NORTON

ink of the last time you were out to dinner with your spouse or friend, and you were having such a great time eating, drinking and sharing stories. You were probably smiling, laughing and having such a good time that you didn’t realize the impact you were having on others who probably wished they were sitting with you. ere could have been a di erent couple in that same pub or restaurant going through a di cult time, and just because your positive light, love and energy were so contagious, pretty soon they too forgot their woes and began a new and loving conversation. Is it our responsibility to be the light and love for others? Maybe it depends on who we ask. My answer is yes, partment’s standing as they remain the only County in Colorado to be accredited by the American Public Works Association. e goal is to have 85 percent of County roads in Excellent-GoodFair condition, but the Report Card showed that only 60 percent were at that level in 2022. Having 40 percent of roads in Poor-Very Poor condition is signi cantly higher than what it should be for a properly maintained roadway network. Maintenance goals and quality standards are established every year, and the County typically meets or exceeds those goals. However, due to funding constraints, the number of roads rated at Poor-Very Poor condition has been steadily increasing. e bottom line is that since 2004, budget allocations to e ciently because I believe we are called to be both light and love in this world. e world can seem very dark right now, but just remember that there is no such thing as darkness, there is only an absence of light. So let’s bring it. Do you enjoy being around people who make you happier just by being in their presence? Does your heart come alive when you see or experience moments of love and light happening around you? I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail. com, and when we can enjoy the light and love of others and be the light and love for those who need it, it really will be a better than good life. maintain these assets has not kept up with in ation. is has resulted in a further decline in overall road conditions and greater delayed maintenance costs as it costs 10 times more to repair roads and bridges once they are in a poor or very poor condition than it would have cost to keep them properly maintained over the years.

We have learned through various public outreach and engagement e orts that tra c congestion and safety within the County is the largest concern voiced by residents. And in an April poll seeking resident input on needs and priorities, we saw “repairing and improving transportation infrastructure” rise to the top. As one of your elected leaders, I couldn’t agree more with this priority. I’m a strong proponent of maintaining and improving our transportation infrastructure because it is what keeps us connected to each other and those outside of our County.

This is why we are sharing the results of a 2022 assessment of our transportation infrastructure needs. For decades we have collected this data and have used it for internal decision-making and resource allocation, but until now, it has never been shared with the public in a comprehensive manner. While it will be eye-opening for many, the “2022 Infrastructure Report Card” is an honest assessment of the condition of our roads, bridges and other transportation infrastructure.

Michael Norton is an author, a personal and professional coach, consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator of individuals and businesses, working with organizations and associations across multiple industries.

Our Public Works and Development staff works hard to maximize allocations for roads, bridges and other infrastructure assets, yet their fiscal stewardship can’t keep up with the demands that growth has placed on County resources. And as I mentioned in a Telephone Town Hall earlier this year, our County as a whole has done an incredible job of managing our funds and using them wisely and efficiently. But the increasing needs, especially related to our transportation infrastructure, are creating financial challenges. As your county commissioner, I made a promise to tackle that as one of my chief priorities and I intend to deliver on that promise.

In the coming weeks and months, I look forward to partnering with you to determine sustainable funding sources for our transportation infrastructure. Look for future telephone town hall events at www. arapahoegov.com/townhall, follow us on social media, or subscribe to e County Line newsletter to stay informed and get involved.

Jessica Campbell-Swanson serves on the Arapahoe County Board of County Commissioners representing District 2, which includes Centennial, Greenwood Village, a portion of Aurora and unincorporated central Arapahoe County.

BY JOHN RENFROW JRENFROW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Pools around the metro area are gearing up to open for the summer. at is, if there are enough lifeguards.

e years-long trend where pools have cut hours or closed altogether appears to be waning, though it’s still a possibility in some places, according to aquatics managers across the Denver area, who are more optimistic than in past years, but still concerned as summer nears.

For instance, South Suburban Parks and Recreation needs 250 lifeguards for its peak summer season but has only 183 ready to go.

Karl Brehm, the recreation dis- trict’s aquatics manager, hopes to get closer to the goal as summer approaches but wonders why applications are so slow to roll in.

“I have seen, more and more, less interest in the position,” Brehm said.

He’s been in the business for a long time. Brehm worked at Elitch Gardens for ve seasons and the Highlands Ranch Community Association for 16 years. He said he’s seen a general lack of interest, generationally, from young people who want to do the job. Fewer people are becoming CPR certi ed as well, he added.

“I’ve often wondered why we were having those issues,” Brehm said. “Back in the day, I remember if you didn’t have your job by spring break, you weren’t getting a summer job.” e problem could a ect South Suburban pools across the district, which serves more than 150,000 residents in Bow Mar, Columbine Valley, Littleton, Sheridan, Lone Tree and parts of Centennial and Douglas, Je erson and Arapahoe counties.

If he can’t hire enough lifeguards, hours at pools could be cut, Brehm said. It’s not for a lack of trying, though. e district has introduced incentives, bonuses, pay bumps and more in hopes of luring in more lifeguards.

South Suburban isn’t alone. ere’s a national lifeguard shortage, which was exacerbated by the pandemic. Lifeguard shortages a ected roughly a third of public pools throughout the country.

In response last year, Gov. Jared Polis announced a “Pools Special Initiative 2022,” in which Colorado introduced incentives. Chief among them was a $1,000 payment to those who completed lifeguard training to ght pool postponements and decreasing operating hours.

Now, out of necessity, hiring lifeguards is ongoing throughout the entire summer season, Brehm said. Lifeguards for South Suburban make between $15 and $19.14 per hour, per South Suburban’s website. A head lifeguard makes $15.75 - $19.93 per hour.

But there are additional costs to South Suburban. ough life-