BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
e Douglas County school board passed changes to the district’s parent engagement policy, which will now allow misgendering of trans or nonbinary students and sta by prohibiting “compelled speech” in schools.
e policy changes passed on a 4-2 vote, with board members David Ray and Susan Meek dissenting.
Following an unusual tornado touching down in Highlands Ranch on June 22, Douglas County Commissioner Lora omas and community leaders immediately got to work with local volunteers to assess
and clear the damage.
In a video released by Douglas County on June 26, a community hard at work was shown as residents, neighbors and leaders rolled up their sleeves and cleared debris, branches and damage.
omas, who represents Highland Ranch, said while she is glad
there were no injuries, she is also proud to see how much people came out to help each other.
In a video provided by Douglas County, Je Whipple, president of the Church of Latter Day Saints in Highlands Ranch, said more than
SEE TORNADO, P12
School board President Mike Peterson drafted the changes to the parent engagement policy, which were rst discussed on April 25 and then voted on during the June 20 meeting.
Peterson added statements to the policy that recognize parents rights, prohibits compelled speech, requires disclosure of student information and honors decisions to optout of some curriculum or activities. e suggested changes and the process to adopt the changes raised concerns for board members David Ray and Susan Meek.
SEE SCHOOLS, P11
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As the process to ll the vacated seat on the Douglas County School Board, members selected three nalists with plans to appoint someone on June 27.
Following interviews with seven candidates on June 20, the school board chose Michael Burmeister, Brad Geiger, and Jason Page as nalists for the position. All three will be interviewed a second time on June 27 ahead of the board’s nal decision.
Burmeister is a substitute teacher for the school district and a retired Army o cer of 30 years with two students in Douglas County schools. He told the board he sees the role as a way for him to serve his community and said he would be a dedicated board member.
“I think the focus we need to have here is the kids and making sure they get a proper education, and on taking care of our teachers and sta ,” Burmeister said.
Burmeister said increasing teacher pay is a prior-
ity for him and he would support going to the voters with funding questions in November.
Geiger is an attorney who has volunteered with the district for nine years and currently serves on the Long-Range Planning Committee and the Mill Bond Exploratory Committee. His
children graduated from Douglas County schools.
Geiger said his knowledge of the district and experience with con ict resolution as a lawyer makes him a good t for the job.
“I know how this district works in ways you can only get by long-term volunteering or unless you sit at the
dais,” Geiger said. “You need someone who can come in, sit down and have an intelligent, informed discussion about (policies) and help contribute.”
Geiger also supports increasing sta pay and asking voters for a bond and mill levy override this year.
Page works foar IT servic-
es company PwC and volunteered on the Long-Range Planning Committee and the board for Ben Franklin Academy, a Douglas County charter school, for two years. He has one student in the district. Page said he would bring strong communication and problemsolving skills to the board.
“I humbly believe my experience in the district over the past several years has prepared me to make a meaningful and immediate contribution as a member of the board,” Page said. “Being an e ective board member requires collaboration and ultimately the ability to make decisions that ensure out tax dollars are being used e ectively and e ciently in the best interest of the district.”
Like the other candidates, Page is supportive of making pay more competitive and putting funding questions on this November’s ballot.
Visit
Douglas County offices will be closed Tuesday, July 4, 2023. Many services are available at DoItOnlineDouglas.com
Did you know Douglas County offers Live Town Hall meetings, inviting you to engage in the local issues of importance to you and your neighbors? Register at douglas.co.us/townhall to ensure you are contacted about all future Live Town Halls. Join online or by phone and listen to community conversations, ask questions and hear responses from experts.
go to the Veterans Monument Foundation
BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
It will be a day of food and drinks, live music and connection as Douglas County Veterans Monument Foundation hosts the 6th annual VetFest in Downtown Castle Rock.
Jarrod Wildman, who served in the Navy from 1994 to 1998, has been the chairman of the Douglas County Veterans Monument Foundation for three years and is excited for the community to come together.
“Most of us go through a year just doing our jobs and living our life and we don’t advertise we’re veterans, so it’s nice to meet other like minded people in the community and connect,” said Wildman.
With a goal to become a resource that directly supports veterans in Douglas County, the nonpro t foundation constructed and maintains a monument called Freedoms Keeper.
On the corner of 4th and Wilcox in Castle Rock, the monument sits on a granite pedestal with each of the six service seals and is a gathering place for veterans in Douglas County.
In addition, the foundation established a Veterans Assistance Grant Program, which provides nancial aid grants up to $2,000 to veterans who live in the county.
Local veterans can go to the Douglas County Veterans Monument Foundation website, dcvmf.org to apply for the grant.
“We help on average about 40 veterans a year,” said Wildman.
e event is free admission and open to the public and there will be food trucks and over 20 vendors will be at the festival.
All of the proceeds go to the foundation to aid in nancial assistance according to Wildman.
“One hundred percent of the money stays in the county and goes to where the need is the most,” said Wildman.
e event started ve years ago as a 5k race, however the race didn’t take o .
“We had anywhere between 15 and 50 runners over the rst two years, but the party afterwards got bigger,” said Wildman. “And so the party grew and became more of what people were looking for.” is will be the rst year without a 5k, just the festival, where there will be live music, beer vendors and a special Veterans corner where the rst 100 veterans that check in will receive a swag bag with a thank you.
Along with various nonpro ts and veteran resources, the festival is family friendly as it includes a kid’s corner with Air Bounce Colorado’s bounce house and Luigi’s Game Truck.
e American Legion, a nonpro t organization, will be in attendance with their vendor to let people know that there is American Legion post in Castle Rock and there is another organization for veterans.
“Let them know that we do support local veterans and give people a di erent place to go to - or an additional place to go to and an opportunity to come together,” said Mike McNairy, commander of the American Legion Post 1187 Castle Rock.
e Douglas County Veterans Monument Foundation is looking for volunteers to help with the kids corner, checking IDs and setup and takedown. ose interested in volunteering can contact Amy Seigal at amy@dcvmf.org.
e event will be held at Festival Park from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“What’s the most exciting to me is that it really is a day where veterans can come and be honored and connect with other veterans in the area,” said Wildman. “It’s a way for our citizens and community to come and show support to veterans, veteran causes and get information on other ways they can help.”
Records can be obtained in-person by visiting the Douglas County Health Department at 410 S Wilcox St. No appointments are necessary. Or, visit douglas.co.us and search for Vital Records for ways to obtain records online, by mail or by email.
Skip the trip!
Renew your driver license or motor vehicle registration and more from the convenience of your smartphone, tablet, desktop or laptop. You can also renew vehicle registrations at six local grocery store MVExpress kiosk locations. Find information at DouglasDrives.com
Roads are a necessity and they have to be maintained. Here’s where you’ll find everything you need to know about them all. Visit DouglasRoadWork.com to find out what’s going on in your neighborhood.
The reservoir is open for non-motorized water activities including paddle boarding, canoeing, and kayaking from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays into late October.
Due to parking limitations, reservations are required. The cost of a day pass is $10. Reservations must be made online. Visit douglas.co.us and search Reservations
e High Line Canal, which winds 71 miles across the metro area, will soon be permanently protected as regional open space. Great Outdoors Colorado, an environmental nonpro t, announced in June a $350,000 grant to High Line Canal Conservancy to help permanently protect the canal as a continuous recreational, ecological, historical and stormwater resource.
“Permanent protection of the canal has been a top-line goal of our board and organization since the beginning in 2014,” High Line Canal Conservancy CEO Harriet Crittenden LaMair said in a press release. “It’s extremely exciting to be actively working with Denver Water, Arapahoe County and other local governmental partners toward a permanent protection vehicle.”
e canal spans 860 acres and its associated trail system connects walkers, hikers, runners, cyclists, horseback riders and others to thousands more acres of parks and open spaces. e canal runs through parts of Adams, Arapahoe, Denver and Douglas counties, spanning a solid slice of eastern metro area from north to south.
“It’s important for the community to know that the canal is preserved permanently for them to use freely into the future,” High Line Canal Conservancy Senior Director of Programs and Partnerships Suzanna Fry Jones told Colorado Community Media.
Jones said Denver Water will maintain ownership of the canal, but has been moving its customers to more sustainable sources of irrigation water in recent years.
Denver Water Senior Community Relations Specialist Jimmy Luthye said they plan to play an active role in the ongoing discussions about the canal’s future.
“ e evolution of the public’s use of the canal for recreation and
stormwater management, along with its original role as a water delivery method is one of the reasons why Denver Water and regional partners, including cities, counties, park and ood districts and stormwater management entities, have partnered with the High Line Canal Conservancy to assist their mission to preserve, protect and enhance the 71-mile canal,” Luthye said in an email to Colorado Community Media.
e conservancy is expected to complete legal work to secure protection, gather documentation of the present conditions of the canal and assess potential future projects with the grant.
Great Outdoors Colorado’s Director of Programs Chris Yuan-Farrell said the process will likely involve a conservation easement, which is a legal agreement that limits land use to protect its conservation values. Yuan-Farrell added that the grant is part of the environmental nonpro t’s land acquisition program, which supports urban and rural habitat protection priorities and increases access to the outdoors.
“ is is a substantial resource for Colorado to have and now it will be permanent,” Yuan-Farrell said. “Whereas before, there was always an opportunity for Denver Water
to sell that property to somebody else. is grant helps take that o the table.”
He said the funding provided by Great Outdoors Colorado should last the conservancy for years to come.
“ is is a fund for the conservancy to maintain and grow,” YuanFarrell said. “It’s like seed funding for a hopefully larger substantial endowment with the expectation that perhaps the municipalities and counties that have land by the canal will contribute to it.”
Great Outdoors Colorado invests a portion of Colorado Lottery proceeds to help with the preservation and enhancement of parks, trails, wildlife, rivers and open spaces, according to its website. e nonpro t has awarded multiple grants to the High Line Canal Conservancy over the years. In 2022, Great Outdoors Colorado provided $41,100 to help rid parts of the canal of an invasive species.
“ eir funding has been so impactful to all of the work that we’ve done,” Jones said. “And this is the next big stage of our work for permanent protection.”
Jones said more details about the canal’s function as a fully conserved space are expected to come this fall.
missioners are required to reside in different districts, but voters throughout the entire county cast ballots for each seat.
District III’s seat is currently held by Thomas, who was first elected as a county commissioner in November 2016 and began her first term in January 2017. She was reelected in November 2020 and began her second term January 2021, according to the county
In Douglas County, commissioners are limited to serving two four-year terms, according to the county website. Layden was recently reelected to his second term, while Teal is up for reelec-
See what district you live in at tinyurl.com/DouglasCommis-
Rahn has a master’s degree in education and is entering her 30th year as a teacher and administrator, according to her campaign website.
In 2021, she was appointed to the Douglas County Planning Commission, according to her site. That’s the group of Douglas County residents who advise the county’s elected leaders on property development matters.
The planning commissioners serve as an advisory group, and the county’s board of three elected commissioners — currently George Teal, Lora Thomas and Abe Laydon — generally make the final call on development decisions in areas outside of municipalities, also known as unincorporated areas.
This year, Rahn was chosen as chair of the planning commission, she said.
“Serving on the planning commission gives me a unique understanding of our Douglas County economy and the policies that benefit our residents,” her website says.
Previously, Rahn ran unsuccessfully in the Republican primary race for a University of Colorado Board of Regents seat in 2020.
Asked why she chose to run for Douglas County commissioner, she said: “Over the past few years, I’ve just learned how important local government is. A commissioner is the last line of defense against government overreach. This is my neighborhood, this is where my family is, and I’ve learned that you can have more impact in your own neighborhood than at the state level or even at the national level.”
In Douglas County, the commissioners are elected “at large” from one of three geographic districts. That means the com-
Rahn resigned as Colorado GOP vice chair on June 21, the same day that the Colorado GOP announced in an email that a committee of party leaders had passed a resolution that “reprimanded” Douglas County Commissioner Abe Laydon, Castle Pines City Councilmember Roger Hudson and state Reps. Ron Weinberg and Rick Taggart, all Republicans who signed a letter to Montana legislators.
The committee formally rebuked those elected Republican officials for standing with Colorado Democrats in their opposition to the Montana state House barring a transgender lawmaker from the House chamber amid disagreement over a ban on gender-affirming care for youths.
Rahn said the whole situation was “unfortunate” but didn’t tie the matter to her resignation.
“I thought it was unfortunate that we even concerned (ourselves) with what was happening in another state,” Rahn said.
She added: “Our legislators saying this was about freedom of speech was hypocritical to me because for the entire (Colorado legislative) session, our Republican legislators were silenced and gaveled.”
Asked about her resignation, Rahn said she “gave 110% to being a volunteer” for the party and traveling all over the state and that it was a demanding schedule given that she is teaching full time. Running a campaign would take more time on top of that, she added.
“So I just felt it was best, my team felt it was best to really focus on the issues in Douglas County and be present here. So I’m going to support (Colorado GOP chair) David Williams finding a replacement,” she said, adding she shared with him that she can help with the transition.
