Severance Scoop - Special Edition

WELCOME TO THE SEVERANCE SCOOP A Message from the Town Manager Dear Residents, As we enter into the heat of summer, I am excited to share some important updates and initiatives in our town. At the Town of Severance, we believe that a strong sense of community is vital to our town’s well-being. We strive to create opportunities for residents to connect, celebrate, and collaborate, fostering a spirit of unity and pride in our town. We currently have several capital improvement projects occurring in Town from our new water tank, to several road construction projects, to working on safe passageways connection of sidewalks throughout Town. The summer has been bustling with events and activities, and there is more to come as we continue to work towards making Severance a wonderful place to live, work, and play.

Important Reminders • Town Council and Board Meetings: We encourage all residents to attend our monthly meetings to stay informed and participate in the decision-making process.

• Be In the Know: There are multiple ways to get involved and be informed about Town Matters. Sign up for alerts on our webpage: Alerts, News, Announcements, Meeting Agendas, and Minutes at townofseverance.org/subscribe.

• School Starts: A reminder that the new school year begins on August 14th. Please remember to drive carefully and be mindful of school zones.

• Neighborhood Safety: Please lock your car doors at all times and keep your lights on at night to help deter criminal trespassing in our neighborhoods.

• Utility Bill Payments: Please remember that you can sign up for online bill pay to help assist with automatic payments.

• 2025 Budget Open House: This year's budget open house will be held at Town Hall on Tuesday, October 22nd, at 6:00 p.m.

Please join the Town Council and provide your input on the Town's Budget.

Thank you for your continued support and engagement in our community.

Sincerely, Nicholas J. Wharton, MPA, ICMA-CM Town Manager

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Severance Town Council Matt Fries MAYOR

Brittany Vandermark

MEET THE BOARDS CITIZEN ADVISORY BOARD The Citizen Advisory Board is to be an advocate and informed voice for the community by providing research and recommendations on local issues to the Town Council. It consists of seven citizens of the Town of Severance and one alternate.

CAB is created to serve in an advisory capacity only.

CAB members do not represent the Town when communicating individually or in subgroups with the general public, and their role does not include enforcing Town policies or ordinances.

MAYOR PRO-TEM

Tad Borret COUNCIL MEMBER

TREE BOARD The Tree Board provides management of the urban forest. The Board consists of volunteer community members as well as Town Staff. The board oversees the portion of the urban forest planted on Town property in both parks and the space between sidewalks and town streets. Also, they set standards for development and recommend municipal changes to the code as it relates to trees.

PLANING COMMISSON Dave Bruen COUNCIL MEMBER

The Planning Commission is an Advisory Board to the Town Council and consists of a Chairperson, ViceChair, and five full-time members who are all appointed by the Town Council.

Stepehn Gagliardi COUNCIL MEMBER

Craig Joseph COUNCIL MEMBER

Dan Meyers COUNCIL MEMBER

GET INVOLVED

Weld County CodeRed

TOWN COUNCIL MEEITING EVERY 2ND & 4TH TUESDAY

TREE BOARD MEETING FOURTH MONDAY OF THE MONTH

PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING THIRD WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH

CITIZEN ADVISORY BOARD SECOND WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH

All meetings begin at 6pm unless otherwise posted. You can attended inperson or online.

More information about meetings can be found on our website.

CodeRed, the Emergency Notification System in Weld County, is used by public safety officials to inform the public of immediate threats to health and safety. When you sign up to receive emergency alerts, you will be notified when an emergency is happening in your area. Some examples of messages you could receive include severe weather situations, a “boil water” order if systems are compromised, or a notice that you should stay nside because of critical police activity. You may choose to receive messages on your home phone, cell phone, email, or text message. You can sign up for the Weld County CodeRed alert system on this website:

SIGN UP FOR CodeRED ALERTS

https://public.coderedweb.com/CNE/en-US/BF9B9A570C0B

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR TOWN COUNCIL, OR ANY OF OUR BOARDS PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.TOWONOFSEVERANCE.ORG

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LETTER FROM THE MAYOR Hello Severance!

