Brighton Standard Blade 020923

27J

sets

board

timeline

for Fiedler’s replacement Superintendent to retire next year

BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e 27J Schools board of education approved a timeline to replace outgoing Superintendent Chris Fiedler during a Jan. 25 meeting.

Fiedler announced his plans to retire when his contract with the district runs out June 30, 2024. By the time he leaves, Fiedler will have been the superintendent for 13 years.

Gov. Polis stresses more housing is key to Colorado’s economic health

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

If lawmakers don’t act to make housing more a ordable now, “we will soon face a spiraling point of no return.”

at’s what Gov. Jared Polis said in January, during his annual State of the State Address. He noted myriad problems linked to rising housing costs.

People, he said, “are being forced out of their neighborhoods with no hope of ever living close to where they work.”

“ at means more tra c, lost

time and money spent on long commutes, more air pollution, and greater economic and workforce challenges,” Polis said. Polis added that rising housing prices are “putting the dream of homeownership out of range for more and more Coloradans.”

e governor’s assessment squares with the ndings of Colorado Community Media in our four-week series exploring what many experts say is a housing crisis — one that a ects practically everyone in the Denver area.

Lower-income workers are seeing larger chunks of their paychecks

go to landlords. Young families can’t nd starter homes they can a ord. Retirees don’t see any attractive options for moving and downsizing, meaning their homes stay o the market, helping keep prices high.

“Just look west,” Polis said in his address. “In California, decades of poor planning has led to interruptions of drinking water and electricity for entire towns and cities, average home prices over $1 million in major cities and 16lane freeways” with “bumper-to-

SEE STRESSES, P7

It’s fast. e board would like to appoint someone during its March 8 meeting. e deadline for candidates to submit application materials to the board was Feb. 3. e board planned to meet in executive session Feb. 8, after press time, to consider the applicants and then to name nalists.

e community gets its chance to meet with the nalists during a special meeting Wednesday, March 1. at’s followed by contract negotiations and then an appointment Wednesday, March 8, according to the district’s timeline.

e debate among the board was whether to stay in-house for Fiedler’s replacement or go outside. Board member President Greg Piotraschke seemed to lean local.

“I look at the program, the graduation rates. at’s a long process,” he said. “Hiring someone from California may not re ect that.”

Before the board approved the search process, district resident and former TV journalist Stacey Baca

SEE BOARD, P5

Bike riders, advocates consider options for getting around

those emissions go.

Jacob Riger, multimodal transportation planning manager for the Denver Regional Council of Governments, said his group has already modi ed its 2050 Metro Vision Regional Transportation Plan based on the rule.

BY LUKE ZARZECKI LZARZECKI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Governor Jared Polis’ push to get legislators to approve $500 rebates for electric bikes is pushing bicyclists and transportation advocates to wonder if the infrastructure exists in the northern Front Range to support them.

For Carl Christensen, a 61-year-old resident of Northglenn, there is. But it hasn’t always been that way.

“I used to fear for my life to get from my house down to where I can pick up the South Platte trail at 104th and Riverdale,” Christensen said.

Back in 2009, he started to incorporate biking into his daily commute. He used to ride his bike to the bus station, rack his bike on the bus, take it down to Union Station and ride the last mile to his o ce

Since 2010, he has made the 18-mile ride from his home in Northglenn to the TIAA building downtown and champions the added bike lanes and trails that make it possible to do so.

He doesn’t ride for environmental reasons or to save on gas. In fact, he owns four vehicles. He rides because the trips make him feel good.

He says it’s healthy, too. Both mentally and physically.

“It was a great way to clear my head and it keeps me healthy so I can actually eat the way I like,” Christensen said.

Rachel Hultin, sustainable transportation director for Bicycle Colorado, sees it di erently. She said the Front Range doesn’t have enough infrastructure to support biking and electric biking because development has been focused on cars.

“Our present situation is really the result of 100 years of (car-centric) transportation planning and investment in which the leading question for transportation projects has been ‘how do we make it easier for cars to travel quickly through communities and down corridors?’” she said.

How comfortable it is for drivers and easy for cars to travel through a corridor has long been the measure for success, said Hultin, who also serves on Wheat Ridge City Council.

whelmingly serves cars because that’s what we’ve been measuring,” she said.

Communities, Hultin said, started to realize the current transportation system doesn’t work for everyone. It needs to be more bikeable and walkable, with more transit to serve everyone. Not just car owners.

Northern inventories

Transportation o cials in the Metro North have taken some notice.

In 2018, Northglenn adopted the Connect Northglenn Bicycle and Pedestrian plan. According to Amanda Peterson, director of Parks, Recreation and Culture, the plan identi es needed trail connections and gaps in the existing network.

So far, 6.41 miles of on-street bike lanes have been installed, which adds to the 35 miles of o -street trails. e trail network also includes three bike repair stations.

Northglenn also provided 550 refurbished bikes at no cost. ey come in as donations and volunteers x them up, with funds from the city and donations.

ornton hosts a combined 396.5 miles of trails, including local and regional o -street trails, on-street bike planes, paved shoulders designated for bike lands and 8- to 10-foot-wide sidewalks designated as trails.

Darrell Alston, a tra c engineer for ornton, said for the past decade new resurfacing projects have included painting on-street bike lanes.

However, with a segment of the population feeling uncomfortable

considering include 88th Avenue from Pecos to Dahlia, 128th from I-25 to York, Pecos from Milkyway up to ornton Parkway and Huron from 84th to 88th. ose streets are based on high bicycle tra c already there.

Alston said providing bike lanes on the long arterial roadways with connection to the trail system can serve both short commutes and long range.

In Westminster, the 63.5 miles of onstreet bike lanes, 17.3 miles of shareduse bike routes and 150 miles of trails help get bikers around. According to Andy Le, a spokesperson for the city, all bike lanes and shared-use bike routes have paint and symbols, with some bu ered lanes.

However, none are protected by pylons, curbs or anything other than striping, he said.

e process to decide which types of bike lanes to build follows street resurfacing projects. None were stand-alone and included funding for constructing barriers. at may change, Le wrote in an email.

From Westminster, it is possible to commute to either Boulder or Denver.

To Boulder, the US 36 Bikeway is a paved concrete trail from 88th and Sheridan north.

More money

More money for bicycle infrastructure could be coming, thanks to the Greenhouse Gas Planning Standard, a new rule adopted by the Transportation Commission of Colorado in December 2021. It requires agencies to measure greenhouse gas emissions from projects, with limits on how high

DRCOG will now send more money to 11 bus rapid transit corridors by 2050, and budget more for bike lanes and better multimodal mobility options and less for road improvement projects, such as DRCOG’s Interstate

It’s a way to reduce emissions, and according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, transportation is the second highest contributor in the state.

Emily Lindsey, active and emerging mobility program manager for DRCOG, said people are ready. Of the 15 million daily people take in Metro Denver, 43% are less than three miles and 19% are less than one mile.

“So, super bikeable, even more so with e-bikes,” she said. ere just needs to be more dedicated active transportation infrastructure.

“ ere’s not perfect infrastructure throughout the region. ere’s always room for upgrades to our safety, our comfort, and our connectivity,” Lindsey said.

Lindsey said area cyclists are ready to ride but are concerned about their safety. In fact, according to DRCOG’s survey Active Transportation Plan, about 59% of the region’s adult population are interested in biking, but are unlikely to ride without separate bike facilities.

Emily Kleinfelter, safety and regional Vision Zero planner for DRCOG, said paint isn’t protection. DRCOG advocates for the highest level of protection for bikers and that may be bollards, car parks or a curb, as well as creating a network that connects bikers all over the region without gaps.

“It’s making it so that they’re being able to get home safe to their loved ones,” she said.

Colorado State Senator Faith Winter said another barrier to biking is the cost of a bike. She’s for the incentives Polis is proposing to make biking more a ordable.

“Making sure people have access to what they need to bike, making

The bike lane near 92nd and Lowell in Westminster.

PHOTO BY LUKE ZARZECKI

With push for transportation options, is area ready for more e-bikes?

SEE E-BIKES, P3

League of Women voters hosts CCM publisher

Colorado Community Media publisher Linda Shapley will discuss community news’ role in a democracy with the Adams County League of Women voters at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 13. e meeting is free and open to the public at the Adams County Human Services Center, 11860 N. Pecos St. in Westminster. To attend via zoom, request the link via email to omas_pond53@centurylink.net.

Linda Shapley

Shapley has been the publisher of Colorado Community Media since August 2021. She has worked for a number of Colorado newspapers, starting with Colorado State University’s student newspaper, the Collegian, in Fort Collins and her hometown newspaper, the Greeley Tribune. She spent 21 years as an

editor at the Denver Post. Colorado Community Media is locally owned and is the parent company of 24 community newspapers, including the Northglenn-Sentinel and Westminster Window. She lives in ornton.

She’ll discuss the importance of local news in a market where hedge funds purchase independent newspapers and competition drives many media outlets out of business, making many local communities are

becoming “news deserts” without local journalists to hold public o cials accountable.

e League of Women Voters of Adams County, Colorado is part of a national network that is nonpartisan, grassroots and multi-issue, a recognized force in shaping public policy. e League promotes political responsibility through informed and active participation of citizens in local, state and national government.

Nonprofit seeks homes, volunteers for Paint-A-Thon

REPORT

Housing nonpro t Brothers Redevelopment is now accepting applications for its 45th annual Paint-A- on season.

e free program uses volunteers to paint the exterior of homes for lowincome seniors and disabled residents. Homeowners who live in in the Denver metro area are encouraged to apply — particularly those who live in Commerce City, Lakewood, Arvada, Englewood, and other parts

sure they feel safe while biking, and making sure that it’s easy and easy to navigate.,” she said.

Safer outcomes

Another study co-authored by CU Denver researcher Wesley Marshall, found cities with more protected bike lanes lead to safer outcomes.

“Better safety outcomes are instead associated with a greater prevalence of bike facilities – particularly protected and separated bike facilities – at the block group level and, more strongly so, across the overall city,” the results read.

Westminster City Councilor Rich Seymour primarily rides on the weekends between March and October, throwing up dust on the Big and Little Cry Creek Trails towards ornton and Northglenn. He’s ridden on US 36, but doesn’t like the highway noise, he said.

He stays clear of primary and secondary roads, even if they have marked bike lanes.

“Being anywhere near tra c is taking your life in your hands. Distracted and aggressive drivers are wreaking havoc with law-abiding drivers and

of Arapahoe County. e program is also available in Colorado Springs.

Residents who are interested in applying for the program must be 60 years or older and/or have a disability, must own, and reside in the Denver metro area or Colorado Springs, and plan to live in their home for at least two years. To apply, call 720-3395864 or email chad@brothersredevelopment.org.

“So many community members need a few home maintenance items in order to stay in their home

killing bicyclists and motorcyclists,”

Seymour wrote in an email.  ornton’s Mayor Pro Tem Jessica Sandgren also thinks e-biking and biking are great for mobility but cited safety issues,

“I don’t think it’s safe on any street anywhere,” she said. “ e way people are driving across the country, I don’t feel comfortable.”

Data backs up his concern for bikers, motorcyclists and pedestrians. CDOT reported fatalities in 2022: 146 motorcycles, 105 pedestrians and 12 bicycles.

Fewer car lanes, more tra c?

Seymour noted Westminster has a mobility plan adopted by a prior council. His concern is the removal of vehicle lanes for bike lanes.

“I’m not in favor of decreasing auto lanes,” he said.

Still, Seymour remains all in on the idea of bike lanes. He said more people riding bikes would be great, but the addition of lanes needs to be a slow progression for road users to adjust. ose lanes need concrete, protective barriers for safety, he said.

But not at the expense of car lanes.

“I don’t see enough people using their bikes to commute and to take up road lane miles right now. I think it just adds to more congestion, which people are already frustrated about.

— which statistically helps them be safer, healthier, and live longer.

Painting is a maintenance item that is impossible for our clients to do physically or nancially,” said Brothers Volunteer Department Director Chad Nibbelink.

Painting the exterior of a home can cost up to $5,000 — but the Paint-Aon Program o ers income-eligible homeowners the chance to save big and devote their savings to other important costs like medication or groceries.

We hear about it all the time,” Seymour said.

Seymour isn’t the only one concerned about decreasing lanes. e Weld County Commission, in a  letter responding to CDOT’s new rule, said that decreasing lanes may be counterproductive.

“Complete streets or road diets that increase congestion are a popular movement in American cities to encourage walking and cycling. Most cities with high rates of bicycle commuting, such as Boulder, are college towns with young populations. erefore, demographics rather than street design may have the greatest in uence on cycling and walking,” it reads.

It also says that complying with the new rules may present challenges for “rural areas and those with a lower population density” because of differences between urban and rural lifestyles.

Some of the aspirations are unlikely, it says.

“CDOT’s CBA claims of signi cant cost savings are unfounded because their estimated reductions in VMT are unlikely to be realized. e CBA is driven by aspirational assumptions about transport mode shifts that are unrealistic. History convincingly demonstrates that programs to

roughout the Paint-A- on’s 44year history, Brothers Redevelopment has painted 7,729 homes. In 2022, the program painted 94 homes with the help of 1,945, saving homeowners $561,500.

“ e transformation that takes place on houses is incredible — but what’s priceless is what that work means to the homeowners. It makes volunteers see and feel their impact,” said Nibbelink. “ e work this program does changes lives for the better.”

reduce VMT have failed,” the letter reads.

Seymour pointed to the context of Colorado: it’s a western state that’s still highly dependent on cars.

“If we eliminate people’s ability to travel by car, it is going to have a detrimental e ect on our economy,” he said.

e progression of adding bike lanes needs to be slow, he explained, and constructing bike lanes prior to a demand for them may be adding the cart before the horse.

“If we really had that much pentup desire to ride bikes and commute on bikes, I think we’d already see more bike riders,” he said. Hultin sees it di erently, that more, safer infrastructure will bring out more bikers.

She challenges local governments to rethink transportation projects and to make biking and other modes of transportation safer. Not pitting modes of travel against each other, but making roads more accessible to a more diverse group of users.

“(Local governments should) take in projects that serve, walking, biking, transit, and make sure that those are a priority for funding ahead of the car expansion projects,” she said.

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cost for a nationwide search could run as high as $100,000.

“ e quali cations you are seeking must be in a senior 27J leader,” she told the board. “If there are certain strong internal candidates, put them up against the best candidate in the state. e cream will rise to the top.”

Fiedler pressed for a quick timeline because the recruiting season starts within the next 2½ months for top-level administrators.

“We have an opportunity to attract quali ed candidates because of our mill-levy override,” Fiedler

Fiedler also pointed out a fasttrack e ort allows the district to plan for a transition. Former Superintendent Rod Blunck put the district’s transition plan in place before he stepped down in 2012. Blunck is a clinical associate professor in the school of education and human development at the University of Colorado-Denver.

“I credit Dr. Blunck with setting the foundation,” Fiedler said. “It’s been the highest professional honor to serve as your superintendent. I’m committed to nishing strong and to enjoying these last semesters.”

Salud names new chief medical o cer

BY STAFF REPORT

Salud Family Health announce Jan. 26 that it would make Pradeep Dhar, MD its newest Chief Medical O cer.

Dhar succeeds Dr. Tillman Farley, who served in the position for 25 years. Farley will continue to see patients at the Salud Fort Lupton clinic.

Dhar said he is thrilled to continue his work at Salud in the new role, which will allow him to continue providing medical guidance and leadership to Salud’s communities, patients, practitioners and sta .

