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January 10, 2014 Arapahoe County, Colorado | Volume 13, Issue 8 A publication of
centennialcitizen.net
New city council members debut Turley, Truhlar, Gotto and Whelan sworn in at Jan. 6 meeting By George Lurie
glurie@coloradocommunitymedia.com Centennial’s city council received a fresh infusion of energy and ideas this week as four first-time council members were sworn into office. Taking their seats on the dais at the Jan. 6 city council meeting were: Kathy Turley, representing District 1; Doris Truhlar in District 2; Mark Gotto in District 3; and CJ Whelan in District 4.
Mayor Cathy Noon, who handily won re-election this past November, was also sworn in for a second term during the meeting. “I have been contemplating this occasion for weeks,” said Turley. “This new assignment will be an awesome task and the most serious responsibility — other than being married to the same man for 41 years and raising three children — I have ever encountered in my lifetime.” Turley said she was approaching her new responsibilities with both enthusiasm and a bit of “anxiety and trepidation.” “I am humbled that thousands of people have given me their vote of confidence Council continues on Page 9
Centennial’s presiding municipal judge, Ford Wheatey, swears in District 3 council member Mark Gotto just prior to the Jan. 6 city council meeting. Photo by George Lurie
GOOD TO BE HOME
Interchange work gains city support $74 million project will bring facelift at I-25/Arapahoe Road By George Lurie
glurie@coloradocommunitymedia.com
In a matchup of Class 5A heavyweights, Arapahoe High defeated Mountain Vista 63-55 on Jan. 4 in the Warriors’ first game at home since the Dec. 13 shooting at the school. Here, Mountain Vista’s Graham Smith (25) grabs a rebound. For more coverage, turn to Page 16. Photo by Paul DiSalvo
Marijuana, driving can lead to DUI Motorists must submit to test if officer suspects impairment Staff report State officials are reminding the public that just because marijuana is now legal, driving under its influence is decidedly illegal. “From the perspective of law enforcement, the legalization of recreational marijuana hasn’t changed the DUI law. If you drive high, you will get a DUI,” said Col. Scott Hernandez, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “Officers are trained to detect impairment of all substances, including marijuana.” All police officers are trained to detect when someone is drunk or high, and many are specially trained drug-recognition experts. Littleton Police Cmdr. Trent Cooper says nothing will change for local departments.
“Amendment 64 doesn’t change anything for us, currently, in terms of enforcement of DUID,” he said. “Basically, an officer would have to suspect impairment, then conduct the standard DUID investigation.” Colorado requires all drivers to consent to a chemical test if a police officer has reasonable grounds to believe they are driving under the influence. Consequences of refusing the test include the immediate suspension of your driver’s license for a year, classification as a “persistent drunk driver,” mandatory ignition interlock for two years and alcohol education and therapy classes as specified by law. It’s also illegal to consume or display marijuana on any public roadway or to have it in an open container in your car, as with alcohol. The state has established the legal limit for THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana, at five nanograms per milliliter of blood. “There are some who do not feel that
marijuana can impair driving, but it does,” said Darrell Lingk, director of CDOT’s Office of Transportation Safety. “Marijuana affects reaction time, short-term memory, hand-eye coordination, concentration and perception of time and distance.” According to the Colorado Judicial Branch, there were 24,742 DUI and DWAI cases filed in 2012 throughout the state of Colorado. If convicted, the offender is required to undergo an alcohol and drug evaluation. Out of 23,519 evaluations in 2012, marijuana was involved in 1,045. “We’re trying to gather as many facts as possible about marijuana-impaired driving to give us a baseline on the current situation in Colorado to better inform and educate the public on this issue,” said Amy Ford, director of communications at CDOT. “Recreational marijuana is a new liberty afforded to Coloradans 21 years old and older, and we urge people to be responsible by not driving impaired.” For more information, visit www.HeatIsOnColorado.com.
At their first meeting of 2014, the Centennial City Council unanimously approved a resolution allowing Mayor Cathy Noon to send a “letter of assurance” to the Colorado Department of Transportation reaffirming the city’s willingness to participate in the $74 million project to reconstruct the I-25/Arapahoe Road Interchange. The project, which is being spearheaded by CDOT and Arapahoe County, will re-engineer and replace portions of Arapahoe Road as well as on and off ramps to I-25. Construction plans also call for replacement of the bridge on which traffic on I-25 passes over Arapahoe Road. CDOT asked the City of Centennial as well as city officials in Greenwood Village for the letters as a means to formally confirm the cities were still willing to help pay for the reconstruction project. Travis Greiman, Centennial’s engineering manager, said three of the four quadrants surrounding the interchange are in Greenwood Village and the quadrant on the southwest corner of the interchange is within Centennial’s jurisdiction. “The letter is not legally binding,” Greiman said. “However, it is a requirement from CDOT in order for their funding to be awarded.” The project, which has been under consideration for nearly a decade, got a big boost in October 2013 when CDOT was awarded $50 million in so-called RAMP (Responsible Acceleration of Maintenance and Partnerships) funding. Greiman said that while neither Centennial nor Greenwood Village has yet to commit to a specific amount of funding for the project, the additional $24 million City continues on Page 5
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