(COLORADO SPRINGS) — On Jan. 12, Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade and his administration released the 2024 Strategic Doing Framework, a collaborative document outlining the city government’s action plan for addressing community concerns.

At his inauguration speech on June 6, 2023, the Mayor made a vow to the community. He promised that the city government under his leadership would be dedicated to listening and doing. Mobolade and his team began with a 100-day blueprint for fulfilling promises made during the campaign.

In a recent interview with FOX21, the Mayor spoke about his plans for the future. “I see the Strategic Doing Framework as continuing the energy of the 100-day plan to deliver on the promises I made to our residents.”

A series of listening sessions were planned during the first 100 days of Mobolade’s administration, where all six districts were represented. The Strategic Doing Framework came out of those sessions during a citywide listening tour, in cooperation with city council members and staff, along with Community Leaders Solution Teams.

“These were teams of diverse leaders coming together over a month or two months, putting their heads together to wrestle through [these issues],” Mobolade said. “They did a SWOT analysis, and then they came up with recommendations for me as a mayor in terms of what I should implement.”

Mayor Mobolade was careful to stress the fact that not every issue raised in the sessions is represented in the framework. He wants the community to know that its voice has been heard and that all issues raised are important. However, there were some issues, he said, that were brought into focus over and over, and those are the ones that will be addressed first.

“The community has told me what they want me to prioritize, and that’s what this framework is about,” he said.

As can be seen in the Strategic Doing Framework document, the top five priorities according to the listening sessions were public safety, infrastructure, housing solutions, economic vitality, and community activation.

“I’ll tell you honestly,” Mobolade said. “If you asked me what I am most excited about, in the framework, I would tell you I’m most excited about the city’s mental health initiative. Specifically, ways we are beginning to activate the community to be a part of their own mental well-being. For example, we’re implementing that thousand-neighborhood block party, which is going to be exciting.”

Mayor Mobolade and his wife, Abbey, are both passionate about community. The couple opened The Wild Goose Meeting House, a café right downtown with a “neighborhood pub” feel, where people could gather and get to know their neighbors. Community is still an issue close to their hearts.

“We do need more mental health resources,” the Mayor said. “Yes, we do need more inpatient beds. Yes, we do need more community programs. Yes, we do need more detox centers. But we also need the ability to just move people from isolation into community. For me to talk to my neighbor. ‘Can we get some milk?’ And then we’re checking in with each other. ‘How are you doing? You lost a partner about a year ago. So how are you doing? What do you need?’ And you know, we become each other’s primary caregivers.”