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October 14, 2021
ADAMS & JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
WestminsterWindow.com
Thornton debates Zoom meetings
VOLUME 76 | ISSUE 51
FIRST STATE TROPHY FOR RIVERDALE
Councilor Phillips’ job prompts debate over attendance BY SCOTT TAYLOR STAYLOR@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
City Councilor Jacque Phillips taking a job in Alamosa could lead to a new post-COVID-19 policy regarding City Council attendance. Mayor Jan Kulmann offered options for City Council meeting attendance at a contentious planning session Oct. 5 “We don’t have a policy and the way we bring things forward is during planning sessions,” Kulmann said. “We talk about options so we can draft policy.” Options include requiring in-person attendance to all meetings, allowing Councilors to use remote networking programs like Zoom to attend four meetings per year or allowing Councilors to attend meetings remotely as long as they notify their City Council colleagues before the meeting. Councilors would not be able to vote on public hearings or attend executive sessions remotely under the policies that Kulmann proposed. Councilor Julie Marvin opted for flexibility. She said she favored the third option. “Stuff happens,” Marvin said. “Stuff comes up. You can have a child that’s sick and that you have to stay SEE COUNCIL, P5
Riverdale Ridge’s golf team celebrates its state team title at City Park on Oct. 5. It was the Ravens’ first team title in any sport COURTESY COURTNEY OAKES/AURORA SENTINEL in the school’s history. See the story, page 20.
Legal battles loom as Supreme Court reviews new district map Latino advocacy groups, Democratic organizations and counties filed objections to the map BY THY VO AND SANDRA FISH THE COLORADO SUN
Latino advocacy groups, Colorado Common Cause and national Democratic groups are objecting to a new Colorado U.S. House map on the grounds that it would unconstitutionally dilute the influence of the
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 17 | SPORTS: PAGE 20
state’s Latino residents, according to documents filed with the Supreme Court Friday. “The Latino community in Colorado has been growing quickly, and the new maps this year need to reflect that,” said Mark Gaber, senior director of redistricting at the national Campaign Legal Center, which is representing the League of United Latin American Citizens. “The map adopted by the Commission fails that standard and should be rejected by the Colorado Supreme Court.” The map also received objections about splitting Jefferson and Eagle counties, as well as criticism that the commissioners were too focused
on political competitiveness over higher constitutional priorities, such as representing communities with shared interests. The Colorado Neighborhood Coalition, which lobbied the commission on behalf of Republicans, didn’t object to the proposed map, which Democrats have said favors the GOP more than it should. The challenges filed Friday, the deadline for submissions to the court, come as the Supreme Court begins its review of the proposed congressional map. While Colorado’s highest court has typically been the SEE MAP, P6
HORSE SENSE
Colorado still has room for equines in our hearts P14