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A political rift two states away has spilled into Colorado and Douglas County politics, with Colorado GOP leaders formally rebuking elected Republican o cials for standing with Democrats in their opposition to the Montana state House barring a transgender lawmaker from the chamber.
First-term Democratic state Rep. Zooey Zephyr had been prevented from speaking on the chamber oor by the Montana House speaker since April 20, when she refused to apologize for telling colleagues who supported a ban on gender-a rming care for youths that they would have “blood” on their hands, the Associated Press reported.
In response, state Rep. Brianna Titone, an Arvada Democrat, led over 75 elected o cials in Colorado in sending a letter to Montana legislators asking for Zephyr to be allowed back into the chamber, according to a news release.
“She was right to speak with strong words of advocacy for those Montana residents who are struggling to get the care, understanding, and respect they so desperately need,” the letter says.
e letter, signed by two local Republicans, Douglas County Commissioner Abe Laydon and Castle Pines City Councilmember Roger Hudson, prompted Colorado Republican Party leaders to pass a resolution that “reprimanded” Hudson, Laydon and Republican state Reps. Ron Weinberg and Rick Taggart, who also signed the letter.
“It’s the responsibility of any organization to hold its members accountable for harmful decisions they make,” the Colorado GOP said in a June 21 email announcement.
Douglas o cials respond
For Hudson, the Castle Pines city councilmember, limits on debate on potential state laws in uenced his decision to sign Titone’s letter, he told Colorado Community Media.
“ e majority silencing the minority through procedural tactics isn’t right,” Hudson said. “Isn’t right in Colorado and it isn’t OK in Montana.”
Hudson, who also serves as deputy chief of sta for the Colorado House Republicans, said in a statement that he believes in a Colorado “where we all are free to speak and live freely.”
“I believe most Coloradans want the same,” his statement continued.
“I cannot speak to the motives of (Colorado GOP chair) Dave Williams in passing any resolution that would limit the free speech of any American or duly elected Colorado Republican — but I am positive that it doesn’t reduce the property taxes of a single Coloradan, increase housing for Colorado families, or make our communities any safer.”
Laydon, one of Douglas County’s three elected commissioners, noted in a statement that Republicans in Colorado have held little political power statewide in recent years.
“ e Colorado Republican Party cannot a ord further division, especially over Montana politics. e day we stop supporting the United States Constitution and the First Amendment in Colorado is the moment that we lose the nal vestiges of con dence that our fellow citizens, our voters, and our donors have invested,” Laydon’s statement read.
He continued: “I will continue to actively ght censorship, book burning, and any other fascist behaviors which our brave men and women in the military fought and died to overcome. I have faith that as intelligent, right-minded Colorado Republicans,
you will also continue to honor what our ag stands for and never bow to those that would censor speech, even speech we may disagree with.”
‘Lives on the line’
Zephyr’s silencing on the Montana House oor drew hundreds of protesters to the Montana Capitol, the AP reported. From the House gallery, Zephyr’s supporters chanted, “Let her speak!” Police cleared the gallery and arrested seven people for trespassing. Zephyr was voted o the House oor for violating its rules of decorum.
(Zephyr was to still be able to vote and participate in committees but not discuss proposals and amendments under consideration in the full House.)
Montana became the latest state to ban or restrict gender-a rming medical care for transgender kids when its Republican governor signed legislation in April. e letter from Titone, who is transgender, framed the issue as one where “lives are on the line.”
LGBTQ+ youth, who “are relentlessly persecuted, ostracized, and denied basic rights,” are more likely to attempt suicide than their peers, Titone’s letter says.
Compared with cisgender, or not trans, heterosexual adolescents, transgender adolescents showed ve times the risk of suicidal ideation and 7.6 times the risk of suicide attempt, according to a 2022 study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
“Gender-a rming care has been shown to improve mental health among transgender youth — in
a Dutch study, rates of suicidal ideation among transgender adolescents receiving gender-a rming care were similar to those among their cisgender peers, whereas rates among transgender adolescents on the waiting list remained elevated,” the study notes.
In the email, Colorado’s GOP called Colorado Democrats “hypocritical,” pointing to the criticism Democrats had received this year for “silencing debate and stopping Colorado Republicans from representing the concerns of their constituents.”
On March 25, Democrats in the Colorado House used what’s known as Rule 14 to limit debate in the chamber for the rst time in at least a decade, e Colorado Sun reported.
Democrats went on to use Rule 14 more than a dozen times, according to state Rep. Anthony Hartsook, a Parker Republican, citing data tracked by the House GOP caucus, the Sun wrote.
Colorado House Speaker Julie McCluskie, a Dillon Democrat, defended the decision to limit debate, the Sun wrote.
“We began to recognize what was happening in our chamber was no longer respectful and productive,” she has said. “Filibustering and delay tactics, by having bills read at length, is not why we were voted into o ce. We were voted into o ce to consider and debate policy. At the time we invoked House Rule 14, we wanted to drive more productive conversations.”
Colorado taxpayers will be sent even larger refund checks next year than expected after state tax revenues nished the scal year much higher than budget analysts for the legislature and in the governor’s o ce predicted.
e state may now have to refund nearly $1 billion more than originally expected, nonpartisan Legislative Council Sta and the governor’s Ofce of State Planning and Budgeting told state lawmakers in June, increasing refund checks by hundreds of dollars per person.
Exactly how large those Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights refund checks will be remains in ux, in part because the number will be determined by whether voters pass Proposition HH in November, a 10-year property tax relief plan from Democrats in the General Assembly and Gov. Jared Polis.
e legislature passed a bill in the nal three days of its 2023 lawmaking term, which ended May 8, that would make the refund check amounts the same for everyone if voters pass Proposition HH. ey were originally expected to be about $650 for single lers and roughly $1,300 for joint lers, but could now be roughly $850 for single lers and $1,700 for joint lers.
Last year, Colorado taxpayers received TABOR refund checks of $750 or $1,500 to account for surplus collected in the 2021-22 scal year, which ended June 30, 2022.
If Proposition HH fails, the refund
checks would be tied to income levels. Under the default refund system — called the six-tier sales tax refund mechanism — people who make more money get bigger refund checks based on which of six income tiers they fall into.
People in the lowest tier, who make up to $50,000 a year, were expected to receive refund checks of $454 for single lers or $908 for joint lers. For those in the highest tier, who make $279,001 or more, the checks were expected to be $1,434 for single lers and $2,688 for joint lers. e improved economic outlook would mean larger refunds for people
in every tier, though people in the top tier would bene t most.
People in the lowest tier would now receive refund checks of $587 for single lers or $1,174 for joint lers. For those in the highest tier, the checks would now be $1,854 for single lers and $3,708 for joint lers.
e refund amounts are determined by how much money the state government collects above the TABOR cap on government growth and spending. e cap is calculated by annual growth in population and in ation.
Colorado taxpayers will get their refund checks next year after they le their taxes.
Nonpartisan Legislative Council Sta now expects the TABOR cap to be exceeded in the current 2022-23 scal year, which ends June 30, by $3.31 billion — an increase of roughly $600 million over what they projected in March.
e governor’s O ce of State Planning and Budgeting now expects the TABOR cap to be exceeded in the current scal year by $3.527 billion — an increase of about $870 million over what they projected in March.
Greg Sobetski, the chief economist for Legislative Council Sta , called the increases a “signi cant upward revision.”
Both LCS and OSPB said betterthan-expected corporate income tax revenue was a large driver of the improvements.
e updates were presented to the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee, which received its quarterly economic and tax revenue forecasts from LCS and OSPB. While the end of the scal year is fast approaching, it will be months before the state knows
exactly how much money it collected over the TABOR cap.
Legislative Council Sta and the governor’s O ce of State Planning and Budgeting forecasts state government to collect tax revenue in excess of the TABOR cap through at least the 2024-25 scal year, which ends June 30, 2025.
Emily Dohrman, an economist with Legislative Council Sta , said the risk of recession has also decreased.
“ e economy is still showing positive growth, but slower growth than what we saw through most of 2022,” she told the JBC. “Our forecast is anticipating that growth will continue to slow through the end of 2023 but then return to a more moderate pace of growth in 2024 and 2025.”
She said there’s still a risk of an economic downturn, but that risk is lower than it was in March.
Polis touted the forecasts presented to the JBC. He said Colorado’s economy remains strong and that it’s evidence the state “continues to be the best place to live, work and do business.”
e next quarterly tax revenue and economic forecasts will be presented to the JBC in September. e panel in November will begin drafting the state’s 2024-25 scal year budget, which takes e ect on July 1, 2024. e full legislature will vote on the spending plan after it reconvenes in January.
is story via e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver that covers the state. For more, visit www.ColoradoSun.com. e Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, which owns Colorado Community Media.
Good news on revenues means more money coming back to residents
Meek speci cally asked about the intent of language ensuring students won’t be “compelled to share personal information or make statements about themselves, or regarding others, that con ict with their deeply held personal beliefs or circumstances.”
Meek pressed Peterson to say whether the policy would allow misgendering under this clause and he con rmed it would.
Misgendering is when a person uses the incorrect pronouns to addres another individual. For example not using they/them when a person asks for those pronouns speci cally.
“I would interpret that in this case that students would not be compelled to use the word him (for a trans male student), but they would still be required to treat that student with respect,” Peterson said.
Meek questioned how respect could be maintained in that situation.
“If other students refuse to use their pronouns or intentionally misgender, that is a
form of harassment, which, not only is it wrong, but we would be opening ourselves up to litigation,” she said.
“We have heard over and over from our community that we are struggling with homophobic slurs in the classroom and racial slurs and other forms of bullying. So I would ask us to think deeply about the language that we are using so that we are respecting and honoring all of the students in our classrooms.”
Colorado law bans discrimination on the basis of gender or gender identity in places of public accomodation, including schools,
according to the Colorado Department of Education. Meek also asked why Peterson included language about disclosing information related to a student’s identity to their parents. Peterson said the intent is to prevent the district from keeping information on how a student identi es from their parents.
“We cannot have any policy or any guidance in this district that encourages deception,” he said.
Peterson argued the changes aren’t political, but are aimed at restoring trust with parents.
“ e one paragraph insertion I put in the policy is not
for conservative parents, it’s not for liberal parents, it’s not for libertarian parents or those in the middle - it is independent of identity,” he said.
In addition to Peterson’s changes, the policy will also be updated to match the 2021 National Standards for Family-School Partnerships from the National Parent Teacher Association.
Beyond the substance of the policy changes, Meek and Ray expressed frustration with the process the board was taking to approve the changes.
e board delayed voting on the policy changes on May 23 to get feedback from the District Accountability Committee, or DAC.
On June 15, the accountability committee requested more time to deliver that feedback, but a majority of the board members were ready to move forward with voting on the changes without the committee’s input.
“While I respect the DAC’s request for more time, I personally feel like there has been enough time for them to know this has been a board item and that we were going to vote on it,” board member Kaylee Winegar said. “We actually delayed it
last time for their comments and recommendations and they haven’t provided that.”
Board member Christy Williams agreed, noting the committee can still review the policy in the future.
“I suggested earlier that we put (the parent engagement policy) onto their next year’s agenda and then come back again, and I think that certainly gives them an entire year (to discuss),” she said.
Members of the District Accountability Committee told the board during public comment they were disappointed with the decision to ignore their request for more time.
“I don’t understand how you can do a parent engagement policy and the parents that stand up to volunteer their time for this district get ignored,” Julie Gooden, a District Accountability Committee member, said.
In a statement, the Douglas County Federation, the union representing local teachers, said it’s a teacher’s job to create a safe and welcoming classroom for all students.
“Our district is no place for deeply held beliefs that result in disregarding or shaming any student,” the statement said.
9am: Decorate / 9:30am: Start
This one is for the whole family so come decorate your bikes, scooters, wagons, strollers, unicycles, or just yourself and join us as we make our way down the Willow Creek Trail, on this 1-mile trek.
For details on the route, parking, etc. visit www.cityoflonetree.com/cityevents/july4
10am-1pm
Enjoy inflatables, games, live entertainment, food trucks, and more! This event requires PRE-REGISTRATION for everyone attending. Parking will be available at the Lone Tree Rec Center.
To register visit: www.cityoflonetree.com/cityevents/july4 then scroll down to the Family Fun Park section and register.
7pm-10pm
Enjoy a live concert with solo, acoustic artist, Jenny Shawhan and headliner
Uptown Funk: Tribute to Bruno Mars! We encourage you to bring your blankets, camping chairs, coolers, outdoor games and mingle with your friends and neighbors as we prepare for the main event of the evening, fireworks!
6 PM: Shuttle service begins
7 PM:
Jenny Shawhan, Acoustic Artist
8 PM:
Uptown Funk: Tribute to Bruno Mars
9:30 PM: Fireworks
10:30 PM: Shuttle service ends
2,000 volunteers came out to help on omas said after learning there were no injuries, and no buildings were lost, the story became good deeds and community support.
