4 Parker Chronicle
April 21, 2022
District financial chief leaving over frustrations with school board BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
@douglascountyco
Your voice will help us protect your home and our community Douglas County is updating its Community Wildfire Protection Plan – a document that defines how we can proactively protect life and property. The first step in updating this plan is your input, by completing a short survey. Visit douglas.co.us/cwpp-survey to complete the survey by April 26.
Building records now available online How often have you wondered where your home’s property line ends, and your neighbor’s begins? Do you need to schedule a building inspection and yet remembered to do it after business hours? To access publicly available records and documents visit https://apps.douglas.co.us/building/services
Need flood zone information? If you live in unincorporated Douglas County, Flood Insurance Rate Maps and zone information are available by request. Visit douglas.co.us and search for Flood Plain Information. A form may also be requested by calling 303-660-7490 or visiting Public Works, 100 Third St. in Castle Rock.
What’s happening with your County government? Our commitment to open and transparent government includes online posting of information about public meetings at which the business of government is conducted. To view public meeting agendas, participate in-person or remotely, or watch select meetings via live stream visit douglas.co.us and search for Meetings and Agendas.
Records show the Douglas County Schools chief financial officer is the second high-ranking official to resign out of frustration with the new school board majority’s actions. Kate Kotaska, the chief financial officer for Douglas County Schools, will be leaving her cabinet position in June, just shy of two years with the district. Kotaska formally notified Superintendent Erin Kane of her decision on April 5. Colorado Community Media obtained her resignation letter in a
WILDFIRE FROM PAGE 1
Alexander spoke about the specific risks faced by Douglas County. “Wildfire is the number one natural hazard in Douglas County,” he said. “More than 80% of our residents in Douglas County live within some measure of wildland urban interface risk.” The county has seen a more than 60% increase in the 5-year average of fire occurrence since the period from 2006 to 2010, Alexander said. Alexander said they expect that increase to continue unless there is a drastic change in the climate or residents’ personal habits. “Current predictions for the year, for this coming summer and fire season into next winter are predicting warmer and drier than average local conditions,” said Mike Alexander with the Office of Emergency Management. “We are currently facing a fair amount of risk within the county.” The exclusive-use contract, which parks a 300-gallon-tank helicopter in the county to respond to wildfires, is for about $1 million. Three other contracts for call-when-needed aerial support from April 13 to Dec. 21
public records request. The financial chief wrote in her resignation letter that the district “quickly felt like home, and my team like family,” when she joined DCSD in July 2020. She also believes she and other district employees “have made a difference” in the district, she wrote. “When the decision was made to terminate former Superintendent Wise, I began to question whether I’d continue to have the ability to make a difference. I began to question r whether my values, that center deeplyp o r SEE FRUSTRATED, P7 t t were approved for about $300,000 altogether. t Alexander included that the C median sale price of single-fami- g ly homes in Douglas County was s $706,000 in February this year. r The commissioners unanip mously approved the contract o and spoke in support of the efa fort to mitigate wildfires. l “When you think about the a very small investment that we make into aerial support, we are s getting a remarkable return on i investment,” Commissioner Abe g Laydon said. a This is the largest-ever invest- r ment in wildfire aerial support e in the county’s history, accord- p ing to a news release from the E county. “There is no more effective w way to suppress a wildfire, save C lives and protect property than i with the combination of aerial h resources working in direct sup- e port of ground firefighters,” said s Alexander, who has 22 years of l experience fighting wildfires. s The county also provides i resources to help residents i mitigate wildfire risk on their property by removing weeds and b vegetation. More information is o available at douglas.co.us/wild- o fire-mitigation. f Residents can sign up for a phone call emergency notificae tions by visiting douglas.co.us/ P codered. c
Shredding Event Do you have... Mysterious insects? Trees in trouble? A need for gardening advice? CSU Extension is here for you. We provide answers and education. For more information call 720-733-6930 or visit https://douglas.extension.colostate.edu
Visit douglas.co.us
Saturday, April 23 9:00 to 11:30 Salisbury Park • 11920 Motsenbocker Road
$10 Suggested Donation Benefit Parker Senior Center Sponsored by CORE Electric Cooperative and Parker PD
