Herald
Englewood 7.19.13
Englewood
July 19, 2013
75 cents
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourenglewoodnews.com
Arapahoe County, Colorado • Volume 93, Issue 22
City requests rail-planning grant FasTracks funds eyed for bicycle, pedestrian bridges By Tom Munds
tmunds@ourcoloradonews.com Englewood has applied for a grant to take the next step after completing a yearlong study and development of the light rail corridor station area master plan. “We received a grant from the Denver Regional Council of Governments for the recently completed study,” Alan White, community development director, told the council at the July 8 study session. “Now, DRCOG has announced the availability of a new round of grants, called next step grants, that would allow Englewood to analyze in greater detail the feasibility of some of the key projects identified in the light rail station master plan for development around the Englewood and Oxford stations and the
proposed Bates station.” He said the application for a $200,000 grant will be submitted in late July and the grant awards are expected to be announced in September. White said, if approved, DRCOG will require a $40,000 city match, which is in the community development budget. White said the grant would be a great opportunity to take all the information in the station master plan to the next level and it would make it possible to evaluate the feasibility of some of the recommendations in the station area master plan. The community development director said if DRCOG approves Englewood’s next step grant request, the city could have a contract with a consultant approved by the end of the year. That would mean starting the next step study possibly in early 2014. Rail continues on Page 9
The Oxford/City of Sheridan Light Rail Station will be part of a proposed “next step” study of Englewood’s Light Rail Station Development Master Plan. Photo by Tom Munds
Recreation center may get repairs
STARTING OVER
Council favors replacement of failing boilers, aging lift By Tom Munds
tmunds@ourcoloradonews.com
and, without refinancing the bonds, the 2014 debt payment will be about $290,000. “We are looking at the market to determine the best length of time for the refinancing and right now we looking at adding 10 years to the date the bonds will be paid off,” Gryglewicz said. “The refinancing will keep the annual debt payment the same as 2013, which means the course will have reserves to meet unexpected expenses.” The bonds are scheduled to be paid off in 2024. Refinancing will extend the date the bonds will be retired until 2034. He said plans are to have everything completed in time to close the deal in September. Council Member Rick Gillit asked if extending the life of the bonds will cost more in interest than is saved. Gryglewicz said the difference in annual payments will more than cover the additional interest paid over the life of the bonds. The city-owned golf course, now called Broken Tee at Englewood Golf Course, is located at 2101 W. Oxford Ave. in Sheridan. In 2006-08, play on the course was lim-
The Englewood City Council gave consensus approval at the July 8 study session to replace two boilers and the lift at the Englewood Recreation Center, although the money is not included in the 2013 budget. Mike Flaherty, deputy city manager, said no money is in the budget for these repairs, so the council will have to approve a supplemental appropriation of about $140,000 from the public improvement fund reserves to pay for the two projects. The approval of the funding for the two projects was scheduled to be on the city council’s July 15 agenda. The quick action is being taken so the two projects can be done during the rec center’s annual weeklong closure for maintenance in August. Dave Henderson, deputy public works director, brought the issues to the city council at the July 8 study session. “We have three boilers at the recreation center. One is working OK, one is working on and off and the other isn’t working at all,” Kahm said. “The recreation center uses hot water for the showers in the locker rooms, to keep the water warm in the pool and to heat the building in the winter. Right now, we have enough hot water to meet summer needs.” He added that should the second boiler fail, there will not be enough hot water for regular recreation center operation. Also, there has to be two fully operational boilers in order to produce enough hot water to heat the building when it gets cold. The estimated cost of replacing the aging equipment with two high-efficiency boilers is $110,000. The boiler that is still operating will be kept as a backup. All three boilers are original equipment installed in 1984. Henderson said the life expectancy for each of the boilers is 25 years. Regular maintenance and repairs have made it possible to extend the boilers an additional five years. Another issue is the lift that provides handicapped access to the second floor of the recreation center. There have been repeated calls to repair
Golf continues on Page 9
Center continues on Page 9
Crews are moving forward on demolition of Flood Middle School. By July 12, the demolition of the rear of the building was completed and all that remained was to demolish the north portion of the building that borders Broadway. The site is being cleared for construction of a two-building apartment complex. Photo by Tom Munds
Englewood could refinance golf course bonds Low interest rates would reduce payments, lifetime cost By Tom Munds
tmunds@ourcoloradonews.com Englewood City Council agreed by consensus vote July 1 to instruct staff to go forward with a proposal to refinance about $2.5 million in golf course revenue bonds to take advantage of lower interest rates and avoid a big jump in annual premiums in 2014. The initial ordinance setting limits for the amount of the bonds, the interest rate
and annual debt payment plus the maximum term for the bonds is scheduled to be considered on first reading by the city council on July 15. If it passes, the ordinance will be considered on second and final reading at the Aug. 5 meeting. The bonds were sold in 1994 to provide about $4 million to provide funds to rebuild the clubhouse, construct the new indoor teaching center and to rebuild the Par 3 course, and were refinanced in 2003. Frank Gryglewicz, finance director, presented the proposal to the Englewood City Council at the July 1 study session. He said the 2013 annual debt payment is $216,663
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