“I have heard stories of strangers o ering to help remove trees, accepting only a hamburger as payment,” omas said. “Highlands Ranch is going to come out of this better and stronger because we know each other
With 4th of July celebrations still set to be held, omas said there is a lot to celebrate this year in Highlands e video also showed makeshift command centers where community leaders from the Highlands Ranch Metro District, Douglas County, Highlands Ranch Community Association and others were coming together to coordinate e orts.
One of those command centers at Eastridge Rec Center, omas said, is being operated by Team Rubicon, a veteran-led response organization that unites the skills and experience of military veterans with rst responders. omas said this group jumped in and started to help remove trees quickly.
As residents continue to clean up the community, the metro district has set up tree limb drop o sites, and is
working with residents to assess and address damage.
According to the National Weather Service , the tornado that tore through 6.3 miles in the unincorporated Douglas County community, has been classi ed as an EF-1.
e National Weather Service ranks tornados with ratings between 0-5, basing a lot on wind speed. An EF-1 designation means wind speeds were measured between 86-110 mph.
In a post made on the metro district website after the storm, sta said they are grateful for reports of damage and encourage residents to use the district’s report a concern feature to submit feedback and photo at www. highlandsranch.org/resources/ report-a-concern.
e district also encourages residents to use the website to report damage seen on Highlands Ranch Metro District parks, trails and open space.
“It is a resource because that helps them to report the things, they can be the eyes and ears of the community,” said Sherry Eppers, community relations manager for the Highlands Ranch Metro District.
e district asks residents to be as speci c as possible regarding the location and condition, warning with the high volume of calls it could be tough getting to all of them.
e metro district continues to offer free tree limb recycling drop-o locations:
• Highland Heritage Park near Hound Hill Dog Park located at 9651 S. Quebec which will be open one hour before sunrise and one hour after sunset
• South of Halftime Help Stadium at Redstone Park located at 3280 Redstone Park Cr. from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• A third location was opened Monday, June 26 at a Grigs Road site near Grigs Road and McArthur Ranch Road.
Maps of the drop o locations are provided on the Highlands Ranch Metro District website at www.highlandsranch.org/resources/stormdamage.
According to the metro district, tree limbs less than 12 inches in diameter and woody plant material will be accepted. ey cannot ac-
cept non-woody material, bagged or loose leaves, nished lumber, grass clippings and sod. Root balls can be taken to the Grigs location. For those who have limbs or branches and trees that are too large to transport, residents will need to contact a private tree service to have it picked up, said Eppers.
“I would suggest that they vet those tree services thoroughly,” said Eppers. “We do suggest too that if people, if private property owners have experienced any damage to their property that they certainly reach out to their homeowners insurance.”
On June 25, the Douglas County Sheri ’s O ce put out a warning for residents to watch for scams, especially with tree and tree-limb removal.
Local authorities said they are already receiving reports of people training to take advantage of homeowners impacted by the tornado.
To report a potential scam, the
sheri ’s o ce asks residents to call the non-emergency line at 303-6607500.
According to the United Way, some red ags to watch for include:
• One-day-only discounts
• Aggressive sales pitches
• Requirement of upfront payment
• Residents have never heard of the company and it does not have a physical address
• ey cannot produce a business license or written information about the company
• ey don’t have references, but offer vague endorsements from neighbors a few streets over from the street.
Residents are also encouraged never to hire a contractor on the spot or give money up front.
e metro district also encourages residents who have experienced large tree damage and are unable to cut up the tree to contact the Crisis Home Cleanup Hotline at 720-206-0627 to set up an appointment.
In addition, Douglas County will be coordinating residential pick up this week for those who are unable to transport debris in the hardest hit areas.
Douglas County and metro district crews have been working to remove downed trees, fences and other debris that may be posing a danger or blocking access for people.
Follow the Highlands Ranch Metro District on Twitter and Facebook for updates as well as their website.
In a press release on June 23, Douglas County issued a disaster declaration in the wake of the tornado. is declaration opens the door for more state aid.
Following the unforeseen event, the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies Division of Insurance o ers tips for dealing with storm damage and insurance.
powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth.”
please contact us.
FROM THE EDITOR
VOICES
f feels like a normal year in planning for the Fourth of July celebrations. Communities are not worried about dry conditions due to all the rainfall, so reworks are a go for several areas. Parades and community gatherings are all moving forward nicely. I have to admit, growing up and in early adulthood, the Fourth of July has been one of my favorite holidays. We had huge family gatherings, heading to the small-town parade, and going to the park for the annual re ghters’ water ght. And, just before the reworks, we had our annual football game. I will admit, I tore the meniscus disc in my knee one year blocking my dad so my nephew could score. Yes, my team got the touchdown.get out into our communities and meet great people, and through my reporters read about amazing organizations and groups who are indeed community heroes who often do the work without expecting recognition or a return.
Some of my favorite organizations are the local American Legions and VFWs — these groups are more than just veteran organizations. ey are people who work to give scholarships, provide support to struggling veterans and, in Littleton recently, repurpose veteran wreaths to become sh habitats.
I am also a bit sentimental about the American holiday. My kids give me a hard time each year as I make them listen to songs such as “God Bless the U.S.A.” and “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning.” I believe they too should have respect and pride in their country. I understand this country is far from perfect. e last few years of seeming insanity proves that point. However, we live in a country where that insanity is allowed to happen. Finally, another reason I get sentimental about the Independence Day holiday is a tradition that started in Tucson. My company would often recognize what we called “Hometown Heroes” just before Independence Day.
I loved those special sections because we called to the community to not just tell us about the members of the military we would be thanking, but also those in the community who volunteer, work hard and do so many things to make a di erence in the lives of others. To those who work tirelessly to make the communities in which they live and the world better.
I haven’t quite got to the point of a special section, but over the last year as editor, I have been able to
Local historical societies — these members work to preserve and celebrate important moments in a community’s history. ey also protect and preserve important structures.
To the local food banks that have struggled over the last few years to keep the doors open and residents fed — every administrator and volunteer deserves a pat on the back.
To companies like Howdy’s Ice Cream, which opened in Centennial o Parker Road this year, giving adults with disabilities an opportunity to work. I will also recommend going and getting a summer treat there — the lemon crunch is superb. e people and organizations who work each year to help people move into and a ord homes. In Colorado, that alone is a tireless and likely thankless job these days.
In Highlands Ranch – It’s heartwarming to see the continued photos and responses as the community comes together to clear debris and help neighbors after a tornado touched down recently.
I should also give a shoutout to volunteers I see at the VA when I take my dad for care. ey are helpful, friendly and wonderful people. People, groups, churches and organizations do more in our local communities than we realize year after year. I hope to keep getting to know all of them and start recognizing them more often in our local newspapers because at the end of the day, honoring these heroes is part of what Independence Day is about.
elma Grimes is the south metro editor for Colorado Community Media.
LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher
lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Do not enter the comfort zone
WINNING
With an annual budget of $128M I think they should prioritize the expense to involve as many citizens as possible. ey also need to
ERIN ADDENBROOKE Marketing Consultant eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com
he was very comfortable running 5K and 10K races, and usually placed well. She often thought about stretching herself to run a half marathon and then one day, a full marathon. As her dreams about training harder and running longer races took shape, she found herself returning to her comfortable training regime and settled once again for training to run inthose 5K and 10K races. en one day, she decided to go for it. She made a commitment to break free from her comfort zone and train harder and run farther. She woke up earlier and each day that she ran, she pushed herself just a little bit farther until she could comfortably nish a half marathon. And after that, she left that comfort zone and began training even harder to compete in a full marathon, and last year successfully ran in the NYC Marathon.
When asked if she had plans on returning to her former routines of
improve the in-person voting and ballot drop-o options. e past few elections have had a dismal turnout, but as I am unable to nd the exact numbers my best guess is less than 1% participation.
Lastly, as stated by Ms. Grimes, “Do you need to be reminded that you are a board that can increase property taxes at will without a special election?” is is a concern as property taxes are reported to increase by as much as 40%. e 2023 amended budget lists property tax revenue as almost $27.8 million. A
SEE LETTER, P15
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Most people wake up each day and make a few key decisions so the day goes smoothly. ey usually think… What will I accomplish today? What will I wear or eat today? Typically, the average person also has various goals they want to accomplish … getting a good job, buying a house, creating a family, staying healthy and saving money for retirement.
Rarely do you nd a person with a written goal of intentionally seeking out their nal resting place and outlining their obituary or Celebra-
tion of Life ceremony. It is a rare individual who does the hard work of soul-searching their thoughts and beliefs about their own mortality. Most of us don’t want to think about that because it’s too sad. But as Benjamin Franklin said, “…in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”
Most end-of-life caregivers will tell you the best gift you can give yourself and your family is the gift of pre-planning. If nances are tight, at a minimum, make some decisions so your family and friends will know your wishes. ere is a wonderful guide called “Five Wishes” that serves as a legal document for end-of-life decisions. Most hospices, funeral homes and cemeteries have some version of the types of questions outlined in the “Five Wishes” document and you can nd it online,
too.
e last wish of the “Five Wishes” discusses “What I want my loved ones to know.” is section addresses the emotional realm, as well as physical placement of one’s body after passing. Some key decisions include … How do I want to be remembered? Do I want to be buried or cremated? Do I want to be near relatives? Do I want to be placed somewhere close to my family so it’s convenient for them to visit? Do I want my ashes to be placed at sea or scattered out of an airplane or in a cemetery? Do I want a permanent monument engraved?
Determining key end-of-life decisions ahead of time will set you free from worry, provide for a smooth transition, and be a gift of peace of mind for your family and friends.
At the Aug. 3, 2023 Seniors’ Council of Douglas County meeting, our host from Seven Stones Cemetery and Botanic Gardens, Becky Holm, will discuss pre-planning, the di erent cemetery options available in Colorado and the beautiful and serene environment at Seven Stones. e meeting is scheduled outdoors from 10-11:30 a.m. at Seven Stones, located at 9635 N. Rampart Range Road in LIttleton.
e Seniors’ Council of Douglas County serves to advocate for and engage older adults. Meetings are free and open to the public. Our signature daylong educational event, Vintage and Vibrant, is ursday, Sept. 28 at the Parker Arts, Culture, and Events Center (PACE) in Parker. For upto-date information about Seniors’ Council visit Facebook and our website www.douglas.co.us.
running in shorter races and giving up the long runs, her response was that she would never allow herself to enter the comfort zone ever again. In her mind she created an image of a “Do Not Enter” sign followed by “ e Comfort Zone.”
For many of us we have reached some type of pinnacle or achieved a sought-after goal only to nd ourselves slowly backsliding and reentering our former comfort zone. We reach a certain level of success and then allow ourselves to get comfortable there instead of wondering what we could do if we pressed ourselves a little harder, taking a new or di erent path, and maybe even taking a little risk. It’s like breaking free from one comfort zone only to enter another comfort zone.
If we are on a path of personal or professional growth, we might all do well to have that same mental image top of mind, “Do Not Enter e Comfort Zone.” Whether it’s a physical achievement we are seeking, a business breakthrough, quitting a bad habit, starting a new and positive habit, or maybe setting our sights on breaking the company sales records, once we break free from what has been holding us back, leaving our comfort zone, we need to commit to never going back or settling ever again.
Here is something to watch out for, it’s called the neutral zone. It’s that place where we have decided to break free from our comfort zone but haven’t taken any action yet. Something is still holding us back. Maybe we haven’t
fully committed to where it is that we want to go. Maybe we have some head trash that’s getting in our way. Whatever it is, it has us stuck in the neutral zone. How do we get unstuck? We take the rst step in the pursuit of our new goals and dreams. We don’t have to go beyond that, we are not going to go from running a 10K to running a marathon, but we are going to take the rst step and maybe run an extra half mile, and then each day slowly build to our ultimate goal.
Taking that rst step does something psychologically that gets us moving in the right direction. For some of us, we get caught up in all the rest of the steps and it paralyzes us to the point where we do not take any step at all. A comfort zone surrounded by a neutral zone creates a do-nothing zone. And as it has been said before, if we aren’t moving forward, we are more than likely moving backward. Zig Ziglar said it this way, “People who never take step one, can never possibly take step two.”
How about you, are there a rst step that you need to take? Is there a personal or professional goal or dream that you have had on your heart for a while? If so, have you asked yourself what is holding you back? As always, I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@ gmail.com, and when we can break free from our comfort zone, leave the neutral zone behind, and commit to never entering that comfort zone again, it really will be a better than good life.
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.
meeting, I requested the board to consider a reduction in the mill levy amount they collect. I hope they take this seriously. anks again for your articles and opinions.
would be an additional $11M. On June 13th at their public
John Levene Littleton
The brain is overrated, according to Kadam Lucy James at the Kadampa Meditation Center.
“Have you ever felt peaceful in your head?” she asked.
She put her hands over her heart and said that’s where the mind is, adding that while the brain has conceptual reality, the mind exists in the heart, where we feel peace, love, joy and wisdom.
“If we can get into our heart, we automatically start to feel more peaceful,” she said.
James is temporarily living in Arvada and teaches meditation at the Kadampa Meditation Center. She started practicing about 41 years ago after she saw a “very peaceful person” in college.
