find is they'll find more meaning and purpose in their own lives as they kind of give back to someone and really contribute to the community at large. That's what activating community is all about. That's what we need to do as a community is find some small ways to give something positive to someone, some act, some kindness, some gesture, And just donate a day. Donate a day to work on a trail. Donate a day to help with a homeless cleanup. Donate a day to get some training on suicide prevention. Find a way to kind of reach out to that guy that's in the cubicle that nobody talks to. You know, those are some statistics that are really hard is when we talked earlier about suicide. 75% of all suicide are white males. And it's a hard number because it's not a group that typically gets a lot of fundraising. And yet 75% of all suicides is white males. And so look for that guy. Reach out to him. Ask him how he's doing. Get him engaged. Invite him over for dinner. Do something to kind of be active in the community. And if everyone just does their small part, we'll elevate this city to an Olympic level that just can't be measured."

ABOUT DAVID LEINWEBER FROM HIS CITY PROFILE:

David lives and breathes the outdoors – both recreationally and professionally. He has worked in the outdoor recreation industry for over 40 years, and with his wife, Becky, has owned and managed Angler’s Covey – a Colorado Springs specialty fly fishing shop, guide service, and learning center – over 26 years. Over the past few years, their daughter, Rachel, has taken over most of the operations of the family business. Angler’s Covey is one of the largest fly shops in the country and has received several awards for their innovation in the industry, support of the community, and outstanding customer service.

David and Becky have been married for 40 years and both are Colorado natives. They moved to Colorado Springs in 1991 with their twins, Rachel, and Jonathan, and lived in the Village Seven community until 2004 when they moved to the west side and expanded Angler’s Covey to its current location at 21st street and Cimarron/ Highway 24.

David’s involvement in the local community has been a consistent thread throughout his life. In 2016, David founded the Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance (PPORA), partnering with Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC and Visit Colorado Springs. PPORA works to strengthen the outdoor recreation industry for the Pikes Peak region through leadership and collaboration. PPORA was recognized as the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Southeast Region Partner of the Year for 2020 and the Rocky Mountain Field Institute Stewardship Partner of the Year in 2022 and leads the region’s Colorado Outdoor Regional Partnership.

David has always felt that it’s important to engage in our community and give back. For example, in 2010 David started the Colorado Springs Fly Fishing Film Tour, an event that has raised over $20,000 each year for Project Healing Waters, a nonprofit that serves physically and mentally disabled active-duty military and veterans in the Pikes Peak region by providing fly fishing opportunities. In 2022 David founded a new fund under the Pikes Peak Community Foundation called “The Morning Hatch Foundation” with the mission of funding organizations and programs supporting the mental and emotional needs of the local community through transformational outdoor experiences that cultivate hope.

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