I hope you all are having a fun, safe summer season and managing to stay cool.

I want to talk with you about a couple of things in this months newsletter. The first is COMMMUNICATION. Effective communication is a key component to success for every community.

This printed and mailed to every household version of the Severance Scoop is a continuing effort from your Town Council and The Town of Severance staff to communicate to you on happenings in our town.

Typically, we have a monthly electronic version of the Severance Scoop that is emailed to you ( if you have signed up for town update emails), posted on social media and to the town website. This experiment in providing a printed and mailed version is in response to many of you asking, “how can we find out what is happening is Severance?”. I know many of you may not prefer the printed version, and many of you prefer the electronic version. Your Town Council would like to hear from you about how you prefer to be “informed”.

The best way to be informed is to attend your Town Council meetings.

Town Council meetings are held on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month at 6:00pm. These meetings are typically held at Town Hall.

Our regular August and September meetings will take place VIRTUALLY with live streaming. Public comment will be accommodated virtually as well.

As always, your Town Council meetings are recorded and made available on our website. After our renovations at town hall are complete, we will be back to meeting at the Town Hall. A major part of the renovations being made our upgrades to our audio visual equipment in the council chambers. The Councils goal here is to dramatically improve the live streaming experience for those who prefer to attend your council meetings that way, and to have a better recording of the meetings to view at your convenience.

Please remember, your Town Council wants to hear from you. I encourage each of you to reach out to myself or your council member of choice and ask questions, convey your ideas, or simply get to know one another better. Council Member Contact Information is available on the town website.

We are surrounded by wonderful and diverse communities that have many different traits and amenities to offer. Severance is still a town in it’s infancy as it relates to amenities offered to community members.

Your Town Council and Staff are committed to the ongoing process of expanding the goods and services available to citizens and visitors. So yes, it is true that we may not have many options available to spend our money here as do our surrounds communities. But what we do have to celebrate is YOU. I am continually impressed with the quality of people that call Severance HOME, and the character engrained in each of you.

It is my pleasure to serve as your Mayor. Thank you all for being a part of our community.

I look forward to CELEBRATING YOU at Severance Day’s 2024.

Be safe. Have fun. See you around town.

Next subject: SEVERANCE DAYS! For those new to the town, Severance Day’s is our annual Town Celebration. The inner pages of this newsletter provide all the specific dates and times for all events for the 2024 Severance Day’s activities. I would like to expand a little further on why we have this annual celebration. It really boils down to celebrating our freedom to be a unique community. We celebrate our ability to govern ourselves in a fashion that is reflective of Severance character. We are all fortunate to live in Northern Colorado.

Matthew Fries Mayor

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LET’S CHAT Hi Friends and Neighbors With such wide distribution of this edition, I thought this would be a great way to communicate with the residents of our community. I have made a few comments in past newsletters and I am sure they are available for review on the Severance town website.

I would like to address my views on our town council. I have had the pleasure and honor to work with several fellow residents along this journey thus far. Everyone has their own personalities, convictions, interpretive and analytical abilities, as well as, good ole street smarts. When seven members of our community are given the task of finding community consensus it can be a messy process. Like the mayor likes to say, “its how the sausage gets made.” We have had many controversial issues that we must face, my least favorite being issues directed from outside of our purview, but we have and will continue to find consensus. I believe this process must and will continue for the good of all our Severance residents.

The position of Town Council is a difficult one that comes with much stress and hopefully many successful outcomes as we work through the process. Many variables beyond our control (bureaucracy, unexpected findings, budget, etc.) make projects appear stalled or very slow in completion. I, and my colleagues share your frustrations and are continually looking for ways to move in a positive direction, but doing it in the proper, most efficient manner. Please note that when I say “we” or “us,” this includes a myriad of participants (council, administration, staff, boards and commissions, consultants, advisors, and the residents). We must work together to find the “best” result, and we all know, we will never satisfy everyone. Simple communication, flexibility and understanding of others perspectives will often help in positive outcomes. The team is only human and we alone are not experts in governance, town development and creating the best quality of life for all our Severance residents.