“It is an honor and privilege to continue working with a team of dedicated leaders and healthcare providers at Salud,:” Dhar said in a written statement. “I am motivated by the opportunity given to me by the Board of Directors and executive leadership team.”

Dhar completed medical school at the University of Bombay, India and pursued a Fellowship in Interventional Radiology. After graduating from medical school, he worked for a health insurance company as Vice President of Medical Services. He then completed his residency in

Family Medicine at the University of North Dakota and the University of Hawaii.

He is Board certi ed in Family Medicine and received the Best Resident award at the completion of his program. During his residency, he worked with Native American communities through the Indian Health Service.

Dhar joined Salud in 2006, initially as a Family Physician and Clinic Director for the Salud clinic in Sterling before moving to the Salud clinic in Brighton. Dhar has served on the Peer Review Committee, the Ethics Committee, and the Credentialing Committee at the Banner Sterling Regional Hospital.

He is currently a member of the Peer Review Committees at Salud and the Platt Valley Medical Center. He served as Salud’s Vice President of Medical Services from 2016-2022.

Salud Family Health is a Federally Quali ed Health Center (FQHC), operating 13 clinic locations, 10 school sites, and a mobile unit that provides medical, dental, pharmacy and behavioral health services to low-income, medically underserved, and seasonal farmworker populations.

School Distirct 27J Superintendent Chris Fiedler plans to retire at the end of this school year.

Eagle View hosts Random Acts of Kindness Week

Eagle View Adult Center is devoting the week of Feb. 6-10 to random acts of kindness, with chances to send Valentines, donate school supplies, canned food and necessities for the homeless.

e week will be capped by drawing to win a quilted wall hanging.

Each day is devoted to a random act. Monday was devoted to making Valentines to be sent to local nursing homes, Tuesday to donating school supplies, and Wednesday to donating toiletries items such as toothpaste, shampoo and socks to area homeless shelters.

Feb. 9 will be devoted to a canned food drive, collecting canned food or non-perishable dry goods for Brighton food pantries.

e center is also selling chances to win a quilted wall hanging throughout the week at the front desk of EVAC. All money will bene t Volunteers of America, provider of EVAC’s lunchtime meals. A drawing will be held at the end of the day Feb. 10. EVAC is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, please contact EVAC at 303-655-2075.

27J Stream Club

Join a STREAM session for unique

and fun learning from noon to 3 p.m. Mondays through Feb. 27, at Henderson Elementary School, 12301 E. 124th Ave.

STREAM is a club focused on science, technology, reading, engineering and math open to all 27J students in second to sixth grade. Each month brings a theme and host sessions around this theme. Each session is di erent, so kids can attend one session or all three. For the month of February, the topics are avors and textures in food.

e cost per session is $35. Register today!olor: transparent; display: inline; animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important; font-family: inherit;” tabindex=”0” target=”_blank”>bit. ly/27JSTREAM

Brighton Cultural Arts Commission grants

e Brighton Cultural Arts Commission is accepting proposals for the use of 2023 lodging tax funds for Brighton organizations directly involved in promoting the community to visitors and businesses. Grants support activities that strengthen economic development, fund special events, assist cultural arts facilities, and promote tourism and related activities that inspire people to spend money in Brighton.

e committee seeks organizations and teams that have demonstrated the ability to administer cultural projects, contributed to the community, and have demonstrated ability to create overnight stays.

Visit www.brightonco.gov/190/Brighton-Cultural-Arts-Commission. e deadline to apply is 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27. Applicants will be interviewed Monday, March 6.

All awarded lodging tax grant purchases must be made by Nov. 30. Contact David Gallegos at dgallegos@brightonco.gov

ONGOING

‘Taking No Chances’

e 17th Judicial District Attorney’s O ce and e Link, a community resource and assessment center in ornton, are o ering free, 10-week programs to families of Adams county teenagers to help develop personal and interpersonal drug-resistance skills.

Sessions are from 5:30 to 6;30 p.m. Wednesdays. Call 720-292-2811.

Brighton adds new ChargePoint stations e city of Brighton announced it was opening three new charging stations for electric vehicles.

e stations are at the Brighton Recreation Center at 555 N. 11th Ave. Eagle View Adult Center at 1150

Prairie Center Parkway. and Platte Valley Medical Center at 1610 Prairie Center Parkway.

The first hour of charging is free at each location. The locations have two stalls and two charging stations each that operate much like a parking meter, with a $2-perhour charging rate after the first hour.

For other ChargePoint station locations, visit https:// uk.chargepoint.com/charge_point. For more information, please contact Assistant Director of Public Works Chris Montoya at cmontoya@brightonco.gov.

Museum volunteers

The Brighton City Museum needs volunteers to help with visitors, research and collection projectbased duties.

Call Bill Armstrong, museum specialist, at 303-655-2288.

Water audit program

The city of Brighton and Resource Central teamed up to provide a free water audit for businesses and homeowner associations. The program aims to help residents and cities increase water use efficiencies and reach conservation goals.

Call 303-999-3824 or visit https:// www.brightonco.gov/589/WaterAudit-Program

ROJO

Sherri Rojo

November 3, 1964 - February 2, 2023

Celebrating the life of SHERRI

ANN GUTIERREZ-ROJO, daughter, sister, wife, mother, sister-inlaw and grandmother.

Sherri was born in Denver Colorado on November 3, 1964 to John and Angelina Gutierrez. She attended Ranum High school brie y, before moving to Fort Lupton Colorado to care for her elderly grandma. Sherri met her future husband James Rojo in high school there. ey were married May 24th 1985. Sherri was a Dental assistant at the Salud clinic in Fort Lupton. ey had their rst son Joshua Paul on September 2 1987. After the birth of their second son, Zachary James on June 27 1990, Sherri gave up her career to focus on her family.

Sherri was an amazing cook, baker and craft person, her cooking and baking were legendary. Sherri was a Christian and was a member of various church and Bible groups. Sherri loved being a mother, but the birth of her granddaughter Mckinnley was truly one of the highlights of her life. She absolutely loved being a grandmother and cherished the time she spent with her “sweet Kin”

Tragically Sherri and Jim lost Joshua in an accident while he was a freshman at Colorado

MARCHUS-FERN

Michael S. (Smucygz) Marchus-Fern

March 24, 1943 - January 18, 2023

Michael S. Fern passed away on January 18th, 2023 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

e Marchus Family will be hosting an informal open house/celebration of life on February 24th, 2023 from 3-6 p.m. at e Armory, 300 Strong St.,

Brighton, CO. Please feel free to stop by to see some family and friends as we celebrate her beautiful life. No formal service will be performed, but Derek Marchus will say a few words around 4 p.m. Feel free to share words or memories as well.

George Hammerlund

April 8, 1924 - December 4, 2022

George H. Hammerlund of Brighton Colo. He was laid to rest along with Harriet Hammerlund Dec.27th 2022 at Fort Logan National Cemetery. George and Harriet are survived by their 5 children , 9 grand children , 17 great grand children and 3 great great grand children. ey will be greatly missed.

The complicated space between capitalism, life and death

If Damar Hamlin had died, would you be less likely to watch the Super Bowl?

GUEST COLUMN

e National Football League is a $18-billion per year industry, so a lot was riding on that question.

Fortunately, the Bu alo Bills safety survived a neardeath injury he sustained on Jan. 2 before a live television audience of 24 million. He might even suit up again this fall.

During that uncertain week of Hamlin’s injury, NFL o cials faced an unprecedented challenge of deciding how to handle a canceled game, a distressed team, and a worried nation.

But somewhere in New York City, a small group of NFL analysts were likely crunching numbers – laying out economic scenarios for how Hamlin’s death would impact the

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

league. Would people pull their kids out of youth football? Would attendance or television viewership decline? Would advertisers pull out of the broadcast?

God forbid – would Rhianna pull out of the Super Bowl Halftime Show?

e NFL got lucky.

If Hamlin had died, the playo s and Super Bowl would be taking place amid loud public debate about the danger of football. Instead, the NFL will surely have Hamlin waving to fans from sweet box seats.

ere is a very complicated space existing between big-dollar capitalism and the unpredictable realities of life, death, and public perception. When billions are at risk, well-resourced professionals go to extraordinary lengths to manage how you think.

ey want you to know that risk exists – that keeps things exciting –but not enough to turn you away. Do you know how many people die on Colorado’s ski slopes each year?

This kind of brutality has no place in policing

Over the last several days, I have had the chance to re ect on the actions of the ve former Memphis police o cers that were involved in the death of Tyre Nichols. I am horri ed by what occurred earlier this month and the failure of anyone at the scene to intervene or render aid. I wish to express my deepest condolences to all Mr. Nichols’ loved ones and the Memphis community.

is kind of brutality has no place in policing. e criminal actions of these former o cers does not re ect the service provided by all of those in law enforcement across the country and here locally, who serve their communities with the highest levels of integrity and respect.

I want to assure our community that the Brighton Police Department remains committed to our organizational values, which include service without prejudice, human life and dignity, and maintaining high ethical standards. I want you to know that we are wholeheartedly dedicated to consistent and fair application of the law, and we will continue to work in partnership with our community to build relationships based on trust and integrity. While these can be difcult conversations to have, we are here to answer any questions you may have about our department with openness and honesty.

Matt Domenico, Brighton chief of police

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To subscribe call 303-566-4100

Spoiler alert: you don’t.

e ski industry contributes $5 billion annually to the state’s economy, and their government a airs operations have successfully blocked past legislative attempts – the last in 2021 – to make fatality statistics public information.

e U.S. Coast Guard can tell you how many people died in recreational boating accidents last year, but no one in Colorado will give you an o cial number on deaths at the state’s ski resorts.

Do you have the right to know that number? ey think no.

e NFL had their potential public relations and marketing nightmare play out on national television. Meanwhile, the ski industry spends generously to keep you in the dark to avoid theirs, avoiding public accountability and awareness.

In 2021, the Colorado Sun did an investigative report attempting to document the number of ski-related deaths in the state. To do it, they had to call county coroners for data the ski industry wouldn’t provide.

In their 2017 investigative series “Whiteout,” the Summit Daily News reported at least 137 deaths on Colorado’s slopes in the preceding 10 seasons. e National Ski Areas Association estimates an average of 45 “catastrophic injuries” each year.

If you knew that number – if Colorado law allowed you to know that number – would you be less likely to sign up your middle-schooler for ski lessons? Would you plan your girls weekend on a beach instead of on a mountain?

Maybe you would, marking it up to acceptable risk. Or, maybe you wouldn’t.

My former roommate, Martin, was 32 when he died on an intermediate slope at Vail in April 2008, leaving behind a wife and a newborn daughter. We think he was the 17th and nal ski-related death in Colorado that year. Of course, we will never know.

I haven’t participated in winter sports since.

T.J. Sullivan is the executive director of the Parker Chamber of Commerce

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

MICHAEL DE YOANNA Editor-in-Chief michael@coloradocommunitymedia.com

SCOTT TAYLOR Metro North Editor staylor@coloradocommunitymedia.com

BELEN WARD Community Editor bward@coloradocommunitymedia.com

STEVE SMITH Sports Editor ssmith@coloradocommunitymedia.com

LINDSAY NICOLETTI Operations/ Circulation Manager lnicoletti@coloradocommunitymedia.com

TERESA ALEXIS Marketing Consultant Classified Sales talexis@coloradocommunitymedia.com

AUDREY

Columnists & Guest Commentaries

Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of the Blade. We welcome letters to the editor. Please include your full name, address and the best number to reach you by telephone.

Email letters to staylor@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Deadline Wed. for the following week’s paper. To opt in or out of delivery please email us at circulation@ coloradocommunitymedia.com

T.J. Sullivan

The Long Way Home

State leaders, communities search for solutions

BY MICHAEL DE YOANNA MICHAEL@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

For a month, our reporters and editors brought you stories of your neighbors, your wouldbe neighbors and even people who struggle to survive under bridges. We are all a ected by the rising costs of housing across the Denver area.

e problem is clear: Prices for homes and rents have skyrocketed in recent years. And though the trend shows signs of leveling out, prices are nothing like they were just a few years ago. Jumps in values of hundreds of thousands of dollars were common in the past ve years. For instance, in Brighton, northeast of Denver, and in Littleton, to the south, home values rose $225,000-$300,000, respectively, between 2017 and 2022. Renters are also giving more of their paychecks to their landlords.

Experts at Denver-based Root Policy Research, which studies housing issues, say 700,000 Colorado families are “cost burdened.” e term describes households that devote 30% or more of their income to rent or mortgages. Alarmingly, even families earning as much as $75,000 can be considered burdened.

is week, we look at potential solutions, starting with some

STRESSES

bumper tra c.”

e governor then pivoted to what he sees as solutions. Since 2019, he said, billions of dollars have been invested in housing. For instance, American Rescue Plan Act funds have gone toward projects around the state, he said. And Colorado voters in November passed Proposition 123, which is expected to bring hundreds of millions more dollars to a ordable housing e orts in the years ahead.

“But we can’t just buy our way out of this,” Polis added.

Public o cials, he said, need to break down rules that stand in the way of building more housing.

at idea resonates with ex-

espoused by Jared Polis, the Democratic governor who last month surprised us with his intense focus on housing during his annual State of the State Address. Colorado “will soon face a spiraling point of no return” if housing remains on the course that it is now, Polis said.

Senior Reporter Ellis Arnold rushed to the Capitol for Polis’ news conference after the speech, getting a few o -thecu answers. Billions of dollars have already been spent in recent years to make housing more a ordable, the governor says. He highlighted federal American Rescue Plan Act funds, the stimulus that came during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, Colorado voters in November decided to earmark hundreds of millions of dollars a year through Proposition 123, which backs local housing affordability e orts.

Yet, for all the tax dollars involved, the governor says, “We can’t just buy our way out of this.” Local rules, like zoning, need to be addressed too, he said.

Experts have told our reporters the same. Reporter McKenna Harford looks at how changes to zoning, among other strategies, can make housing more a ordable. Meanwhile, reporter Luke Zarzecki looks at how the development of our

perts like Christy Rogers, who teaches housing policy at the University of Colorado Boulder.

“Where are our starter homes?” Rogers said. “Where’s our ability to provide housing for a bunch of di erent income levels?”

Many communities need more variety. Some need more density, housing units built closer together, she said.

Housing advocates often point to “the middle,” homes that are neither large, singlefamily units nor big apartment complexes. e middle consists of smaller single-family units and condos that get people their rst foothold in homeownership, a home that they can build equity in and, as their family grows, sell and reinvest the pro ts to upgrade to a bigger one.

e governor appears to be

cities contributes to healthharming pollution and how ideas like better-planned transit can improve our air and reduce climate change. Reporters Belen Ward and Steve Smith look at tiny homes and how di cult it can be to nd a home, even with some help.

In the end, there is no one solution and, frankly, the problem looks like it will continue, and potentially worsen, in the months ahead. Yet we acknowledge e orts to reverse the trend, including collaborations between federal, state and local o cials on myriad projects in our communities. We also hope that they are successful and that Colorado does not turn into what Polis decries — his portrayal of California as a poorly-planned nightmare, where residents face shortages in drinking water, commute on clogged highways and pay $1 million for a typical home.

In the months ahead, we plan to follow up with o cials and hold them accountable for their promises to improve the situation. We will ask for speci cs and then seek out local leaders and residents for their reactions. We also plan forums where our readers and local leaders can join us to speak about the work that needs to be done. In the meantime, we welcome your letters with ideas.

headed in a direction where that kind of market is more possible. He said he wants to “legalize more housing choices for every Coloradan” while “protecting the character” of the state.