“He was a student meditating on the end of his bed and I asked him what he was doing, because this was back in 1981, and meditation, no one had heard of back then,” she said.
Ever since, she’s been practicing and has taught all around the world, including England, San Francisco, New York City and now Denver. She hopes to one day achieve enlightenment, or in nite happiness and peace.
It takes a lot of hard work, but she said it’s the only thing where the more she does it, the happier she is.
It’s because, with meditation, the mind becomes naturally peaceful. Each person has a natural source of peace and happiness inside them, she said, and instead of seeking it elsewhere — relationships, ful lling jobs or material things — it’s already inside the body waiting to
be found.
e evidence lies in the random moments of peace and happiness everyone feels. It could be a torrential downpour and the mind is peaceful, settled and calm.
“What those moments show is that our mind is ne. And then what unsettles the mind is actually all our uncontrolled thinking,” she said.
Coming from the teachings of the Buddha, she compared the mind to a vast ocean. e waves are turbulent while below them is a vast, in nite, calm place. Waves of anxiety and negative emotions distort the brain but below those waves rests an incredible sanity.
“When our mind is settled, when we can let go of our troubled thoughts, and our turbulent thoughts, uncontrolled thoughts, then we naturally feel good. We naturally feel peaceful and we start to get a sense of our potential and who we really are, which is this person who has limitless potential, limitless happiness,” James said.
e rst step to unlocking that potential and happiness is to breathe.
Focus on the nostrils
Carol O’Dowd, a Trauma and Transition Psychotherapist and Spiritual Counselor assists her clients by meeting them where they are and o ering them acceptance through breathing.
“If you focus on your breath, you cannot simultaneously focus on all your internal dialogue. It cannot be done. e human brain is not wired that way,” O’Dowd said.
It creates a space between the thoughts. e stress and anxiety stored in the body don’t go away, but the practice of noticing the emotions and putting them on pause to breathe helps
calm the body down.
Breathing is a function of the body that automatically happens all the time. Focusing on that breath, O’Dowd compared it to a spectrum. What happens when the body stops breathing — death — is one end and the other is when the body pays attention to the breath — peace.
“It can be as simple as just experiencing that ow of air, and in and out of your nostrils. If you can place your attention there, that’s giving yourself a mini vacation,” she said.
O’Dowd encourages her clients to practice treating uncontrolled thoughts like a salesperson trying to sell them. Instead of buying, make them sit in the corner and return to them in 20 minutes after taking time to check in with the body.
It can also let go of stress. Pain, like what the ngers feel after working at a computer all day, can be a physical manifestation of stress. Holding on to that stress can lead to other health conditions.
“It’s not rocket science,” she said.
James said achieving enlightenment is extremely di cult, and while the teachings she studied laid out di erent steps and pathways, she simpli ed it down to three. e rst is focusing on the breath to relax. e second is identifying delusions.
A delusion can be jealousy, greed, competitiveness or other unpleasant thoughts. Most of the time, those thoughts aren’t controlled by the mind and enter the brain randomly. It’s the root
FROM PAGE 16
of many problems, she said, and they destroy happiness.
“It’s completely unnecessary. Which is the whole purpose of meditation, to show us how unnecessary it is,” she said. “We’ve been so busy trying to control everything outside of us.”
She compared it to anger with someone else. It may last for a few days and then one day, those angry feelings leave.
“If you can do that deliberately (getting rid of negative feelings), which we can, then you can see we stopped the grasping or stopped the delusions, we just experience deeper and deeper levels of happiness,” she said.
Identifying delusions is the rst part of the equation. e other half is universal love and caring about others. It comes from understanding everyone wants to be happy, and that there isn’t much di erence between people.
It can be a city councilor running for o ce, understanding their opponent wants the same things, but sees di erent ideas on how to move forward. ey aren’t always bad people.
Realizing that leads to the next step: wisdom. at takes understanding reality. It means turning away from the anxiety, sadness and other negative emotions and escaping to the reality within the body that possesses in nite happiness and peace.
“We can train in wisdom. Understanding that things are not as real as they appear,” James said.
Highlands Ranch artist and writer Craig Marshall Smith has recently published a book called “Where is Mary Bergen?”
e book is set in Granby, Colorado, with a narrator/detective character named Frank Elgin, who reminds me of a writer I’ve encountered. Elgin lives with a little red dachshund named Roger ...
Next door lives a bestselling author named Peter Du Cane, who thinks most highly of himself, drinks a lot and is renting a house owned by one Laura Faircloth, who has gone o to check out a prince somewhere, a prince who discovered her via a book of nude photographs, taken by another local character, Dartmouth Powell ... And we’re only to page 17!
And I also read an account of an art class assigned to create a self-portrait
... very funny!
Smith taught art at three di erent universities over a period of 30 years and paints abstract works.
Mary Bergen was a former student, who went home for Christmas and never returned, we learn.
Elgin is asked to nd her ... He starts with checking a Du Cane book out from the library and taking it home to read to Roger.
e possibility of co-writing a book with Du Cane surfaces and is discarded ... and surfaces again, accompanied by entertaining chatter.
We meet another Granby resident named Mr. Friday ... he seems to be well-supplied with factoids of all sorts ... Christmas lights were invented in 1914 by a Denver man named D.D. Sturgeon. His son was ill and couldn’t come to see the family Christmas tree. Sturgeon painted some bulbs and strung them on an outside tree so the boy could see them from his bed,
according to Friday, who liked to hang out at the local diner. Modeled on a longtime friend of Smith’s ...
Somehow, Mary Bergen’s name leads to a chapter about the famous ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and his friend, Charlie McCarthy — and a session between Charlie McCarthy and the very funny comedian, W. C. Fields — and a dialogue between them ...
A trip on the Zephyr to Ottumwa, Iowa is another detective job, involving a search for one Nadine Wol nger — and en route, he met Heidi Spottle ... “Everyone should take an overnight train ride.”
Back in Granby, days continue, with new encounters and characters.
Clever dialogue, quirky characters, pretty much perfect summer reading — no beach required — just a cool lemonade and a shady spot inside or out to settle in and let Smith entertain you.
“Where is Mary Bergen?” is a paperback and will tuck in a tote or suitcase handily.
The Colorado Repertory Jazz Orchestra will perform at the Arvada Center, 69901 Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada at 7:30 p.m. on July 15 with an evening of soul music, featuring Aretha Franklin’s hits, presented by Tatiana “LadyMay” May eld. Reserved seats-$30-$42. Lawn seats $20. See coloradojazz.org/ concerts or 720898-7200.
Parker Arts
Parker Arts presents “Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville” June 23-July 16 at the PACE Center, 20000 E. Pikes Peak Ave. See parkerarts.org or 303-805-6800.
Highlands Ranch history
Highlands Ranch Historical Society presents “Entertaining VIPs and Royalty at the Cherokee Castle” on
Call 1-844-823-0293 for a free consultation.
Thu 7/06
Fox Royale @ SunSET summer concert series, Englewood CO @ 6:30pm SunSET summer concert series, Englewood
Trouble Bound: Rock The Mountain Concert Series @ 11:30am
Outlets at Castle Rock, 5050 Fac‐tory Shops Blvd #437, Castle Rock
Steve Everett: Earth Angel’s “Wingmen” @ 5pm
The Barn at Fo��eld, �pon purchase, Fo�‐�eld
Metalachi @ 6pm
Studio@Mainstreet, 19604 Main‐street, Parker
Thu 7/13
Crestone Peak Ages 13-14 - 2023
League Session #4 @ 4pm / $325
Jul 13th - Aug 25th
Elevation Volleyball Club, 12987 E Adam Aircraft Drive, Englewood. 720-524-4136
Union Gray @ 6:30pm
Tailgate Tavern & Grill, 19552 Mainstreet, Parker
Sat 7/08
The Jauntee @ 3pm Breckenridge Brewery, 2920 Brewery Ln, Littleton
UB40 @ 5pm
Philip S. Miller Park Amphitheater, 210 E Wolfensberger Rd, Castle Rock
Bring Me the Horizon @ 5:30pm
Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre, 6350 Greenwood Plaza Blvd, Greenwood Village
Sun 7/09 Tue 7/11
Gymnastics: Ninja: Mighty Ninja (34 yrs) July @ 3pm
Jul 11th - Aug 1st
Parker Recreation Center, 17301 E Lincoln Ave., Parker
15U Tryout @ 5pm / $40
Elevation Volleyball Club, 12987 E Adam Aircraft Drive, Englewood. 720-524-4136
Wed 7/12
PIckleball - Denver Open @ 9am
Life Time - Centennial, 5000 E Dry Creek Rd, Centennial
HRCA Highlands Point Circuit @ 5pm / $25-$30
2674 Pemberly Ave, Highlands Ranch
Dear Marsha,: DM and her Freaky Band Band at Talgate Tavern @ 4pm
Tailgate Tavern & Grill, 19552 Mainstreet, Parker
Big Mountain @ 6pm
Philip S. Miller Park, 1375 W Plum Creek Pkwy, Castle Rock
Blanca Peak Ages 14+ -2023
League Session #4 @ 6pm / $325
Jul 13th - Aug 25th
Elevation Volleyball Club, 12987 E Adam Aircraft Drive, Englewood. 720-524-4136
Yeison Jimenez @ 9pm / $50-$80
Stampede, 2430 South Havana, Aurora
Yeison Jiménez @ 9pm Stampede, 2430 S Havana St, Aurora
I’m a pretty rm believer that summer doesn’t actually begin until June 21 (I guess I’m a big equinox guy or something) and I think this year’s weather really bears me out, seeing as we didn’t really start having proper summer weather until June 19.
So, now that we’re actually into the most fun season of the year, it’s time for my quarterly round-up of great events to honor it properly.
Go to the World’s Fair with Molly Brown American history bu s know that the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair is one of the key cultural events of our history. It was a chance to showcase innovations like electricity, highlight the work of artists of all kinds and give visitors the chance to explore the rich history and exciting future of the world at large. e list of those
visitors include Denver’s own Molly Brown and her family.
In celebration of the fair’s 130th anniversary, the Molly Brown House Museum, 1340 Pennsylvania St. in Denver, is hosting “ e World is Changing” exhibit through Sunday, Aug. 27. Visitors will be able to peruse unique original artifacts from the event, learn more about what fair attendees saw and how it changed the world.
In addition to the exhibit, there will be special events throughout its run, like an examination of the food that was served at the fair and see how people of color and women were represented there.
All the event information can be found at https://mollybrown.org/visit-us/exhibits/.
You’re going to need a bigger amphitheater for ‘Jaws’
You can make a solid case that Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” is a perfect lm. Even if you discard the mountains of money it made, the way it totally rejiggered lmmaking and the lm industry, and how it announced one of the art form’s most important gures, everything about it
just works — the score, the suspense, the characters, the shark (well, that might be the one caveat).
“Jaws” is going to be screened during the summer for as long as we have summers, but what a treat to see the lm at Red Rocks, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway in Morrison, at 6:30 p.m. on ursday, July 6, as part of its Film on the Rocks lineup. Some lms just work better with big crowds and “Jaws” de nitely ts the bill. Get tickets at www.axs.com.
Celebrate 43 years at the KYGO Birthday Bash
Country music and rap don’t have a whole lot in common, but one thing they do share is that both sound best in the summer. With that in mind, why not attend KYGO’s annual Birthday Bash, which features a collection of some of the genre’s best artists — Brothers Osborne, Niko Moon, Kameron Marlowe, Hailey Whitters, Randall King and Double Wide. e concert will be held from 4 to 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 1 at Fiddlers Green Amphitheatre, 6350
Greenwood Plaza Blvd in Greenwood Village. Many of the musicians are up-andcomers (Whitters is a particular favorite of mine), which makes for an exciting pairing with Brothers Osborne, who are blending country and rock in really fun ways.
Find tickets at www.ticketmaster.com.
Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Dead & Company at Folsom Field
What a long, strange trip indeed. I’m not sure what anybody expected when it was announced the Grateful Dead would be relaunching with many of the original members and pop/blues guitarist John Mayer. But since Dead & Company began touring in 2016, they’ve shown an admirable dedication to the original band’s ethos and have introduced new generations to the music in a live setting.
But all good things must come to an end and the group announced their 2023 tour would be their last, which means their performances at 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 1, Sunday, July 2 and Monday, July 3 at Folsom Field, 2400 Colorado Ave. in Boulder, will
be your last opportunity to catch the group in-person.
Head over to www.ticketmaster.com for tickets to what will certainly be a historic run.
Go on a culinary journey at Taste of Arvada
Who doesn’t love a good meal to go with a beautiful summer evening? But what kind of cuisine to go with? Fortunately, you don’t have to decide at the annual Taste of Arvada, which will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on ursday, July 13 at the Apex Center, 13150 72ndAve. in Arvada. e ever-popular event features more than 50 metro area and Arvada restaurants, bakeries, breweries, wineries, distilleries and more, all highlighting their best tastes and avors. In addition to all the things people can eat and drink, the event also features live music, art vendors and more.
Find all the details and purchase tickets at www.arvadachamber.org/taste.
