SENTINEL EXPRESS C O M M E R C E
32 VOLUME 34
C I T Y
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ISSUE ISSUE48 8
TTUESDAY , ,NFOVEMBER 24,2021 2020 UESDAY EBRUARY 16,
Suncor to New COVID-19 restrictions will prohibit indoor dining, gatherings Fixing Commerce City’s unbalanced wardspersonal start registering for alerts
While waiting for 2020 census results, City Council discusses voting fairness and representation BY SCOTT TAYLOR STAYLOR@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
A plan to replace Commerce City’s four City Council wards with residency districts picked up some support Feb. 8 as councilors considered ways to balance voting power around the city fairly. City Clerk Dylan Gibson told councilors during a Feb. 8 study session that results from the 2020 Census will likely show that residency in the city’s wards are out of balance. “I don’t think it’s any secret that the city has experienced a population boom, especially in the north and the east,” Gibson said. “That has likely led to an imbalance in our wards. This will require redistricting to meet charter requirements.” The new Census numbers, which Commerce City’s City Council wards as they exist in 2021, with Ward 2 in the south, should be released this summer, will likely require the city to change Ward 1 wrapping around the Rocky Mountain Arsenal wildlife refuge and Ward 3 and 4 the City Council Ward boundaries, to the north and east. New development in the northern Wards has given those areas Gibson said. more residents, skewing their representation on the City Council. COURTESY CITY OF COMMERCE CITY “They will provide the city with member City Council are elected by the most accurate information for anced the wards have become since us to redraw our Ward boundaries,” the boundaries were last adjusted in ward, and four councilors and the he said. 2013. Wards 1 and 2 have roughly the mayor are elected at-large, by the whole city. same number of voters, with 5,998 Councilors can also consider if Guardiola said that the council is active voters in Ward 1 and 4,991 in they’d like to change how the city unbalanced as a result. Each ward Ward 2. is divided up politically, electing all has a least one councilor that lives Ward 3, however, has 9,113 active councilors in the wards where they within its boundaries, but the more voters — almost as many voters as live, making all the seats at-large or By Ellis Arnold heavily populated Wards 3 and 4 also Wards 1 and 2 combined. creating new districts forof Brighton’s A long line ofresidency cars outside the city rapid testing siteAnd at Ward Community Mediaeach. have twoColorado at-large councilors 4, which covers the northeastern City Councilors. Riverdale Regional Park. The site has had to close early many days in recent “It’s not fair,” he said. “For us to part of the city , has 12,835 registered Councilor Jose Guardiola said it’s weeks to high demand. Adams County’s Asanother Denver metro continue wait four counties years, again, it’sto voters.14-day test positivity rate time fordue a change. inch closer tothat localour stay-at-home frustrating residentsorders have Councilor Oscar Madera said it “We’ve had discussions before was 15.9 percent, as of Nov. 17, according to Tri-County Health Department. to liveColorado’s through this again. The soluhas anrates impact on both voters. about imbalances and fairness under system of coronavirusBrighton and Commerce City’s on test positivity were higher than tion is out there.” “More than three-quarters of this council, with the representation related restrictions, the state announced 13 percent. Forty-five people in Brighton andtax 29 base in Commerce City have Gibson outlined some soluyour is down south, but the between the core city to the northa new beyond level of rules that prohibits indoor diedpart,” from Guardiola COVID-19 related To limitofthe spread of COVID-19, keeping the current majority people making decisions tions ern said. health issues. dining and personal gatherings — City Council structure in place.a about those areas don’t live there,” at least 15 counties moved to tighter restrictions that prohibits indoor and change that applies to themove majority of the Commerce City could to an Madera said. “It’s a legitimate Imbalance personal gatherings. all-ward council. Two councilors concern for the people that do live Commerce City’s four wards are Denver metro area and many counties in could be elected from each Ward or meant to be roughly equal in popula- there and are impacted by outfall other regions. and everything that comes with that the city could create eight or nine tion — within a 10 percent differThe state’s dial, which has each COVID-19 with one councilor. revenue. All the benefi ts go upWard north wards, ence, according to the City Charter. Photo by Belen been in effect since September, set Another option is to have is allthe counand we get stuck with the trucking But voting results from November’s of different levels of restrictions that each and pollution in the south.” presidential ballot and the number Four of Commerce City’s nineof active voters show how unbalSEE WARDS, P5
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Refinery adding sign-up system to complement county network BY SCOTT TAYLOR STAYLOR@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Mobile phone users near Suncor’s Commerce City refinery should get alerts if there is a chemical release or another emergency now, but more robust and regular alerts are coming, according to company officials. “We are using and will continue to use the IPAWS system through AdCom as a way to alert the community wirelessly in the event there is an emergency that would require the community to take some action,” spokesperson Lisha Burnett said. Burnett said the company is using Adams County’s alert system to notify people in the vicinity of the plant in case of emergencies. All mobile phone users within two miles of the plant should get a message on their phone in case there is an emergency like a fire or chemical release. “If we need to activate this process, flow of communication countythe is required to follow based on the goes from refinery AdCom,” severity of athe county’s localto virus spread. Burnett said. The dial grew out of the state’s safer-atResidents can also sign up to home order — the came after receive phone orpolicy emailthat messages theAdams statewide stay-at-home orderand this at at County’s 911 page https://public.coderedweb.com/ spring and allowed numerous types of CNE/en-US/EA22F5DE3F32 online. businesses to reopen. While the mobile phone IPAWS state recently switched andThe CodeRED systems are to upcolor and identifiers — levels blue, yellow andrefinrunning now, Burnett said the orange rather than numbered levels — to ery is still working for a third service that will begin offering alerts avoid confusion. Until Nov. 17, level red in June, Everbridge. meant called a stay-at-home order. Now, level “We are launching a public signred — “severe risk” — the secondup campaign on Feb.is24,” she said. “So any stakeholder, interested com-
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