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March 13, 2014
50 cents Adams County, Colorado | Volume 50, Issue 30 A publication of
northglenn-thorntonsentinel.com
City approves money for FasTrack-related work By Tammy Kranz
tkranz@coloradocommunitymedia.com Thornton City Council has approved a 2014 budget increase of $278,637 to fund various FasTracks-related work. This unanimous decision came during council’s Feb. 25 regular meeting and will serve as the city’s local contribution to the Regional Transportation District’s FasTracks North Metro Line project. With the amended budget appropria-
tion, the 2014 budget now has authorized expenditures of $199,230,675. The $278,637 will cover the costs of contract workers, equipment and vehicles. Robb Kolstad, management and budget director, said that the project will need three staff positions — project manager, utility locator and a construction coordinator. He said these positions will begin either in April or May and will last until the project is completed, which is anticipated to be in 2018.
“What we’re proposing is taking current city employees and assigning them to this project and backfilling their current work portfolio with contract employees,” he said. Of the budgeted $278,637, an anticipated $181,744 will cover the costs of salaries, benefits, overtime, training and uniforms. There is also $63,000 carved out to purchase two new vehicles — one for the utility locator and one for the construction coordinator. “Two of these positions primarily spend
their time in the field and will need a vehicle to travel to job sites,” Kolstad said. “Upon completion of the RTD project, those vehicles — because we anticipate them lasting much longer than (the RTD project) — will be reallocated into the city fleet.” The remaining $33,893 will fund contract plan reviews of the RTD designs that cannot be completed by city staff, fuel, vehicle maintenance costs, communication equipment and computers.
Northglenn spikes water, wastewater rates By Tammy Kranz
tkranz@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Authorities say arson is to blame for a three-alarm fire that completely destroyed a condo building and damaged another building next to it on March 4 at 8760 Corona St. in unincorporated Adams County. Photo courtesy of Sandy Danne, North Washington Fire District
Arson suspect has first court appearance 20-year-old man allegedly caused fire that destroyed condo building By Tammy Kranz
tkranz@ coloradocommunitymedia.com The man police say set the three-alarm that completely destroyed a condo building at 8760 Corona St. in unincorporated Adams County March 4 was in court yesterday to hear the formal charges against him. The Adams County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday, March 7, that 20-year-old Martin Castruita Espinoza was wanted for criminal attempt first-degree murder, first-degree arson and aggravated cruelty to animals. Formal charges were filed and the court appearance occurred after the Northglenn-Thornton Sentinel’s press time. “He turned himself in on Friday the 7th at the Adams County Jail,” POSTAL ADDRESS
Martin Castruita Espinoza, 20, is suspected of causing the three-alarm fire March 4, that destroyed a condo building. Courtesy photo Sgt. Paul Gregory with the Sheriff’s Office said. Firefighters got the call at 1:45 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, to the Corona Village Condomini-
ums located behind the Walmart Neighborhood Market at 88th and Washington. Six agencies helped to extinguish the blaze, including North Washington Fire District, Southwest Adams County Fire District, City of Thornton, City of Westminster, North Metro Fire Rescue and Federal Heights Fire Department. The suspect was reported to have stayed on the scene of the fire to talk to the media while the firefighters battled the blaze. The initial building where the fire started was a total loss with all 12 condos destroyed. There was a second building damaged as well. There were no serious injuries reported but three firefighters did suffer minor injuries, reported Sandy Danne with the North Washington district. There was at least one animal killed in the fire, but that number may change, Gregory said. “As of Thursday (March 6), there were still residents missing some of their cats,” he said.
Northglenn residents may notice a bump in water and wastewater costs starting June 1. City Council approved by a 7-1 vote during its March 10 regular meeting to increase water rates by 9.5 to 10.5 percent. Mayor Joyce Downing was absent. This was the first reading of the ordinance, a public hearing and final vote is scheduled for 7 p.m. April 28 at City Hall, 11701 Community Center Drive. Ward I Councilman Wayne Dodge voted against the measure, saying he understood the city had expenses but didn’t like that the city was banking money in its fund balance and while charging more for services. “As we keep growing, as of tonight 66 percent fund balance without a plan for that, by this time next year we can be three times what the city is required to have as a fund balance,” he said. If approved, a residential customer who has an average monthly water consumption in the winter of 5,000 gallons will see an increase from $40.69 to $44.95. A residential customer who has an average water consumption in the summer of 15,000 gallons will see an increase from $81.89 to $89.70. The new rates will increase water and wastewater revenue collections by about $700,000 over a 12-month period, said Jason Loveland, director of finance, during council’s March 3 study session. The revenue will fund future capital improvement projects, water rights acquisitions, general maintenance projects and maintaining adequate operating and capital reserves. Council asked staff to put information in the next round of water bill and an article in the next Connections, the city’s newsletter, about the rate increases. “As long as the article explains why we’re doing it — we have these huge investments we have to make and it’s a progressive thing. I think everybody will understand it,” Ward II Councilwoman Leslie Carrico said. Some future capital improvement projects include for 201516: headworks and secondary clarifier, $7,310,000; decommission intake lagoons, $1,440,000; for 2019-2021: Bull Reservoir effluent pumping, pH control, $368,000; Lift Station “A” (second phase improvements), $660,000; expanded lab and operations space, $600,000; pave access roads, $565,000; and force Main “A” redundant pipeline, $12,000,000. The city has about 10,250 water and wastewater customers. In 2005, the city contracted Red Oak Consulting to develop a water and wastewater rate study. The study found that in order to meet the funding and service requirements, the city would need to increase its rates by approximately 7.5-8 percent annually for five years. “The study called for five consecutive years of rate increases, which we paused on in 2012 and 2013, so this will just be a continuation of the study that was done and was recommended and brought forth in 2009,” Loveland said. This increase will be the fourth one since 2009.
NORTHGLENN-THORNTON SENTINEL (ISSN 1044-4254) (USPS 854-980)
OFFICE: 8703 Yates DR., Ste. 210 Westminster, CO 80031 PHONE: 303-566-4100 A legal newspaper of general circulation in Adams County, Colorado, the NorthglennThornton Sentinel is published weekly on Thursday by MetroNorth Newspapers, 7380 Lowell Blvd., Westminster, CO 80030. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT WESTMINSTER, COLORADO. POSTMASTER: Send address change to: 8703 Yates DR., Ste. 210 Westminster, CO 80031 DEADLINES: Display: Fri. 11 a.m. | Legal: Fri. 11 a.m. | Classified: Tues. 12 p.m.
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