We do need your help. What we need is your voice. We also know that we work for you.

We as a council have supported the teams’ efforts to reach out to the community in a multitude of social and print media. Banners announcing events, as well as public service announcements by some council members and administration. They have reached out on many issues with topics of concern such as meeting, event reminders and safety issues. We will continue to have Town Hall meetings so that we can exchange our ideas as we move forward in developing this town. We look forward to Severance Days and all future events that allow us to come together. This will continue as we continue our journey together. On a personal note, I try to communicate with as many residents as I can or who reach out to me. I am always available for a chat.

Councilperson Dan Meyers

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An Invitation: From Town events to council meetings, it’s been great to see, meet, and have conversations with so many fellow residents in the past few weeks. Now, more than ever, it feels as though people want to know what’s going on in this great little community we all call home.

It’s evident by the number of people showing up at events like our Concerts In The Park and, just as encouraging is, the number of people who submitted a letter of interest to fill an open seat on the Town Council last month and then again at our last meeting to fill two vacancies on the Citizen’s Advisory Board (C.A.B.). To me, these are all great indications that we care about the future of Severance.

There are a lot of matters on the table - even more to come in the future - and it’s important that people realize that their involvement, and their input is what will help shape our town going forward.

With that said, please keep an eye out for opportunities to be involved.

Check the monthly E-newsletter (sign up for it on the website if you haven’t already), come to council meetings, or even call Town Hall occasionally and ask if there are any opportunities coming up that you might be interested in being involved with.

Together we can all work towards making Severance an even more awesome place to live.

Dave Bruen Town Council

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Citizen’s Advisory Board also known as CAB was established by the Town of Severance Town Council. CAB is not a voting council and does not make decisions on topics pursuant to the town or its ordinances. Instead, CAB is asked to provide insight and opinion from the viewpoint of town citizens on issues in which the town board consider on a regular basis. Some of the common topics of the CAB over the last year have been delegation of scholarship and/or small grant funding for the town, selection of business, youth, and citizen of the year, and comment on specific town council topics such as the proposed Criminal Mischief Deterrent Program, and transportation fee. Town council members can bring any item to CAB for further discussion and to gain the opinion of citizens living in the town. CAB meets monthly, and all meetings are public and streamed online, like other town board and council meetings. Serving on CAB has been a wonderful way in which to learn more about the town and the town board members who are citizens themselves. The staff of the Town of Severance reports to CAB on items that are of interest to the citizens, which is a wonderful way to learn more about how our town is growing and serving its citizens. Connecting with other citizens and learning about their diverse viewpoints and ideas from different subdivisions and areas of Severance has been very interesting and has provided a deeper understanding of our citizen’s concerns as a collective group. If you have any questions about serving on CAB, please reach out to any of the current members and we will be happy to talk with you!

AUGUST AUGUST 1ST - CHALK THE SIDEWALK AUGUST 7TH - POPSICLES WITH THE POLICE AUGUST 23RD, 24TH & 25TH - SEVERANCE DAYS

SEPTEMBER Today's business solutions in the era of globalization

SEPTEMBER 13TH- MOVIES IN THE PARK SEPTEMBER 25THSEVERANCE BLOOD DRIVE The best business innovation in

the digital era for millennials

OCTOBER

Business strategy to compete with competitors for beginners OCTOBER 2ND - COFFEE WITH A COP OCTOBER 2ND- BIKE/ROLL TO SCHOOL DAY OCTOBER 22ND- BUDGET OPEN HOUSE OCTOBER 25TH- TRICK OR TREAT PARADE

NOVEMBER NOVEMBER 9TH- TURKEY & FOOD DRIVE

DECEMBER DECEMBER 14TH- TOWN CHRISTMAS

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SEVERANCE DAYS 2024 Bringing Community Together

