Parker Chronicle 062322

Page 1

Week of June 23, 2022

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DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO

A publication of

ParkerChronicle.net

INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 14 | LIFE: PAGE 16 | CALENDAR: PAGE 19 | SPORTS: PAGE 24

VOLUME 20 | ISSUE 30

County buys County looks to take over control of Daniels Park from the City of Denver shelters as part of addressing local homelessness

Facilities don’t yet have a set location BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Roaming throughout Daniels Park is a bison herd, which visitors often stop to photograph.

Land could cost half a billion dollars BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Douglas County is looking at ways to take over a Denver park located

in the county, a move that City of Denver officials say could cost the county at least half a billion dollars. Daniels Park, located between Highlands Ranch and Castle Pines, is owned by the city and known for its bison herd. The decision by Douglas County commissioners to look into the topic comes about a month after Denver

FILE PHOTO

City Council voted to ban concealed carry firearms in its parks. While Denver Parks and Recreation Deputy Director Scott Gilmore said he was told this was the reason for the possible takeover, multiple calls and texts to Commissioner George Teal to confirm that claim went SEE PARK, P7

Douglas County settles legal fees over mask lawsuit County will pay $90,000 for coordinator position BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The Douglas County Board of Health and the Douglas County School District have decided to call it even on a 2021 lawsuit regarding

mask rules, with the county promising to pay the district $90,000 for a psychological safety coordinator. The settlement comes after the school board in October sued the health department for enacting an order that allowed parents to opt their students out of mask requirements. The order was one of the first decisions by the Douglas County Board of Health after the county formed

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its own health agency and split from Tri-County Health Department over its mask requirements. “We are unified in our focus on what’s best for the communities we collectively serve,” said Doug Benevento, president of the Douglas County Board of Health, according to an emailed news release. “We look forward to our continued SEE SETTLES, P7

Douglas County is moving forward with acquiring 17 temporary shelters as part of their plan to address the rise in local homelessness. The “Pallet” structures are 64 square feet, collapsible and include air conditioning, mattresses and electricity. They will cost the county about $200,000. Commissioners Abe Laydon and George Teal voted to approve the decision in a June 13 meeting. “We’re not interested in building residential communities for the homeless or creating encampments on any level,” Laydon said. “We’re looking to support our code enforcement and by law in order to have that code enforcement there has to be a place for people to go.” Commissioner Lora Thomas voted against the decision, saying she felt the county wasn’t ready for the move. Laydon has said that because of a decision by a district court judge in Fort Collins, the county must have a shelter available in order to enforce camping restrictions. In the case, People vs. Wiemold, SEE SHELTERS, P10

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