By Brian Bagley

I want to apologize to the citizens of Longmont for my comments during City Council’s special session on March 25. My comments caused unnecessary anger, fear and confusion at a time when everyone, community leaders in particular, need to stay calm. What people observed was me at my worst, speaking from a position of frustration. As a result, the points I was trying to make were lost; in short, your mayor had a very bad day at work.

Here is what occurred that had me so frustrated. The day before, I had been on a call with other mayors of the Denver metro area, a meeting called by Denver Mayor Hancock. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss how long a possible “shelter in place” order should last. There was no consensus among the mayors, and confusion as to how we should handle the situation.

During the call, I voiced my concern that we should not be acting contrary to Gov. Polis, whom I fully support in his efforts to mitigate this crisis. Despite many voices of opposition, I was informed that Mayor Hancock had taken it upon himself to issue a “shelter in place” order with a termination date of April 17, and Boulder County joined him. The rub, however, was that Gov. Polis simultaneously issued a different order with a termination date of April 11.

The comments for which I am apologizing were directed at the executive director of Boulder County Public Health. It was my attempt to persuade him to get in line with Gov. Polis, rather than sending mixed messages to communities at a time when all elected officials should be unified. Ironically, my comments only added to the very problem I was attempting to correct, as they only served to further divide our community.

Further frustration came as a result of having been on calls and in meetings with the infectious disease experts and epidemiologists who are advising Colorado’s mayors and governor. These experts did not seem to agree on what would or would not work to stem the impending wave of COVID-19 infections.

When the City Council’s special meeting with the Boulder County Public Health occurred, I was attempting to make the points that: a) we need to follow the governor; and b) we need to think through and prepare for the possible consequences that an extended quarantine will bring. Unfortunately, the way in which I conveyed my message was ineffective, to say the least. I certainly did not intend to imply that I do not value human life, or that we should place a monetary value on such loss.

I fully support the governor’s leadership in our response to the coronavirus and will continue to follow his lead in this uncertain time. I encourage everyone to be responsible by staying home and will continue to abide by the governor’s social distancing directives. I understand that collectively, through adherence to the governor’s leadership, we will save lives.

Until my time in public service ends, I commit to continuing to ask the questions that need asking: What will the numbers look like on the day the “shelter in place” order is lifted and we are permitted to leave our homes? How can we provide mental health support to those who desperately need it in their isolation? How can we best aid our local small businesses in their struggle for survival? In short, what are all the ramifications and consequences of this pandemic and what should Longmont do about it?

This horrendous “foot in mouth” moment was never about me or my pocketbook but arose from a profound concern — even fear — for the families and citizens of Longmont who desperately need help as we begin to face impending medical and financial hardships. I intend to work hard to be an effective part of the effort to combat the coronavirus as well as minimize its detrimental financial impacts.

I have unwavering faith that so long as we confront the brutal facts of our present reality, grave as they might seem, we will get through this and persevere in a way that only makes our community stronger.

Brian Bagley is mayor of Longmont.

The Daily Camera welcomes letters to the editor and guest opinions from readers. Read our guidelines, and send submissions to openforum@dailycamera.com.