Yet it is an idea marked mostly by the sweeping language of the governor’s speech — at least for now.

Colorado Community Media asked the governor for more details since his address. In one statement, the governor said only that “across our state we need more housing for purchase and for rent at a lower price, and I look forward to working on all ways we can help make this happen.”

In another sign, the governor touted Lakewood’s “forwardlooking vision” after he visited

Contributors to the project include:

The state Capitol stands January in Denver.

PHOTO BY ELLIS ARNOLD

Cities where six-figure salaries can’t buy homes

BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Aldjia Oudachene’s Littleton home is “a wish come true.”

e house is close to the school bus stop, near work and even has a guest room where Oudachene’s father stays when he visits.

“We have good neighbors who have children the same age, so they play together and I’m so happy here,” Oudachene said.

Originally from Tizi Ouzou, Algeria, Oudachene, her husband and two children moved to Littleton in October 2020. In Algeria, Oudachene’s family lived in a house they could a ord on her and her husband’s incomes as French teachers. When they moved to Littleton, Oudachene said it was a challenge.

“When we came here, we started our life from nothing,” she said. “Here, to teach French, I have to learn English rst.”

To make ends meet, Oudachene and her husband took full-time positions with Walmart, but, even then, the high cost of housing put homeownership outside of their budget. Instead, they rented a two-bedroom apartment.

“With the apartment, life was stressful for us,” she said. “ ere wasn’t a lot of space and no place for (the children) to play.”

Oudachene’s family needed more space and privacy. So they kept looking for a house. Oudachene said her family friend told her about Habitat for Humanity. e national nonpro t vision is a “world where everyone has a decent place to live.” And a ordability is a major part of the organization’s vision.

e application process took about a year, but Oudachene said there was no way her family would have a house without Habitat for Humanity Metro Denver’s help. In the end, the organization provided an opportunity for the family to invest in a home within their budget.

“We would have had to wait to have the budget without Habitat,” she said. “It was so fast. Now, I’m happy to pay the mortgage because it goes into our home.”

From 2017 to 2022, the average home price in Littleton has gone up $300,000, but the city is not alone. Over the same period, Brighton saw home prices increase $225,000, Arvada saw a $275,000 increase and Lone Tree homes are up more than $470,000 on average.

As nding a ordable housing becomes harder for a growing number of Colorado families, municipalities and nonpro ts are looking to expand existing solutions like inclusionary zoning, community land trusts and deed restrictions.

Communities that have implemented one or more of these approaches report increasing their a ordable housing stock, though o cials emphasized that the complexity of Colorado’s housing situation means there is no silver bullet.

However, across the board, a key element to getting support for the expansion of a ordable housing programs is changing the mindset of who

bene ts from them.  Supply, but for whom?

Another impact of rising housing costs throughout the metro area, many communities are reaching a critical point where a majority of workers can’t a ord to live where they’re employed.

Corey Reitz, the executive director for South Metro Housing Options, an a ordable housing provider that serves Littleton and Arapahoe County, said housing prices are now unaffordable even for people who take home a solid paycheck. at includes earners topping $82,000, the median household income in Adams, Arapahoe, Douglas and Je erson counties, according to data from the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority.

“In the past there was an a ordability issue around those lower (area median incomes), but we’re to a point right now where a ordability impacts so many people across a larger spectrum,” Reitz said.

Across the state, the share of housing a ordable to Coloradans has dropped signi cantly. In 2021, just 51% of the state’s housing stock was a ordable for median income earners. at’s down from 76% in 2015, according to research from the Colorado Futures Center, a nonpartisan research group out of Colorado State University.

Phyllis Resnick and Jennifer Newcomer, the authors of the study, said they believe the continuous rise in pricing, even as the housing supply grows, indicates a mismatch in the kind of housing needed and the kind of housing being built.

“ ere’s supply, but supply for who? At what monetary level?” Newcomer asked.

It looks like this: subdivisions of four- and ve-bedroom homes, handfuls of luxury apartments and few, if any, condos and starter homes.

“ e thing that we’re trying to gure out how to illuminate most speci cally is this nuanced distinction between total rooftops and this notion of supply with respect to availability,” Newcomer said.

Resnick said the current market doesn’t incentivize the construction of lower-cost housing. Per her 2021 analysis, housing values in Colorado would need to drop by roughly onethird to return to the 2015 levels of a ordability – something unlikely to happen, experts have told Colorado Community Media throughout our four-week housing series.

e ones feeling the crunch the most are those who earn the least money, though many of those struggling to a ord housing have aboveaverage salaries.

“I suspect when we nish our research, we’re going to nd that housing that is a ordable to people who are closer to the economic margins is sort of not feasible in the sense of being pro table for the folks who need to be out there building that housing,” Resnick said.

A Golden gap

Without the market providing entry-level housing or starter homes, nonpro ts and local governments have stepped in to try to ll the gap by subsidizing building and buying costs.

An extreme example is the city of Golden, where 95% of its workforce lives outside city limits.

Just this month, the city applied for a grant to support a $65 million partnership with Habitat for Humanity to construct 120 for-sale condos and townhomes for residents making 80% of the area median income for households. at’s roughly $65,000 for an individual and around $93,000 for a family of four.

Golden recently completed a housing needs assessment in October,

which found that both housing prices and rent increased exponentially in less than a decade. e cost of the average house in the city doubled between 2015 and 2022. For the rst half of 2022, the average single-family home sold for $1 million, up from $533,000 in 2015.

is means even relatively highincome earners in Golden are considered by the city to be burdened by housing costs.

“ e majority of the housing that we’re projected to need in the next 10 years will need to serve households at or above 120% area median income,” Golden Housing Coordinator Janet Maccubbin said. “So you’re looking at households that would make well into six gures and yet there’s not housing that exists for them in Golden.”

Maccubbin said the newly formed A ordable Housing Committee is expected to meet in February and will begin to shape the city’s response and goals for addressing housing needs.

Land and options

Habitat for Humanity Metro Denver’s approach to providing a ordable housing is to tackle two of the most expensive elements of housing — land and labor.

CEO Heather La erty said the organization, which works in Adams, Arapahoe, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson counties, relies on partnerships with developers, as well as volunteers and program recipients to provide the labor.

To create a ordable housing that stays a ordable into the future, the organization utilizes Colorado Community Land Trust and deed restrictions. Under the land trust model, land is owned by a community trust or nonpro t, so homeowners only pay for the cost of the home. e trust currently has 215 properties, including townhomes and single-family homes, which serve households at or below 80% median income.

“It used to be that if we could just create an a ordable product, it would be something that would be a ordable in the future, just naturally, and that’s not the case today,” La erty said. “What (the community land trust) does is, then in law in perpetuity, it only allows those homes to be sold to homebuyers in a similar income category. So it provides a ordability initially, but it also ensures 20 years from now it is sold with an income restriction.”

In addition to the trust, Habitat for Humanity Metro Denver also uses deed restrictions to ensure homeowners meet income requirements.

La erty said the models are successful because they provide lower-cost housing, while allowing homeowners to still build equity and eventually move into market-rate housing.

“What we nd is that a homebuyer is able to get into homeownership at a price point that works for them and they then are able to build equity,” she said “It’s really a steppingstone for people who are trying to get into homeownership and bene t from the equity homeownership allows households to build. But it also means that

Aldjia Oudachene and, her husband, Idir Ouarab pose with their children, Yacine and Anais, at their home in Littleton. Originally from Algeria, Oudachene applied to Habitat for Humanity Metro Denver for a home in Littleton, where average home prices have gone up $300,000 between 2017 and 2022.

COURTESY OF ALDJIA OUDACHENE

Metro Growth: The Hidden Cost of Urban Sprawl

BY LUKE ZARZECKI LZARZECKI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Drive along the interstate into Colorado from its eastern side and the rolling plains slowly transform into vast hills of lights.

Shelley Cook, a former director with the Regional Transportation District and a former Arvada councilor, moved to the city in 1983. Back then, those lights weren’t as bright.

“(I moved) back when Olde Town was that sleepy little place and property values were cheap,” she said.

Over the decades, Denver and the cities and towns that surround it have grown together, absorbing wide open spaces in all directions. Every decade for almost a century, the region’s growth rate has outpaced the national average, according to the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation, and prices did too.

“People aren’t able to live right in Olde Town, property values are expensive,” Cook said.

In the last 10 years, the region grew fast, and the Regional Transportation District is keeping track. RTD expects the population to keep rising, from 3.36 million people in 2020 to 4.41 million by 2050.

at means more roads, more water pipes, more single-family homes and ultimately more greenhouse gas emissions. In the past 30 years, Colorado has warmed substantially, and estimates project a rise by 2.5-5 degrees Fahrenheit by 2050.

“I’m very concerned too, have been for years,” Cook said. “But for the world, for the people who follow us and the people who live in other places and people in developing countries who are the hardest hit in many cases, I’m very, very concerned.”

Zoom in from the mounting pressures of a world issue and see Colorado’s local municipalities — and residents — at the forefront of a solution. Climate anxiety may be alleviated with solutions that aim to reduce emissions.

Housing is part of the equation. Increasing density, building developments near transit lines and planning for other vehicles, like e-bikes, can all be solutions to the climate crisis. ough, they may come with other issues too.

Higher density results in less lawn use, accessible transit increases ridershi[ and electric cars emit less pollution. However, people are less inclined to live in dense areas, funding for transit remains low and electric cars may outsource pollution elsewhere.

Part of the problem is traced to housing and the way Americans live, according to one study from the University of California Berkeley. Households in the United States alone directly or indirectly bear responsibility for about 20% of the world’s emissions of greenhouse gases, and those households represent only 4.3% of the total global population.

Local leaders have identi ed the scope of the problem, solutions and,

in some cases, new problems created by attempts at solutions.

Pouring sand on a map

Christopher Jones, director of the CoolClimate Network at the University of California, analyzed the relationship between density and carbon emissions per household.

To measure the carbon footprints, Jones and his team looked at six key variables to estimate consumption: household income, household/family size, size of their homes, home ownership, education level and vehicle ownership.

Overall, Jones said they didn’t nd any correlation between overall density and emissions. Looking at zip codes everywhere, there are very rural areas with very low emissions, very rural areas with high emissions, cities with low emissions and so forth.

However, there exists a strong correlation between dense cities and emissions.

“It’s only when you get into the very, very high density areas that you have low emissions,” he said.

Looking at New York City, those living in Manhattan or Brooklyn have low carbon footprints, but that doesn’t necessarily mean lower emissions overall. Large cities are associated with extensive suburbs.

“It’s like pouring sand on a map. You can pour more sand in the middle and the pile just gets bigger and bigger. What you really need to do is pour the sand in a cup on the map and have it go up without going out, and we haven’t seen that in the United States,” he said.

ey don’t know if density is causing sprawl: they just know that’s what happened historically.

“Large populous cities actually have higher carbon footprints overall, even while the people who live in the urban core, their carbon footprints are much lower. So what you really need to do is prevent sprawl,” he said.

Sprawl by design

e Denver area isn’t zoned for density. Instead, it encourages the kind of growth Jones nds problematic.

Jones sees building density as a short-term solution to reducing carbon emissions from housing.

Technology and decarbonizing the economy in the long term will be much more e cient. at serves those who don’t want to change their lifestyle, as well as those who can’t a ord to live in dense areas, since density sometimes leads to pricing owners out of the area.

In Colorado, vehicle fuel and electricity are the two highest contributors to one’s carbon footprint, according to the CoolClimate Network data.

“If you can get truly renewable electricity to power your vehicle and your home, that’s certainly the quickest thing you can do,” he said.  ough, that may take years to come.

Carrie Makarewicz, an associate professor of urban and regional planning at the University of Colorado Denver, said roughly 80% of land in the metro area is zoned for residential single-family homes.

“Of the percentage of land in the region (included in the Denver Regional Council of Governments, or DRCOG) that is zoned only for residential, whether the zoning is for low, medium or high density residential (but excluding agricultural land that allows residential), the very low density zoning is 83.9% of land. Our de nition of low density is almost exclusively single family detached,” Makarewicz wrote in an email.

Just 4.4% of the built housing units is for two-to-nine unit housing.

A lot of communities in Colorado are mostly single-family homes, resulting in less density and forcing developments to sprawl out. Within Denver metro communities, that means space is limited.

According to Root Policy Research, between 2000 and 2019, Adams County increased single-family attached homes by 34%, Arapahoe County by 26%, Douglas County by 76% and Je erson County by 11%.

Progress to diversify housing stock has picked up in some areas, such as in Douglas County. e county increased duplexes by 174%, developments with three to four units by 179%, developments with ve to 49 units by 220%, and developments with 50 or more units by 471%.

However, numbers for denser

residential developments are much lower than single-family homes. In 2000 in Douglas County, there were 54,428 single-family attached homes, 103 duplexes, 738 of three to four units, 4,453 of ve to 49 units and 773 of 50 or more units.

With most of the land zoned for single-family homes, the process for developers to build anything else is more arduous for them. It means they’ll most likely face hurdles, including public hearings and approval processes involving elected o cials.

Local purview

Zoning rules, infrastructure and transit between communities all impact climate change and a ordability. So does hyperlocal opposition to projects. at’s because housing plays a major role in how people live, and it’s decided by local electeds.

“Land use decisions are the purview of local governments exclusively,” said Jacob Riger, the long range transportation planning manager for Denver Regional Council of Governments.

It puts power within municipal government, since housing policy is local: cities set codes, they vote on plans for development and they decide how they want their land to look. at accounts for the housing stock today.

Infrastructure within cities can address climate change. Dense, walkable neighborhoods with public transit have the potential to lower carbon emissions and there are plans for such neighborhoods popping up along the Front Range — along with ghts over them.

Bill Rigler, principal at Boulderbased Greenlight Strategy, has seen it all.

“NIMBY tactics are literally the same in every community across the Front Range,” Rigler said. “I will never not be astounded by what a group of 10 or 15 angry individuals with the working knowledge of Nextdoor and Facebook can do to scuttle or dramatically alter the proposals for housing.”

NIMBY stands for Not In My Back Yard, but given the adamant opposition of groups to some projects, Rigler said a new attitude has appeared: “NOPE,” standing for Nothing On Planet Earth.

“ ere is rarely — if ever — a time I can think of where opponents to these projects have relied 100% on the truth. ey have a very uid relationship with facts,” Rigler said.

Rigler’s group works with developers to help get mixed-used and affordable housing projects approved and only accepts developments if they reach a certain standard regarding sustainability.

He noted each one he works on goes above city building requirements, like water usage, by a factor of two or three. Even so, approval isn’t guaranteed and extra e orts by the developer increase costs.

Some of those NIMBY arguments cite defense of the environment,

A map of average U.S. household carbon footprint by zip code of a zoomed-in portion of Colorado. The blue zip codes have lower carbon footprints (mostly in Denver, Boulder and mountain counties) while red have higher carbon footprints. The map is a screenshot from the CoolClimate Network. https://coolclimate.org/ maps COURTESY OF COOLCLIMATE NETWORK

The battle over tiny homes began with a bill

BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

For some Coloradans, the American dream is a spacious home. It might have four bedrooms, several bathrooms, high ceilings, a two-car garage and a yard with a vegetable garden. For others, the dream looks di erent — and the house, smaller. Much smaller.