Clarke Reader’s column on culture appears on a weekly basis. He can be reached at Clarke. Reader@hotmail.com.
Let’s talk steaks. Steaks that are tender, juicy, and full of flavor. Perfectly aged, hand-trimmed, one-of-a-kind steaks that are GUARANTEED to be perfect, every single time. These aren’t just steaks. These are Omaha Steaks.
Tabor Opera House
The Tabor Opera House in Leadville was awarded $250,000 toward ongoing rehabilitation work. It will fund rehabilitation of the street entrance and problems on the western side of the building.
Miners Alley
Mark the calendar: Miners Alley Performing Arts Center, 1224 Washington Ave., Golden, presents “Avenue Q” Aug. 11-Sept. 17. Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. 303-9353044, minersalley.com.
Valkarie Gallery
Michelle Lamb and Claudia Roulier present a joint exhibit from June 28-July 23 at Valkarie Gallery,
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445 S. Saulsbury St., Lakewood, “Visions from Nature.” Opening reception July 1: 5-8:30 p.m. First Friday, July 7, 4-8:30 p.m. See valkariefineart.com or 720-2207587.
ROX Arts Gallery
ROX Arts Gallery at Aspen Grove, 7301 S. Santa Fe Drive, Littleton, is moving to Unit 222, next to See’s Candies. Opening July 1. with a reception July 14 or 15 (or maybe both.) Look for banners created at ROX Arts by kids on light posts at Aspen Grove. See roxartsgallery. com or 720-724-5730.
Curtis Center
The 19th annual Mile High International Pastel Exhibition continues at Curtis Center for the Arts through July 1. Open Mondays through Saturdays. Free admission. See greenwoodvillage.com/curtis or 303-797-1779.
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Visa Technology & Operations LLC
Has openings for: Network Support Engineer, IaaS (multiple openings) (REF60486K) in Highlands Ranch, CO. Job duties include: Plan, design, document, implement, and support network connections for commercial customers. Support WAN connections and determine circuit capacity requirements for the Visa Commercial client networks.
“The estimated salary range for a new hire into this position is $94,700.00 USD to $146,700.00
USD.; Sr. Cybersecurity Engineer (multiple openings) (REF60945H) in Highlands Ranch, Colorado to: Design, implement, and optimize Web, API and Mobile backend applications across Visa. Engage in the initial requirements definition, including analysis of threats and risks and alignment with Visa security, Engineering, IT and Architecture standards. The estimated salary range for a new hire into this position is $139,984.00 USD to $190,400.00
USD.; Systems Engineer - Sr. Consultant level (multiple openings) (REF59993N) in Highlands Ranch, CO. Job duties include: Design and develop new applications, application code and fix existing code on Mainframe z/OS using Cobol/JCL/ CICS/DB2. Adapt new technologies like Big Data (Hadoop, Druid) and Streaming (Kafka) to develop new capabilities and integrate Mainframe applications. The estimated salary range for a new hire into this position is $139,984.00 USD to $ 193,500.00
USD. Positions report to the Visa Highlands Ranch, Colorado office and may allow for partial telecommuting. Salaries may vary depending on jobrelated factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location. In addition, positions may be eligible for an annual bonus and equity. Visa has a comprehensive benefits package for which this position is eligible that includes Medical, Dental, Vision, 401(k), Employee Stock Purchase Program, FSH/HSA, Life Insurance, Paid Time off and Wellness Programs.”
Qualified applicants should apply by emailing resume to careersus@visa. com. Must reference job code.
Director, Product - Asset Management and Fulfillment (NBCUniversal Media, LLC; Centennial, CO). Manage Asset Management & Fulfillment Chain product org comprised of Mgrs, Product Mgrs, & Product Specialists spanning a diverse product portfolio. Position is fully remote & may be performed from anywhere in U.S. Salary range is $220,000/ yr - $290,000/yr., depending on qualifications. Send resume to: Elsbeth Velasco-Fulgencio at elsbeth. velasco@ nbcuni.com, & indicate you are applying for Director, Product –Asset Management and Fulfillment (CAC23LN) opening. NBCU is an EOE.
SRE Engineer (FT; Multiple Openings)
Job Location: Centennial, CO
Requirements: MS or equiv. in CE, Commun. Eng., EE, etc. + 2 yrs. exp. or BS + 5 yrs. exp. req’d. Exp. w/ UCaaS, VoIP, Python, AWS, GCP, Hashicorp Terraform, AWS CloudFormation, Bash, Powershell, Linux, Jenkins, GitLab & CI/CD req’d.
Salary: $121K - $135K/yr
Mail Resume: RingCentral, Inc.
Attn: HR Dept. 20 Davis Drive Belmont, CA 94002
System Site Reliability Engineer (FT; Multiple Openings)
Job Location: Centennial, CO
Requirements: BS or equiv. in EE, IT, etc. +3 yrs. exp. req’d. Exp. w/ UCaaS, Python, Bash, Linux OS, Jenkins, GitLab, CI/CD & VoIP req’d.
Salary: $115K/yr
Mail Resume: RingCentral, Inc.
Attn: HR Dept. 20 Davis Drive Belmont, CA 94002
Visa U.S.A. Inc., a Visa Inc. company, currently needs a Sr. Manager (multiple openings) (REF60897V) in Highlands Ranch, CO. Job duties include: Design and develop browser-based middle tier and front –end applications for the prepaid suite of products using Visual Studio.NET. Work with senior application development staff and assist with the design and development of complex SQL queries and stored procedures, performing unit and integration testing on newly developed components and assisting with troubleshooting and resolving incidents during the software development lifecycle. Position reports to Visa Highlands Ranch, CO office and may allow for partial telecommuting. The estimated salary range for a new hire into this position is $139,984.00 USD to $191,400.00 USD per year. Salary may vary depending on jobrelated factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location. In addition, this position may be eligible for an annual bonus and equity. Visa has a comprehensive benefits package for which this position is eligible that includes Medical, Dental, Vision, 401(k), Employee Stock Purchase Program, FSH/HSA, Life Insurance, Paid Time off and Wellness Programs. Qualified applicants should apply by emailing resume to careersus@ visa.com. Must reference job code: REF60897V.
Misc. Notices
WIDOWED MEN AND WOMEN OF AMERICA.
A social club offering many exciting activities and life long friendships. Social hours for all areas of Metro Denver. Visit Widowedamerica.org for details In your area!
Garage and Estate Sales
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Split & Delivered $450 a cord Stacking $50 Call 303-647-2475 or 720-323-2173
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Old Crows Antiques featuring The Root Beer Bar
An Antique destination in Littleton Colorado
Join us on Memory Lane. Something for everyone. Visit us for store info
Instagram: @oldcrowsantiques www.facebook.com/ oldcrowsantiques www.oldcrows antiques.com
303-973-8648
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DIRECTV Stream - Carries the most local MLB Games! Choice Package $89.99/mo for 12 mos Stream on 20 devices at once. HBO Max included for 3 mos (w/Choice Package or higher.) No contract or hidden fees! Some restrictions apply. Call IVS 1-866-859-0405
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Scrap Metal, Batteries, Appliances, Wiring, Scrap Plumbing/Heating, Cars/Parts, Clean out Garages/Yards, Rake, Yard work done w/chainsaw, Certified Auto Mechanical / Body Work & paint available Also can do inside or outside cleaning 303-647-2475 / 720-323-2173
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e University of Colorado Denver has won full state approval for three teacher preparation program tracks after addressing problems in how it trains aspiring educators to teach children to read.
e State Board of Education unanimously voted to reauthorize the elementary education, special education, and early childhood education programs nearly a year after granting only partial approval because of weaknesses in reading coursework.
State o cials praised the university for improvements that ensure aspiring teachers understand and can apply key components of science-based reading instruction and don’t receive con icting information about how to teach reading.
e decision, which came in June, is the latest step in an ongoing state e ort to hold Colorado’s teacher preparation programs accountable for properly training future educa-
tors how to teach reading. e state began cracking down on teacher prep programs — speci cally their approach to reading instruction — in 2018 as part of a broader push by lawmakers, state education o cials, and parents of children with dyslexia to get more students reading at grade level.
e state’s outgoing education commissioner Katy Anthes received praise for leading the push for more oversight of reading instruction in teacher prep programs.
“ ese educator preparation
reauthorization items have you written all over them,” Colleen O’Neil, associate commissioner of educator talent at the Colorado Department of Education, said to Anthes during the meeting. “Because what you did was ensure every student knows how to read.”
Also, the state board has granted full approval to all majors in the teacher prep program at Colorado Christian University and an alternative prep program o ered through East Central BOCES. Both programs were reauthorized on their rst try.
e University of Colorado Denver is one of several teacher prep programs that revamped reading coursework in recent years following poor state reviews. e state’s two largest prep programs, the University of Northern Colorado and Metropolitan State University of Denver, also made changes.
e reading coursework overhauls seem to have paid o .
Earlier this week, a national organization gave Colorado major kudos for how its teacher prep programs cover reading instruction, ranking it No. 1 in the country. Just a few years ago, Colorado was in the middle of the pack.
In that report from the National Council on Teacher Quality, most of the state’s teacher prep programs earned an A or A+ for elementary education, including the University of Colorado Denver’s undergraduate program, Colorado Christian University’s undergraduate program, and the University of Northern Colorado’s undergraduate and graduate programs. e report didn’t analyze reading coursework in alternative teacher prep programs.
Chalkbeat is a nonpro t news site covering educational change in public schools.
Green light comes after reading portion is strengthened
To Whom It May Concern: On 4/10/2023 11:32:00
the undersigned Public Trustee caused the Notice of Election and Demand relating to the Deed of Trust described below to be recorded in Douglas County.
Original Grantor: RONALD LEE DOOLEY AND JULIA DIANNE DOOLEY
Original Beneficiary: MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC. AS NOMINEE FOR HOMEAMERICAN MORTGAGE CORPORATION, ITS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS
Current Holder of Evidence of Debt: CARRINGTON MORTGAGE SERVICES, LLC Date of Deed of Trust (DOT): 9/28/2021 Recording Date of DOT: 9/29/2021 Reception No. of DOT: 2021111732 DOT Recorded in Douglas County.
Original Principal Amount of Evidence of Debt: $604,362.00
Outstanding Principal Amount as of the date hereof: $590,388.76
Pursuant to C.R.S. §38-38-101 (4) (i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: Borrower’s failure to make timely payments as required under the Evidence of Debt and Deed of Trust.
THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.
The property described herein is all of the property encumbered by the lien of the deed of trust.
Legal Description of Real Property:
LOT 70, STERLING RANCH FILING NO. 4A, COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, STATE OF COLORADO, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT RECORDED OCTOBER 24, 2018 UNDER RECEPTION NO.
2018064726
Which has the address of:
8041 Adams Fork Avenue, Littleton, CO 80125
NOTICE OF SALE
The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust described herein, has filed written election and demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.
THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that on the first possible sale date (unless the sale is continued*) at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, August 9, 2023, at the Public Trustee’s office, Philip S Miller Building Hearing Room, 100 Third Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, I will sell at public auction to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)’ heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys’ fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will deliver to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law. If the sale date is continued to a later date, the deadline to file a notice of intent to cure by those parties entitled to cure may also be extended.
First Publication: 6/15/2023
Last Publication: 7/13/2023
Publisher: Douglas County News Press
Dated: 4/10/2023
DAVID GILL
DOUGLAS COUNTY Public Trustee
The name, address and telephone numbers of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is:
N. APRIL WINECKI
Colorado Registration #: 34861 9800 S. MERIDIAN BLVD. SUITE 400, ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO 80112
Phone #: (303) 706-9990
Fax #: (303) 706-9994
Attorney File #: 23-029580
*YOU MAY TRACK FORECLOSURE SALE
DATES on the Public Trustee website: https:// www.douglas.co.us/public-trustee/
Legal Notice No. 2023-0067
Electronic Reg-
Inc. ("MERS") as nominee for Cherry Creek Mortgage Co., Inc., Its Successors
Public Trustee Sale No. 2023-0076
To Whom It May Concern: On 4/25/2023 7:29:00
AM the undersigned Public Trustee caused the Notice of Election and Demand relating to the Deed of Trust described below to be recorded in Douglas County.
Original Grantor: Jason Stobart
Original Beneficiary: FirstBank
Current Holder of Evidence of Debt: FirstBank
Date of Deed of Trust (DOT): 8/22/2019
Recording Date of DOT: 8/29/2019
Reception No. of DOT: 2019054324
DOT Recorded in Douglas County.
Original Principal Amount of Evidence of Debt: $35,000.00
Outstanding Principal Amount as of the date hereof: $34,989.30
Pursuant to C.R.S. §38-38-101 (4) (i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: failure to pay principal and interest when due together with all other payments provided for by the Deed of Trust and related loan documents
THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.
The property described herein is all of the property encumbered by the lien of the deed of trust.
AS NOMINEE FOR RENASANT BANK, ITS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS
Current Holder of Evidence of Debt: Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB, as trustee of Stanwich
Mortgage Loan Trust I
Date of Deed of Trust (DOT): 12/17/2015
Recording Date of DOT: 12/18/2015
Reception No. of DOT: 2015090262
DOT Recorded in Douglas County.