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

MAP OF EVENTS

Friday August 23rd 4:30PM Friday Knight Lights @Severance High School**

Saturday August 24th 8:00Am - severance days 5k 10:00AM - severance days parade 11:00AM-3pm - severance days car meet-up 12:00PM - Kids Games & Cornhole tournament 4:30PM - Bruce’s Rocky Mountain Oyster Eating Contest 5:00PM - Loco country performance 7:00PM - country music artist matt stell Fireworks following the concert (weather pending)

Sunday August 25th 9:00am - Praise in the park** ** These events are not town sponsored

MUSIC LINEUP

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MATT STELL LOCO COUNTRY

THANK YOU

SEVERANCE DAYS 2024 Bringing Community Together

FRIDAY KNIGHT LIGHTS Friday, August 23rd @4:30PM Severance High School Get ready for football games, food and fun!

SEVERANCE DAYS 5K Saturday, August 24th Now on Saturday, the Severance Days 5K will start at Community Park, all proceeds go to Range View Elementary.

Sign up at the QR Code below!

SEVERANCE DAYS PARADE Saturday, August 24th The parade begins at Range View Elementary and ends at Town Hall. Sign up at the QR Code below!

SEVERANCE CAR MEET-UP Saturday, August 24th This year there is no registration, it is first come, first serve! All proceeds go to the Damilion Jaize Foundation.

BRUCE’S ROCKY MOUNTAIN OYSTER EATING CONTEST Saturday, August 24th Applications will be available at the QR Code below!

TO OUR SPONSORS

SCAN FOR MORE INFO

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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Letter from the Chief

Partnership Policing Initiatives Over the past few months, our officers have been engaged in various partnership policing initiatives such as citizen ride-a-longs, RunWindsor race events, Hearts in the Park, Bruce’s Bar Car Show & St. Patty’s Day Party, Community Clean-Up Day, Drug Take Back Day, Kids Fishing Derby, Donuts with Rangeview Elementary Students, Rangeview Elementary School Parade, Severance High School Graduation, Summer Kick-Off Concert, and the Military & First Responder Appreciation Concert. I firmly believe that to serve this community best, we must work in partnership with our community members to prevent and respond to crime and social harms.

I am incredibly pleased and honored to serve as the Chief of Police for the Town of Severance. As a proud Colorado native and Weld County resident, I take great pride in serving the citizens of Severance. I have been overwhelmed in the manner I have been welcomed by this community and look forward to listening to those that live, work, and play in Severance to ensure that it remains one of the safest, if not the safest community in Colorado.

My focus in 2024 is four-fold; achieve full staffing for the department, examine training and equipment needs, obtain input from various constituencies on how the department can best serve this community in an ethical, respectful, and dignified manner, and transition into the new police building which is due to be completed in December 2024. By achieving these four goals this year we will increase the department’s operational and community policing capabilities which will better serve the citizens, businesses, and visitors of Severance.

As always, my door is open, and I welcome any questions, concerns, or suggestions you may have.

Please stay connected with us through our website (soon to be updated) and social media channels for the latest updates and information. Thank you for your continued support and cooperation. Let’s work together to keep Severance safe and thriving.

Your Public Servant, Kenneth D. Chavez Chief of Police kchavez@townofseverance.org

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Stay Vigilant We want to remind everyone to stay vigilant and report any suspicious activity or crime. Call 911 for true emergencies and provide as much information as possible. For non-emergency situations, please call 970-350-9600. Each of you are the eyes and ears of our town. Together, we can deter, reduce, and effectively solve crimes and social harms by working closely together. Be sure to keep up with us on social media and the website for updates on what’s going on around town.

INFORMED & PREPARED Community Safety Initiatives In response to community feedback, we have been focusing on crime prevention and response strategies. One of our key focuses has been enhanced traffic safety. We routinely deploy our two Speed Feedback trailers in high traffic areas to alert drivers to slow down. We have increased patrols in neighborhoods to address speeding and other traffic violations.