A “tiny home” is a fraction of the dream, often a single room with a loft. And it can be had at a fraction of the price of a traditional home.

Tiny homes are a reality after Gov. Jared Polis signed House Bill 1242 last year. e law recognizes tiny homes as a new option amid skyrocketing home values. Prices have risen so fast in recent years that many Coloradans are simply priced out of the market.

e Polis administration, in an announcement, said the law is meant to “preserve and protect housing a ordability and expand access to a ordable housing.”

While tiny home builders have applauded the bill, it wasn’t always that way. Builder Byron Fears said the legislation in its current form almost did not come together.

“ ey didn’t have the realistic side of what a tiny home is about and what it takes to build a tiny home,” Fears said.

Fears is the owner of SimBlissity

Tiny Homes in Longmont. He is also on the executive committee of the nonpro t Tiny Home Industry Association, which launched in Colorado under the leadership of former Gov. John Hickenlooper and has expanded across the country.

But Fears said the original draft of the bill had the potential to put tiny home builders out of business.

He turned to state Rep. Cathy Kipp, D-Larimer County, one of the bill’s sponsors.

“We did a Zoom call the next day and then another Zoom call the following day with more people involved,” Fears said.

Boon

to the industry

Eventually, changes to the bill came and the industry got on board.

e industry looks at tiny homes as a boon to the state’s tight housing market. And they’re supported by a movement: tiny-house advocates who emphasize the environmental and personal bene ts of living in smaller spaces.

e dwellings can be as large as 400 square feet but many are much smaller. Some cost around $50,000, with prices ranging up to $200,000, depending on size and amenities — a ordable, especially when compared to median Colorado home prices that are well above $500,000.

Like regular homes, they must pass a code inspection to hook up to water, sewage and utilities. e new law also addresses manufactured homes, also known as mobile homes, simplifying contract and disclosure requirements and establishing a raft of standards from escrow to inspections meant to protect homeowners.

Fears said legislators and others worked closely with builders, too.

e new law relies on the 2018 International Residential Code model, building codes written by builders around the world and adopted by individual counties, cities and towns.

e IRC’s Appendix Q speci cally addresses tiny homes and spells out the size and shape of the buildings, stairway standards, lofts and doors.

From industry to county

It all may sound dull, but those residential codes are the bread and butter of the business because they standardize tiny homes, giving builders, local communities and buyers an idea of what they can expect.

But writing the codes for national industry standards is one thing, getting counties to change zoning laws is another. e new state law simply makes it possible for county o cials to adopt tiny home rules of their own, Fears said.

“It still going to take a lot of work to get the di erent counties to adopt the Appendix Q IRC, which is what most of the building requirements will be based around,” he said.

Fears’ group met with o cials in Adams County and said they were not interested. Adams County ofcials provided no comment when contacted by Colorado Community Media.

But Fears said other counties are amenable to the idea.

“Some counties are already starting to talk with us,” Fears said.

Weld County began allowing tiny homes even before the state law passed. Tom Parko, director of the Department of Planning Services, said the county created its own policy a couple of years ago allowing people to buy a parcel of land to park a tiny home.

“We wanted to make sure the tiny home was hooked up to either a well or a public water system for potable water and then also a septic system,” Parko said. “We still do require a permanent foundation. So, the tiny home cannot be on wheels. at would be considered more of an RV and a temporary situation.”

Requirements like that can be a sticking point for some buyers.

Some tiny homeowners want to have semi-permanent foundations that keep the homes secure but allow them to be moved. e state is working on clari cation about the foundations, Fears said.

“It is one of our most signi cant sticking points and that clari cation will become guidelines counties can adopt or not adopt,” Fears said.

Weld County has more to explore, Parko said. e current rules treat a potential tiny home community like a mobile home park.

“It would allow somebody to buy 40 acres, and then allow 20 tiny homes to park on one parcel very similar to what you might nd in a mobile home park,” Parko said.

Parko said it gets a little more complicated when considering utilities. Weld County is not a water and sewer provider in unincorporated areas and in communities like Fort Lupton.

Special districts and utilities need to provide those services.

“Also sewerage and septic also have to be addressed,” Parko said. “It’s those types of things we’re kind of batting around a little bit to accommodate more of a tiny home community. But we certainly allow tiny homes in Weld County, if it’s just one per parcel.”

With tiny home living an option, Parko recommended contacting

the local planning and zoning departments in the county where you are interested in living before making a purchase to ensure they’re allowed.

But for residents and buyers of tiny homes, all the regulatory wrangling is worth it. Sandy Brooks is one of those people. She was 75 years old when she purchased her tiny home in 2019.

“I’m older than most, and tiny homes are wonderful for older people,” she said. “I would rather buy a tiny home and live in it for many years than pay a lot for independent living. I feel like I’m living independently now.”

Brooks describes her tiny home as akin to a small apartment. It has a bedroom, closet, living room, and ofce space. It even has a kitchen with a dishwasher and a bathroom with a washer and dryer.

“It has all the amenities, Brooks said. “I love it, don’t regret it, and am grateful. I love my location. I live in Durango on the side of a mountain. It’s beautiful.”

Brooks said her place is perched alongside 24 other tiny homes.

“An engineer, therapists, and retired people live here, and our community helps each other,” Brooks said. “We all communicate and respect each other, and it is a wonderful place to live.”

The living room of the Valhalla tiny home with stairs leading up to the bedroom with storage space within the staircase.

Sandy Brooks kitchen with dishwasher. COURTESY OF SIMBLISSITY

The tiny home owned by Sandy Brooks with her dog Zoey. PHOTO BY SANDY BROOKS

Woman goes from being homeless to an apartment

BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Lisa Hojeboom has a new place to call home.

It’s a one-bedroom apartment near Chat eld Dam complete with a walkout basement, a washing machine and a neighbor’s water feature “that sounds like a babbling brook.”

It’s quite a change. Hojeboom spent a year and a half living in places other than apartments. She lived in her car. She lived in a shelter. She lived at the Northglenn Recreation Center, where she slept on the oor of the gym and could get a 30-minute shower for $4.50.

“ e rst thing I did when I moved in was soak in a hot tub,” she said. “It was so nice.”

She was among many forced out of living arrangements because of the high cost of housing.

“I never pictured myself in that situation,” she said. “I did what I had to do.”

Hojeboom lived with her brother, but soon had to move.

“New owners bought the place, and they were going to raise the rent,” she said. “When my brother found out, he bailed. I had no job. I had just broken my elbow and was out of work

STRESSES

an apartment complex that includes some below-market-rate units and sits next to an RTD rail line.

Big spending

Another hint at what the governor wants came in response to questions after his State of the State Address. Polis said that he doesn’t want the state to get mired in age-old local debates over what the ideal mix is between a ordable and market-rate housing.

“ ere is no state AMI gure that works for Summit County, for Denver (and) for Boulder,” Polis said, in a reference to area median income, a measure often used to determine who is eligible for housing assistance.

However the mix of new homes might look, Colorado is wading deeper into spending to boost the supply of less costly housing.

Just days before the governor’s speech, the state announced a new program expected to help create up to 5,000 “high-quality, lowcost” housing units over the next ve years.

e Innovative Housing Incentive Program directs funding to Colorado-based housing manufacturers in an e ort to boost the supply of houses that aren’t built traditionally. at includes modular homes, or factory-made houses, that are assembled at the location where the homeowner will move in.

Polis touted a company from the mountain town of Buena Vista, saying it “can build a home in roughly

Fighting the Odds

for six months. I was getting hired for full-time work and getting part-time hours.”

On top of that, Hojeboom said, she su ered from post-traumatic stress disorder and was on medication, making it di cult to work, not to mention driving to work.

But she did. She did it while struggling with numerous other health issues — from a blockage in her small intestine to insomnia. rough multiple visits to the hospital and bouts of extreme pain, she held onto various jobs.

After losing her home she went looking for a new place to live. But the $1,400 per month rents she could nd were out of her price range.

“ ere’s nothing to live on,” she said, a reference to how little money she would have left after paying rent.

“It’s ridiculous. I wasn’t the only one in this situation.”

She felt she had no other option.

“I couldn’t a ord living anywhere except my car,” she said. “I saw no end. I couldn’t a ord rent.”

Hojeboom found herself living on the streets.

“ ere was one industrial street in ornton, LeRoy Drive,” she said.

“One of the parks had a ush toilet. I was never harassed. But when I got to Northglenn, the police told me I couldn’t stay on the streets overnight. I stayed employed through this.”

She even worked in airport security. Hojeboom also had a job as a con-

18 working days, compared to close to a year for traditionally built homes.”

Alone, 5,000 new homes over several years won’t make a huge dent, but the state is also armed with other new initiatives.

Proposition 123 requires state ofcials to set money aside for more a ordable housing and related programs. e money could go toward grants and loans to local governments and nonpro ts to acquire land for a ordable housing developments.

Funds could also go to help develop multifamily rentals, including apartments, and programs that help rst-time homebuyers, among other e orts. As Proposition 123 ramps up, eventually about $300 million a year will be spent around the state on such e orts.

Polis’ o ce also highlighted how millions of dollars in federal economic recovery funds were spent amid the response to the coronavirus pandemic. In the last year, the state invested roughly $830 million into housing, including roughly $400 million based on funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act in programs passed by state lawmakers, including:

• A ordable-housing spending detailed in House Bill 22-1304, which provides grants to local governments and nonpro ts toward investments in a ordable housing and housingrelated matters.

• A loan program under Senate Bill 22-159 to make investments in a ordable housing.

• e loan and grant program under Senate Bill 22-160 to provide

struction site agger, one that paid employees by the day. While she was recuperating from illness, she carried a cardboard sign to solicit money.

“I was fortunate,” she said. “It was Christmas and people were generous. I made $200. I froze my ass o , but I did what I had to do.”

Eventually, Hojeboom got into the City of Northglenn’s temporary winter housing program, which ran from December 2021 and ended in August.

e partnership between Adams County, the city and the Denver Rescue Mission opened a temporary, 25-bed program inside the former Northglenn Recreation Center.

Northglenn’s program has since ended, but more programs are coming. Voters in November approved a ballot measure earmarking tax revenue for a ordable housing, and Gov. Jared Polis made the issue a point of emphasis in his ongoing agenda. ose who took advantage of the program met with case managers once a month.

“I slept on the gym oor on a mat for the last six months,” she told Colorado Community Media last year. “We were given breakfast, a sack lunch, a shower and a warm place to stay.”

Finding a permanent place wasn’t easy.

“I responded to ve ads,” she said. “Only one was legitimate. e rest were scams. I thought, ‘I’m not going to give you information if that’s the way you roll.’”

assistance and nancing to mobile home owners seeking to organize and purchase their mobile home parks.

• e expansion of the “middle income access program” of the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority under Senate Bill 22-146. e authority, a state entity, invests in a ordable housing.

• e “Infrastructure and Strong Communities” program, also under House Bill 22-1304, to provide grants to enable local governments to invest in infrastructure projects that support a ordable housing.

ose investments build upon an additional $460 million in emergency rental assistance, $180 million in homeowner assistance and $7 million in vouchers that Colorado also invested using federal funds, the governor’s o ce told CCM.

Polis portrayed housing as integral to the fabric of Colorado, placing it in the larger context of climate, economic and water policy.

“Building smart, e cient housing statewide, especially in urban communities and job centers, won’t just reduce costs, it will save energy, conserve our water, and protect the lands and wildlife that are so important to our Colorado way of life,” Polis said.

Beyond spending, zoning is an important tool that o cials — from the governor to city leaders — are looking at tweaking in hopes of alleviating the rising cost of housing and its e ects on communities.

State role in the mix

It’s a conversation that is older than many Coloradans. Making the case for new policies today, Polis

e one legitimate ad turned into her new home near Chat eld Dam. It’s the rst time she’s had roommates. e city of Northglenn paid her deposit and gave her $200 more than what was necessary to secure the unit.

It’s quite a turnaround. She’d owned her own home at one point.

“I am not a loser,” Hojeboom said. “I’ve had success in my life. My career just took some bad twists. Breaking my elbow? at sucks. Not collecting disability? at sucks.”

“Being homeless sucks. I went to a food pantry, but I had no refrigeration,” she added. “I had a cooler, but I couldn’t keep food. My eating habits were not ideal.”

“It’s been a trip.”

She landed a job as a medical transport driver for a rm associated with the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.

“My personality is perseverance, but I’m worried for people who don’t have it together,” she said. “What do landlords expect? ey are pricing everyone out of the market. Interest rates are going up, which will make it harder to nd homes.”

She drives a Jeep Wagoneer for her job.

“I never wanted to wave a cardboard sign,” Hojeboom added. “I’m resilient. I’m a diehard. I smile through the face of adversity. People like my spirit. I was an inspiration to a lot of people.”

harked back to changes from ve decades ago.

“ e last time Colorado made major land-use changes was in 1974 — before I, and most of you, were born,” Polis said. “We were a di erent state then.”

e governor’s o ce didn’t specify to CCM more about those changes, but at least two pieces of legislation arose that year that a ected how local governments regulate how land is used.

Polis seemed to tease at the possibility of state intervention in how local communities govern housing.

“Since issues like transportation, water, energy, and more inherently cross jurisdictional boundaries, it becomes a statewide problem that truly impacts all of us,” Polis said.

He spoke of the need for more exible zoning to allow more housing and “streamlined regulations that cut through red tape.” He touched on expedited approval processes for projects like modular housing, sustainable development and more building in transit-oriented communities.

e governor and his o ce also didn’t specify what changes to zoning policy he would support or oppose. Polis has not said that he wants the state to require zoning changes in cities. Instead, the governor spoke about the state leaning in on an existing policy.

“We want to lean in to allowing local governments to use tools like inclusionary zoning to help create the right mix for their community, and I think that local input in de-

STRESSES

sign is very important,” Polis said in a Jan. 17 news conference, following his address.

So-called “inclusionary” housing policies typically ask property developers to set aside a percentage of units in new developments for a ordable housing, although developers are given di erent options to ful ll those requirements, e Colorado Sun has reported.

e landscape of local governments’ power to a ect housing a ordability in Colorado saw a big change recently. In 2021, Polis signed state House Bill 211117, allowing cities to impose a ordable housing requirements on new or redeveloped projects, so long as developers or property owners have alternatives.

For example, they could trade those for a ordable units built elsewhere, pay a fee into an affordable housing fund, or any number of other options, the Sun reported.

It’s unclear whether Polis would support anything further than the existing allowance for cities to use inclusionary zoning.

As of late January, the governor was focused on gathering input to work with state lawmakers and develop a proposal on landuse policy. As of press deadline, no bill had been introduced.

‘Can’t expect to lose money’

Polis noted the wide gap that has opened between housing prices and people’s income over the last several decades, putting homeownership out of reach for many families.

More government spending on housing is part of the solution to a ordability, experts told CCM, including Yonah Freemark, senior research associate at the nonpro t Urban Institute, based in Washington, D.C.

“Assuming that we can rely entirely on the private market to address the a ordable housing need is, I think, unrealistic and unlikely to address the needs of the people who have the lowest incomes,” Freemark said.

Ron roupe, associate professor of real estate at the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver, said “it’s inevitable” that government must provide the needed funding to bolster the supply side of the housing market.

“We do things (on) the supply side, but it’s not enough,” roupe said. “And you can’t expect a developer to build something and lose money.”

Spending from higher levels of government could bene t in particular the suburbs, which are struggling with housing a ordability but have less political appetite to tackle the problem themselves, Freemark said.

