Westminster 10-3-2013
October 3, 2013
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A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourwestminsternews.com
Adams County and Jefferson County, Colorado • Volume 68, Issue 50
Officials consider I-25 Metro District
Post-flood fun
District may span 84th to Highway 7, no residential properties included By Tammy Kranz
tkranz@ourcoloradonews.com
Lakes at the Elaine T. Valente Open Space area off 104th Avenue in Adams County are still flooded from the rain over two weeks ago. On Sunday, Sept. 29, people were out and about in the area fishing, walking their dogs and enjoying the sunshine. Photo by Ashley Reimers
Sigg pleads guilty to all charges Sentencing date set in November By Ashley Reimers
areimers@ourcoloradonews.com Austin Sigg, the 18-year-old accused of murdering 10-year-old Jessica Ridgeway, pleaded guilty to all charges on Tuesday, including first-degree murder, kidnapping and sexual assault on a child. The announcement was made just days before the trial was set to being on Oct. 3. District Court Chief Judge Stephen Munsinger accepted the plea and set a sentencing hearing for Nov. 18, which is expected to take two days. During Tuesday’s hearing, Sigg appeared in dress clothes leaving behind his jail apparel. It was made clear in the court that the decision to plead guilty was Sigg’s, goSigg ing against the advice of his counsel. On Sept. 30, Sigg’s attorneys contacted the prosecution team and told them Sigg wanted to plead guilty. This plea covers 15 charges, including the attempted kidnapping charge in the Ketner Lake jogger case. Sigg faces life in prison, without the possibility of parole until after 40 years. But during a press conference after the hearing, District Attorney Peter Weir said during sentencing, the prosecution will be asking for a sentence of life in prison, without parole eligibility. “Today Mr. Sigg pled guilty to all charges. He has been held fully accountable for his criminal acts. There was no plea bar-
Sara Ridgeway, third from the left, listens as Jefferson County District Attorney Peter Weir speaks to the media about Austin Sigg’s guilty plea during a press conference on Tuesday. Photo by Ashley Reimers gain. There was no ‘deal.’ No charges were dismissed as part of a plea bargain,” Weir said. “However, three counts of felony murder merge into the count of first degree murder – after deliberation count. A person can only be convicted and sentenced to the murder of a person once.” Jessica’s mother, Sara Ridgeway and other family members were present for the hearing and the press conference, but did not speak to the media. Upon hearing the news of the guilty plea, prosecutor Dana Easter said it was still difficult for the family because of the ups and downs of the case. “The first person we called was the
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mother, and it was difficult for her,” Easter said. “There is nothing joyful in this case. I think it was hard for the family to hear because you get your mind set for a trial and then to have it go away is difficult.” Westminster Police Chief Lee Birk spoke during the press conference thanking several law enforcement agencies for their hard work on the case. He said the date of the guilty plea serves as a milestone in terms of closure and the healing process for both the Ridgeway family and the community. “We want to thank the many public safety agencies and partners who assisted the Westminster Police Department in this case,” Birk said. “We want to also thank the Ridgeway family for putting their trust in our agency.” Jessica disappeared on Oct. 5, 2012 on her way to school in Westminster. Her disappearance triggered a massive search effort by law enforcement and volunteers. Parts of her body were found in a remote part of Arvada and later in Sigg’s home. Sigg admitted to kidnapping and murdering Jessica to his mother before law enforcement was called. He was arrested on Oct. 23, 2012.
Officials are trying to gather support — including financial — for the creation of an Interstate 25 Metro District that would raise money for infrastructure improvements on the highway. If approved, the district would be commercial only; no residential properties would be taxed. Adams County District 3 Commissioner Erik Hansen presented the preliminary plans to Northglenn City Council during its Sept. 16 study session. The preliminary plans include properties between 84th Avenue and State Highway 7. The proposed tax mill would be 10 mills annually — or about $1,000 for every $1 million of assessed evaluation. “There’s like $320 million of assessed evaluation there,” Hansen said. “If there were 10 mills that would be about $3.2 million a year. You can do quite a bit with $3.2 million a year if you’re a lean organization.” He said the main thing it could do is leverage other monies to help fund projects — such as new Park-n-Rides at 144th Avenue and Interstate 25 and Highway 7 and I-25, acceleration and deceleration lanes, new sound walls, landscaping and other amenities. “The I-25 PEL (CDOT’s Planning Environmental Linkage study) just completed I think identified something like $78 million worth of improvements that are needed along I-25,” Hansen said. He pointed out that with declining tax revenues and increased competition for money from other jurisdictions in the state, a metro district could be used as a funding source to jump start improvements for economic development and congestion relief.” “If you go to CDOT and say, ‘We got $5 million, give us 20 — and we got a bigger project,’ they’re more likely to say yes,” Hansen said. The metro district would have to be approved by the commercial landowners during an election. Hansen is promoting a May 2014 election so that the district could start collecting in 2015. He said the time frame is aggressive but doable. He has requested $25,000 from NATA (North Area Transportation Alliance) to go toward the overall goal of $150,000 to fund getting the district started. The start-up costs would include funding the election and the service plan. He is also approaching private sectors to raise the rest of the money. Hansen said he is not looking for monetary commitment from Northglenn. The service plan is a layout of the district — which does not have to be continuous or have the same mill rates across the board. Every city that has the district in it must approve the service plan, which cannot have amendments, so a lot of negotiating is involved, Hansen said. Hansen said Westminster was supportive of the idea of a district, and that he thinks Thornton will be as well. “At the end of the day, we all stand to benefit,” he said.