Our contacts are focused on alerting people to drive safely and to reduce unnecessary traffic accidents. We do so through verbal warnings, and when appropriate, traffic citations. All of us play a part in ensuring pedestrians, other drivers, and their passengers, are not exposed to unnecessary risk or harm due to unsafe or distracted driving.

We continually stress crime prevention tips such as ensuring all your home doors are locked and garages are closed at night and even during the day. Turn on front and rear door lights at night to deter theft and crime. Always lock your vehicle and refrain from leaving valuables and other items in plain sight which entices theft. And please, do not leave firearms in your vehicle. We have had several incidents where a firearm has been stolen from a vehicle which poses a further threat to our community.

We have also launched a new initiative called the GOOD CITIZEN PROGRAM, where the Town of Severance will offer a reward of up to one thousand dollars (($1,000.00) for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any person(s) committing vandalism against Town Property and publicly accessible land, not to exceed one (1) reward of one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) per violation. For more information about the GOOD CITIZEN PROGRAM, please visit our website at: https://www.townofseverance.org/policedepartment/pages/goodcitizen-program If you see anyone vandalizing public property please call non-emergency dispatch at 970-350-9600.

Officer Back in Severance Schools Officer Geraldine Yanke will be the full-time School Resource Officer (SRO) assigned to all three Severance Schools for the 2024-2025 school year. Officer Yanke just completed a 40hour training class at the 2024 National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) annual conference in July. Having a dedicated SRO will provide greater protection to our RE-4 students and staff, as well as offer them a law enforcement mentor which improves student's perceptions and interactions with police officers for the rest of their lives. The Severance Police Department is committed to greater public engagement and partnership to continually improve the safety and security of the Town of Severance.

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Town Planning & Engineering Town of Severance Residents: We hope this message finds you well and enjoying the summer.

As we welcome August, we are excited to share some important updates and developments from the Town of Severance Planning Department.

Planning Projects: Over the past few months, our department has been working diligently on projects that continue to shape the future of Severance. Below are a couple of larger active projects: • Black Hollow Solar Facility is a 1,400 acre solar project that will generate 257 megawatts of electricity to over 63,000 homes in the Northern Colorado region. The project is generally located in the northern part of the Town, North of State Highway 14, South of County Road 90, West of County Road 5 and East of County Road 19. Construction on this project began in May and should be completed within the next two years and be fully operational by 2027.

• Northgate Lake subdivision is located North of Harmony Road and East of County Road 21/Teller Street. The approximately 260 acre development includes residential, multifamily and commercial. The site also includes an area for a future school site. The project is currently being reviewed by staff in the preliminary plat process.

The Town of Severance has experienced substantial growth over the past decade. The Planning Department is central to this growth and is tasked with the following responsibilities: • Manage the creation and enforcement of long-range planning documents and policies adopted by the Town’s elected officials, which guide Severance towards a bright future.

• Facilitate the review of current planning activities such as development review, agreement documents such as Intergovernmental Agreements (IGA) and Memoranda of Understanding (MOU), and development agreements.

• Execute related Capital Projects to keep up with and help manage short-term growth, and provide future opportunities for long-term growth.

The role of the department is to foster public involvement, creativity, and assist decision-makers and the public in the Planning Documents/Materials: development of policies that balance the needs of the Town for The Planning Department houses many plans that have had numerous hours of public participation to finalize and have been both the present and the future. formally adopted by the Town. The following plans are available on the Towns website and are utilized daily when evaluating and determining land use items: Chris Messersmith with Colorado Civil Group, Inc. • Land Use Code performs Town Engineering services as a consultant for • Comprehensive Plan the Town of Severance. The Engineering Department • Transportation Master Plan works with Town Management, the Public Works • East Harmony and 1st Street Corridor Plan Department, and the Planning Department to assist with • Parks Master Plan development project review, Capital Improvement • County Road 74 Access Plan Projects (CIP), and general engineering services for the Public Engagement: Town. The Town has several CIP or infrastructure Community involvement is crucial to our planning efforts. Town improvement projects in process.

