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The Civic Assembly will convene over two weekends—
April 12-13 and
May 3-4, 2025 at
222 Laporte Ave.(External link) in the
Colorado River Community Room (1st floor).
The meeting will begin at
9 a.m. and end at
4:30 p.m. each day. Plenary sessions will open and close each day's agenda.
Although direct participation in deliberations at the meetings is limited to Civic Assembly delegates, residents are encouraged to attend and observe the process in action. The first session agenda includes a plenary session with introductions by the City and project partners, followed by community group presentations.
Click here to view the detailed agenda.Sessions will be broadcast live online on the City’s YouTube channel here and at
fcgov.com/assemblylivestream(External link). There will also be limited public gallery space for press and community members to observe the proceedings, with additional overflow viewing space at City Hall (
300 Laporte Ave)(External link).
The City of Fort Collins will make reasonable accommodations for access to City services, programs, and activities and will make special communication arrangements for persons with disabilities. This includes language access to all individuals who have a limited ability to speak, read, write, or understand English by providing interpreters free of charge and translation of vital documents for persons who utilize the City's services.
Please provide advance notice by submitting requests for language interpretation and accessibility services
via email(External link) no later than Monday, April 7.
Refer to the
FAQs listed on this page for more information.
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.
A Community-Driven Approach to Decision-Making
On August 20, 2024, the Fort Collins City Council voted (3-2) to commission a Civic Assembly to explore the future of the Hughes site. This initiative builds on past public engagement efforts, including the 2021 ballot initiative(External link), which designated the site for "parks, recreation, and open lands, natural areas, and wildlife rescue and restoration." The Assembly’s recommendations will be presented to the City Council, complementing previous community input.
What is the Hughes Civic Assembly?
The Hughes Civic Assembly will bring together 20 Fort Collins residents, chosen through a fair and inclusive selection process to reflect the city’s diverse population. Functioning like a “civic jury,” this group will deliberate, learn from experts and community members, and develop recommendations on the most beneficial use of the Hughes site.
The Key Question:
Delegates will work together to answer:
“Informed by the diverse needs of our community, what use of the Hughes site will contribute most effectively to Fort Collins’ long-term vitality and meet the requirements outlined in the 2021 ballot measure?”
After weeks of study and discussion, the Assembly will present its recommendations directly to the Fort Collins City Council, which has committed to reviewing the proposals and providing a public response.
Why a Civic Assembly?
Civic Assemblies offer a proven method for finding common ground solutions on complex public issues. Using a democratic lottery, they bring together a diverse cross-section of residents to engage in thoughtful, informed deliberation. This approach ensures that decision-making reflects the perspectives of the broader community, not just those who typically participate in public meetings.
The Hughes Civic Assembly will bring together 20 Fort Collins residents, chosen through a fair and inclusive selection process to reflect the city’s diverse population. Functioning like a “civic jury,” this group will deliberate, learn from experts and community members, and develop recommendations on the most beneficial use of the Hughes site.
How does someone become a Delegate?
The City of Fort Collins has partnered with Healthy Democracy(External link) to convene the Civic Assembly through a democratic lottery.
As a first step, households across Fort Collins received invitations by mail — selected by pure chance – like the roll of a dice or a winning lottery ticket!
The Selection Process:
Mail Invitations – 15,000 randomly selected Fort Collins households receive invitations to participate.
Interested Residents Respond – Invitees fill out a simple form providing basic demographic information. No essays, tests, or special qualifications required.
Creating a Representative Group – Using an open-source, trusted software program, several possible assemblies are formed. Each mirrors the city's demographics based on census data (e.g., age, gender, housing status, education levels).
Public Lottery Event – One of these assemblies is randomly selected as the official Civic Assembly.
Delegates Confirmed – Selected residents are contacted, provided support, and officially become Civic Assembly Delegates.
This process eliminates favoritism and ensures that everyday people have a voice in shaping decisions that affect their community.
How will the Assembly work?
The Civic Assembly process is designed to be transparent, informed, and collaborative. Delegates will participate in a structured series of meetings that include:
Learning & Information Gathering – Delegates will hear from experts, community leaders, and advocates to understand the history, context, and various perspectives on the Hughes site. This includes reports from previous public engagement.
Deliberation & Discussion – Using facilitated discussions, small group activities, and deliberative techniques, delegates will explore potential site uses, weighing trade-offs and long-term impacts.
Recommendation Development – Through consensus-building, the Assembly will craft detailed recommendations that reflect the best path forward for the Hughes site.
Presentation to City Council – The final recommendations will be formally presented to the Fort Collins City Council, which will review and publicly respond to the Assembly’s proposals.
Stay Informed
Registered Our City users can subscribe to receive updates - hit "subscribe" at the top right of the page. Community members are also invited and encourage to attend public sessions, or view them online, to see the Civic Assembly process in action.
