Scythe Robotics’ John Lembke Seeks Ward 2 City Council Seat

City Council to Interview Candidates at Public Meeting on January 21

Photo by Adam Steininger

Marcia Martin’s tenure as the Ward 2 representative on the Longmont City Council will end on December 31, leaving her seat vacant as the city prepares to appoint her replacement.

With applications submitted by interested residents before January 8, the City Council is set to interview candidates during a public meeting on January 21 before selecting and swearing in the new Ward 2 representative on January 28.

John Lembke, Manager of Production Operations at Scythe Robotics, has applied to fill the vacant Ward 2 seat. Lembke brings a background in engineering, manufacturing, and scaling operations, along with a commitment to Longmont, where he has worked extensively at companies like Scythe Robotics, GE Lighting, and Seagate Technology.

“I work at a company that’s right behind the train tracks, and we make autonomous lawnmowers,” Lembke said. “We’re trying to build everything that John Deere makes, but autonomous. You’ll see them around Longmont, driving themselves and mowing the grass. I’m in charge of production over there, and now we’re trying to get 300 robots into the field.”

Lembke, who holds a bachelor’s and master’s in mechanical engineering as well as a master’s in engineering management from CU Boulder, has built a career around scaling manufacturing operations.

“At GE, we scaled from 60 units a day to 3,000 units,” Lembke recalled. “It’s the same with Scythe. When I started, there were only about 20 robots deployed. We’ve grown that to 80, and now we’re gearing up for 300.”

Scythe’s approach has proven particularly effective for private landscaping companies, which make up a majority of their customer base.

“We do mow some areas for municipalities, like Tom Watson Park in Boulder, but most of our customers are private landscapers. To justify the cost, you really need to be using them all day, every day,” Lembke said.

When discussing the potential for municipalities like Longmont to adopt Scythe Robotics’ autonomous lawnmowers, he stressed a careful approach to public spending.

“I would not push for the city to take our dollars,” Lembke said, referencing Scythe’s autonomous lawnmowers. “You really need to be using them a lot. I don’t know if the county would get enough use to justify the cost right now. Landscapers and private companies are better suited for this type of technology, as they use them all day, every day.”

Lembke believes he can bring a fresh perspective to the city council, combining his understanding of business and sustainability, which he feels make him a unique candidate for the Ward 2 seat.

“I love Longmont,” Lembke said. “If we’re going to keep growing jobs and more people keep moving to the area, it’s going to take a lot of work and effort to have it not go sideways when we have jobs.”

Lembke trusts his experience in energy systems positions him to evaluate Longmont’s sustainability goals effectively.

“How do you generate power using wind, or solar? How do you justify those projects from the cost-effectiveness standpoint? I think I would have a good way to evaluate that kind of stuff,” Lembke said.

On the topic of transportation, Lembke expressed his appreciation for Longmont’s walkability.

“I love the fact that my wife walks my daughter to school every day. She doesn’t need to get in and drive,” Lembke said.

However, he recognizes that with growth comes new challenges, particularly with traffic and transportation. Homelessness is also a big issue Lembke aims to address if he is chosen for the Ward 2 seat.

“It’s a really difficult long-term fix. There’s nothing you can do quickly to get it done,” Lembke said. “The cost of housing is extremely high, too high for most people to afford… Government-subsidized housing won’t ever be enough to give everybody a house, but we need to do more.”

Additionally, Lembke believes in creating a business-friendly environment by removing legacy laws and other barriers.

“I think the other one is just helping businesses grow—removing barriers like legacy laws so that the government’s not standing in the way of businesses growing,” Lembke said.

Lembke’s wife ran her own business, and he witnessed firsthand how difficult it can be for small businesses.

“Submitting sales tax was very arduous for a small business,” Lembke explained. “She’d sell something for $100, and she’d have to submit taxes to all the different cities that she might ship to.”

Lembke sees Longmont as a city with tremendous potential, particularly in terms of attracting high-tech businesses.

“We have an innovation center, and we should make sure the city remains an attractive place for these businesses to thrive,” Lembke stated.

Outside of professional work, Lembke is on the board of directors for RCV for Colorado, advocating for ranked-choice voting, and is a member of the Forward Party.

“I created an issue committee for Longmont called RCV because I’d like to see ranked choice voting,” Lembke said. “That’s something that is very important to me, separately from the things that I think are important for Longmont.”

Lembke emphasized the importance of meeting people where they are, adapting to different leadership styles, and approaching situations with a nuanced understanding of individual preferences, which he believes is essential for effective leadership.

Lembke’s leadership influences stem from various figures, including William Edwards Deming, a well-known management consultant. Deming’s influence on Lembke’s approach is plain and simple, particularly in terms of creating environments where employees aren’t afraid to address issues.

“He was a big advocate of servant leadership, which is about removing the obstacles that prevent people from getting their work done,” Lembke explained. “One of my favorites of his principles is removing the fear from the workplace. People should not be afraid of getting in trouble when something goes wrong. It’s important that they speak up so we can solve the problem.”

Lembke addressed the challenges of improving government operations, noting that he values incremental progress and adaptability. For Lembke, it’s not about waiting for the perfect solution but making improvements as you go. He advocates for a more experimental approach to policy. He cited the example of traffic experiments on I-70, where temporary measures were tested to determine their effectiveness.

“Cities historically have struggled with experimenting, but it’s a great way to test new ideas,” Lembke explained. “We should try things temporarily and see what works before making big changes. It’s about being willing to experiment and adapt.”

When reflecting on his background, Lembke brought up his experience growing up in Buffalo, New York, a city that faced significant economic challenges.

“Buffalo was among the most economically depressed places in the country,” Lembke said, recalling the city’s dramatic population decline in the 1970s. “It’s a very rough place, with high crime and poverty, and I learned a lot from seeing what went wrong there. We need to do things differently in Longmont to avoid that fate.”

As for his approach to city council responsibilities, Lembke emphasized the importance of building relationships with other members of the council.

“The first thing I would do is build rapport with the other council members and understand their perspectives,” Lembke said. “I want Longmont to set an example for the rest of the state. We can show how to have a healthy, financially sustainable city with affordable housing that others can copy.”

Longmont residents can share their thoughts on candidates like John Lembke by addressing the council in person at any meeting or emailing them beforehand.

To be considered for this role, candidates must submit an application and letter of interest by January 8, meeting requirements such as U.S. citizenship, being 21 or older, and having lived in Longmont’s Ward 2 for at least one year. While residents won’t vote on the appointee, the City Council will interview candidates during a public meeting on January 21, with the final selection expected that evening. The new council member will be sworn in on January 28 and serve until December 2, 2025.