Original Principal Amount of Evidence of Debt:
$181,649.00 Outstanding Principal Amount as of the date hereof: $158,785.59
Pursuant to C.R.S. §38-38-101 (4) (i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: Failure to pay principal and interest when due together with all other payments provided for in the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust and other violations of the terms thereof.
THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.
The property described herein is all of the property encumbered by the lien of the deed of trust.
2023, at 2:30 p.m., in the Commissioners Hearing Room, 100 Third Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, concerning the adoption of the following Ordinance on Second and Final Reading:
ORDINANCE NO. O-023-003
THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF THE COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, COLORADO
AN ORDINANCE REGULATING
SHORT-TERM RENTALS
WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of the County of Douglas (“Board”), Colorado has authority pursuant to Section 30-15-401(1) (s) Colorado Revised Statutes (“C.R.S.”) to enact ordinances which license and regulate an owner or owner's agent who rents or advertises the owner's lodging unit for a short-term rental; to fix the fees, terms, and manner for issuing and revoking licenses issued for such units; and to regulate a vacation rental service; and
Pursuant to C.R.S. §38-38-101 (4) (i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: the failure to make timely payments required under said Deed of Trust and the Evidence of Debt secured thereby.
THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN.
The property described herein is all of the property encumbered by the lien of the deed of trust.
Legal Description of Real Property: LOT 332, HIGHLANDS RANCH, FILING 122-G, COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, STATE OF COLORADO.
Which has the address of: 10394 Ravenswood Lane, Highlands Ranch, CO 80130
NOTICE OF SALE
The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust described herein, has filed written election and demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.
THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that on the first possible sale date (unless the sale is continued*) at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, August 9, 2023, at the Public Trustee’s office, Philip S Miller Building Hearing Room, 100 Third Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, I will sell at public auction to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)’ heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys’ fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will deliver to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law. If the sale date is continued to a later date, the deadline to file a notice of intent to cure by those parties entitled to cure may also be extended.
First Publication: 6/15/2023
Last Publication: 7/13/2023
Publisher: Douglas County News Press
Dated: 4/19/2023
DAVID GILL
DOUGLAS COUNTY Public Trustee
The name, address and telephone numbers of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is:
ILENE DELL'ACQUA Colorado Registration #: 31755 7700 E. ARAPAHOE ROAD, SUITE 230 , CENTENNIAL, COLORADO 80112
Phone #: (877) 369-6122
Fax #:
Attorney File #: CO-23-955681-LL
*YOU MAY TRACK FORECLOSURE SALE DATES on the Public Trustee website: https:// www.douglas.co.us/public-trustee/
Legal Notice No. 2023-0073
First Publication: 6/15/2023
Last Publication: 7/13/2023
Publisher: Douglas County News Press
Legal Description of Real Property:
Lot 51, Block 3, Highlands Ranch Filing No. 14, County of Douglas, State of Colorado.
Which has the address of: 1077 Appleblossom Dr, Highlands Ranch, CO 80126
NOTICE OF SALE
The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust described herein, has filed written election and demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.
THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that on the first possible sale date (unless the sale is continued*) at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, August 16, 2023, at the Public Trustee’s office, Philip S Miller Building Hearing Room, 100 Third Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, I will sell at public auction to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)’ heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys’ fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will deliver to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law. If the sale date is continued to a later date, the deadline to file a notice of intent to cure by those parties entitled to cure may also be extended.
First Publication: 6/22/2023
Last Publication: 7/20/2023
Publisher: Douglas County News Press
Dated: 4/25/2023
DAVID GILL
DOUGLAS COUNTY Public Trustee
The name, address and telephone numbers of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is:
TREVOR G. BARTEL Colorado Registration #: 40449 1601 19TH STREET, SUITE 1000, DENVER, COLORADO 80202 Phone #: (303) 623-9000 Fax #:
Attorney File #: 307913-00049
*YOU MAY TRACK FORECLOSURE SALE
DATES on the Public Trustee website: https:// www.douglas.co.us/public-trustee/
Legal Notice
Legal Description of Real Property: BUILDING 9, UNIT 104, CANYON RANCH CONDOMINIUMS, IN ACCORDANCE WITH AND SUBJECT TO THE DECLARATION FOR CANYON RANCH CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, INC., RECORDED ON DECEMBER 19, 1995 IN BOOK 1307 AT PAGE 260, ANNEXATION RECORDED MARCH 27, 1996 IN BOOK 1328 AT PAGE 1217 AND THE CONDOMINIUM MAP RECORDED ON DECEMBER 19, 1995 AS RECEPTION NO: 9560424 IN THE OFFICE OF THE CLERK AND RECORDER OF DOUGLAS COUNTY, COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, STATE OF COLORADO.
Which has the address of: 8459 Little Rock Way Unit 104, Highlands Ranch, CO 80126
NOTICE OF SALE
The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust described herein, has filed written election and demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust.
THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that on the first possible sale date (unless the sale is continued*) at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, July 26, 2023, at the Public Trustee’s office, Philip S Miller Building Hearing Room, 100 Third Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, I will sell at public auction to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)’ heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys’ fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will deliver to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law. If the sale date is continued to a later date, the deadline to file a notice of intent to cure by those parties entitled to cure may also be extended.
First Publication: 6/1/2023
Last Publication: 6/29/2023
Publisher: Douglas County News Press
Dated: 4/4/2023
DAVID GILL
DOUGLAS COUNTY Public Trustee
The name, address and telephone numbers of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is:
JENNIFER C. ROGERS
Colorado Registration #: 34682
4530 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. 10 , LAS VEGAS, NEVADA 89119
Phone #: 877-353-2146
Fax #:
Attorney File #: 48074581
*YOU MAY TRACK FORECLOSURE SALE
DATES on the Public Trustee website: https:// www.douglas.co.us/public-trustee/
Legal Notice No. 2023-0063
First Publication: 6/1/2023
Last Publication: 6/29/2023
Publisher: Douglas County News Press
WHEREAS, the Board respects the rights of private property owners to use and enjoy their property, and desires to ensure that lodging units rented for short-term rental are operated in a manner that protects the health, safety, and quality of life of the residents and visitors of Douglas County; and
WHEREAS, the Board hereby finds, determines, and declares that adoption of this Ordinance is necessary for the preservation and protection of the public health, safety, and welfare of the inhabitants and visitors of Douglas County, Colorado.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF THE COUNTY OF DOUGLAS as follows:
Section I. Scope of Ordinance and Authority
This Ordinance is authorized pursuant to Section 30-15-401(1)(s) C.R.S., and shall apply to ShortTerm Rental Lodging Units, as defined herein, in all zone districts in unincorporated Douglas County. A Dwelling within a Planned Development (PD) shall not be licensed as a Short-Term Rental Property unless such PD specifically allows such use. This Ordinance shall not apply to:
A. Lodging services in hotels, motels, or campgrounds.
B. Hotel Units.
C. Bed and breakfast establishments.
D. Properties with long-term leases of more than thirty (30) consecutive days.
E. Lodging Units that are not leased more than 14 days in a calendar year and not advertised as a short-term rental on a regular basis.
F. Dwellings owned by a Country Club for use by its members or their guests to utilize the Country Club’s facilities and adjacent amenities. This shall not be construed in a way that permits the advertising and leasing of said Dwellings to the public.
Section II. Definitions
As used in this Ordinance, unless the context otherwise requires:
Advertise” means any act, method, or means of drawing attention to a Short-Term Rental Property for purposes of promoting the same for Lease or occupancy. “Country Club” means a privately owned club, often with a membership and admittance by invitation or sponsorship, that generally offers both a variety of recreational sports and facilities for dining and entertaining.
Dwelling” means a building or portion thereof permitted for, and used exclusively for, residential occupancy, including single-family, two-family, and multi-family dwellings, but not including garages, barns, recreational vehicles, tents, or similar structures.
Department” means the Department of Community Development.
Director” means the Director of Community Development, or the Director's designee.
“Hotel Unit” means a portion of a structure that is used by a business establishment to provide commercial lodging to the general public for predominantly overnight or weekly stays, classified as a hotel or motel for purposes of property taxation, and not a unit in a condominium as defined in section 38-33.3-103 (30) C.R.S.
Lease” means an agreement or act by which an owner gives to a tenant, for valuable consideration, possession and use of property or a portion thereof for a definite term, at the end of which term the owner has a right to retake control and use of the property.
Lessee” means the party to a lease that has obtained the temporary right to use and occupy property or a portion thereof.
Licensee” means the Owner(s) of record of a Short-Term Rental Property regulated under this Ordinance. “Licensee” and “Owner” or “Owner(s)” may be used interchangeably in this Ordinance.
SYSTEMS, INC., AS BENEFICIARY,
“Owner” means the owner or owners of record of a Lodging Unit in unincorporated Douglas County. Local Responsible Agent” means an individual
or the representative of a property management company, who is not a lessee of the Short-Term Rental Property and who is designated by an Owner, applicant, or Licensee to serve as the local agent who shall have access and authority to assume management of the Lodging Unit and take remedial measures.
"Lodging Unit" means any Dwelling, but not a portion thereof, that is available for Short-Term Rental; except that the term excludes a Hotel Unit. Short-Term Rental” means the rental of a Lodging Unit for a term of less than thirty (30) consecutive days.
“Short-Term Rental Property” means a Lodging Unit available for lease for a term of less than thirty (30) consecutive days.
"Vacation Rental Service" means a person that operates a website or any other digital platform that provides a means through which an Owner or Local Responsible Agent may offer a Lodging Unit, or portion thereof, for Short-Term Rentals, and from which the person financially benefits.
Section III. Short-Term Rental License Required, Transferability
A. It shall be unlawful for an Owner to use a Lodging Unit for Short-Term Rentals or to lease or advertise for lease, or to permit the leasing or advertising for lease any Short-Term Rental Property within the County without a valid license for the same issued pursuant to this Ordinance.
B. Short-Term Rental license applications that comply with the license application provisions herein for existing Short-Term Rental Properties shall be submitted to the County no later than ninety (90) days from the effective date of this Ordinance.
C. No license issued under this Ordinance shall be transferable and no license is valid as to any person or entity other than the person or entity named thereon.
D. Lessees of the Short-Term Rental Property may not be issued a Short-Term Rental license.
Section IV. License Application, Term and Renewal, Local Responsible Agent, and Noticing Requirements
A. License Application.
1. Applications for a Short-Term Rental Property license shall be submitted to the Department on a form provided by the Department.
2. The application shall not be deemed complete until all required information identified in this subsection is submitted.
3. Incomplete applications shall not be accepted and may be returned to the applicant.
4. An application may be submitted by the Owner or by a non-Owner applicant with notarized written consent of the Owner.
5. It is the duty of each Short-Term Rental Property Owner to ensure that all information provided in a license application is always up to date and it shall be unlawful for an Owner to fail to provide updated information to the County within ten (10) days after the date upon which the current information provided is no longer accurate.
6. The following shall be submitted to the Department, unless waived by the Director:
a. A completed license application on the form provided by the Department.
b. A written, notarized declaration that the Local Responsible Agent is entitled to act, in the Owner's absence, as the representative of the Owner on issues related to the Lodging Unit, the Short-Term Rental, and the Short-Term Rental Property and agrees that the Owner and Local Responsible Agent shall comply with the requirements and limitations of this Ordinance.
c. The license application review fee.
d. A copy of the Renter Information Interior Signage that complies with the requirements of Section V.M. that will be posted on or within the subject Lodging Unit.
e. A copy of the Renter Written Instructions that comply with the requirements of Section V.N. that will be placed in the subject Lodging Unit.
f. A parking plan that complies with the requirements of Section V.H.
g. An affidavit signed by the Owner, under penalty of perjury, certifying that the Short-Term Rental Property complies with the life safety standards set forth in Section V.E, and that the Renter Information Interior Signage required by Sections V.N. and V.O. will be posted and placed at a conspicuous location on or in the Short-Term Rental Property and will remain there in good condition for the duration of the license term.
h. For the first licensing year, a copy of the Use Permit issued by the Douglas County Health Department for the On-Site Wastewater Treatment System specifying a change in use to a Short-Term Rental, as applicable.
i. For the first licensing year, copies of inspection reports and determinations from the Douglas County Building Division and the Douglas County Health Department that such use of the Lodging Unit is acceptable. In subsequent licensing years, the Department may request the Owner to provide confirmation from either or both entities that the Lodging Unit remains acceptable for use as a Short-Term Rental Property.
7. Such other information as the application form, as it may be amended from time to time, shall require.
8. Such other information determined necessary or desirable by the Director to evaluate compliance of the application and the proposed Short-Term Rental Property with the requirements of this Ordinance, any other Ordinance, or regulation.
B. License Term and Renewal
1. A Short-Term Rental Property license shall expire one (1) calendar year after its issuance, or when title of the Short-Term Rental Property transfers to a new Owner, whichever occurs first. Each change in ownership of a Short-Term Rental Property shall require a new license application.
