STANDARD BLADE B R I G H T O N
SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1903
75cI
VOLUME 119
Issue 8
WEEK OF FEBRUARY 24, 2022
Platte Valley president ready to apply COVID lessons
Vestas to part with Brighton land
Pandemic, supply chain impacts are similar hurdles for Jaime Campbell BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Platte Valley Medical Center might be more than 1,000 miles away from where the hospital’s new president started, but it feels pretty close to home as far as she’s concerned. “What drew me to Platte Valley is the similarity to where I grew up. My family were farmers by trade and still have property there,” said Jaime Campbell, the new head Jaime Campbell of the Brighton Platte Valley Medical Center President. hospital. “The hospital where I came from took care of my family and (was) also where my children were born.” Campbell came on board on January 17 as president at Platte Valley. She brings years of experience to the job but also critical skills. She was the Incident Commander for COVID operations at California’s Bakersfield Memorial Hospital. “What was interesting about COVID is that the experience has been the same at every hospital in the nation,” she said. “It’s regulated and mandated. The lockdown taught us the same lessons, with the supply chain disruptions. We learned a lot about staff SEE LESSONS, P3
Brighton City Councilors voted to approve the sale of undeveloped land north of Wind power company Vestas-American Wind Technology Brighton location. The company consolidated its operations across Colorado last year, eliminating 280 jobs locally. FILE PHOTO
Council approves sale of land north of blade factory BY SCOTT TAYLOR STAYLOR@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Construction-component manufacturer Clayton Properties will take over 52-acres north of Vestas Blades’ Brighton manufacturing plant, part of a deal between the windmill makers and the City of Brighton, councilors agreed Feb. 15. The deal is part of the windmill manufacturer’s downsizing that was announced a year ago. The company, Danish-based manufacturer Vestas-American Wind Technology announced in February 2021 that it plans to consolidate its footprint in Colorado, combining operations in Windsor, Pueblo and Brighton. The consolidation means that the company will cease making blades for the company’s towering windmills at the East Crown Prince Boulevard location,
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laying off 280 workers. The company will also cut employees at its Pueblo towers factory and Brighton nacelles factories by a total of approximately 170. Councilors unanimously approved the deal, despite misgivings about Vestas’ decision to downsize their Brighton operation last year. The company had received concessions and tax benefits from the city that came with agreements to make street improvements in the area and construct a walking path on the southern edge of the lot. With the council approval settled, Clayton Properties is not responsible for those improvements. “This three-way agreement between the City, the buyer and the seller essentially just assigns those development agreement obligations to the buyer and keeps the seller tied to the improvements that need to be with that property,” said Mike Tylka, Brighton’s deputy community development director. Tylka said Clayton Properties Inc. intends to build a 216,394 square foot facility on the approximately 52 acre property for the manufacture of various construc-
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tion related components. City staff is reviewing building and site design, parking, landscaping, utilities services, drainage, sidewalk, roadway connection for the project now. Councilors were skeptical about both the buyer and seller. Vestas Feb. 21 decision eliminated 280 jobs in Brighton and also eliminated the sales tax revenue the city received. The company paid sales tax to the city for each blade it sold. Councilor Adam Cushing said he was also skeptical of the buyer, Clayton Properties Inc. “I have concerns about precision building systems. In my opinion, Oakwood Homes, which is also owned by Clayton Properties, has not really been a great community partner in terms of our school district and the capital fee foundation. So, I’m personally not in favor of any taxpayer concessions in this. But other than this, there really is nothing more to talk about there,” Cushing said. Councilor Clint Blackhurst SEE LAND, P5
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