October 30, 2014 VOLU M E 9 1 | I SS UE 1 1
LakewoodSentinel.com J E F F E R S O N C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
A publication of
Budget features projects By Clarke Reader
creader@colorado communitymedia.com
Travelers look at the windscreens created by artists Nancy O’Neil. There are 28 screens at nine of the W Rail stations. Clarke Reader
Train ride to inspiration RTD celebrates W Rail artwork By Clarke Reader
creader@colorado communitymedia.com The W Rail has been open for a yearand-a half and with all but one of the line’s art pieces installed, RTD is celebrating the countless hours of work that added some color to the line. Brenda Tierney, public information manager with RTD, and Lindsey L. Smith, RTD Art-n-Transit administrator, lead a tour of the line’s works with community leaders and residents on Oct. 24. “This is a story of partnerships,” said Alexis Moore, city planner with Lakewood at the Lamar Station, but she could well be speaking about all of the installations. The works along the W Rail — from the Federal Center to Decatur-Federal station — tell different stories of the area in a variety of mediums, from mosaics to sculpture Train continues on Page 3
Visitors examine artist Lonnie Hanzon’s “Lakewood Legacy Trees” installation at the Lamar Station as part of RTD’s Art-N-Transit tour. Photos by Clarke Reader
Lakewood City Council passed the revised budget and adopted the budget for 2015, which were marked by an upbeat revenue climate. Council also passed the Lakewood Reinvestment Authority budget for 2015. The budget passed Oct. 27 with a 9-1 vote, Ward 4 Councilman David Wiechman in opposition. Ward 2 Councilman Scott Koop was not present. City finance director Larry Dorr led the discussion about the budget, providing council with facts and figures about how 2014 has been so far. “The city has a history of being pretty conservative when it comes to spending and that has helped us a lot,” he said. So far the city has made $1.945 million in sales tax, and has a total revenue of $5.338 million. There are new expenses and projects coming, including the Quail Street Recycling Center, electronic docketing at the courts and technology security and Dorr gave the three largest departments a chance to speak about the details of their projects. Police Chief Kevin Paletta spoke about the department’s new Records Management System (RMS), which is the data backbone for the police. Working with a consortium of other Jefferson County agencies, Lakewood police are in the process of setting up a new RMS system that will allow for easier communication and data sharing, and will save the department money. Jay Hutchison, director of public works, highlighted some major projects for his department, including the construction work going on at the Civic Center and efforts to improve sidewalks in the city. Hutchison said the second phase of the Civic Center reconstruction is Council continues on Page 22
Jeffco residents lead in voter turnout County makes official change over to mail-in ballots By Amy Woodward
awoodward@colorado communitymedia.com Jeffco Election and Voting Center at 3500 Illinois St. is buzzing with activity i n its multiple ballot sorting rooms in the basement below, with mailed in ballots arriving daily. Over 76,813 votes have been cast in Jeffco, according to numbers released by the Colorado Secretary of State last week. The turnout results show Jeffco is in the lead for the highest
Members from the sorting team ready to place accepted and rejected ballots into bins which will then be moved to another room for further signature verification from judges. Every ballot in the sorter is scanned for a signature pass where the file is then sent electronically to a team of signature judges. Photo by Amy Woodward voter turnout so far for the 2014 Election. El Paso county is the second highest followed by Arapahoe County.
Of the number reported for voter turnout in Jeffco, 31,323 voters of the Republican Party have already submitted their
choices, following 24,789 voters of the Democratic Party. Citizens who registered unaffiliated made up 19,998 of the votes already submitted, while members of the Libertarian Party, Green Party and American Constitution Party make up the rest. Jeffco Clerk and Recorder Pam Anderson is urging eligible voters to return mailin ballots early or head down to any voting center that is the most convenient. Fullservice voter and polling centers which are no longer assigned to a person’s place of residence are now open across Jeffco. The centers allow voters to update voter information, request a ballot or access voting equipment. Mail-in ballots assigned to voters who have chosen to receive one have already been sent out. “If you have already decided and you have your ballot, go ahead and vote and
Voter continues on Page 22