Transcript Golden
June 20, 2013
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A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourgoldennews.com
Jefferson County, Colorado • Volume 147, Issue 29
EDC aims to create 7,500 new jobs New economic development initiative launched By Glenn Wallace
gwallace@ ourcoloradonews.com Jefferson County Economic Development Corporation publically launched a new initiative last week — “Forward Jeffco” — with the goal of creating 7,500 new jobs in the county. To accomplish that level of economic development, the EDC is attempting to raise $3.9 million in additional revenue from government and business sponsors. In 2012, Jeffco EDC had an operating budget of about $900,000 and claimed 860 jobs created or retained. The official kick-off, which comes after months of behindthe-scenes sponsorship discus-
Jeffco EDC Board Chair Fred Baker helped start the Jeffco Forward Initiative presentation, held at the MillerCoors Brewery on June 11. The presentation represented the public kick-off to the initiative, which seeks to expand Jeffco EDC’s activities in trying to bring more businesses to the county. Photo by Glenn Wallace sions, occurred June 11 at the MillerCoors Golden Brewery. Jeffco EDC board chair Fred Baker started the kick-off presentation, saying that the corporation’s last five-year-plan lacked a
lot needed funding. “What we were able to do this time is take a more intelligent approach,” Baker said. Forward Jeffco has five listed strategic components:
• More aggressive targeting of companies in desired industries; • Create new jobs by helping existing businesses grow; • Stimulate new business, including small and home-based businesses, by pulling together entrepreneur resources; • Identify and satisfy workforce development needs; • Aggressively advocate for business at all levels of government. According to Jeffco EDC CEO Kevin McCasky, part of the additional funds will quickly go to hiring another staff member to travel nationally, and internationally, to market the county to businesses in “identified cluster markets” that he hopes to bring in. Those cluster markets include aerospace/aviation, energy, bioscience, enabling technologies, and consumer products and creative services. More than $2 million of the Forward Jeffco monetary goal has
been reached with contributions from about 25 sources, according to McCasky. Contributors include the City of Lakewood, Exempla Lutheran Medical Center, Xcel Energy, Lockheed Martin, and Jefferson County Public Schools. Arvada Mayor Marc Williams said he was proud that his city and city council had been among the first to pledge their support for the initiative, providing up to $50,000 a year, for the next five years. “It’s needed to raise the bar, so that we can attain the primary jobs and the economic development that this county needs and deserves,” Williams said. The Jeffco EDC has traditionally been funded 50/50 by government and business sources. Williams said that part of the Jeffco Forward initiative would be to shift that ratio, so that the business community would fund 70 percent, which had been accomplished for the Arvada area.
Clear Creek water level running high Runoff currently dangerous for recreation By Glenn Wallace
gwallace@ourcoloradonews.com Dangerous runoff conditions, along with a vehicle water recovery effort that occupied much of the city’s rescue personnel, led the City of Golden to close Clear Creek to recreational use on June 12. Water levels, and the rate of recreational swimmers and tubers in the creek were on the rise earlier that week. According to Golden city records, there were three incidents of people in the creek getting into distress — requiring aid getting out of the water, and/or recovering from the cold water’s effects – from Sunday to Tuesday. No serious injuries were reported. “We helped fish this little 19-year-old tuber out of the creek,” Keifer Logsdon of Greenwood Village said, alongside his friend Bailey Pate on June 10. The two were sunning themselves near a flooded section of the Clear Creek trail, when they said they helped the young man pull himself up the creek bank. “He was yelling ‘Help.’ I thought he was joking, but he wasn’t,” Logsdon said of the tuber. Logsdon described the creek water level as “crazy.” Beginning last week, record high temperatures contributed to higher run-off water volumes along the creek, leading to portions of the city’s creek-side trails to become flooded beginning on June 12. Flood-prone sections were closed to the public. According to the U.S. Geologic Survey’s Golden monitoring station, the seasonal peak of flow in Clear Creek seems to have occurred in the early morning hours of June 12, at around 1,300 cubic feet per second. The 38-year average creek volume is
POSTAL ADDRESS
Bailey Pate, left, and Keifer Logsdon, both from Greenwood Village, enjoy dipping their feet in the waters of the Clear Creek next to the Parfet Park fish sculptures that normally stay above water level. That portion of the Clear Creek trail, among others, began seeing some flooding last week as high temperatures led to higher run-off volume. Portions of the trail remained closed throughout the week due to flooding concerns. Photo by Glenn Wallace 680 cubic feet. Last year, the flow for this time of year was only 380 cubic feet due to drought and a warm spring. “It is time consuming. Every time we get a report of an empty tube floating downstream, we have to investigate,” Golden Fire’s Battalion Chief Jerry Stricker said, indicating that the city had received several such calls in recent days.
Due to the conditions, and stretched resources, the city banned all non-professional water recreation in Clear Creek for a day. The ban was lifted Thursday, June 13, but city Public Information Officer Karlyn Tilley said she continues to recommend great caution. “We still urge people to not get in the creek because of the high water levels. And
we strongly encourage wearing life vests and helmets if they do,” Tilley said. Stricker said he expects water flows to slowly decrease, perhaps becoming safer for tubers and swimmer later in the summer. For the present however, he says it is not recommended, and describes the current creek water as “powerful and relentless … and cold.”
GOLDEN TRANSCRIPT (ISSN 0746-6382)
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