Planning Staff field calls and interacts with the public daily regarding development applications and questions concerning YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CURRENT CAPITAL community development. Please do not hesitate to call our office IMPROVEMENT PLAN/PROJECTS ON PAGES 9-10 with any planning questions at (970) 686-1218 or email sporter@townofseverance.org Thank you for your continued support and engagement. Together, we can make the Town of Severance an even better place to be!

Best regards, Shani Porter, Planning Director Regina Olson, Planner Caylee Turner, Building Clerk Chris Messersmith, Town Engineer

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PUBLIC WORKS Dear Residents of Severance, I wanted to take a few moments to update you on some of the projects going on in the Public Works Department. I want to express my gratitude to the community for your support and patience as we work to update and enhance our infrastructure. The Public works team has been working on several key projects to improve the town’s roads, parks, and utilities.

Here is a list of some of the projects going on throughout the town: 1.Cr23 South paving project.

2. Blue Spruce asphalt project.

3. Concrete (ADA) grinding in Severance Shores and Sunset Ridge.

4. Dust suppressant on gravel roads excluding Cr19.

5. Sidewalk connectors along Harmony.

6. Water tank inspections.

7. Baldridge lift station rehab.

8. Wastewater plant repairs.

9. Sewer line jetting throughout town.

10.Culvert cleaning and jetting for stormwater.

11.Solar lights installed within Community Park, Lakeview, Summit View, and the dog park.

12. Bike racks and workstations are installed on concrete at Community Park.

13. Smart clocks for irrigation installed at Lakeview, Blue Spruce, Karen Suman, and Summit View parks.

Looking ahead, we have some projects that will start soon, such as Road striping, which will take place at night. We will have new thermal road markings installed around the schools, and we will add other sidewalk connections when we are able to. I encourage you to visit the town website for updates and announcements. Your involvement and input are vital to the future of Severance. Thank You again for your support and patience as we build and improve Severance's infrastructure.

John Zacklene, Public Works Director.

WANT TO REPORT A PROBLEM? Did you see a pothole? Have you found wasps at a park? Please report issues on our website at www.townofseverance.org or give Town Hall a call at 970-686-1215. For more emergent matters like a water leak, please call

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CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN (CIP) The Town’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) is a community planning and fiscal management tool used to coordinate the location, timing, and financing of capital improvements over a multi-year period. These expenditures typically include conservation projects, transportation projects, parks and trail improvements, public facilities, and water and wastewater infrastructure. Revenues in these funds consist almost entirely of development-related impact fees and fees-in-lieu.

WHY? The Town of Severance follows a Capital Improvement Plan to: · Ensure strategic and efficient use of financial resources · Maintain and improve essential infrastructure to meet the growing needs of the community · Provide a clear roadmap for future development and improvements · Enhance the town's ability to secure funding and grants for large projects · Engage and inform residents about upcoming projects and priorities By adhering to a CIP, the Town Severance can effectively manage growth, support economic development, and improve the overall quality of life for its residents.

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WHAT IS THE PURPOSE? · Prioritization: CIPs help municipalities prioritize projects based on urgency, community need, and available resources. · Budgeting: They provide a structured approach to budgeting for large projects, ensuring that funds are allocated efficiently over several years. · Planning and Coordination: CIPs facilitate long-term planning and coordination among different departments and stakeholders, reducing redundancies and improving project execution. · Transparency and Accountability: By publicly outlining future projects and funding sources, CIPs enhance transparency and hold local governments accountable to residents. · Economic Development: Well-planned infrastructure improvements can stimulate economic growth, attract businesses, and enhance the quality of life for residents.

