DOVE VALLEY

phases, with the rst phase focusing on athletic eld upgrades, additional parking, a new shade pavilion and playgrounds, and a new multi-use community lawn, according to the county’s website.

e dog park and bike skills park will be located on the undeveloped 40 acres to the east of the existing ball elds.

Construction for phase one is slated to last until spring of 2024.

e construction will take place weekdays between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Portions of the park will be closed and the athletic eld programming will be suspended from this spring through the fall of 2023.

Some sections of the park and the east parking lot will remain open to the public during the construction period, according to the county’s website. e multi-use trails along East Broncos Parkway and South Chambers Road will mostly remain open but will have occasional closures.

ere will be signs to show residents which areas are accessible when they visit, per the release.

“Our parks are the heart of our community,” Arapahoe County District 2 Commissioner Jessica Campbell-Swanson said in the release. “Upgrading the facilities and amenities in our parks will help more people spend time outdoors, stay active, and build stronger relationships with their neighbors.” defenders, among others.

She said public employees do have certain rights under federal statutes. But Kelly said that employers often violate those laws because a federal complaint must be led by workers when there are issues. It’s a di cult process that creates hostile work environments where public employees feel they can’t speak out, she said.

Kelly said ling a complaint is expensive and takes up a lot of time and “employers know that.”

By extending the federal rights for private workers to public workers statewide, the bill would ensure the Colorado Department of Labor & Employment enforces these rights and step in when violations happen, mediate any issues, and take action.

Democrats in the state legislature have been pushing for more rights for public sector workers. e legislation lawmakers passed last year grants county employees the right to organize and bargain collectively over pay and working conditions. at law also prohibits strikes, work stoppages, and work slowdowns.

But facing sti opposition from school district administrators, school boards, higher education o cials, and Democratic Gov. Jared Polis, education workers were excluded from last year’s bill.

Senate Bill 111 is sponsored by state Sen. Robert Rodriguez and state Rep. Steven Woodrow, both Denver Democrats. e bill passed the Senate Local Government and Housing Committee on Tuesday with a partisan 4-3 vote.

SEE LEGISLATURE, P24 e tax funds open space sites, improvements, programs, and services throughout the county. It was reauthorized permanently in 2021, per the website. e county said, in the release, that 50% of the tax collected is given back directly to cities and towns to support open space and recreation programs.

Phase two of the park expansion project will involve creating additional youth elds, a concession building and a lighted championship eld with arti cial turf, builtin seating and shade structure. e timeline of phase two is still being determined, per the website.

According to the release, the Dove Valley Regional Park improvements “are directly funded through the Arapahoe County Open Space Sales and Use Tax.” e county’s website states that in 2003, voters approved a resolution imposing a 0.25% County Open Space Sales and Use Tax, which is equivalent to 25 cents per $100 spent, on the “sale of tangible personal property at retail and the furnishings of certain services” within the county.

“By investing in our parks, we are investing in the future of our county and a healthy quality of life for our residents,” Campbell-Swanson said in the release. ose who are interested in learning more about the park expansion project can visit: arapahoegov. com/dovevalleymp. Residents who have questions or comments about the project can also call (720) 874-6540 or email open_spaces@ arapahoegov.com.