2. The Department shall review a complete application for a new license or renewal of a Short-Term Rental Property license within sixty (60) days of its receipt.
3. An application for renewal of a license shall have the same submittal requirements as detailed in Section IV.A. and shall be considered in the same manner as the original application. All required documents shall be submitted anew for a license renewal.
C. Local Responsible Agent Required
1. As a condition of receiving a Short-Term Rental Property license, the Owner shall appoint a Local Responsible Agent or Agents for the Short-Term Rental Property.
a. The Owner shall notify the Director in writing of the appointment of a Local Responsible Agent within five (5) days of such appointment or modification of any such appointment providing the Local Responsible Agent's name, address, email address, and text-enabled telephone number.
b. It is the Owner's responsibility to update any information pertaining to the Local Responsible Agent throughout the term of the license.
c. The Owner may appoint themselves as the Local Responsible Agent.
d. If a Vacation Rental Service provides additional services for the Owner that are related to the Owner's Lodging Unit but unrelated to providing a means of offering the Lodging Unit for Short-Term Rentals through a website or other digital platform, then the Director may regulate the Vacation Rental Service as an Owner's Local Responsible Agent with respect to those additional services.
e. No license shall be issued under this Ordinance prior to the appointment and written notice to the Director of a Local Responsible Agent.
2. If the Local Responsible Agent cannot be contacted or is unavailable, the Owner is deemed the Local Responsible Agent unless an alternate Local Responsible Agent is identified on the application.
3. Either the Local Responsible Agent or the Owner shall be available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week by a text-enabled telephone to respond to questions or concerns. Failure of the Local Responsible Agent or Owner to be available as the need arises shall be cause for suspension of the Short-Term Rental license.
4. During the term of a Short-Term Rental Lease, either the Local Responsible Agent or the Owner shall be able to be physically onsite of the Short-Term Rental Property within two (2) hours at the request of the County. Failure of the Local Responsible Agent or Owner to be available as the need arises shall be cause for suspension of the Short-Term Rental license.
D. Notice Requirements
1. For the first licensing year, the Department shall send a courtesy notice of an application in process and applicable contact information to all abutting landowners and owners of land separated by 300 feet or less from the property by a platted tract. Staff shall send a courtesy notice of an application in process to the entity or entities responsible for ownership and maintenance of a shared private access.
2. For the first licensing year, the Department will send referral response requests to other agencies, for review and comment on the application. Such agencies may include, but are not limited to, the following: the affected fire district, the affected water and/or sanitation district, the affected metropolitan district, the health department, and homeowners associations. The applicant will be asked to address all referral comments received prior to the Director’s decision on the license application.
3. In subsequent licensing years, the Department may seek input from referral agencies, as it deems necessary.
Section V. Requirements and Limitations
In addition to the other requirements of this Ordinance, a Short-Term Rental Property licensed pursuant to this Ordinance shall, as a condition of such license, be subject to the following requirements and limitations:
A. Where a lot contains a detached single-family residence and an additional residence(s) of any kind, such as a guest house or a caretaker residence, the Owner is allowed to use only one residence as a Short-Term Rental Property.
B. No outdoor sign of any kind advertising or identifying the Short-Term Rental Property as a Short-Term Rental is allowed onsite.
C. The Owner or Local Responsible Agent is responsible for ensuring the Short-Term Rental Property meets all applicable local, state, and federal standards and regulations, including but not limited to the requirements and limitations of this Ordinance.
D. No Short-Term Rental Property license shall be issued for a Lodging Unit that has not been issued a Certificate of Occupancy.
E. Life Safety Standards. Each Short-Term Rental Property licensed under this Ordinance shall:
1. Conform to the requirements of the County's on-site wastewater treatment system regulations, if applicable. No Short-Term Rental license shall be issued for any Lodging Unit for which an on-site wastewater treatment system was not permitted and approved by the County for use consistent with the proposed use. If the on-site wastewater treatment system shows signs of failure or malfunction, then the Owner shall consult with the Douglas County Health Department within two (2) business days.
2. Not use any building, structure, or room for purposes other than those for which they were designed or intended.
3. Have roofs, floors, walls, foundations, ceilings, stairs, handrails, guardrails, doors, porches, and all other structural components and all appurtenances that are capable of resisting any and all forces and loads to which they may be normally subjected and are in sound condition and in good repair.
4. Have operable smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors, as required by the current County Residential Building Code.
5. Have at least one (1) portable fire extinguisher rated 2-A:10-B:C or two (2) portable fire extinguishers rated 1-A:10-B:C or higher. Portable fire extinguishers shall be installed and
maintained in conspicuous, accessible locations. Recommended location is near an exit and within 30 feet of the kitchen. Extinguishers shall be on hangers or brackets supplied by the manufacturer or placed on shelves. Top of the extinguisher shall not be more than 5 feet above the floor and not less than 4 inches above the floor. Portable fire extinguishers shall be maintained in a fully charged and operable condition. Extinguishers shall be inspected, serviced, or replaced in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
6. If the residence has a fire sprinkler system, it shall be operable and in working condition.
7. Have an operable toilet, sink, and either a bathtub or shower located within the same building as the Short-Term Rental, and every room containing a toilet, bathtub, or shower shall be completely enclosed by walls, doors, or windows that will afford sufficient privacy.
8. Have electrical panels with each circuit clearly labeled.
9. Pools, spas, and hot tubs at a Short-Term Rental Property shall meet the current County Residential Building Code.
10. Not have on the premises any portable outdoor charcoal grills, fireplaces, fire rings, or any other ember-producing equipment.
11. Provide in the Short-Term Rental Lease with any Lessee that the following are prohibited: campfires and the use of portable outdoor charcoal grills, outdoor fireplaces, or any other ember-producing equipment; shooting of weapons for recreation; use of fireworks; and the use of ATVs and other nonlicensed vehicles on the rental property or on County roads.
F. Trash Handling. There shall be a sufficient number of trash receptacles to accommodate all trash generated by occupants of the Short-Term Rental Property. Instructions identifying outdoor trash containers, proper storage, trash pickup locations and times, shall be posted within the interior of the Short-Term Rental Property.
G. Occupancy. Occupancy of a Short-Term Rental Property served by an on-site wastewater treatment system shall not exceed the design capacity of said system. Occupancy of a Short-Term Rental Property served by a central sanitation system shall not exceed two (2) guests per bedroom. The permitted occupancy shall be stated on the Short-Term Rental license. It shall be unlawful for the Owner, the Local Responsible Agent, or the Lessee of a Short-Term Rental Property to exceed the overnight occupancy of a Short-Term Rental Property by more than the maximum number of people permitted by the license.
H. Parking:
1. The motor vehicles and trailers of all occupants of the Short-Term Rental Property shall be able to be accommodated on the permitted and approved driveway of the Short-Term Rental Property. No motor vehicles or trailers shall be parked on the vegetated areas of a Short-Term Rental Property. While occupying a Short-Term Rental Property, no person shall park in violation of this Ordinance or in violation of the parking plan the Owner must submit in accordance with Section V.H.2.
2. The Owner of a Short-Term Rental Property shall provide a parking plan for the property that clearly delineates the area(s) for the parking of vehicles and trailers.
I. Camping and temporary structures. While occupying a Short-Term Rental Property as the Lessee, no person shall construct or use any temporary structure or recreational vehicle or trailer, for overnight purposes.
J. Fires, Grills, and Fireworks. While occupying a Short-Term Rental Property as the Lessee, no person shall make a campfire or use a portable outdoor charcoal grill, fireplace, any other emberproducing equipment, or fireworks.
K. ATVs. While occupying a Short-Term Rental Property as the Lessee, no person shall use an ATV or other non-licensed vehicle on the property or any County road.
L. Shooting. While occupying a Short-Term Rental Property as the Lessee, no person shall shoot a firearm for recreational purposes.
M. Renter Information Interior Signage. An Owner shall post and maintain a copy of the approved license in a conspicuous location within the interior of the Short-Term Rental Property that contains the following information:
1. The Short-Term Rental license number
2. The maximum number of people permitted for overnight occupancy.
3. Physical address number and street of the Short-Term Rental Property.
4. Contact information for law enforcement, fire, and ambulance service in case of an emergency.
5. Contact information for the Owner and Local Responsible Agent, including a phone number for 24-hour response to emergencies.
N. Renter Written Instructions.
1. Written Instructions shall be maintained within each Short-Term Rental Property that include and address the following:
a. A copy of this Ordinance.
b. Description of location of fire extinguishers and emergency egress.
c. The location, by description or depiction, for vehicle and trailer parking and maximum number of parked vehicles and trailers permitted for the property.
d. Alternative parking locations (if any) for extra vehicles, trailers, and campers.
e. The location of trash and recycling receptacles and the rules and regulations regarding handling of the same.
f. Snow removal instructions or information.
g. Policies regarding noise.
h. Policies regarding pets.
i. Applicable homeowners' association policies, if any, specific to the property or community.
j. Good neighbor and lessee guidelines regarding property boundaries, noise, parking, ATV use (not allowed), trash handling, wildlife guidelines, and fire restrictions.
k. Any other information deemed necessary by the County to ensure the public's health and safety.
2. Renter’s Written Instructions shall be main-
tained in a plastic folder or on laminated paper and or in a binder and placed in a conspicuous location within the Lodging Unit.
3. It is the Owner or the Local Responsible Agent’s responsibility to ensure that the Renter Written Instructions described herein are maintained in a readable form at the Short-Term Rental Property.
O. Advertising All advertising for a Short-Term Rental Property shall include a description of the Short-Term Rental Property, including the permitted occupancy, and the County Short-Term Rental Property license number.
P. Taxes. The Owner or the Local Responsible Agent shall collect and remit all applicable local, state, and federal taxes on each Short-Term Rental Property.
Q. Notice to Owner. Any notice required by this Ordinance to be given to an Owner is sufficient if provided in-person or sent by first-class mail to the address provided by the Owner on the most recent license or renewal application. Notice given to the Local Responsible Agent, in-person or sent by first-class mail to the address provided by the Owner, shall also be sufficient to satisfy any required notice to the Owner under this Ordinance.
R. Owner Liable. Compliance with and ensuring compliance with the requirements set forth in this Ordinance shall be a nondelegable responsibility of the Owner of a Short-Term Rental Property. Each Owner of a Short-Term Rental Property shall be strictly liable for complying with, and ensuring compliance with, the conditions and limitations set forth in this Ordinance.
S. Inspection. Because Short-Term Rental Properties are, by their nature, intended to be occupied by numerous guests for short periods of occupancy, it is determined that the County's ability to inspect Short-Term Rental Properties is in the interest of public health, safety, and welfare. Therefore, whenever it is necessary or desirable to inspect to enforce the requirements of this Ordinance, the Director or Director’s designee, Douglas County Sheriff, or both may enter such Short-Term Rental Properties at all reasonable times as scheduled with the Owner or Local Responsible Agent to inspect the same for the purpose of enforcing such Ordinance. If such Short-Term Rental Property is occupied, the Director or the Director’s designee, the Douglas County Sheriff, or both shall first present proper credentials and request entry, and if such ShortTerm Rental Property is unoccupied, shall first make a reasonable effort to locate the Owner, the Local Responsible Agent, or Lessee and request entry. If such entry is refused, or if the Short-Term Rental Property is locked, the Director or the Director’s designee, the Douglas County Sheriff, or both shall have recourse to every remedy provided by law to secure entry. When the Director or the Director’s designee, the Douglas County Sheriff, or both has obtained authority provided by law to secure entry, no Owner, Local Responsible Agent, or Lessee having charge, care, or control of any Short-Term Rental Property shall fail or refuse, after proper request is made as herein provided, to promptly permit entry therein by the Director or the Director’s designee, the Douglas County Sheriff, or both for the purpose of inspection of the Short-Term Rental Property.
T. Reservations. Any term of a Short-Term Rental Lease shall not overlap with the term of any other Lease.
Section VI. Denial of License
A. A Short-Term Rental license application shall be denied by the Director based on any of the following:
1. All applicable provisions of this Ordinance or any applicable County regulation or State law have not been met.
2. The proposed property to be used for ShortTerm Rental is located in a community or subdivision that expressly prohibits Short-Term Rentals in its covenants, controls, rules, restrictions, declarations, or by-laws.
3. The required license application review fee and/or annual license fee has not been paid.
4. The application is incomplete or contains false, misleading, or fraudulent statements.
5. Any reason that would justify suspension or revocation of a license as set forth herein.
B. In the event of a denial, the Director shall mail or deliver to the applicant a written order of denial stating the reason or reasons for the denial within ten (10) days of the denial.
Section VII. Suspension or Revocation of License
A. Suspension. The Director may suspend a Short-Term Rental license based on any of the following:
1. This Ordinance has been violated on more than one occasion since the Short-Term Rental license was issued.
2. The Owner or Local Responsible Agent operated the Short-Term Rental Property in violation of a building, fire, health, or safety code adopted by the County, said determination being based on investigation by the department, division, or agency charged with enforcing said code.
a. In the event of such a code violation, the Director shall promptly notify the Owner and/or the Local Responsible Agent of the violation and shall allow the Owner or Local Responsible Agent a ten (10) day period in which to correct the violation.
b. If the code violation is not corrected before the expiration of the ten (10) day period, the Director shall forthwith suspend the license and shall notify the Owner and/or Local Responsible Agent of the suspension.
