New marijuana licenses on hold

bulk of the city’s licenses for retail or medical marijuana licenses are located in those southern wards.

“Many cannabis users are people of color (but) less than two percent of cannabis retail store owners are people of color,” Allen-Thomas said at the April 17 meeting. “They are continuously growing in areas that are traditionally marginalized communities. I constantly receive concerns from residents and my constituents about the increase in new marijuana and smoke shops in our community.”

Councilor Kristi Douglas agreed, saying that residents in the southern wards typically don’t have time to complain about the matter. Councilors would hear from residents of Ward 3 and 4 if that were case there, she said.

“The people in Wards 3 and 4 are

Douglas said. “So, if something like this came forward in those wards you would see those people protest, ‘We don’t want this in our wards.’“

Councilors voted unanimously for the moratorium.

City Clerk Dylan Gibson said there are currently 42 active licenses for marijuana businesses in Commerce City, either active businesses or ones that have city approval. That includes 12 retail stores, three medical stores, 11 cultivation operations and 16 manufacturers of marijuana products like edibles and concentrates.

Of those 42 licenses, 32 of them are in Ward 1, eight are in Ward 2 and two are in Ward 3. There are none in the city’s fourth ward.

Broader scope

Gibson noted that the state rules had grown to allow more kind of marijuana businesses, including testing facilities and hospitality locations where marijuana could be smoked in public.

“Our marijuana code was adopted in 2015 and hasn’t been updated since,” Gibson said. “There are certain updates that we need to make in order to keep up with the state statutes and rules and additional license types that the

Current rules limit where the businesses can go via setbacks, the distance they must be from certain locations. For example, they must be at least 500 feet from residential properties and 1,000 square feet from schools, rehab facilities, group homes, halfway houses, city parks and recreation centers.

Councilor Susan Noble noted that liquor licenses must be at least 2,000 feet from homes and schools under Commerce City rules.

“How did we get to 500 feet for marijuana licenses?” she said.

Gibson said he did not know but it’s something councilors could consider.

“It seems to me we should make sense and be consistent with liquor stores,” Noble said.

Marijuana businesses have paid nearly $7 million in taxes to the city since 2016, Gibson said.

It’s not the first time Commerce City has paused marijuana businesses. It enacted a moratorium on medical sales in 2010 that was lifted later that year and a moratorium on recreation sales in 2013 that was finally lifted in 2015. The city briefly considered a moratorium in 2017, but the idea didn’t proceed past a study session discussion.

Memorial Day Parade Entry Form open througth May 29 e event features oats, vehicles, military organizations, music, horses, dancers, and much more! Parade entries are required to observe the parade’s purpose of honoring the fallen and/or veterans of the armed forces with patriotic themes and decorations. Visit c3gov.com/Parade to review the rules and regulations and submit an entry form through Friday, May 5.

One of Commerce City’s favorite traditions is back in the heart of the city on May 29, and the City of Commerce City is seeking entries for the 57th Annual Memorial Day Parade! Organizations and individuals interested in participating in the parade can register for free to take part in the festivities.

CCPD Introduces Online Crime Reporting

Form e Commerce City Police Department has a new online reporting tool allowing the public to report some non-emergency crimes and receive a police report immediately without having to speak to a police o cer. e new form is online now in English and Spanish at c3gov.com/ReportACrime. Residents should always call 911 for emergencies.

Community members can now conveniently report incidents that do not require immediate o cer intervention, such as fraud, identity theft, lost property, theft/shoplifting (less than $2,000), and vandalism.

More online reporting e city is introducing two new online systems in the coming weeks to streamline numerous processes through the city website. Starting May 8, all Commerce City licensing, permitting, and development processes can be submitted in one easy location. eTRAKiT is the city’s new online permitting system, which o ers an easy, convenient way to apply for many di erent types of city permits, business licenses, and much more. You can submit applications for development projects, add contractors to your project, pay fees, download permits, schedule inspections, see inspection results, and much more without leaving your home or o ce.

Our new Citizen Request Management system “Access C3” will update your user experience to help you submit and track your concerns through our website and/or our brand new

Access C3 mobile app. Using AccessC3, you can report concerns, ask questions, track updates on your reports, and see similar reports made in the city via enhanced software. For questions, residents should contact the department or division they are working with.

County hosts mass wedding June 10 Adams County Pride Fest will host a mass wedding ceremony on June 10, penned Marriagepalooza, and will be hosted by drag queens Stella Diver and AllSpyce.

All couples are welcome to participate and, according to Adams County Spokesperson Nikki Kimbleton, a limited-edition marriage license will be available. ose licenses will be printed on special paper and have a special design, though the details aren’t nalized yet.

According to a news release, Stella Diver, one of 2023’s “10 Freshest Faces of Colorado Drag” by Westword magazine, will be o ciating the ceremony and AllSpyce, a nominee for Westword’s 10 Freshest Faces of Colorado Drag, will be the Maid of Honor.

