Adams County hosts Tiny Home Festival Colorado taxpayers should see hefty refund checks

Good news on revenues means more money coming back to residents

BY JESSE PAUL THE COLORADO SUN

Colorado taxpayers will be sent even larger refund checks next year than expected after state tax revenues nished the scal year much higher than budget analysts for the legislature and in the governor’s o ce predicted.

e state may now have to refund nearly $1 billion more than originally expected, nonpartisan Legislative Council Sta and the governor’s O ce of State Planning and Budgeting told state lawmakers in June, increasing refund checks by hundreds of dollars per person.

BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The sixth annual Tiny Home Festival returned to Riverdale Park on June 24 and 25, showcasing some big ideas with small footprints.

The park was busy, with many people lining up to see each one of a kind of custom-built home. Each tiny house ranged from 400 square to larger, with amenities like full-size washers, dryers, and kitchen appliances.

Legislators approved the Colorado Tiny House Bill, House Bill 22-1242, that creates construction standards for theand , makes the event more timely than ever.

“This new legislation will make tiny home living in Colorado a more viable option,” said Art Laubach, Colorado Tiny House Festival organizer. “The legislation will protect consumers setting standards for e legislature passed a bill in the nal three days of its 2023 lawmaking term, which ended May 8, that would make the refund check amounts the same for everyone if voters pass Proposition HH.

Exactly how large those Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights refund checks will be remains in ux, in part because the number will be determined by whether voters pass Proposition HH in November, a 10-year property tax relief plan from Democrats in the General Assembly and Gov. Jared Polis.

Briefs

Farm to Market tickets on sale e Foundation’s biennial fundraising campaign will bene t women’s health services to help women connect with the care they need throughout their adult years and to support area women who do not always prioritize their own health needs. e foundation hopes to raise $500,000 in the campaign cycle. ey conduct multiple fundraising e orts annually with Farm to Table as the largest event. e event garners so much support that it often sells out long before the date. is year, Muñoz reserved a block of tickets that are available to the public for $75 each. ey are available at https://ftt2023.cbo.io.

Tickets for Farm to Table, a fundraising event for the Platte Valley Medical Foundation scheduled for Aug. 17 or on sale now.

Farm to Table will be at 6 p.m. Aug. 17 on the hospital campus. Platte Valley Medical Center’s Chef Mike Anderson uses produce donated by area farmers to create a gourmet meal for about 450 guests.

Brighton residents encouraged to take community survey e City of Brighton is launching e National Community Survey (NCS) through Polco NRC (National Research Center) to get resident input on a wide range of community issues ranging from crime and safety and employment opportunities to overall quality of life. An estimated 3,000 households in Brighon should begin receiving surveys in the mail asking them to participate, and their responses will be weighted and analyzed for the survey results. Following the distribution of the mailed surveys, an online version of the same survey will be available for the rest of the community to complete in late July. More information will be sent out on the online survey when it becomes open. All residents will be able to complete the online survey by visiting www. brightonco.gov/survey. e City of Brighton last worked with Polco to conduct a community survey in 2021. e National Community Survey allows Brighton to compare results and benchmark residents’ opinions against other communities across the country. e survey will include questions about quality of life, important characteristics of community, services provided by the City, and priorities for the future. e survey will be available online in English and Spanish. Responses will remain anonymous and personal information will be securely stored on Polco. Once results are in, they will be analyzed by Polco, then presented to City Council.

Residents with questions about the survey may contact the City of Brighton by email at communications@brightonco.gov.

GOCO $350K grant goes to the High Line Canal preservation work

E orts to protect the High Line Canal as a regional open space picked up a $350,000 grant from Great Outdoors