Farmington podcast spotlights civility, kindness and local recognition program

Farmington’s latest Mayor’s Table episode put civility on the record. Mayor Nate Duckett sat down with Community Relations Commission members Ron Price and Dale Leedy to talk about kindness, respect and the Civility First Recognition Program, which lets residents nominate local businesses and nonprofits that show courtesy, compassion, respect and service to others.

The discussion, posted May 25, came as the city leaned on a familiar message: communities work better when people notice good behavior, not just conflict. That idea was the focus of the episode’s civic pitch, which treated civility as more than a slogan. In a city of 46,055 estimated residents, down slightly from 46,624 in the 2020 Census, the emphasis on everyday interactions reflects how much Farmington depends on repeat relationships between neighbors, customers, volunteers and local institutions.

The Mayor’s Table is not a one-time outreach effort. The city describes it as an educational and informational forum that airs every first and third Monday at 9 a.m., and also as a bi-monthly informational podcast about Farmington. Duckett and City Manager Rob Mayes have used the program to talk through municipal issues, but this episode narrowed the focus to the social habits that shape whether residents feel welcome across town, at local businesses and in nonprofit spaces.

The Civility First campaign gives that idea a formal structure. Farmington says the Community Relations Commission created Civility First Farmington to promote positive relations and mutual goodwill, built around 10 traits: Citizenship, Compassion, Consideration, Courtesy, Inclusiveness, Kindness, Respect, Responsibility, Sincerity and Tolerance. The city says the recognition program honors businesses and nonprofits that demonstrate exceptional civility and respect, and it is actively seeking nominations from residents.

The commission behind the effort has been part of Farmington’s civic machinery for years. The city says it was created by ordinance on Dec. 8, 2007, held its first organizational meeting in September 2008, and now includes nine voting members and six ex officio members. Its first priority is education and outreach, and it also facilitates mediation services for incidents of alleged discrimination.

Commission minutes from February 2026 show the campaign has been moving beyond City Hall, with staff noting that Price and Leedy volunteered to discuss the recognition program on The Mayor’s Table and on KSJE with Scott Michlin. The same minutes mention outreach to the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission, underscoring that Farmington’s effort to build trust is meant to reach beyond a single audience. In San Juan County, where 121,661 people were counted in the 2020 Census, that wider civic reach may matter as much as the recognition itself.