To participate, a marriage or civil union license must be purchased between May 9 and June 9 at the Adams County Clerk and Recorder’s O ce. For the limited edition marriage license, this application must be completed.

Couples also must be checked in by 1:30 p.m. on the day of the ceremony, which will begin at 2 p.m.

Walk with a doc is is a walking program for everyone interested in taking steps for a healthier lifestyle. After a few minutes to learn about a current health topic from the doctor, spend the rest of the hour enjoying a healthy walk and fun conversation. It’s a great way to get out, get active and enjoy all the bene ts that come from walking.

Platte Valley Medical Center’s cardiac rehab team and Walk With A Doc will host monthly walks with Dr. Christopher Cannon, an interventional cardiologist at Brighton Heart and Vascular Institute.

‘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.

Boards/commissions’ openings

Commerce City has openings for several of its boards and commissions, including the city’s cultural council, the housing authority and the Derby review board.

Visit https://www.c3gov.com/ Home/Components/Form/Form/70 316b05422c448492c51da0f0e0fd86/ to sign up.

Legal self-help clinic e Access to Justice Committee hosts a free, legal self-help clinic from 2 to 3:30 p.m. the rst Tuesday of every month. e program is for those who don’t have legal representation and need help navigating through legal issues.

Volunteer attorneys are available to discuss such topics as family law, civil litigation, property and probate law. Call 303-405-3298 and ask for the Legal Self-Help Clinic at least 24 hours in advance.

Help for vets

Quali ed Listeners, a veteran and family resource hub serving northern Colorado and southern Wyoming, has a number of power chairs, power scooters and electric wheelchairs available.

To nd the closest facility to you visit www.va.gov/ nd-locations.

Quali ed Listeners also need volunteers to drive veterans to and from appointments, run errands for veterans who cannot get out, handyman services, help administer veteran and family resource guide inventory in local libraries and veterans to be trained to become quali ed listeners. Call 720-600-0860.

Mental health

Community Reach Center o ers in-person intake assessments from 8 a.m. to noon Tuesdays at the Brighton Learning and Resource Campus, 1850 E. Egbert St. in Brighton. Call Community Reach Center at 303853-3500.

For walk-in intake, bring an ID and insurance information. For those who would prefer to complete the intake forms and schedule an appointment, the intake forms are available online at www.communityreachcenter.org. ere will be a short screening for u-like symptoms before the entrance to the center to ensure safety and wellness for everyone.

Anyone feeling unsafe or suicidal should call Colorado Crisis Services at 1-844-493-8255, text 38255, or visit the Behavioral Health Urgent Care (BHUC) Center at 2551 W. 84th Ave., Westminster.

Warm Line up and running Community Reach Center is o ering a Warm Line (303-280-6602) for those who want to talk to mentalhealth professionals about anxiety, lack of sleep and strained relationships, among other topics. e professionals can facilitate referrals to other programs for assistance. A press statement said the line is not for crisis intervention. ose feeling unsafe or suicidal should call Colorado Crisis Services (1-844-493-8255) or text 38255 or visit the Behavioral Urgent Care Center, 2551 W. 84th Ave., Westminster. Also, the center’s COVID-19 Heroes Program is set up to assist healthcare workers during the pandemic. ose who live or work in Adams County can receive up to six free counseling sessions. Use the Warm Line for support and free counseling. Brighton’s community intake location is at 1850 E. Egbert St., on the second oor. It’s open from 8 a.m. to noon Tuesdays.

Food distribution see our boys’ and girls’ soccer players out in the halls, with bathroom passes, watching the process of the eld unfold,” Henning said. “As the soccer players wiped the drool o their faces, I urged them to head back to class.” ey deserve a eld like this, he explained, so they need to get used to utilizing it.

27J Schools have free grab-and-go meals for youngsters up to age 18. Drive-by or walk up between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at Vikan Middle School, 879 Jessup St., Overland Trail Middle School, 455 N. 19th Ave., and at immig Elementary School, 11453 Oswego St. Food for Hope is the sponsor.

St. Augustine food pantry, 129 S. Sixth Ave., o ers food Tuesdays and ursdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for Brighton residents who love between Quebec St. and Cavanaugh Road and between Weld County Road 4 1/2 and 96th Ave. Chapel Hill Church, 10 Chapel Hill Drive, Brighton, hands out one box of food per family the second and fourth Wednesdays from 4 to 5:30 p.m. and alternating Saturdays at 9:30 a.m.

Calvary Chapel Brighton Food Pantry, 103 E. Bridge St., Brighton. Open from 4 to 6 p.m. on the second and fourth Mondays of the month. Community Baptist Church Food Pantry, 15559 Weld County Road 2, Brighton. Open from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesdays.

Finally, the players were invited onto the eld for their rst practice. Estrada let them be awestruck for a while, but soon it was time to get to work.

“[As we] welcomed the girls’ soccer team on the eld for the