Sentinel Northglen 6-13-13
Northglenn -Thornton
June 13, 2013
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A Colorado Community Media Publication
ournorthglennnews.com, ourthorntonnews.com
Adams County, Colorado • Volume 49, Issue 44
Council eyes four ballot questions Voters may be asked to extend council term limits By Tammy Kranz
tkranz@ourcoloradonews.com
Thornton City Council is considering placing four questions on the November ballot, including extending Parks and Open Space Tax until Dec. 31, 2038. The 0.25 percent city sales and use tax has funded several park and open space projects over the years, including the Margaret Carpenter Park, shown here, that opened in May. Photo by Tammy Kranz
The city of Thornton is considering placing four questions on the November ballot — and one may include asking voters to approve extending council member term limits to three consecutive terms. City council discussed the questions during its June 4 planning session and gave staff the go ahead to write up the language so it could formally vote on them at a future meeting. Of the four questions, Mayor Heidi Williams described the term limit extension as more political in nature. Council members can serve two consecutive terms of four years. The extension,
if passed, would allow them to serve three consecutive term limits for a total of 12 years. Thornton voters rejected by 75.3 percent a similar extension question in 2005. In 2009, voters approved three term limits for Adams County elected officials, including commissioners, sheriff, assessor, clerk and recorder, coroner, surveyor and treasurer. “We want to be sure the city is aligned with the county and is able to make decisions for long-term planning,” Williams said. “The majority of council is hopeful it’ll pass, so we’re going to go forward and see what the voters say.” Council is also considering asking voters to extend the Parks and Open Space Tax. The 0.25 percent city sales and use tax rate (25 cents on $100 purchase) expires Ballot continues on Page 23
Garage sale, open house signs setback nixed Council throws out new regulations for limited duration signs in its code By Tammy Kranz
tkranz@ourcoloradonews.com The majority of Northglenn City Council had a change of heart regarding proposed limitations to where garage sale and open house signs could be placed. During its June 10 regular meeting, council decided to nix a provision in its new sign code that banned limited duration signs (which include garage sale and open house signs) from being placed in public rights of way within 50 feet of both streets at intersections. A few Realtors showed up to the meeting to support their spokesperson, John Lucero, from the Denver Metro Association of Realtors. “The use of directional, open house and other signs are important tools our members use to assist Northglenn home sellers,” Lucero said during the public comment portion of the meeting. “The signs also assist buyers, potential Northglenn residents, to find and navigate to homes on the market,” Council discussed the proposed updated sign code at its May 15 regular meeting, but did not vote on it because staff needed to make a few tweaks. At that time the proposed 50 feet setback remained in the code because council could not come to a consensus on how far back signs should be. Northglenn current sign code has no specific distance for limited duration signs, and council
decided to just eliminate the setback entirely from the new sign code. However, council agreed that if visibility issues occur in the future, council would amend the code. “Fifty feet might be kind of a problem for the real estate industry as well as others,” said Leslie Carrico, Ward II councilwoman. “But I don’t want it to be a visibility issue.” Council also agreed to eliminate a provision in the updated sign code that mandated signs to be 10 feet apart from each other to prevent clustering. The updated sign code passed the first reading by a 6-2 vote, with Mayor Pro Tem Susan Clyne, Ward III, and Councilwoman Kim Snetzinger, Ward IV, voting against the measure. Councilwoman Marci Whitman, Ward III, was absent. Snetzinger did not agree with the updated sign code because it did not allow for limited duration signs to be posted Monday through Wednesdays. The code says they can only be posted from 12 p.m. Thursday through 7 p.m. Sunday. “I think that’s an issue because we have open houses every day of the week,” she said. At the May 15 meeting, Clyne said she preferred the sign setback to be 50 feet. The updated sign code also bans signs from having any attachments, including balloons or streamers. A public hearing on the updated sign code will be 7 p.m. Monday, June 24, at City Hall, 11701 Community Center Drive. Council will vote on the second and final reading after the hearing. To view the entire draft sign code, visit webdocs.northglenn. org/file/57599/packet/index051313.html.
POSTAL ADDRESS
Gov. John Hickenlooper speaks to reporters on June 5, following the signing of several pieces of legislation. Photo by Vic Vela
Gun law affects domestic abusers Restrictions received no GOP support in Legislature By Vic Vela
vvela@ourcoloradonews.com Domestic violence offenders will find it more difficult to own or transfer guns under a bill that was signed into law by Gov. John Hickenlooper on June 5. Senate Bill 197 places greater gun restrictions on people who either are convicted in cases involving domestic violence, or those who have been served with a court-issued protection order. Prior to the bill being signed, Colorado law had already prohibited domestic violence offenders
f r o m having guns. The new law puts in place Report a system by which state courts ensure that offenders relinquish their weapons. Sen. Evie Hudak, D-Westminster, a bill sponsor, said an incident from about 20 years ago motivated her to carry the bill. A former teacher, Hudak said that a student of hers was shot to death by an ex-boyfriend, who had a restraining order against him. “I’ve wanted this to happen for a very long time,” Hudak said. “I think a lot of women and children
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will be safer because of this.” Under the new law, persons who have received court-imposed protection orders must relinquish any firearms and ammunition in their possession for the duration of the court order. The same rules will apply to persons convicted of domestic violence cases. They can then either sell or transfer their weapons to a licensed gun dealer or to someone who has successfully completed a gun background check. The weapon may also be given to a law enforcement agency for storage. Before transferring a gun back to the offender, a firearms dealer or local law enforcement agency will be required to request a
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Guns continues on Page 23
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