BUS BARN

for ve years. Here’s a timeline:

August 2018: Neenan Archistruction creates a schematic for a 6,000-square-foot bus barn, saying the estimated budget to construct the building itself was between $1.9 million and $2.1 million. e cost estimate, according to the document available on the Clear Creek Constructs website, is based on limited information.

February 2021: e school board announced at a meeting that the district is looking for a new location for its bus barn. Superintendent Karen Quanbeck said the district was talking with county and municipal o cials about possible sites and considering using its property next to Building 103 for the facility, according to prior Clear Creek Courant reporting. District o cials estimate the building will cost $3.5 million.

August 2021: County commissioners say the track would be a great location for multifamily housing, the Courant reported.

October 2021: School district sta members provide results of an analysis of a half-dozen sites as potential locations for the TMF, and in October 2021, they narrow the sites to two: property next to Clear Creek High School/Middle School and on the track, according to the Courant. ey recommend that it be put on the track south of Building 103. e other property has issues with getting water to the site, would require an upgrade to the wastewater treatment plant, and the school district would need to purchase the property and get buy-in from homeowners associations that have opposed development in the meadow near Interstate 70 for years. decision to put the bus barn on the track and agrees to borrow $3.8 million to help fund the TMF.

December 2021: e school board unanimously decides to build the TMF on the track, a Courant story states.

April 2022: e sale of the former football eld and the bus barn to Four Points Funding is complete, the Courant reported.

September 2022: Haselden Construction, the company hired to be the construction manager, prices out a TMF at $8.8 million, according to information provided at the May 2023 school board meeting by consultant Jacobs.

WHAT IS SLASH?

June 2022: e board learns that the price tag for the TMF has increased to $5.8 million, the Courant reported. At a separate meeting, the school board by 3-2 vote a rms its

Sustainable Lands And Safer Homes. Allows residents to dispose of the wildfire fuel on their property, creating defensible space around their home.

February 2023: e school board rejects Haselden Construction’s bid and hires Buildings by Design to provide a prefabricated metal building, according to information provided at the May 2023 school board meeting by consultant Jacobs. Construction is anticipated to start in summer 2023 with it being substantially done in the winter.

WHAT IS SLASH?

Organic debris such as tree limbs and branches, known as slash, contributes to the high risk of fire danger in Jefferson County. All slash is composted.

WHAT IS SLASH?

Sustainable Lands And Safer Homes.

Allows residents to dispose of the wildfire fuel on their property, creating defensible space around their home.

Sustainable Lands And Safer Homes. Allows residents to dispose of the wildfire fuel on their property, creating defensible space around their home. Organic debris such as tree limbs and branches, known as slash, contributes to the high risk of fire danger in Jefferson County. All slash is composted.

WHAT IS SLASH?

For more information, resources, and directions, go to:

Organic debris such as tree limbs and pine needles, known as slash, contributes to the high risk of fire danger in Jefferson County. All slash is composted. For

Currents

We’d like to know about events or activities of interest to the community. Visit www.clearcreekcourant. com/calendar/ and post your event online for free. Email dbrobst@ coloradocommunitymedia.com to get items in the print version of the paper. Items will appear in print on a space-available basis.

Back to School Days: Clear Creek Public Health and the Mountain Youth Network are hosting Back to School Days from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Aug. 1-3 at 1969 Miner St., Idaho Springs. Get childhood and adolescent vaccinations, sports physicals

Bears

food property damage and nonfood property damage incidents reported to us,” said Kara Van Hoose, a spokesperson with CPW. “For the same time period in 2022 and 2023, we’re at 29 and 30 of those incidents respectively.”

Trash attracts

Discarded trash is the No. 1 concern when it comes to attracting bears, according to CPW. One CPW study showed that simply putting trash out the morning of pickup cuts the chances of a bear visit from 70% to 2%,

With a nose that’s 100 times more and more. Call 303-670-7528 for an appointment, though walk-ins are welcome. For more information, visit www.clearcreekcounty. us/1474/Back-to-School-Days for more information. night is free, though a limited number of tickets are available. Earlybird tickets for Saturday’s event are $25 until June 1. For more information, visit rapidgrassfestival.com.

Paddle & Brew: Cabin Creek Brewing is hosting Paddle & Brew from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Aug. 8 and 23, at Georgetown Lake. Registration fee is $15 an paddle board rentals are $10.

Rapidgrass Bluegrass Festival: e Rapidgrass Bluegrass Festival will be Aug. 4-5 at the Shelly/Quinn ball elds in Idaho Springs. Friday sensitive than humans, a bear can literally smell food ve miles away, according to CPW.

It’s a common reminder, but experts with CPW recommend that if you must leave trash outside, buy a bear-proof container, build a bearproof enclosure or install an electric fence.

CPW also recommends cleaning containers regularly with ammonia or bleach.

Bears are inventive and tenacious

Today 8,000 to 12,000 black bears are trying to share space with an ever-growing human population, according to Van Hoose.

“With many more people living and playing in bear country, human/bear encounters are on the rise,” Van Hoose said.

Free legal clinic: A free legal clinic will be from 2-5 p.m. ursday, Aug. 10, at both the John Tomay e sweet concoction meant to attract hummingbirds is exactly what the black bear craves, and right now bears are hungry for calories, according to CPW.

Bears are inventive, tenacious and will try to get into anything to search for the food they crave before winter sets in, according to CPW. at means cars, trucks, trash cans and even bird feeders.

Vehicle vs. bear ere has been an uptick in the number of bears being hit by cars, according to Van Hoose. It’s a perplexing problem for CPW this year.

“Last year, we had three roadkill bears for the entire year,” Van Hoose said. “So far in 2023, we have seen four. Wildlife o cers aren’t really sure why this increase is happen-

Library in Georgetown and the Idaho Springs Library. Volunteer attorneys will answer questions and explain the process and procedure for all civil issues, including family law, property law, probate law, collections, appeals, landlord-tenant law, small claims, veterans issues, and civil protection orders. Call your local library to be added to the sign-up sheet. Idaho Springs Library 303-567-2020 or Georgetown Library 303-569-2620.

SEE CURRENTS, P14 ing. It’s a great reminder to people driving to slow down and be aware wildlife are potentially on the side of the road looking to cross.”

For bears sake

An unfortunate reality for CPW is that bears are being put down every year.

Bears remember their favorite feeding sites. Be it trash, bird feeders or simply fruit trees with mature fruit, they will keep coming back and become what’s referred to as “habituated,” Van Hoose said.

“Bears that get too comfortable around people can destroy property or even become a threat to human safety,” Van Hoose said. “Habituated bears must often be destroyed.”