Parker expands community response program

Public Notices

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e Parker town council unanimously approved several ordinances and resolutions for town improvements and updates on May 15.

In continuing the e ort to focus on residents’ mental health, the council approved two ordinances that will expand the Community Response Team in Parker. e rst was the Douglas County ARPA Bene ciary Agreement. e American Rescue Plan is providing the town with $75,000 in funding to purchase a second vehicle for the Community Response Team.

Community response teams are used to provide assistance to law enforcement dealing with calls for people su ering from mental health issues. e teams consist of o cers and quali ed clinicians. e county also received $167,880 from the Colorado Department of Criminal Justice to assign an o cer - which has also been budgeted - to the new community response vehicle, said Hall. e council approved the Intergovernmental Agreement to expand the Community Response Team, which will last for one year. e funds include equipment, training and other costs.

According to Town Attorney Kelsey Hall, the county already budgeted for the car and therefore will be acting as a revenue replacement.

“When we get the second added,” said Chief of Police Jim Tsurapas. “We’ll have coverage seven days a week.” e resolution includes minor text updates to the Town of Parker Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan 2018-2022 to remove the 2018-2022 date range on the cover to re ect relevancy and meet fundamental standards.

Town council also readopted and renewed items for updates in the town. Parker has award-winning parks and recreation and in order to be re-accreditied once again by the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CARPA) and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), town council approved a resolution to readopt the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan as part of the Parker 2035 Master Plan.

SEE RESPONSE P6

Discs, skates and walls, oh my!