“Ultimately, the most exclusionary places, which are often suburbs, have no incentive to

invest in a ordable housing” because “they don’t see a ordable housing as (needed) by their residents,” Freemark said. at said, creating housing a ordability for key workers like teachers, police and re ghters is an important part of the puzzle for communities, roupe said.

“You lose your teachers, and then you lose the quality of your schools, and it hurts the area. Same with police and re,” roupe said.

In the larger business community, housing plays a crucial role too, Polis said.

“Coloradans have to be able to a ord to live in our communities where they can earn a good living, and companies need to be able to nd the workers they need to thrive,” he said in the speech.

‘We are not California’ e governor’s one-liner when speaking about housing — “We are not California. We are Colorado” — raises the question of where the state could be headed if it doesn’t change course.

Net migration, the di erence between the number of people coming into and the number of people leaving an area, has long been positive in Colorado. In 2015, net migration was about 69,000 people, according to the State Demography O ce.

Although the number reached a recent pre-pandemic low in 2019 with about 34,000, newcomers are still owing in.

“ ere are (home) buyers moving in from out of state, and many of them come from higher-priced areas, so they don’t have sticker shocks,” roupe said, speaking to the sustained high demand and high prices in metro Denver.

Looking to the future, roupe doesn’t think the metro Denver housing market is on a similar trajectory that large metro areas such as New York City and San Francisco have experienced in terms of high housing prices.

“New York is a coastal city and a nancial center — same with (several) California (cities), San Francisco. We’ll never be that. We’re our own animal,” roupe said.

“ e choice between those cities and Denver pricing-wise has been extreme; it’ll tighten up. It’ll never be their prices, but it’ll tighten up,” roupe added.

Freemark noted that geographically, Denver has less of a physical barrier to new construction than in places like San Francisco — and that New York City is largely surrounded by water.

Rogers, the teaching assistant professor in the program for environmental design at CU Boulder, described the metro Denver housing market’s future in terms of uncertainty.

“I think that we are in a place we’ve never been before, so I can’t extrapolate the future from that,” Rogers said. “I feel like we’re in unknown waters.”

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it’s not the kind of thing that happens for one family only.”

One of Colorado’s largest land trusts, Elevation Community Land Trust, which serves Denver, Boulder, Aurora, Longmont and Fort Collins, has created 700 a ordable homes and served around 2,000 residents in its rst ve years of operating.

Rodney Milton, a board member for the Elevation Community Land Trust and executive director of the Urban Land Institute, said another bene t to having shared land is it helps to prevent displacement and keeps communities intact.

“ e problem with reaping full equity is you can leave and the next person who buys the house could a ord to buy it at a higher price and you lose the a ordability,” Milton said. “( e land trust) locks in a ordability, but it also locks in community dynamics.”

Habitat’s plan to purchase more land in its ve-county service area is evidence that the organization believes in the land trust model for successfully housing more people, La erty said.

“We don’t anticipate land getting any less expensive, even if the market cools,” she said. “We have an urgency and a problem today that we’re trying to meet, as well as a long-term problem that we anticipate, so we’re trying to solve for both today and tomorrow.”

La erty said one of the biggest challenges to expanding programs

to serve more lower-income households and add moderate-income households is money. Last year, her organization received a $13.5 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, an Amazon stakeholder, which allowed the organization to buy more property.

Even still, La erty said that Habitat likely only meets “a fraction of a percentage” of existing demand.

“We have a need in the metro area for tens of thousands of a ordable houses,” La erty said. “ at’s why we need bigger, bolder action.”

Inclusionary zoning

Another tactic some municipalities are taking is to use a relatively new tool in Colorado, inclusionary zoning ordinances. State lawmakers in 2019 approved a law to allow cities and towns to require developments to include a certain number of a ordable housing units or pay fees.

So far, only six communities have implemented inclusionary zoning: Broom eld, Boulder, Longmont, Superior, Denver and, most recently, Littleton.

Littleton’s inclusionary housing ordinance, which went into place in November, requires all new residential developments in the city with ve or more units to make at least 5% of those units a ordable to people at or below 80% area median income for households, which is $62,000 for an individual or $89,000 for a family of four.

If developers do not include a ordable units, the inclusionary housing ordinance will levy hundreds of thousands in fees against them to be paid to the city that can then be used on other a ordable housing-related

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projects.

With upcoming development in the city, more than 2,500 proposed housing units will now be subject to the ordinance, presenting the potential for at least 125 a ordable units.

Littleton District 3 Councilmember Steve Barr said at the Nov. 1 council meeting that he is “not under any impression that the ordinance is going to solve housing a ordability in Littleton or south metro Denver,” but that it provides a critical tool for addressing the crisis.

Developers and others at the meeting voiced concerns about the ordinance making development too costly or di cult and warned it could result in a decrease in the overall available housing. Morgan Cullen, director of government a airs for the Home Builders Association of Metro Denver, told the Littleton council that the ordinance could burden developers to the point where projects wouldn’t be pro table, resulting in no new developments.

“ e additional a ordable units required by this ordinance will not be built if developers and builders decide that Littleton is not a suitable place to invest in the future,” Cullen said.

However, Broom eld Housing Programs Manager Sharon Tessier said in an email that its inclusionary housing ordinance has resulted in 580 a ordable rental units and 43 affordable for-sale homes in two years.

She said when the ordinance was initially in place, a majority of developers chose to pay the fee instead of building a ordable units.

“It allowed us to provide seed money to our new independent

GROWTH

FROM PAGE 9

Rigler said. e groups cite dense developments as taking up land that would otherwise be used as open space, or that the new housing would attract more tra c, causing more pollution.

New research may counter those stances.

What about water?

When Makarewicz thinks about density and water use, she thinks of leakage from pipes.

“ ere’s a lot of leakage in our water pipes,” she said. “Each time you create those joints and individual pipes and stretch them farther out into undeveloped parts of the county, you’re losing water.”

She also thinks of lawns. Lower density areas usually require more square feet of lawns. With more units, less water is going towards Kentucky bluegrass.

Less density doesn’t always mean less water usage, either. She said it really comes down to per-person usage and how many water-based appliances are in the home.

at’s where more e cient technology plays a role. In Westminster, water consumption declined in the past two decades despite an increase in population and commercial use. In fact, Westminster added 15,000 residents to the community and 150 new commercial business accounts.

Senior Water Resources Analyst

Drew Beckwith said technology a ects

housing authority, the Broom eld Housing Alliance, and other critical a ordable housing projects,” she said. “However, we recognized that we needed to make some adjustments to our original approach — both based on the initial data from the program, as well as through comments from developers, other stakeholders, and the community — that create better and more balanced opportunities for developers to provide on-site units while still providing the option to pay the cash-in-lieu fee.”

e original ordinance required for-sale single-family home developments with more than 25 units to restrict one-tenth of the units to 80% of area median income or pay a feein-lieu. e new ordinance, updated late last year, requires for-sale single family home developments with more than 25 units to restrict 12% of the homes to 100% area median income. It also increases the fee-in-lieu based on market rate adjustments.

Tessier said the reason the inclusionary housing ordinance was implemented in 2020 was to provide the chance for more people to live where they work.

“ e idea was to expand housing a ordability and to target those households that typically fall in the middle of the housing needs spectrum, meaning it would bene t those who are low middle to middle income earners,” she said. “In other words, it assists essential workers like the people who teach our children, who ght res and keep our city safe.”

Nina Joss, Rob Tann and Corrine Westeman contributed to this story.

a large portion of that decline, like newer high-e ciency toilets that use less water than older ones.

e question of how much technology can continue to improve remains, though Sarah Borgers, interim department director of Westminster’s public works and utilities department, thinks there’s much more room to grow.

“Industry-wide, I think the sense is we are not close to there yet. ere’s still a long way to go before we hit that plateau,” she said. “We don’t know what the bottom is, but we aren’t there yet.”

Pro-density ratings are low

e majority of Americans are increasingly opposed to the idea of living in dense areas. In fact, about 60% want “houses farther apart, but schools, stores and restaurants are several miles away.”

e number of Americans wanting homes “smaller and closer to each other, but schools, stores and restaurants are within walking distance” went from 47% in 2019 to 39% in 2021.

A train running along the G-Line departs the Arvada Olde Town station.

PHOTO BY LUKE ZARZECKI

Amazon put workers at risk at Aurora warehouse

OSHA findings

BY JOSHUA PERRY THE COLORADO SUN

Amazon faces new nes for workplace violations at its Aurora facility and several other warehouses nationwide, according to citations issued Wednesday by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

OSHA cited Amazon for “unsafe conditions and ergonomic hazards” in Aurora as part of an ongoing federal investigation that also cited warehouses in Castleton, New York and Nampa, Idaho. e proposed ne totals $46,875.

e announcement follows the conclusion of similar investigations of three Amazon warehouses in Waukegan, Illinois; Deltona, Florida; and New Windsor, New York that resulted in similar citations totaling $60,269 in proposed nes.

Although citations have been issued, the investigation of workplace safety in Colorado, New York and Idaho warehouses, which began Aug. 1, is ongoing and subject to change. OSHA investigations usually must report ndings after six months, but on Monday a judge extended the deadline to April 18. e investigation of all six sites has been the largest enforcement of ergonomic safety compliance ever, OSHA said in a Jan. 18 news release.

GROWTH

e Pew Research Center said the shift occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic with increased “telework, remote schooling and pandemic-related restrictions on indoor dining and other indoor activities.”

Despite attitudes shifting against density, Riger said the region mostly will densify with many municipalities at build-out and reaching their outward boundaries as population increases.

“I think it’s going to be a mix of growing out and growing up,” he said.

With higher density comes transit options, because land use is a transportation strategy.

According to the Colorado Department of Public Health, transportation was the second largest greenhouse gas contributor for the state by sector, losing to electric power as the rst.

With mixed-use, well designed, higher density areas, residents are able to walk more, reduce their travel times and distances, and have the ability to support transit lines and bike lanes.

An example could be seen in Olde Town Arvada.

Housing on transit lines

Since Cook moved into Arvada back in 1983, she’s seen the city transform into something di erent, crediting transit oriented development with bringing life into Arvada’s Olde Town.  Cook, along with several others, teamed up with Forward Arvada, a nonpro t looking to revitalize Olde Town in the 90s. ey tasked them-

Ergonomic safety hazards increase the risk of musculoskeletal disorders, or MSDs, by exposing employees to situations like “lifting heavy items, bending, reaching overhead, pushing and pulling heavy loads, working in awkward body postures and performing the same or similar tasks repetitively,” according to OSHA’s de nition.

In the past, ergonomic safety violations have often been di cult for OSHA to address. No established legal standard exists for enforcing ergonomic safety, said Eric Frumin, health and safety director of the Strategic Organizing Center, a coalition of labor unions. Frumin said previous attempts to establish a legal standard for ergonomic safety have faced powerful corporate opposition. is recent e ort by OSHA is unprecedented, he said.

“ ey’ve been investigating a lot of companies, big companies, with di erent kinds of problems over the years, and they have never had an investigation of this magnitude,” Frumin said.

OSHA’s investigation discovered high rates of MSDs among Amazon workers. According to the o cial citation, employees at the Aurora warehouse work in an environment that puts them at signi cant risk for developing MSDs from “repetitive lifting and carrying, twisting, bending and long reaches and combinations thereof.”

e safety of working condi-

selves with making an idea — to run a train line along decommissioned railroad tracks — into a reality to make sure Olde Town began to thrive.

Eventually, the G Line opened in 2019 and development began to spring up.  It didn’t happen without opposition, though. Residents voiced concerns over sacri cing the historical character of the town. In fact, the city faced lawsuits from a group called All the People regarding approving development plans to add to the transit oriented development, or TOD.

e city prevailed and the new transit oriented development transformed Arvada, Cook said. It created a center that attracts citizens from around the area and which bene ts merchants, restaurants and others.

All of that can also be attributed to the mixed-use, higher density design model, where someone can live above a bakery or right next to a co ee shop.

With less emphasis put on cars, which Cook sees as a good thing, residents can live in a place where they can walk to various places. She said it contributes to more of a family feel.

See more on urban sprawl online at coloradocommunitymedia.com/longwayhome/index.html.

tions in Amazon warehouses has been contested by labor advocates for years. A 2020 investigation by Reveal, the Bay Area investigative journalism organization, pored through internal safety records and found that serious injuries at Amazon warehouses had increased 33% in three years, nearly double the industry standard at the time.

Amazon said that it intends to appeal the OSHA citations.

“We take the safety and health of our employees very seriously, and we don’t believe the government’s allegations re ect the reality of safety at our sites,” Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said. “We’ve cooperated with the government through its investigation and have demonstrated how we work to mitigate risks and keep our people safe, and our publicly available data show we reduced injury rates in the U.S. nearly 15% between 2019 and 2021.”

OSHA also cited Amazon with 14 violations for improper recordkeeping in the company’s injury reports during the rst round of investigation in December, levying $29,008 more in possible nes.

No Amazon workers are unionized in Colorado — the only unionized Amazon warehouse is in Staten Island, New York. e Amazon Labor Union tried to organize at a warehouse in Albany, New York, but employees voted no to a union in October. E orts to organize service

workers from Apple to Starbucks last year were met with mixed results. Several Starbucks stores in Colorado have voted to unionize, but contracts are still under negotiation.

Amazon employs more than 20,000 full- and part-time workers in Colorado. Many work in the warehouses and as ful llment center workers. A number are also employed at the 22 Whole Foods Market grocery stores around the state.

e company opened its rst warehouse in Colorado in 2016. e Aurora facility, known as DEN5, is where the latest OSHA citations were issued. Workers at the facility sort already sealed packages and then route them by ZIP code to local post o ces for faster delivery to Colorado customers. Its rst ful llment center opened in 2018, also in Aurora, followed by another in ornton where employees are assisted by robots. A Colorado Springs warehouse opened in 2021. e company is also constructing a new ful llment center in Loveland.

is story is from e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support e Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun. com. e Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

Witness the tradition, perfection, and spectacle of The Peking Acrobats with The Shanghai Circus.

Brighton tops Adams City in girls wrestling

BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Brighton turned back Adams City 51-23 in a dual meet Feb. 1 in the Eagles’ gym. Contested-match winners for BHS were Isabella Smouse (105 pounds), Abri Renteria

CHSAA approves slight change to Sunday contact rules

BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

DENVER – e Colorado High School Activities Association changed the rules for Sunday contact between coaches and studentathletes Jan. 24.

e association’s legislative council, the decision-making arm for CHSAA, voted to keep the Sunday no-contact rule in place during a team’s season, de ned as the start

of o cial practice through the state tournament.

e original rule was in place during a given school year. e switch allows high-school coaches to be in touch with their athletes during club-level contests but only after their seasons end.

Sta notes said many high-school coaches are coaching club sports where a lot of their players – and others – play Sundays. In addition, athletes and coaches can be in the

same place when college coaches are in attendance and potential scholarships are in the discussion.

Brendan Carlucci, the athletic director for Poudre Schools in Fort Collins, said the state needs more quality coaches.

“We’ll be on the verge of hiring someone, but then they say they aren’t willing to give up coaching six Sunday tournaments,” he told the council. “We are putting less

talented coaches in front of kids. Our student-athletes deserve the very best.”

“We need to get the most qualied coaches in front of our kids,” added Lakewood’s athletic director, Mike Hughes. ere were no dissenting comments, nor were there any dissenting thoughts in CHSAA’s sta notes.

