Neighbors oppose battery plant Commerce City budget review gets underway

BY SCOTT TAYLOR STAYLOR@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Councilors kicked o the annual review of their 2024 spending plan Aug. 7, getting a refresher on what they should expect to hear from city sta over the next two months.

City Manager Jason Rogers and his sta outlined the process behind the council’s work agenda through November and sta ’s ideas and philosophy about city spending.

“ e budget is intrinsically linked to the city’s vision and mission,” Rogers said. “How are we encouraging the development of our organizational goals? How are we establishing policies and plans to achieve these goals and how are we allocating the resources that are consistent with our goals.”

Commerce City’s 2023 budget called for $98.4 million in overall spending.

BY SCOTT TAYLOR STAYLOR@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Jessie Williams is clear about her opposition to opening a lithiumion battery manufacturing plant in Brighton’s former Sears/KMart distribution center: Nothing developers, company o cials or city say will convince her it’s a good idea.

“ is is an inappropriate location,” Williams said. “I’m not against the technology. I’m not against anything they are trying to do. It’s just that this is an inappropriate location.” due north of the place where hightech battery maker Amprius Tech plans to open its rst full scale manufacturing plant. e company announced in March its intention to occupy the empty former distribution center on Bromley Lane, setting up their new lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility in the 775,000-square-foot building. ey say their rst phase would create 332 net new jobs in Brighton with an average annual wage of $68,516. But Williams, her husband Joe and their neighbors are standing in the project’s way. e Williams attended an open house hosted by Amprius at Brighton’s Healing Place Church Aug. 8 and say they were front and center Aug. 10 when the Brighton Planning Board reviewed the project. Planning Commisioners voted against Ampirus plan, recommending City Councilors turn it down at that Aug. 10 meeting. e facility would be located at e council’s Aug. 7 budget refresher was the rst of three meetings before the council’s budget retreat on Sept. 11 and their rst public hearing on the budget on Oct. 16. Councilors are scheduled to adopt the nal budget for 2024 at their Nov. 6 regular meeting.

Williams lives on Mt. Sne els St.

Andrew Huie, Amprius’ vice president of infrastructure, said the company still needs zoning approval from the City of Brighton and permits from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. ey plan to submit their applications to the state this fall, with zoning reviews with the Brighton City Council on their todo list next, if the Planning Board approves. e company hopes to be operating by the beginning of 2025.

Councilors are scheduled to hear a report on city fund balances, projected revenues and department funding requests at the Aug. 14 discussion. ey’re scheduled to discuss the council’s own budget and review the previous two meetings at their Aug. 21 discussion.

Working on the budget is a yearlong job, Budget Manager Christopher Johnson said. Sta begins working on the next year’s capital investments plan in February, even while the sta is working to close

SEE BUDGET, P2

Parents, students, teacher curious to see changes

Naloxone Training for Employees and Community Members e Adams County Health Department’s Harm Reduction Team will be supplying all Automated External De brillator (AED) cabinets in government building with Naloxone this month. In addition to this resource, the team will be o ering Overdose Prevention Trainings for all sta who are interested in learning how to prevent, identify, and reverse an opioid overdose. Naloxone will be made available to take home after these trainings.

If you have any questions about the training or other resources, contact our Harm Reduction team at: 303363-3077 or by email: harmreduction@adcogov.org