Colored Text Block

The Civic Assembly will convene over two weekends—
April 12-13 and
May 3-4, 2025 at
222 Laporte Ave.(External link) in the
Colorado River Community Room (1st floor).
The meeting will begin at
9 a.m. and end at
4:30 p.m. each day. Plenary sessions will open and close each day's agenda.
Although direct participation in deliberations at the meetings is limited to Civic Assembly delegates, residents are encouraged to attend and observe the process in action. The first session agenda includes a plenary session with introductions by the City and project partners, followed by community group presentations.
Click here to view the detailed agenda.Sessions will be broadcast live online on the City’s YouTube channel here and at
fcgov.com/assemblylivestream(External link). There will also be limited public gallery space for press and community members to observe the proceedings, with additional overflow viewing space at City Hall (
300 Laporte Ave)(External link).
The City of Fort Collins will make reasonable accommodations for access to City services, programs, and activities and will make special communication arrangements for persons with disabilities. This includes language access to all individuals who have a limited ability to speak, read, write, or understand English by providing interpreters free of charge and translation of vital documents for persons who utilize the City's services.
Please provide advance notice by submitting requests for language interpretation and accessibility services
via email(External link) no later than Monday, April 7.
Refer to the
FAQs listed on this page for more information.
.-----
.
A Community-Driven Approach to Decision-Making
On August 20, 2024, the Fort Collins City Council voted (3-2) to commission a Civic Assembly to explore the future of the Hughes site. This initiative builds on past public engagement efforts, including the 2021 ballot initiative(External link), which designated the site for "parks, recreation, and open lands, natural areas, and wildlife rescue and restoration." The Assembly’s recommendations will be presented to the City Council, complementing previous community input.
What is the Hughes Civic Assembly?
The Hughes Civic Assembly will bring together 20 Fort Collins residents, chosen through a fair and inclusive selection process to reflect the city’s diverse population. Functioning like a “civic jury,” this group will deliberate, learn from experts and community members, and develop recommendations on the most beneficial use of the Hughes site.
The Key Question:
Delegates will work together to answer:
“Informed by the diverse needs of our community, what use of the Hughes site will contribute most effectively to Fort Collins’ long-term vitality and meet the requirements outlined in the 2021 ballot measure?”
After weeks of study and discussion, the Assembly will present its recommendations directly to the Fort Collins City Council, which has committed to reviewing the proposals and providing a public response.
Why a Civic Assembly?
Civic Assemblies offer a proven method for finding common ground solutions on complex public issues. Using a democratic lottery, they bring together a diverse cross-section of residents to engage in thoughtful, informed deliberation. This approach ensures that decision-making reflects the perspectives of the broader community, not just those who typically participate in public meetings.
The Hughes Civic Assembly will bring together 20 Fort Collins residents, chosen through a fair and inclusive selection process to reflect the city’s diverse population. Functioning like a “civic jury,” this group will deliberate, learn from experts and community members, and develop recommendations on the most beneficial use of the Hughes site.
How does someone become a Delegate?
The City of Fort Collins has partnered with Healthy Democracy(External link) to convene the Civic Assembly through a democratic lottery.
As a first step, households across Fort Collins received invitations by mail — selected by pure chance – like the roll of a dice or a winning lottery ticket!
The Selection Process:
Mail Invitations – 15,000 randomly selected Fort Collins households receive invitations to participate.
Interested Residents Respond – Invitees fill out a simple form providing basic demographic information. No essays, tests, or special qualifications required.
Creating a Representative Group – Using an open-source, trusted software program, several possible assemblies are formed. Each mirrors the city's demographics based on census data (e.g., age, gender, housing status, education levels).
Public Lottery Event – One of these assemblies is randomly selected as the official Civic Assembly.
Delegates Confirmed – Selected residents are contacted, provided support, and officially become Civic Assembly Delegates.
This process eliminates favoritism and ensures that everyday people have a voice in shaping decisions that affect their community.
How will the Assembly work?
The Civic Assembly process is designed to be transparent, informed, and collaborative. Delegates will participate in a structured series of meetings that include:
Learning & Information Gathering – Delegates will hear from experts, community leaders, and advocates to understand the history, context, and various perspectives on the Hughes site. This includes reports from previous public engagement.
Deliberation & Discussion – Using facilitated discussions, small group activities, and deliberative techniques, delegates will explore potential site uses, weighing trade-offs and long-term impacts.
Recommendation Development – Through consensus-building, the Assembly will craft detailed recommendations that reflect the best path forward for the Hughes site.
Presentation to City Council – The final recommendations will be formally presented to the Fort Collins City Council, which will review and publicly respond to the Assembly’s proposals.
Stay Informed
Registered Our City users can subscribe to receive updates - hit "subscribe" at the top right of the page. Community members are also invited and encourage to attend public sessions, or view them online, to see the Civic Assembly process in action.