The Day Democracy Showed Up in Tri-Lakes. The Tri-Lakes community was told at the last minute that its carefully organized presentation time would be cut and that there would be no giving of time to speakers. Instead of walking out or becoming angry, dozens of ordinary citizens stepped up, adapted in less than an hour, and delivered one of the most remarkable examples of civic engagement many in the room had ever witnessed.
When the Rules Changed, the Tri-Lakes Community Rose to the Occasion
What happened at Thursday’s El Paso County Board of County Commissioners hearing was bigger than a land-use decision.
For weeks, residents from across the Tri-Lakes area had organized a thoughtful, fact-based presentation on the P261 and P262 rezoning applications. Community members spent countless hours researching the Master Plan and Land Development Code, organizing speakers, and developing a streamlined presentation that represented the collective voice of hundreds of residents.
The plan was simple: a handful of designated speakers would present on behalf of the community, utilizing time voluntarily given by residents in attendance.
Then, moments before the hearing began, residents learned that speaker time would not be pooled as anticipated, that their time had been cut from three minutes to 90 seconds, and that every individual wishing to speak would need to do so separately.
What happened next was extraordinary.
Instead of becoming frustrated or walking away, the community adapted.
During the lunch recess, more than 40 residents gathered in small groups throughout the hearing room. No one ate lunch. They spent their time rewriting presentations, practicing testimony, timing one another, and encouraging neighbors who had never spoken publicly before.
People who had come only to support others suddenly found themselves preparing to testify before the Board of County Commissioners.
There were residents undergoing medical treatments and recovering from surgery who stood before the Board and spoke.
Residents with a genuine fear of public speaking stepped outside their comfort zones and shared their perspectives with determination and bravery.
Spouses who had simply planned to sit in the audience volunteered to take the microphone.
New neighbors who had never met one another just hours earlier became teammates.
Residents from every corner of the Tri-Lakes community, many of whom had never participated in local government before, came together with one common purpose: to respectfully and professionally ensure their voices were heard.
Perhaps most remarkable was the leadership that emerged in the moment. Community members quickly organized small working groups, calmed anxious participants, and empowered first-time speakers with confidence and encouragement.
Within 45 minutes, an entirely new public presentation had been created — not by political operatives or professional advocates but by ordinary citizens committed to participating in their local government.
Regardless of where one stands on development issues, what occurred that day was a powerful reminder of what civic engagement looks like at its very best. These residents are the heroes in this story.
This wasn’t a story about opposition to a project. It was a story about neighbors becoming team members and engaged citizens.
The Tri-Lakes community showed up informed, respectful, resilient, and united. They proved that meaningful civic engagement doesn’t require professional experience or political influence — only people willing to step forward when their community needs them.
In a time when so many Americans feel disconnected from local government, this community demonstrated something worth celebrating: democracy works best when ordinary people show up.
Thursday’s hearing may have been about land use, but what happened in that room was about community.
And it was truly something special to witness. This is the Tri-Lakes community.
Marti Zehr-Breedlove lives in the Walden neighborhood of the Tri-Lakes area. Opinion pieces and Letters to the Editor reflect the views of their authors, not The Monument Independent.