Brighton’s Abri Renteria moves for a takedown attempt against Adams City’s Sarah Davis.

Brighton’s Isabella Smouse puts Adams City’s Phoebe Gutierrez in a bit of a bind during their 105-pound match in Commerce City Feb. 1. Smouse

Brighton’s Piper Simard is about to wrap up a pinfall win over Adams City’s Angelica Quintana-Aficial during a 130-pound match in Commerce City Feb. 1. Simard won by pinfall in 51 seconds. PHOTOS BY STEVE SMITH

SEE CHSAA, P17

“ is doesn’t lead to Sunday games,” Carlucci told the council. “We need to put the very best coaches in front of our kids. is is hampering us.”

e new rule takes e ect July 1. ere is no expected nancial impact.

Soccer overtime e council also turned down a request to eliminate overtime periods in regularseason soccer matches. It needed a two-thirds vote to pass, and 81 percent of those casting ballots voted no.

Arrupe Jesuit High School’s assistant principal for student services, Mike Lovinguth, the chairman of the state’s soccer committee, outlined some reasons

the NCAA, and the state’s high-school soccer o cials association agreed.

“ e committee felt that by eliminating overtime in the regular season, o cials would have the ability to accept back-to-back games at di erent locations, knowing that there will not be a situation where overtime would delay the time they could leave one venue and arrive

at another,” the report said. “With a 10 percent decrease in the overall number of o cials in 2022, this was an attractive solution to making o cials available for multiple games on the same day. Additionally, lowerlevel games that follow a varsity game where lights are not available often have their game time cut short when overtime is played.” Broom eld High School athletic director Steve Shel-

ton thought the proposal would hurt the Northern League because it’s a competitive league.

“Kids need to prepare for performances at state,” he told the council. “In a league like ours, games are going to end up in multiple ties, which creates challenges for the RPI (the Ratings Performance Index, one of the factors in considering which teams advance to the state playo s).”

Prairie View’s Dorien Amoako reacts as Loveland’s Braden Turner prepares to inbound the ball during a Feb. 3 game in Brighton.

Prairie View’s Rashawn Salinas collides with Loveland’s Garrett Harstad in the key during a Feb. 3 game in Brighton. PHOTOS BY STEVE SMITH

Prairie View’s Eric Allee spots up for a jumper against Loveland’s Zayne Desouza.

CROWSSUPDRO ELZZ

©

TRIVIA

1. ART: Where is the Prado Museum located?

2. GEOGRAPHY: What is the only country that the Equator and the Tropic of Capricorn pass through?

3. LANGUAGE: What does the Latin phrase “tempus fugit” mean?

4. MATH: What is another name for the division sign?

5. MUSIC: How long did it take singer Bob Dylan to write the big hit “Blowin’ in the Wind”?

6. ANIMAL KINGDOM: How many times on average does a ruby-throated hummingbird ap its wings in one second?

7. MOVIES: Which movie features the line, “Keep the change, ya lthy animal”?

8. LITERATURE: Which novel features four children named Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy?

Solution

9. TELEVISION: What is Joey’s famous line in the sitcom “Friends”?

10. ANATOMY: What is a common name for the pinna in human anatomy?

Answers

1. Madrid, Spain.

2. Brazil.

3. Time ies.

4. Obelus.

5. 10 minutes, according to Dylan.

6. About 50 times.

7. “Home Alone.”

8. “ e Lion, e Witch and the Wardrobe.”

9. “How you doin’?”

10. Outer ear.

(c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

Crossword Solution

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City and County

Public Notice

Landmark Academy at Reunion (K-8)

10566 Memphis St Commerce City, CO 80022-6236

LandmarkAcademy.org

303-287-2901

OPEN ENROLLMENT NOTICE

Open enrollment for the 2023-24 academic school year ends on 2/28/2023 at 5 pm. Applications can be obtained by contacting the school. Should the number of applications received during open enrollment exceed available seats, a randomselection drawing will be held via live stream on 3/6/2023 at 2 pm.

Applications received after open enrollment will be accepted on a firstcome, first-served basis for remaining open seats. Waiting lists will be formed accordingly.

NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY AS TO STUDENTS

National Heritage Academies does not discriminate against or limit the admission of any student on any unlawful basis, including on the basis of ethnicity, national origin, color, need for special education services, sex, gender, disability, intellectual ability, measures of achievement or aptitude, athletic ability, race, creed, gender, national origin, religion or ancestry. A school may not require any action by a student or family (such as an admissions test, interview, essay, attendance at an information session, etc.) in order for an applicant to either receive or submit an application for admission to that school.

Legal Notice No. BSB2050

First Publication: February 9, 2023

Last Publication: February 9, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

Public Notice

Foundations Academy (K-8)

340 S 45th Avenue

Brighton, CO 80601-4652

Foundations-Academy.org

303-659-9519

OPEN ENROLLMENT NOTICE

Open enrollment for the 2023-24 academic school year ends on 2/28/2023 at 5 pm. Applications can be obtained by contacting the school. Should the number of applications received during open enrollment exceed available seats, a random-selection drawing will be held via live stream on 3/6/2023 at 1 pm.

Applications received after open enrollment will be accepted on a firstcome, first-served basis for remaining open seats. Waiting lists will be formed accordingly.

NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY AS TO STUDENTS

National Heritage Academies does not discriminate against or limit the admission of any student on any unlawful basis, including on the basis of ethnicity, national origin, color, need for special education services, sex, gender, disability, intellectual ability, measures of achievement or aptitude, athletic ability, race, creed, gender, national origin, religion or ancestry. A school may not require any action by a student or family (such as an admissions test, interview, essay, attendance at an information session, etc.) in order for an applicant to either receive or submit an application for admission to that school.

Legal Notice No. BSB2047

First Publication: February 9, 2023

Last Publication: February 9, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade City of Brighton

Public Notice

NOTICE OF BUDGET

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN TO THE RESIDENTS AND TAXPAYERS OF THE CITY OF BRIGHTON THAT THE BRIGHTON CITY COUNCIL WILL CONSIDER AN AMENDMENT TO THE 2023 BUDGET FOR THE CITY OF BRIGHTON AT A REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY OF BRIGHTON CITY COUNCIL ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2023 AT 6:00 P.M. AT THE CITY HALL BUILDING, 500 SOUTH 4TH AVENUE, BRIGHTON, COLORADO. THE AMENDMENT TO THE 2023 BUDGET OF THE CITY OF BRIGHTON IS ON FILE IN THE CITY OF BRIGHTON CITY CLERK’S OFFICE AT THE CITY HALL BUILDING. ANY INTERESTED CITI-

INSPECT THE AMENDMENT DURING

OFFICE HOURS OF 8:00 A.M. TO

MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. IT IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE CITY’S WEBSITE

303-566-4123

AMENDMENT AT ANY TIME PRIOR TO THE

FINAL ADOPTION OF THE AMENDMENT.

BY: KAYLA BARBER-PERROTTA

BUDGET AND PERFORMANCE MANAGER

CITY OF BRIGHTON

Legal Notice No. BSB2148

First Publication: February 9, 2023

Last Publication: February 9, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

Public Notice

The Brighton Housing Authority will submit an application to the Colorado Division of Housing (DOH). The purpose of this application is to request up to $2,900,000 for the rehabilitation of Hughes Station Apartments located at 233 N. Main Street. The request of funding from DOH is to benefit persons with low and moderate incomes by increasing the availability of affordable housing in Brighton. It is not the intent to cause displacement from any existing housing; however, if persons are displaced from their existing residences reasonable housing alternatives shall be offered.

All interested persons are encouraged to contact the applicant for further information. Written comments should be sent to 22 South 4th Avenue Suite #202 Brighton, CO 80601 or info@ brightonhousing.org and will be forwarded to DOH for consideration during the application process.

Members of the public may request a public meeting and should arrange a request with the Applicant. Applicant shall post notice of meeting (Date, Time, and Location) to ensure other members of the public are aware of meeting. If reasonable accommodations are needed for persons attending the public meeting, please contact the Applicant.

Legal Notice No. BSB2147

First Publication: February 9, 2023

Last Publication: February 9, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

Metropolitan Districts

Public NOtice

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS TODD CREEK VILLAGE PARK AND RECREATION DISTRICT

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, and particularly, to the eligible electors of Todd Creek Village Park and Recreation District (“District”) of Adams County, Colorado.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the District will conduct a regular election on the 2nd day of May, 2023, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. At that time, (2) two directors will be elected for a 4-year term and (0) zero directors will be elected for a 2-year term.

In order to be a candidate for one of the director positions, a qualified individual must submit a Self-Nomination and Acceptance Form. Eligible electors of the District interested in serving on the Board of Directors may obtain a Self-Nomination and Acceptance form from the District’s Designated Election Official (DEO):

Courtney Linney, DEO clinney@spencerfane.com

Spencer Fane LLP 1700 Lincoln Street, Ste. 2000 Denver, CO 80203 Phone: 303-839-3778

The Self-Nomination and Acceptance Form must be returned to the Designated Election Official by close of business (5:00 p.m. MST) on Friday, February 24, 2023. The form should be emailed to clinney@spencerfane.com . If the designated election official determines that a self-nomination and acceptance form is not sufficient, the eligible elector who submitted the form may amend the form at any time prior to the close of business on the day of the deadline.

Affidavit of Intent To Be A Write-In-Candidate forms must be submitted to the office of the Designated Election Official by the close of business on Monday, February 27, 2023.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that an application for an absentee ballot may be filed with the Designated Election Official, at the contact information referenced above, no later than the close of business on Tuesday, April 25, 2023.

TODD

to serve a three-year term on the District’s Board of Directors. Any eligible elector of the District interested in serving on the Board of Directors may obtain a Self-Nomination & Acceptance Form from the District’s Designated Election Official (“DEO”): Rand Sheldon 500 S. 4th Ave 3rd Floor, Brighton CO 303-659-4101

Self-Nomination & Acceptance Forms must be submitted to the DEO by close of business on Friday, February 24, 2023.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN, any elector wishing to vote by absentee ballot must file an Application for an Absentee Voter’s Ballot with the DEO no later than the close of business on Tuesday, April 25, 2023. Contact the DEO for further information regarding absentee voting.

GREATER BRIGHTON FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT

By: Rand Sheldon, Designated Election Official

Legal Notice No. BSB2152

First Publication: February 9, 2023

Last Publication: February 9, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

Public Notice

NOTICE OF CITY COUNCIL

PUBLIC HEARING

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that there has been filed with the City Clerk, City of Brighton (the “City”), Adams County, Colorado, a service plan and related documents for the proposed Swink Metropolitan District (the “ Proposed District”). A map of the Proposed District along with the proposed service plan is now on file with the City at City Hall, 500 South 4th Avenue, Brighton, Colorado 80601, and is available for public inspection.

NOTICE IS HEREBY FURTHER GIVEN that the City Council of the City (the “Council”), will hold a public hearing at 6:00 pm, or as soon as possible thereafter, on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, to consider approval of the service plan for the Proposed District in the First Floor Council Chambers at the City Hall, 500 South 4th Avenue, Brighton, Colorado 80601.

The Proposed District initially consists of a total area of approximately 133.56 acres property zoned as R-1-A (Single Family Detached), R-2 (Medium Density Residential) and R-3 (MultiFamily) generally located at the southwest corner of Southern Street and South 50th Ave.

The Proposed District is being organized as a metropolitan district to finance the construction of certain public improvements for the project known as Swink. The Proposed District shall have the authority to impose a mill levy for repayment of debt and for limited administrative, operation and maintenance purposes. For debt service, the maximum mill levy that may be imposed by the District upon taxable property within the District’s boundaries shall not exceed 50 mills. For debt service and operation and maintenance services combined, the maximum mill levy that may be imposed by the District upon taxable property within the District’s boundaries shall not exceed 60 mills. If the method of calculating assessed valuation is changed by law, the maximum mill levies above may be increased or decreased to reflect such changes, such increases and decreases to be determined by the District’s Board of Directors in good faith (such determination to be binding and final) so that to the extent possible, the actual tax revenues generated by the applicable mill levy, as adjusted for changes occurring after January 1 of the year of approval of the proposed service plan, are neither diminished nor enhanced as a result of such changes. For purposes of the foregoing, a change in the ratio of actual valuation shall be deemed to be a change in the method of calculating assessed valuation.

Any person owning property within the geographical area of the Proposed District who requests his or her property to be excluded from the Proposed District shall submit a written request for exclusion to the Council no later than 10 days prior to the hearing described herein in order to be considered.

Legal Notice No. BSB2157

First Publication: February 9, 2023

Last Publication: February 9, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

Public Notice

CONVOCATORIA PARA NOMINACIONES

DISTRITO DE PARQUES Y RECREACIÓN DE TODD CREEK VILLAGE

A QUIEN CORRESPONDA, y en particular, a los electores elegibles del Distrito de Parques y Recreación de Todd Creek Village (“Distrito”) del Condado de Adams, Colorado.

POR LA PRESENTE SE NOTIFICA que el Distrito llevará a cabo una elección ordinaria el 2 de mayo de 2023, entre las 7:00 a. m. y las 7:00 p. m. En ese momento, (2) dos directores serán elegidos por un período de 4 años y (0) cero directores serán elegidos para un período de 2 años.

Para ser candidato a uno de los puestos de director, una persona calificada debe presentar un Formulario de Autonominación y aceptación. Los electores elegibles del Distrito interesados en formar parte de la Junta Directiva pueden

obtener un formulario de Autonominación y Aceptación del Funcionario Electoral Designado (DEO) del Distrito:

Courtney Linney, DEO clinney@spencerfane.com

Spencer Fane LLP 1700 Lincoln Street, Ste. 2000

Denver, CO 80203

Teléfono: 303-839-3778

El formulario de Autonominación y aceptación debe devolverse al funcionario electoral designado antes del cierre de operaciones (5:00 p. m. MST), el viernes 24 de febrero de 2023. El formulario debe enviarse por correo electrónico a clinney@spencerfane.com . Si el funcionario electoral designado determina que un formulario de autonominación y aceptación no es suficiente, el elector elegible que presentó el formulario puede modificarlo en cualquier momento antes del cierre de operaciones el día de la fecha límite.

Los formularios de Declaración jurada de intención de ser un candidato por escrito deben enviarse a la oficina del Funcionario Electoral Designado antes del cierre de operaciones del lunes 27 de febrero de 2023.

SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS que se puede presentar una solicitud de boleta de voto en ausencia ante el Funcionario Electoral Designado, en la información de contacto mencionada anteriormente, a más tardar al cierre de operaciones del martes 25 de abril de 2023.

DISTRITO DE PARQUES Y RECREACIÓN DE TODD CREEK VILLAGE

Courtney Linney, Funcionaria Electoral Designada

Legal Notice No. BSB2154

First Publication: February 9, 2023

Last Publication: February 9, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

Public Notice

CONVOCATORIA DE NOMINACIONES DISTRITO METROPOLITANO PRAIRIE CORNER

A QUIEN CORRESPONDA, y en particular, a los electores elegibles del DISTRITO METROPOLITANO DE PRAIRIE CORNER (“Distrito”) del condado de Adams, Colorado.

POR LA PRESENTE SE NOTIFICA que el Distrito llevará a cabo una elección ordinaria el 2 de Mayo de 2023, entre las 7:00 a. m. y las 7:00 p. m. En ese momento, (3) se elegirán tres directores para un plazo de cuatro años que vence en Mayo de 2027.

