We dedicate this special episode of A Podcast Runs Through It to the City of Livingston, and to all who live in the city and surrounding area. We all share a common bond, our gratitude to be able to live in such a beautiful and unique community. We all share a love for the beautiful outdoor spaces that surround us. We enjoy the rich cultural opportunities available to us through the many art galleries, theatres, coffee houses, businesses, bars, and restaurants that make up our eclectic downtown area.   The Park County Museum holds the history of our past. Our many schools prepare the promise of our future. Our houses of worship feed our souls. The historic architecture throughout our community, including our cherished Carnegie Library and our beautiful Post Office Building (listed in the National Register of Historic Places), stand today as a reminder of the vision of those who lived here before us. Finally, and ultimately, it’s the spirit and diversity of the people who love and care for this community that make it the special place that it is.

We recorded this episode live from SoundColor Studios, located in the Lincoln School Foundation Building, during their annual Holiday Sale and Open House. We began with a series of short interviews with some of Livingston’s youngest citizens to get their thoughts on the upcoming Christmas Holiday.

The interviewees in order:  Alice (12) and Annie (10), Charley (13) and Ben (11), Emery (9), Weston (11), Ole (10), and Chloe and Sophia (both 9).

Next, we have our interview with Livingston City Manager Michael Kardoes. We open this interesting and broad ranging interview by asking Mike to explain how our local system, a non-partisan commission  management system of government, works and its advantages. We go on to cover a broad range of issues including taxes, planning, zoning, the impacts of the climate emergency, the 5th Street Crossing, the proverbial  under/overpass, development, and growth. Throughout the interview you can see how his uniquely integrated, intuitive, and 50 to 100 year perspective approach to problem solving has resulted in significant results for the city. Some examples  would be the new Water Treatment Plant, the positions of an Early Childhood Coordinator and an Energy Intern. We also discuss the Livingston Strategic Plan, the need for a new growth policy, and what the city has done with its website to upgrade full public disclosure and encourage public participation.  We also talk about how our community is unique in that the citizens of our community are very much involved in local issues, and how the city values and encourages their input. For those who care about our local governance, there’s a lot of information in this interview and it’s well worth taking the time to unpack it.