2024

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS ·1.5 Million Gallon Water Tower: Construction of an elevated water tank for additional safe water storage is funded by impact fees from new growth. ·South Water Line Loop: This water project will bring redundancy to our water system by completing a southern waterline loop connecting The Overlook to the Tailholt Subdivision. In addition, this project will provide domestic water service to the newly installed concession stand and restrooms at the Community Park. The project will complete the system loop, improve overall system pressure, and eliminate dead ends prohibiting continued service during waterline breaks. This project is entirely funded by $1.6 Million in Federal SLRF Funds. ·WCR 80 Bridge—This project is partially funded with a $280K Federal Grant. As mandated by the State of Colorado, the bridge west of Hilltop Circle on Weld County Road 80 must be repaired. ·Great Western Trail Safe Passageways: This project, which includes two rapidflashing pedestrian crossings and crosswalks on E. Harmony and WCR 23, is primarily funded by a $362K federal and State CMAQ and TAP Grant. It will pave the Great Western Trail from E. Harmony north to WCR 23.

·Police Station: Construction of a new police station will be done without debt and will be paid for with a $650K DOLA Grant and impact fees from new growth. ·Traffic Light at E. Harmony/WCR 19: Construction of a traffic light at E. Harmony and WCR 19. Construction is fully funded by a $1.5 Million Federal and State STBG Grant. ·Welcome and Directional Signage- This project consists of updating the Town welcome signage at two entry points of the Town Boundaries, replacing/adding two directional signs throughout the Town, and constructing a digital informational sign on E. Harmony in front of Town Hall.

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IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY Dear Residents of Severance, I am pleased to share with you the latest updates from the Finance Department. Our mission is to oversee all monetary transactions of the Town, upholding the principles of transparency and accountability for public funds as defined by statute. We enforce the fiscal requirements that enable the Town’s daily operations, ensuring that all financial activities are conducted with integrity and efficiency.

Our main responsibilities include: • Collecting revenue from various sources • Remitting payments to vendors • Handling timekeeping and payroll • Managing the liquid assets portfolio • Generating an annual budget • Administering periodic external reporting and funding compliance needs • Assisting all stakeholders with any inquiries arising from the above Accounting Highlights Significant contributions have been made in processing payroll, ensuring our employees are compensated accurately and on time. Efforts in preparing accurate financial statements have been crucial in maintaining transparency and organizational trust with our citizens, providing them with a clear view of our financial status. Furthermore, our team has implemented strategies that have greatly enhanced workflow efficiencies within the department, streamlining processes to improve productivity and reduce unnecessary expenditures. We ensure all the bills for the town are being paid promptly and accurately. We are committed to upholding the financial integrity of our community and continually seeking opportunities for improvement.

Save a stamp and save your time, now you can pay your bills online! Once you sign up for your account, you’ll wonder how you ever got along without it!

When you’re ready to pay your bill, select a payment type. You can pay with credit card or debit card with NO additional fees! To pay your bill online go to townofseverance.org and click “Utility Payments” and you're good to go.

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Utility Billing Details The utility bill encompasses charges related to water, wastewater, stormwater fees, and transportation utility fees.

• Water Fee: Covers the cost of the clean water supply and is determined by consumption volume, measured in gallons.

• Wastewater Fee (Sewer Fee): Facilitates water treatment from domestic and commercial sources to ensure environmental safety upon release.

• Stormwater Fee: Manages rainfall runoff and supports the maintenance of infrastructure to prevent flooding and contamination.

• Transportation Utility Fee: Contributes toward funding essential transportation-related services such as street maintenance.

Each fee reflects the financial requirements associated with delivering these critical services and sustaining the necessary infrastructure. It is important to note that these amounts vary based on the consumer's location and usage levels.

Community Assistance We strive to help everyone who calls or comes in to find answers or solutions that fit their needs. When someone moves to our town, we assist them in finding the resources they need. Most of our day is spent directing people to the person who might have an answer for them. As residents of Severance, we want this to be a Town we are proud of.

We are here to serve you and are committed to maintaining the financial health and transparency of our town. If you have any questions or need assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Warm regards, Efrain Lemus, MPA, CPA Finance Director, Town of Severance

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T o w n

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CONNECT WITH US VIA PHONE Call Town Hall at 970-686-1218 Non-emergency Dispatch 970-350-9600

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