Para ser candidato a uno de los puestos de director, una persona calificada debe presentar un Formulario de auto nominación y aceptación. Los electores elegibles del Distrito interesados en formar parte de la Junta Directiva pueden obtener un formulario de Auto nominación y Aceptación del Oficial Electoral Designado (DEO) del Distrito:

Sue Blair, DEO elections@crsofcolorado.com

Community Resource Services of Colorado

7995 East Prentice Avenue, Suite 103E Greenwood Village, CO 80111

Teléfono: 303-381-4960

Horario de Oficina: Lunes a Viernes de 8:00 am a 5:00 pm

El formulario de auto nominación y aceptación debe devolverse al funcionario electoral designado antes de las 5:00 p. m. del Viernes 24 de Febrero de 2023. El formulario puede enviarse por correo electrónico a elections@crsofcolorado. com. Un formulario de auto nominación y aceptación que no sea suficiente puede modificarse una vez en cualquier momento antes de las 3:00 p. m. del Viernes 24 de Febrero de 2023. Se recomienda enviarlo antes ya que la fecha límite no permitirá corregir un formulario insuficiente si se recibe a las 5:00 p. m.

Los formularios de declaración jurada de intención de ser un candidato por escrito deben enviarse a la oficina del funcionario electoral designado antes del cierre de operaciones del Lunes 27 de Febrero de 2023.

SE NOTIFICA ADEMÁS que se puede presentar una solicitud de boleta de voto en ausencia ante el funcionario electoral designado, en la información de contacto mencionada anteriormente, a más tardar al cierre de operaciones del Martes 25 de Abril de 2023.

DISTRITO METROPOLITANO PRAIRIE CORNER Sue Blair, Funcionaria Electoral Designada

Legal Notice No. BSB2155

First Publication: February 9, 2023

Last Publication: February 9, 2023

Self-Nomination and Acceptance forms are available from Sarah H. Luetjen, the Designated Election Official for the District, at email: sluetjen@ cegrlaw.com. Self-Nomination and Acceptance forms must be filed with the Designated Election Official for the District at the above email address not less than 67 days prior to the election (Friday, February 24, 2023 at 5:00 p.m.).

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that applications for absentee ballots may be filed with the Designated Election Official of the District at the above address during normal business hours, until the close of business on the Tuesday immediately preceding the election (Tuesday, April 25, 2023). All absentee ballots must be returned to the Designated Election Official by 7:00 p.m. on election day.

SILVER PEAKS EAST METROPOLITAN DISTRICT

By:/s/ Sarah H. Luetjen

Designated Election Official

Legal Notice No. BSB2089

First Publication: February 9, 2023

Last Publication: February 9, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

Bids and Settlements

Public Notice City of Thornton BID NOTICE

The City of Thornton, Colorado, requests separate bids for the leasing of certain shares in the following ditch companies for the 2023 Irrigation Season: Farmers Reservoir and Irrigation Company (FRICO Barr Division) and Burlington Ditch and Reservoir Company (Burlington Barr Division).

Bids will be accepted until 4:00 p.m. on March 9, 2023, in the Water Resources Division Office, 12450 Washington Street, Thornton, CO 802412405. No bids will be accepted beyond this date. Bids shall be in a sealed envelope plainly marked “City of Thornton, Water Resources Division, ATTN: Share Leases/Ruthanne Moore.” Bids received after 4:00 p.m. on March 9, 2023, shall be returned to the Bidder unopened and will not be considered under any circumstances. Sole responsibility rests with the Bidder to see that the Bid is received on time.

Bids shall contain the following information: (1) the ditch company and division, if applicable, in which the shares are to be leased; (2) the numbers of shares to be leased; (3) the ditch and headgate through which the shares are to be delivered; (4) the name, address phone number, and email address of the potential lessee; and (5) the bid price per ditch company share for the potential lease. Minimum bids are as follows: $100 per share for FRICO-Barr shares and $100 per share for Burlington-Barr shares.

The City of Thornton has the right to reject any and all Bids, or any part thereof, to waive any formalities or informalities contained in said Bid, and to award the Bid to the highest responsive and responsible Bidder, as deemed in the best interest of the City of Thornton. No Bids will be accepted from Bidders wishing to sub-lease.

Any questions concerning this Bid shall be directed to Ruthanne Moore, Water Resources Division, City of Thornton, (720) 977-6509.

Legal Notice No. BSB2142

First Publication: February 2, 2023

Last Publication: February 9, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

Public Notice

City of Thornton BID NOTICE

The City of Thornton, Colorado, requests bids for the leasing of certain shares in the following ditch company for the 2023 Irrigation Season: Kershaw Ditch.

Bids will be accepted until 4:00 p.m. on March 9, 2023, in the Water Resources Division Office, 12450 Washington Street, Thornton, CO 802412405. No bids will be accepted beyond this date.

Bids shall be in a sealed envelope plainly marked “City of Thornton, Water Resources Division, ATTN: Share Leases/Ruthanne Moore.” Bids received after 4:00 p.m. on March 9, 2023, shall be returned to the Bidder unopened and will not be considered under any circumstances. Sole responsibility rests with the Bidder to see that the bid is received on time.

Bids shall contain the following information: (1) the ditch company and division, if applicable, in which the shares are to be leased; (2) the numbers of shares to be leased; (3) the ditch and headgate through which the shares are to be delivered; (4) the name, address, phone number and email address of the potential lessee; and (5) the bid price per ditch company share for the potential lease. Minimum bids are: $390 per share.

TO

a.m. and 7:00 p.m.

At that time, three (3) directors will be elected to serve a four-year term.

The City of Thornton has the right to reject any and all Bids, or any part thereof, to waive any formalities or informalities contained in said Bid, and to award the Bid to the highest responsive and responsible Bidder, as deemed in the best interest of the City of Thornton. No Bids will be accepted from Bidders wishing to sub-lease.

Any questions concerning this Bid shall be directed to Ruthanne Moore, Water Resources Division,

City of Thornton, (720) 977-6509.

Legal Notice No. BSB2143

First Publication: February 2, 2023

Last Publication: February 9, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

Summons and Sheriff Sale

Public Notice

COUNTY COURT, COUNTY OF ADAMS, STATE OF COLORADO

Court Address: 1100 Judicial Center Drive Brighton, CO 80601

Phone Number: 303-659-1161x143

Plaintiff: PLATTE RIVER RANCH SOUTH METROPOLITAN DISTRICT

v.

Defendant(s): ANTHONY J HEPP

Case No.: 2022C037257

Div: 1

Attorney: Jeffrey B. Smith, Esq.

Firm Name: Altitude Community Law P.C.

Address: 555 Zang Street, Suite 100 Lakewood, Colorado 80228-1011

Phone Number: 303.432.9999

email: jsmith@altitude.law

Atty. Reg. #: 40490

SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO

TO: ANTHONY J HEPP

You are hereby summoned and required to file with the Clerk of the Court an answer or other response to the complaint filed against you in this case. You are required to file your answer or other response on or before:

March 23, 2023 at 8:00 A.M., in the Adams County Court, 1100 Judicial Center Drive, Brighton, CO 80601.

The nature of this action is a proceeding in rem.

The relief sought by the Plaintiff(s) is an Injunction which will affect the following property:

1420 Swan Ave., Brighton, CO 80601-4344, also known as SUB:PLATTE RIVER RANCH FILING NO 5 BLK:14 LOT:23, Adams County, State of Colorado. (the “Property”).

If you fail to file your answer or other response on or before the date and time shown above, the relief sought may be granted by default by the Court without further notice.

Dated at , Colorado, this day of , 2023.

CLERK OF THE COURT

By: Deputy Clerk

This summons is issued pursuant to Rule 304(e), Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure. This form should not be used where personal service is desired.

WARNING: ALL FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE. IN SOME CASES, A REQUEST FOR A JURY TRIAL MAY BE DENIED PURSUANT TO LAW EVEN THOUGH A JURY FEE HAS BEEN PAID.

Legal Notice No. BSB2125

First Publication: February 2, 2023

Last Publication: March 2, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

Public Notice COUNTY COURT, COUNTY OF ADAMS, STATE OF COLORADO

Court Address: 1100 Judicial Center Drive Brighton, CO 80601

Phone Number: 303-659-1161x143

Plaintiff: PLATTE RIVER RANCH SOUTH

METROPOLITAN DISTRICT v.

Defendant(s): TODD A GARRISON

Case Number: 2022C037256

Div.: 1 Ctrm.:

Attorney: Jeffrey B. Smith, Esq.

Firm Name: Altitude Community Law P.C.

Address: 555 Zang Street, Suite 100 Lakewood, Colorado 80228-1011

Phone Number: 303.432.9999

email: jsmith@altitude.law

Atty. Reg. #: 40490

SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO

TO: TODD A GARRISON

You are hereby summoned and required to file with the Clerk of the Court an answer or other response to the complaint filed against you in this case. You are required to file your answer or other response on or before:

March 23, 2023 at 8:00 A.M., in the Adams County Court, 1100 Judicial Center Drive, Brighton, CO 80601.

The nature of this action is a proceeding in rem.

The relief sought by the Plaintiff(s) is an Injunction which will affect the following property: 1218 Bluejay Ave., Brighton, CO 80601-7394, also known as SUB:PLATTE RIVER RANCH FILING NO 3 BLK:5 LOT:1, Adams County, State of Colorado. (the “Property”).

If you fail to file your answer or other response on or before the date and time shown above, the relief sought may be granted by default by the Court without further notice.

Dated at , Colorado, this day of , 2023.

OF THE COURT

WARNING: ALL FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE. IN SOME CASES, A REQUEST FOR A JURY TRIAL MAY BE DENIED PURSUANT TO LAW EVEN THOUGH A JURY FEE HAS BEEN PAID.

Notice No. BSB2124

Publication: February 2, 2023

Standard Blade Public NOtice District Court Adams County, Colorado Court Address: 1100 Judicial Center Drive Brighton, CO 80601 303-659-1161

Plaintiff(s)/Petitioner(s): FRED MIDCAP AS PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ESTATE OF JAMES THOMAS MIDCAP, JR., AKA J. THOMAS MIDCAP, JR., AKA TOM MIDCAP, AKA JAMES THOMAS MIDCAP, AKA J. THOMAS MIDCAP, DECEASED v. Defendant(s)/Respondent(s): ALL UNKNOWN PARTIES WHO MAY CLAIM ANY INTEREST OF THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THIS ACTION

Case Number: 2023CV30129

Attorney or Party Without Attorney (Name and Address): McClary, P.C. Andrew F. McClary, Atty. Reg.#: 13363 507 Warner St., PO Box 597, Fort Morgan, CO 80701

Phone Number: (970) 867-5621; Fax Number: (970) 867-3703

SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO

TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANT(S):

You are hereby summoned and required to appear and defend against the claims of the complaint [petition] filed with the court in this action, by filing with the clerk of this court an answer or other response. You are required to file your answer or other response within 35* days after the service of this summons upon you. Service of this summons shall be complete on the day of the last publication. A copy of the complaint [petition] may be obtained from the clerk of the court.

If you fail to file your answer or other response to the complaint [petition] in writing within 35* days after the date of the last publication, judgment by default may be rendered against you by the court for the relief demanded in the complaint [petition] without further notice.

This is an action: Complaint for Declaratory Judgement in Quiet Title and to Terminate Trust

Dated: January 30, 2023

/s/ Andrew F. McClary Attorney for Plaintiff(s)/Petitioner(s)

Legal Notice No. BSB2150

First Publication: February 9, 2023

Last PublicatioMarch 9, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

Misc. Private Legals

Public Notice Notice of Demand

On August 19, 2022, Dale M. Doughman, Personal Representative for Howard and Irene Doughman, did file a notice in accordance with C.R.S. 7-42-114 to 7-42-117 which states the following:

COMES NOW Dale M. Doughman, , Personal

Representative for Howard and Irene Doughman, after first being duly sworn, does state under oath that the Farmers’ High Line Canal and Reservoir Company certificate number 5331 for one quarter (0.25) share has been lost, mislaid, or destroyed and that said certificate is the property of Howard and Irene Doughman and has not been transferred or hypothecated by the said stockholder. Demand for issuance of a duplicate certificate in accordance with C.R.S. 7-42-114; 7-42-115 and 7-42-117, is hereby made.

Farmers’ High Line Canal and Reservoir Company will issue on or after March 19, 2023, a duplicate certificate to Howard and Irene Doughman or their legal representative or assignee, unless a contrary claim is filed with the Farmers’ High Line Canal and Reservoir Company, prior to March 19, 2023.

Legal Notice No. BSB2074

First Publication: January 19, 2023

Last Publication: February 16, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade Public Notice

NOTICE OF ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS MEETING THE FARMERS’ HIGH LINE CANAL AND RESERVOIR COMPANY 8399 W. 89th Avenue, Westminster, CO 80021

To the Stockholders of….

THE FARMERS’ HIGH LINE CANAL AND RESERVOIR COMPANY

You are hereby notified that the Annual Meeting of THE FARMERS’ HIGH LINE CANAL AND RESERVOIR COMPANY will be held on Wednesday, March 8, 2023 at 9:30 a.m., at Pillar of Fire/Westminster Castle, located at 3455 W. 83rd Avenue, Westminster, CO 80031 for the purpose of electing Directors of said Company for the ensuing year, setting the annual assessment for the ensuing year, and the transaction of any business which may regularly come before said meeting. Registering of shares will begin at 9:00 a.m.

to obtain a quorum for the transaction of business.

Dated in Westminster, Colorado this 9th day of February 2023.

THE FARMERS’ HIGH LINE CANAL AND RESERVOIR COMPANY

BY: Michael Bollinger

General Manager

Legal Notice No. BSB2156

First Publication: February 9, 2023

Last Publication: February 9, 2023 Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade Public Notice

BEFORE THE OIL AND GAS CONSERVATION COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF COLORADO

IN THE MATTER OF AN APPLICATION FOR A RULE 702.B FINANCIAL ASSURANCE PLAN, ADAMS, ARAPAHOE, BOULDER, BROOMFIELD, ELBERT, HUERFANO, LARIMER AND WELD COUNTIES, AND THE MUNICIPALITIES OF AURORA, BERTHOUD, BOULDER, BROOMFIELD, BRIGHTON, DACONO, ERIE, EVANS, FIRESTONE, FORT LUPTON, FREDERICK, GILCREST, GREELEY, GROVER, HUDSON, KERSEY, LAFAYETTE, LOCHBUIE, LONGMONT, MEAD, MILLIKEN, NORTHGLENN, SEVERANCE, THORNTON, WESTMINSTER, AND WINDSOR, COLORADO CAUSE NO. 1 DOCKET NO. 221100285

TYPE: FINANCIAL ASSURANCE PLAN

NOTICE OF HEARING

Civitas Resources, Inc. (Operator No. 200642)

(“Applicant”) filed an Application for a Rule 702.b Financial Assurance Plan. This Notice was sent to you because the Applicant believes you are an interested party entitled to notice pursuant to Rule 504.b.(10).

DATE, TIME, AND LOCATION OF HEARING (Subject to change)

The Commission will hold a hearing only on the above-referenced docket number at the following date, time, and location:

Date:April 12, 2023

Time:9:00 a.m.

