Englewood Herald 0423

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A publication of

READY TO RACE Local runners navigate postponements, crowded trails amid COVID-19 P12

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April 23, 2020

ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO

Grant aims to bring neighbors closer City program seeks to build stronger, more inclusive communities BY JOSEPH RIOS JRIOS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Englewood has diverse businesses, and as a result, a lot of them are still providing essential services,” Sobota said. She said she is optimistic Englewood won’t see a shortfall as severe as many other cities are expecting because of the city’s diverse businesses. Boulder, for example, announced April 14 it was furloughing 737 employees for 10 weeks. Englewood looked at every department’s budgets and what savings they have accumulated based on delayed hiring, city employees not being able to travel for trainings and

Social distancing regulations are still in place as Arapahoe County grapples with COVID-19, but Englewood is looking ahead to when those days are over. Madeline Hinkfuss, Englewood’s neighborhood resources coordinator, introduced a neighborhood grant program at an Englewood City Council virtual meeting on April 13 along with the idea of bringing a mobile community outreach stand to residents this summer. Known as the Get to Know Your Neighbor grant, it’s intended to allow for Englewood residents to apply for financial assistance when hosting neighborhood events like block parties, neighborhood parades, neighborhood cleanup events and more when the coronavirus pandemic abates. The mobile community outreach stand will be brought to neighborhoods and parks around the city along with yard games and soft drinks. The goal of the grant is to encourage residents to participate and engage in their community while the stand is seen as a way to bring city programing to neighborhoods, Hinkfuss said.

SEE BUDGET, P8

SEE NEIGHBORS, P7

Brian Hart, owner of Frame de Art in Englewood, poses for a photo in his shop. Hart said he had to lay off three employees at the end of March because of the COVID-19 pandemic. JOSEPH RIOS

Englewood faces loss in sales tax revenue The city projects a net revenue shortfall of at least $1.6 million BY JOSEPH RIOS JRIOS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

It is still too early to fully evaluate the financial impact the COVID-19 pandemic will have on the city of Englewood, but city staff is optimistic it won’t be as affected as other cities. About 61% of general-fund revenue in Englewood comes from sales and use tax. But with Colorado

restaurants and bars being barred from offering dine-in services until at least April 30, and non-essential businesses like most retail stores being temporarily closed because of COVID-19, the city is projecting a net revenue shortfall of at least $1.6 million. At the end of the month, Englewood staff will evaluate business activity for March and provide an update to the Englewood City Council as soon as sales tax numbers are made available, Englewood Finance Director Maria Sobota said. “Without looking at data, it is difficult to estimate what the impact (of the COVID-19 pandemic) is.

PERIODICAL

DID YOU KNOW INSIDE

Colorado is experiencing a record number of unemployment claims. For more, turn to page 3.

VOICES: PAGE 10 | LIFE: PAGE 12

EnglewoodHerald.net

VOLUME 100 | ISSUE 9


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