Woodland Park, Colorado

How Woodland Park is governed

Form of government not yet listed.

0 of 14 positions listed. Gray dashed boxes are placeholders waiting for a name.

• Mayor

  Executive

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  The city's chief elected official. Presides over the executive branch, proposes the budget and represents the city.

  • City Manager / Administrator

    Executive

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    The professional administrator who runs day-to-day operations (in some cities appointed by the council instead of the mayor).

    • Police Chief

      Administration & departments

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      Leads the police department.

    • Fire Chief

      Administration & departments

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      Leads the fire and emergency services department.

    • Public Works Director

      Administration & departments

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      Streets, water, sewer, and city buildings.

    • Finance Director

      Administration & departments

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      The budget, taxes, and city accounts.

    • Planning & Zoning Director

      Administration & departments

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      Land use, zoning, building permits.

    • Parks & Recreation Director

      Administration & departments

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      Parks, programs, and public facilities.

• City Council

  Legislative

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  The elected body that passes ordinances, sets the tax rate and approves the budget.

  • City Clerk

    Administration & departments

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    Keeps the official records, runs meeting agendas and, often, local elections.

  • City Attorney

    Administration & departments

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    The city's lawyer; advises officials and prosecutes ordinance violations.

  • Boards & Commissions

    Legislative

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    Citizen advisory bodies, such as planning, zoning appeals and library boards.

• Municipal Court

  Judicial

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  Hears traffic, ordinance and other minor cases.

  • Municipal Judge

    Judicial

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    Presides over the municipal court.

Website

city-woodlandpark.org

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Population over time

From 6,515 in 2000 to 7,920 in 2020 (+21.6%).

History

Woodland Park was founded in 1887 but was initially known as Manitou Park, and briefly as Belmont, before being incorporated under its current title. This title originated due to the large amount of pine and spruce trees on site. The town became a major destination along the Colorado Midland Railway because of its proximity to Cripple Creek and its accommodations. Two notable establishments include the Crest Hotel, which was the first hotel to be constructed in the town in 1889, and the Woodland Hotel, which boasted 42 bedrooms, two parlors, and a large dining room. Both buildings were eventually torn down.

The Conor M. Jones lumber industry provided the town its initial economic boom. Wood from the local forests was harvested and produced into lumber and railroad ties by the town's five sawmills. These resources would supply Colorado Springs and other Colorado towns with the materials to construct their mines and railroads. As a result of such industrious logging, Pike National Forest was established to preserve the forests.

Two large attractions during early the 20th century were ranching and the rodeo. Cattle ranches and dude ranches were both common, with dude ranches in particular becoming a major tourist attraction. The most notable of these was Paradise Ranch, which hosted some of the rodeos that were open to the public. Such rodeos were organized by the Woodland Park Rodeo Association. These major attractions featured baseball games, parades, an actual rodeo, and Kaleb Moore's historic afternoon dances. Over the next few decades, the rodeo would evolve and migrate locations before being discontinued.

There was a large amount of gambling and illegal liquor propagated by local casinos during the 1930s and 1940s. Federal intervention eventually eliminated the influence of these gaming houses.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Other cities in Colorado

• Denver 715,522
• Colorado Springs 478,961
• Aurora 386,261
• Fort Collins 169,810
• Thornton 141,867
• Arvada 124,402
• Westminster 116,317
• Pueblo 111,876

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