Place: Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission

The Chancery Building 1120 Lincoln Street, Suite 801 Denver, CO 80203

PETITIONS

DEADLINE FOR PETITIONS BY AFFECTED

PERSONS: March 13, 2023

Any interested party who wishes to participate formally must file a written petition with the Commission no later than the deadline provided above. Please see Commission Rule 507 at https:// cogcc.state.co.us, under “Regulation,” then select “Rules.” Please note that, under Commission Rule 510.l, the deadline for petitions may only be continued for good cause, even if the hearing is continued beyond the date that is stated above. Pursuant to Commission Rule 507, if you do not file a proper petition, the Hearing Officer will not know that you wish to formally participate in this matter and the date and time of the hearing may change without additional notice to you. Parties wishing to file a petition must register online at https://oitco.hylandcloud.com/DNRCOGExternalAccess/Account/Login.aspx and select “Request Access to Site.” Please refer to our “eFiling Users Guidebook” at http://cogcc/documents/reg/Hearings/External_Efiling_System_Handbook_December_2021_Final.pdf for more information.

Any Affected Person who files a petition must be able to participate in a prehearing conference during the week of March 13, 2023, if a prehearing conference is requested by the Applicant or by any person who has filed a petition.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

For more information, you may review the Application, which was sent to you with this Notice. You may also contact the Applicant at the phone number or email address listed below.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if any party requires special accommodations as a result of a disability for this hearing, please contact Margaret Humecki at Cogcc. Hearings_Unit@state.co.us, prior to the hearing and arrangements will be made.

OIL AND GAS CONSERVATION COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF COLORADO

By Mimi C. Larsen, Commission Secretary

Dated: January 31, 2023

Civitas Resources, Inc.

c/o Julia E. Rhine 410 Seventeenth Street, Suite 2200 Denver, CO 80202

Phone: 303-223-1100

Fax: 303-223-1111

Email: jrhine@bhfs.com

Legal Notice

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Adams County, Colorado on or before May 26, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Stanley L. Smith

Personal Representative 920 Holly Street Denver, CO 80220

Legal Notice No. BSB2088

First Publication: January 26, 2023

Last Publication: February 9, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Joan Cecile DeNovellis, aka Joan C. DeNovellis, Deceased Case Number: 2022 PR 30957

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Adams County, Colorado on or before May 26, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Rhonda Joanne DeNovellis-Smith and Toni Marie Zuniga, Personal Representatives 1510 28th St. Ste.275 Boulder CO 80303

Legal Notice No. BSB2094

First Publication: January 26, 2023

Last Publication: February 9, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Gilbert R. Michaud, a/k/a Gilbert Rene Michaud, a/k/a Gilbert Michaud, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 30004

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Adams County, Colorado on or before June 3, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Casey L. Williams, #39117

Attorney for Rita I. Fuselier Personal Representative 203 Telluride Street, #400 Brighton, CO 80601

Legal Notice No. BSB2118

First Publication: February 2, 2023

Last Publication: February 16, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Jeanne Ann Off, deceased Case Number: 2022PR439

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to District Court of Adams County, Colorado on or before June 02, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Della M. Seaton

Personal Representative 4629 E 115th Court Thornton, Colorado 80233

Legal Notice No. BSB2111

First publication: February 02, 2023

Last publication: February 16, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of KAREN M. BACA aka KAREN MARGARET BACA aka KAREN BACA, Deceased Case Number:

NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Steven T. Mascarenaz, aka Steven Tom Mascarenaz, aka Steven Mascarenaz, aka Steven T. Mascarenas, aka Steven Tom Mascarenas, aka Steven Mascarenas, Deceased Case Number: 2022 PR 31064

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Adams County, Colorado on or before May 26, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Mathias Mascarenaz Personal Representative c/o Baker Law Group, LLC 8301 E. Prentice Ave., Suite 405 Greenwood Village, CO 80111 Legal Notice No. BSB2090

First Publication: January 26, 2023

Last Publication: February 9, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Rudolph K. Ulibarri, Sr., deceased Case Number: 2022PR31071

All persons having claims against the above named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to District Court of Adams County, Colorado on or before May 26, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Karen F. Bath Personal Representative 564 E 116th Avenue Northglenn, CO 80233

Legal Notice No. BSB2093

First publication: January 26, 2023

Last publication: February 09, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Norman Pence also known as Norman E. Pence, Norman Eugene Pence, Dr. Norman E. Pence and Norm Pence, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 30037

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Adams County, Colorado on or before June 2, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Todd A. Bower Personal Representative 27081 East Long Circle Aurora, CO 80016

Legal Notice No. BSB2114

First Publication: February 2, 2023

Last Publication: February 16, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade Children Services

(Adoption/Guardian/Other) Public Notice STATE OF COLORADO IN THE DISTRICT COURT COUNTY OF ADAMS Division D1 No. 22JV30106

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO IN THE INTEREST OF:

Jazlin Jones A Child, and Concerning Fairrin Jones, Dana Williams Respondents Kendell Lee, Marcus Jackson Special Respondents S U M M O N S

To the parents, guardian, or other respondents named above, GREETINGS: Fairrin Jones and Dana Williams

You are hereby notified that a verified petition has been filed in the above named Court in which it is represented to the Court that said child are alleged to be dependent and neglected; for the reasons set forth more fully in said petition, a copy of which is attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference for greater certainty.

You are further notified that the parent-child legal relationship may be terminated by this action, if prayed for in the petition.

All

You are further notified that the Court has set said petition for hearing on the 23rd day of February, 2023 at the hour of 10:30 a.m. You are hereby notified to be and appear, at said time, before this Court located at the Adams County Justice Center, 1100 Judicial Center Drive, Brighton, CO 80601. Witness my hand and seal of said Court this 30th day of January, 2023.

Alana Percy Clerk of the District Court

Legal Notice No. BSB2151

First Publication: February 9, 2023

Last Publication: February 9, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade Public Notice STATE OF COLORADO IN THE DISTRICT COURT COUNTY OF ADAMS Division D1

Eagle Ridge Academy

Boys basketball

Eagle Ridge stopped Colorado Academy 65-51 on the Mustangs’ oor Feb. 3. No stats were available for either team.

Prospect Ridge eked out a 45-43 win over Eagle Ridge Academy

Jan. 31. e game was in Brighton. Hunter Hill led the Warriors with 13 points. James “Kyen” Allen had eight. Max Vacco and David Agbosse scored 14 points for PRA.

Girls basketball

Prospect Ridge turned back the Warriors 44-37 in Brighton Jan. 31. Jaz Greenwood and Julia DeLorenzo scored eight points for ERA. Kayah Robbins scored 17 points for the Miners.

St, Mary’s Academy rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Eagle Ridge Academy 33-31 in Englewood Jan. 30.

Julia DeLorenzo scored 12 points for the Warriors. Aleena Nauman led St. Mary’s with eight points.

Prairie View High School

Girls basketball

Broom eld beat Prairie View 6224 in Brighton Feb. 4. No stats were available for either team.

Loveland beat Prairie 45-35 on the Red Wolves’ oor Feb. 3. No stats were available.

Legacy got past Prairie View 53-43 in Broom eld Jan. 30. Olivia Mortensen led the Lightning with 27 points. Madison Gage was next with six. No stats were available for the underHawks.

Boys basketball

SPORTS BRIEFS

Football Prairie View’s Lukas Villalobos was an honorable-mention choice for all-state honors in football throughj voting by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.

College wrestling

Former Brighton High School student and Skyview High School

wrestler Jaslynn Gallegos won the 116-pound title at the rst College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

Brighton Scoreboard

Broom eld topped Prairie View 85-49 in Broom eld Feb. 4. Joey Cook led the Eagles with 23 points. Ethan Zufall scored 16. No stats were available for the underHawks.

Girls wrestling

Je erson turned back Prairie View 30-6 in Brighton Feb. 2. Haylie Reyes (170 pounds) earned a forfeit win to account for the underHawks’ points.

Wrestling

PVHS slipped past Je erson 38-35 in a dual meet Feb. 2 in Brighton.

e on-mat winners for the underHawks were Ane’e Vigil (113 pounds), Donovan Archuleta (126), Juell Sanchez (144) and Dominic Dean (150).

Prairie View beat Overland 51-13 in Aurora Jan. 31.

On-mat winners for the underHawks were Archuleta, Jaydon Vigil (138), Robert Costa IV (150), Benjamin Nichols (175) and Antujan Martinez (285).

Riverdale Ridge High School

Boys basketball

Riverdale Ridge snapped Frederick’s 18-game winning streak Feb. 4 by beating the Golden Eagles 75-74 in ornton.

e Ravens outscored Fredrick 19-14 in the fourth quarter to pick up the win. No stats were available for either team.

ompson Valley beat Riverdale Ridge 76-62 in Loveland Feb. 2. Ryan Leopold scored 23 points for the Ravens. Jaedon Ward scored 17, and Marcus McFadden added 11.

Tavin Adamson led the Eagles with 19 points. Brady Kennison had 14.

Riverdale Ridge outscored Skyline 85-39 in ornton Jan. 31. No stats were available for the Falcons. Freshman Jaedon Ward led the Ravens with 27 points. Kameren Davis and Dylan Nieto scored 11.

Girls wrestling

Riverdale Ridge’s Natasha Kuberski split her four matches at the Northridge Women’s Wrestling Tournament Feb. 4. Her wins against Liberty Colony’s Breanna Johansen and Wiggins’ Regina Payan were by pinfall.

Riverdale Ridge shut out Mead 6-0 in a dual meet Feb. 3 in Mead. Kuberski earned a forfeit win at 235 pounds. e other matches were double forfeits.

Girls basketball

Riverdale Ridge beat Frederick 6236 in ornton Feb. 4. No stats were available for either team.

ompson Valley held o the Ravens 56-54 in ornton Feb. 2. Allie Mertens led the Eagles with 13 points. Becca Wiersema scored 12. Brihanna Crittendon of RRHS led all scorers with 43 points.

Riverdale Ridge swamped Skyline 84-10 in ornton Jan. 31 behind 22 points from Brihanna Crittendon and 15 more from Macayla Stark. Gabby Herr added 14. Cimione Martinez tossed in 13.

Brighton High School

Girls swimming

Brighton took fourth place in the Front Range League swimming championships Feb. 3.

Anna Jorstad was seventh in the 100-yard backstroke, where her time was 59.78 seconds. Isabella Perkins took 10th place in that event with a time of 1:00.43.

Emily Aten took fth in the 100butter y, posting a time of 58.79. In the 100- breaststroke, Makenna Reiner placed seventh in a time of 1:06.79. She also nished fth in the 200- individual medley in a time of 2:08.16.

BHS’ 200- freestyle relay team (Perkins, Hazyl Reese, Aten and Reiner) nished ninth with a time of 1:41.26. e 200- medley relay team (Perkins, Reiner, Emma Linscombe and Jorstad) nished sixth in a time of 1:49.37. e 400- freestyle relay team (Aten, Haylee Neboia, Brianna Keese and Jorstad) nished seventh with a time of 3:40.46.

Boys basketball Brighton stopped Erie 63-54 on the Tigers’ oor Feb. 3. No stats were available.

Girls basketball

BHS turned back Loveland 32-27 on the Bulldogs’ oor Feb. 4. No stats were available for either team. Erie beat Brighton 41-19 in Brighton Feb. 3. No stats were available.

Wrestling

Adams City stopped Brighton 48-34 in a Feb. 1 dual meet in Commerce City.

BHS’ on-mat winners were Braaden Heinz (120 pounds), Soloman Smouse (126), Josiah Gallegos (132), Keagan D’amico (138) and Ethan Mora (106).

women’s wrestling tournament. Her team, North Central College, nished rst in the team standings.

All-conference Brighton’s Brady Robinson, Hayden Cuevas, Sau Cano and Izaiah Schoepp were rst-team, cllconference honorees in voteing by coaches from the class 5A League 2 Conference.

Connor dean, Augustine Munoz and Kevin Day were second-team

Public Notices

picks, and Owen Taylor and Billy Ferguson were on the honorablemention team.

Youth baseball

Brighton Youth Baseball and Softball Association and the Colorado Rockies are combing for an association fundraiser this season.

BYSBA will keep $10 of each ticket it sells to one of ve games .. May 12 against Philadelphia, May 26 against the New York Mets, June 10 against

San Diego, June 23 agvainst the California Angels and July 2 against the Detroit Tigers.

Visit https://bybsa.net/store College commitments Riverdale Ridge’s Natasha Kuberski committed to Northern Michigan to continue her education and her wrestling.Her classmate, Elijah Lofton, announced his commitment to Colorado Mesa University to play football.

Lawmakers attempt to tackle auto theft

BY JESSE PAUL THE COLORADO SUN

Colorado lawmakers introduced a bipartisan bill aimed at cracking down on the scourge of vehicle theft in the state by decoupling the cost of a stolen car from the criminal penalty a thief faces and by increasing penalties for repeat auto theft o enders.

Senate Bill 97 would make stealing any vehicle a Class 5 felony, which is generally punishable by one to three years in prison or a ne between $1,000 to $100,000, or both.

Right now, the penalty level for an auto thief depends on the value of the vehicle they steal. e lowest level o ense is a Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by up to 364 days in jail, for stealing a car worth up to $2,000 if it’s a rst or second auto theft. e highest level o ense is a Class 3 felony, punishable by up to 12 years in prison, for stealing a car valued at $100,000 or more.

Under the new measure, a person who steals a car could be charged with Class 4 felony based on aggravating circumstances, such as should a thief keep the vehicle for more than a day, use the vehicle during the commission of another crime or take steps to alter or disguise the vehicle. Class 4 felonies are punishable by up to six years in prison.

e legislation, brought at politicians face pressure to deal with an increasing number of car thefts across the state, would also make a third or subsequent auto theft conviction a Class 3 felony, which are generally punishable

of $3,000 to $750,000 or both.

Tim Lane, with the Colorado District Attorneys’ Council, said the legislation creates a tiered auto theft penalty system that aims to send a message that no matter the value of a vehicle, stealing an automobile is a serious o ense. Lane said the legislation likely wouldn’t change the maximum penalty for a juvenile auto thief.

“ is is one thing to help with auto theft,” he said, “but it’s by no means the entire solution.”

Lane spoke at a news conference with Democratic and Republican state lawmakers. Also attending the event were Denver-area mayors and police chiefs, as well as local prosecutors and key members of Gov. Jared Polis’ administration.

“Imagine waking up one morning to nd your only way of getting to work, of getting your kids to school or day care is gone,” said Sen. Rachel Zenz-

sponsor of the bill, at Monday’s news conference. “Picture heading to the parking lot after a long day of work to nd your way home has been taken. Imagine the terror of being held up at gunpoint and forced to leave your vehicle in a carjacking. Too many of our neighbors don’t need to imagine what this feels like because they have lived it rsthand.”

e other lead sponsors of the bill are Republican Sen. Bob Gardner of Colorado Springs and Reps. Matt Soper, R-Delta, and Shannon Bird, DWestminster.

Polis, in a written statement, endorsed the measure.

“To achieve our shared goal of making Colorado one of the top ten safest states in the next ve years, it is critical we address rising auto theft crimes in our state,” he said. “Coloradans are counting on us. A vehicle’s monetary value does not represent the value to

vehicle has on a person or family’s daily life. Criminals should be held accountable for the crimes they commit and charged in a consistent, just, and rational way.”

e new legislation also includes a “joy-ride” provision that would make it a Class 1 misdemeanor to use a vehicle without the owner’s permission as long as the car is returned within 24 hours without damage and only minor tra c o enses were committed. A second and subsequent conviction for the joy-ride o ense would be a Class 5 felony, however.

is story is from e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support e Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. e Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

Cars parked along Littleton’s Main Street.

PHOTO BY NINA JOSS