Do immigrants take there oath of citizenship in Fort Collins?

For those not born in the U.S., it takes a lot of effort to become a U.S. Citizen. And the further away you live from Denver, the more effort it takes.

Immigrants attend their naturalization ceremony at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Centennial. It's the only USCIS office Colorado, according to the official website. Regardless of where you are in the state, that's the place to test and take the oath. According to the website, Judicial Ceremonies occur two times each month and Administrative Ceremonies weekly.

Immigrants must pass both an English test as well as a Civics test. Want to give it a shot? Here's an example test used for study on the USCIS website: Sample test.

I can't find an affordable rental and need some financial assistance. Who should I contact in Fort Collins?

Ask anyone trying to rent in Fort Collins and they'll tell you: Finding housing in Fort Collins can be tougher than Chuck Norris in an Old Town bar fight.

But add the need for financial assistance and it can feel pretty overwhelming. Thankfully, there are folks who can help.

You might start by calling 211 – the United Way help line that connects people to a variety of services. They can point you in the right direction for you.

Larimer County Department of Human Services (www.larimer.org/dhs/) provides services which assist individuals and families to achieve self-sufficiency and social well being. Services can include financial assistance for shelter, food and medical care.

Fort Collins Housing Authority (http://fchousing.com/) provides a variety of affordable housing services and education. There are waiting lists for government subsidized housing, but FCHA offers other housing assistance programs and can direct residents to state and federal aid.

Neighbor to Neighbor (http://n2n.org) is another good resource, offering 126 affordable apartments and support to residents. 

And if you're in need of temporary help paying rent, you may want to contact Catholic Charities (http://www.uwaylc.org/ncesf/recipientagencies/catholiccharitieslarimer.html).

Good luck out there. I'm rooting for you.

Why are they dragging their feet on moving forward on the Foothills Mall?

The process is certainly taking longer than expected, but I wouldn't go so far as to say they are dragging their feet. You try spending $53 million dollars of public money and see how long it takes you.

This is a very large, complicated and expensive project with an awful lot of back and forth. When council approved the financing package back in the spring, the final details had yet to be worked out. Mall developers wanted more money, the city was reluctant. The city wanted the Foothills Activity Center repositioned on the site, that meant different designs and a delay. Negotiations on where to put Sears also delayed things. And, either because of the cost of the project and the city’s unwillingness to give any more money in tax incentives, the project was redesigned with more one-story buildings than two. 

That redesign has now occurred and the project has to go back to the Planning and Zoning board (Thursday) for approval and then back to City Council for reapproval of the financing package. The process is going slower than I suspect either side is happy with, but the delays were more logistical than feet dragging.

But if you're going to spend $53 million, you might as well do it right.

Right?

Why are County Commissioners full time paid positions and not regular citizens like the city councils?

The short answer: Because we, the people of Colorado, said so.

County commissions are unusual beasts – elected by voters, commissioners serve both executive and legislative roles. 

In Larimer County, even though the county has a full-time county manager, the three commissioners help directly run the government and also attend public meetings on behalf of constituents. They also make county regulations themselves.  In Weld County, there are five commissioners, who directly run the government with the assistance of a finance and administration director. And in Boulder County, the three commissioners run the county themselves, with assistance from appointed staff. 

Supporters of this system say the amount of day-to-day work that arises in managing a geographically large area like a county is best handled in partnership between the commissioners and their professional staff. In some smaller counties, like Mineral, the county commissioners consider themselves part-time, and as such only take a part-time salary. 

But the long and short of why comes down to this: Because that’s what the Colorado Constitution says they are.

The city Police Chief is appointed based on skills, but the Larimer County Sheriff is elected based on political activity. Why isn't the sheriff an appointed position?

Thinking about taking a run at Justin Smith's job, are you? There are definitely perks, like driving around a giant S.W.A.T. truck. But winning a public election is no easy feat.  

In all seriousness, both jobs are tough and carry a lot of responsibility. The reason for allowing voters to pick the top-ranking law enforcement official in their county, supporters of the elected-sheriff system say, is that it's an important check on law enforcement. By picking candidates they ideologically support, voters have a say in how much emphasis will be placed on topics such as traffic offenses or drugs. Our current sheriff, Justin Smith, says being directly elected helps keep him accountable to the public he serves, rather than acting as a bureaucrat.

There are two counties in Colorado where the sheriff is appointed, not elected: Broomfield and Denver. In Denver, the sheriff is also the city’s public safety manager. In Broomfield, it’s the police chief who holds that title.

What does the health district do? And why does it need an elected board?

People ask the same thing about me all the time. Which is a little redundant once I answer them. "What do I do? I answer questions." You can see the awkwardness in that, right?

Thankfully, no awkwardness in this answer. The health district of Northern Larimer County provides dental, mental health, prescription assistance and health promotions services in Northern Larimer County. It also owns Poudre Valley Hospital, which it leases to University of Colorado Health.

It is a special tax district, like the school district, Poudre Fire Authority and water district, created by voters in 1960. As such, it is governed by a publicly elected board.

Is there a fort somewhere in Fort Collins? If not, how did the city get its name?

The Choice City. The Napa of Beer. Fort Fun. FoCo. There's no shortage of nicknames for Fort Collins.

But why do we call it Fort Collins in the first place?

Fort Collins began as Camp Collins in 1862, named for the popular commander at Fort Laramie, Lt. Col. William O. Collins. Camp Collins served as a base for patrolling and protecting stage and emigrant trails.

On Aug. 20, 1864, Col. Collins issued Special Order Number One, calling for a "permanent post on the Cache la Poudre River." This moved the installation from a camp to a fort, which was ready for occupancy in October of 1864. Two and a half years later, the fort was ordered abandoned. The name stuck as civilians who had been allowed to settle on the military ground stayed and formed the nucleus of the fledgling town's population.