3. The Owner failed to pay any taxes due to the County.
4. The Owner failed to timely pay the license application review fee and/or annual license fee.
5. The Owner failed to apply for renewal of the Short-Term Rental license including completing a new application and paying the license application review fee and/or annual license fee.
The Director may suspend a Short-Term Rental license for a period not to exceed ninety (90)
days or until such time as the code violation and/ or Ordinance violation causing suspension has been corrected, whichever is later. In the event that an enforcement or a revocation proceeding is commenced, the Short-Term Rental license shall remain suspended until the conclusion of said proceedings.
B. Revocation. The Director shall revoke a ShortTerm Rental Property license upon determining that:
1. The Short-Term Rental Property license has been suspended more than once within the preceding twelve (12) months since the Short-Term Rental license was issued.
2. A Licensee gave false or misleading information in the materials submitted as part of the application process.
3. A Licensee knowingly operated the business during a period of time when the Licensee's ShortTerm Rental Property license was suspended.
4. Any fact or condition exists that, if it had existed or had been known to exist at the time of the application for the license, would have warranted the denial of the license.
When the Director revokes a Short-Term Rental license, the revocation shall continue for one (1) year during which time the Short-Term Rental Property shall be ineligible for use as a Short-Term Rental and the Owner shall not be issued any new Short-Term Rental license for other Lodging Units for one (1) year from the date revocation became effective.
Section VIII. Listing Removal
A. Listing Removal. The Director shall notify the Vacation Rental Service that it must remove a Short-Term Rental listing from any digital platforms within seven (7) days of receiving such notice, if there is a prohibition on the Short-Term Rental of the Lodging Unit or if the Owner of the Lodging Unit:
1. Has a suspended or revoked Short-Term Rental license.
2. Has been issued a notice of violation or similar legal process for not possessing a valid ShortTerm Rental License.
B. The notification must identify the listing's uniform resource locator (URL) or other specified digital location to be removed and state the reason for the removal.
Section IX. Appeal; Hearing on Denial, Suspension, or Revocation
A. Appeal. An Owner or applicant may appeal a license application denial, license renewal application denial, license suspension, or revocation of the Short-Term Rental license to the Board of County Commissioners and shall be entitled to a hearing before the Board of County Commissioners. Said request for appeal shall be made in writing, stating the grounds for appeal, within twenty-eight (28) days of the Director’s decision to deny, suspend or revoke. In the event that a Licensee appeals a suspension or revocation, the subject Short-Term Rental Property must cease to operate as a Short-Term Rental until such time a final order overturns the Director’s decision to deny, suspend, or revoke.
B. Hearing. At the hearing, the Board of County Commissioners shall hear such statements and consider such evidence as is offered that is relevant to the grounds alleged for denial of the license or the violation alleged for suspension or revocation. The Board of County Commissioners shall make findings of fact from the statements and evidence offered as to whether such grounds exist, or such violation occurred. If the Board of County Commissioners determine that grounds for denial or a cause for suspension or revocation exists, the Board of County Commissioners shall issue an order denying, suspending, or revoking the license within twenty-eight (28) days after the hearing is concluded, based on the findings of fact. A copy of the order shall be mailed to or served on the Owner or applicant at the address on the license application.
C. Final Order. The order of the Board of County Commissioners made pursuant to subsection B above shall be a final decision and may be appealed to the district court pursuant to Colorado Rule of Civil Procedure 106. Failure of an Owner or applicant to appeal said Order in a timely manner, pursuant to said Rule 106, constitutes a waiver of any right he or she may otherwise have to contest the denial, suspension, or revocation of the Short-Term Rental Property application or license.
D. Hearing Powers. The Board of County Commissioners shall have the power to administer oaths, issue subpoenas, and when necessary, grant continuances. Subpoenas may be issued to require the presence of persons and production of papers, books, and records necessary for the determination of issues of fact of any hearing that the Board of County Commissioners conducts. It is unlawful for any person to fail to comply with any subpoena issued by the Board of County Commissioners. A subpoena shall be served in the same manner as a subpoena issued by Douglas County’s District Court in the State of Colorado. E. Recording. All hearings held before the Board of County Commissioners regarding denial, suspension, or revocation of a Short-Term Rental application or license issued under this Ordinance shall be recorded by an electronic recording device. A copy of the record may be found on the County website at www.douglas.co.us or by request from the Department.
Section X. Fees
A. The Short-Term Rental Property license application review fee and Short-Term Rental license fee shall be set by Resolution of the Board of County Commissioners. No Short-Term Rental license shall be issued until the applicable fee(s) has been received by the Department.
B. If an application is approved, the Short-Term Rental license fee is required to be paid prior to issuance of the Short-Term Rental license.
C. Fees are non-refundable. Upon denial of any license, the license application review fee shall re-
Colorado’s Front Range has already recorded violations of federal ozone caps for 2023 that put the state into the “serious” pollution infraction category, and regulators should voluntarily call for EPA sanctions in order to speed up health-protecting fixes, environmental watchdogs said.
Readings at public ozone monitors show that the nine-county Front Range nonattainment area, already under EPA jurisdiction for past violations, has blown past the numbers that will trigger the EPA to move Colorado from the “moderate” to “severe” category for breaching 2015 standards. Admitting it now would speed up EPA-mandated corrections such as tighter controls on oil and gas drilling and other pollution permits, clean air advocates said.
Other major U.S. cities that were in similar ozone violations have since come into compliance and been declared in attainment of the tighter 2015 standard, said Robert Ukeiley, a Denver air pollution attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity.
“It’s pretty sad when Denver is more polluted than places like Detroit, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Atlanta, all to protect the short-term profits of the big oil companies which make up a very small percentage of Colorado’s economy,” Ukeiley said.
Colorado air pollution regulators responded they
are “evaluating” the idea of asking the EPA for a voluntary reclassification before the federal agency’s rules require a reevaluation of nonattainment in 2024.
Meanwhile, said Air Pollution Control Division spokesperson Leah Schleifer, “we aren’t waiting for a potential U.S. EPA reclassification as we move forward with actions to reduce ground-level ozone pollution. Colorado is taking bold and meaningful steps right now.”
Those steps, the division said, include acting on Gov. Jared Polis’ recent directive to reduce nitrogen oxide releases from oil and gas production, and implementing new clean truck and car rules to speed replacement of fossil fuels with lower emissions electric motors.
Those assurances are not meaningful, Ukeiley responded, after years of the division and the Air Quality Control Commission moving slowly on new pollution rules and delaying EPA enforcement. The EPA has repeatedly downgraded the northern Front Range ozone problem under both 2008 caps of 75 parts per billion and the tighter 2015 cap of 70 parts per billion.
“As a general rule, reasonable people don’t believe a six-time loser when they say they are trying really hard not to fail a seventh time,” Ukeiley said. “If they were actually working hard to protect air quality for all Coloradans, they would have already submitted their voluntary downgrade
main the moneys of the County. In the event that a Short-Term Rental license is revoked, suspended, or relinquished prior to the end of the license term, all moneys paid for a Short-Term Rental license shall be and remain the moneys of the County and no refund shall be made to any Licensee.
D. The Short-Term Rental Property license application review fee shall be used to cover the cost associated with reviewing the application for compliance with this Ordinance.
E. The Short-Term Rental license fee shall be used to cover the administrative and personnel costs associated with developing and implementing the Short-Term Rental license program and enforcing the provisions in this Ordinance, including but not limited to responding to complaints and inspecting Short-Term Rental Properties.
Section XI. Violations, Penalties and Enforcement
A. It is unlawful for any Owner, Local Responsible Agent, Lessee, or occupant of a Short-Term Rental Property to violate or allow a violation of any provision of this Ordinance, as applicable.
The EPA uses three-year averaging in evaluating whether a pollution-troubled area is getting better or worse in attainment of the agency’s ambient air standards. Ground-level ozone is a threat to lung and heart health, and some scientists are recommending a further tightening of the standards below the 2015 cap of 70 ppb.
Ozone is caused by a combination of nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, intense summer sunshine, wildfire smoke and other factors, including natural background sources and industrial pollution drifting from out of state.
Regulators disregard the highest readings and set their sights on benchmarks such as the fourth-highest readings of the year in order to throw out anomalies. To avoid a downgrade in the current three-year cycle of 202123, Colorado monitors would have had to stay below the upper 40s in parts per billion in 2023. Readings at key monitors spiked to 89 ppb in 2021, and 78 ppb in 2022.
The relevant readings at a monitor near Chatfield Reservoir reached 70 by late May of this year, and 67 at the National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden. Those put the three-year averages at 79 at Chatfield, for example, and 77 at NREL, the Center for Biological Diversity said.
State regulators do not dispute those calculations. The health department “takes ground-level ozone pollution seriously,”
B. An initial warning may be issued to request voluntary compliance with this Ordinance, prior to suspension or revocation actions, or issuance of civil infractions. The warning may be provided in-person, over the phone, electronically (such as e-mail or text), or in writing. The warning may include a request that immediate action be taken by the Owner, Local Responsible Agent, Lessee, or occupant.
C. When any of the following occur or is imminent, a warning may not be provided:
1. The violation poses a risk to human health or safety, or a risk of degradation of the natural environment that must be remedied in an expedited manner.
2. The violation is determined to be affecting the quality of life of residents or visitors within proximity of the Short-Term Rental Property.
3. Time is of the essence and authorized by the Director or the Director’s designee or the Douglas County Sheriff.
D. In addition to suspension and revocation actions pursuant to Section VII of this Ordinance,
Schleifer said, in a written statement.
One of the primary impacts of a downgrade in the attainment classification is a broadening of pollution sources that must go through the state permitting process. Regulators can demand changes in process or equipment that could reduce pollution before issuing a permit, and permits can ratchet down allowed pollution over time.
In 2022, the EPA downgraded the nine-county area under the looser 2008 ozone standard from “serious” to “severe.” The federal agency said at the time that under “severe,” requirements include the use of reformulated gasoline in summer months and a reduction of the threshold requiring control measures on emissions sources from 50 tons per year to 25 tons per year.
Each reclassification puts another strain on state regulation as well. Colorado officials said at the time of the “severe” reclassification it would require for 473 more sources of pollution that contribute to ozone, as the threshold dropped to include all those emitting 25 tons or more.
Recent legal actions by environmental groups forced the addition of pollution sources in northern Weld County, home to much of the oil and gas drilling and production activity in Colorado, to the Front Range nonattainment area. Previously, only the southern portion of Weld County was included in the stricter
violations of this Ordinance are subject to the penalties set forth below. Each day or portion thereof during which any violation is committed, continued, or permitted shall constitute a separate offense and shall be punishable as a separate offense.
E. Any violation of this Ordinance may be separately, concurrently, or together enforced through this Ordinance, other applicable County Ordinances, the Douglas County Building Code, the Douglas County Health Department Regulations, and the Douglas County Zoning Resolution by the Director or the Director’s designee, and the Douglas County Sheriff, or both.
F. Any person who violates any provision of this Ordinance commits a civil infraction and is subject to the penalty assessment procedures of Section 16-2-201, C.R.S. and upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of TWO HUNDRED FIFTY dollars ($250.00) for a first violation, a fine of FIVE HUNDRED dollars ($500.00) for a second violation, and a fine of ONE THOUSAND dollars ($1000.00) for the third and subsequent violations.
permitting regime.
Taking action now would put far more northern Weld County operations under the “serious” 2015 standards. After asking the EPA for another downgrade, Colorado could take other actions such as demanding a “pause” to oil and gas operations on bad air days, much as the state asks individuals to limit driving, get car emissions tests, or avoid outdoor activity, Ukeiley said. The state could also limit the use of the natural gas-fired Cherokee Generating Station north of downtown Denver on high pollution days.
Colorado officials often argue against swift air pollution action by saying it can take corporations a long time to acquire and install new equipment. Admitting to another ozone downgrade now rather than waiting would give those officials and companies longer lead time to make changes, Ukeiley said.
“We know it’s all inevitable that we’re going to get downgraded,” he said. “The state might as well admit that and move forward with the process. And use the process to come up with the most protective effective measures to reduce our pollution.”
This story via The Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver that covers the state. For more, visit www.ColoradoSun.com. The Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, which owns Colorado Community Media.
G. In addition to the penalties prescribed above, persons convicted of a violation of this Ordinance shall be subject to a surcharge of TEN dollars ($10.00) that shall be paid to the clerk of the court by the defendant as provided by Section 30-15402(2)(a), C.R.S.
Section XII. Severability
Should any section, clause, sentence, or part of this Ordinance be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction to be unconstitutional or invalid, the same shall not affect, impair, or invalidate the ordinance as a whole or any part thereof other than the part so declared to be invalid.
Section XIII. Effective Date
In order to preserve the
