City Edition - Aug/Sep 2020

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City Suspends Water and Sewer Rate Hike for 2021 Due to the devastating economic effects of the COVID-19 public health crisis, City Council approved a zero percent rate adjustment for water and sewer rates for 2021. The 2021 water and sewer rates will remain the same as 2020 rates.

“We recognize that our resi-

dents are struggling due to the economic fallout from COVID19,” said Public Works and Utilities Director Max Kirschbaum.

“Thanks to the fast action by our Finance and Public Works and Utilities Departments to reduce costs and make adjustments, and thanks to the long-term

professional management of our city’s finances, we are able to fully fund our water and sewer system needs without raising rates in 2021.”

The rate proposal includes strategies to minimize the financial impact of water and sewer system expenses, such as

using $2 million from a rate stabilization fund, reducing the utility’s contribution to the city’s General Fund by $500,000 and strategically using debt for intergenerational equity.

The city also refinanced its 2010 Build America Bonds in Please see RATES on page 2

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At the end of July, Standley Lake Regional Park was teeming with 220 four-legged bleating visitors – a herd of hungry goats!

Utilizing CARES Act funds from Adams and Jefferson counties, the city is offering a housing assistance grant program to benefit residents impacted by COVID-19.

The program provides rent or mortgage assistance. It will be available in Adams County through Maiker Housing Partners starting Aug. 5 and in Jefferson County through Foothills Regional Housing staring mid-August.

Learn more at www.westminstereconomic development.org/housing/ covid-19-housing-resources or by contacting Maiker Housing Partners at 303-227-2075 or Foothills Regional Housing at 303-422-8600.

Countryside Pool recently reopened and is very excited to have the public come play. New guidelines are in place at the pool to keep everyone safe. These include staff wearing face coverings, disinfecting surfaces every two hours, temperature checks at the entrance and encouraging social distancing when possible.

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Downtown Westminster Partners With Schnitzer West to Add Office Development The city has executed a letter of intent for the first office development in Downtown Westminster. The city is partnering with Schnitzer West (www.schnitzerwest.com), a well-established developer focused on urbansuburban markets in the Seattle and Denver regions, to build 650,000 square feet of office on two sites in the Downtown.

“With the continued growth of companies along the Denver-Boulder corridor, Downtown Westminster is located directly in the path of progress and is an ideal spot to develop Class A office product with the transit-oriented nature of the site and over 100,000 square feet of walkable amenities,” said Doug Zabel, Managing Investment Principal at Schnitzer West. “The amenity rich environment plus Class A office product is the perfect formula to meet the needs of today’s growing corporate clients that value the quality of the employees experience which ultimately leads to higher productivity rates.”

Design of the first office building is well underway and will include ground floor retail with six to seven stories of office above.

“Adding an office user to Downtown Westminster takes it

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June. The refunding sale saves the city $3.6 million by reducing debt service payments.

The city has formed an internal

one step closer to a true, sustainable downtown by ensuring a consistent daytime population of employees,” said Westminster Mayor Herb Atchison. “The addition of office will also attract more amenities for workers, including retail, restaurants and service businesses.”

The building will be located in the heart of the 105-acre redevelopment site, which is already home to Westminster’s Alamo Drafthouse and 600 residential

units that are finished or under construction.

Coming in late 2020 is the 125room boutique Origin Hotel, along with Tattered Cover Bookstore, located at the hotel entrance.

Downtown Westminster has the capacity to include a total of two to four million square feet of office when it is built out.

“This is just the beginning in the Downtown,” said Economic Development Director John Hall.

“Now that we have key amenities

like dining and entertainment in place or opening soon, it’s a major attraction for office.”

Additional sites are available on the 25-block grid, and with the recently approved underpass connection to the adjacent 500 bus rapid transition station, Downtown Westminster hopes to draw even more office interest.

“Our location along the U.S. 36 corridor, midway between Denver and Boulder, is ideal,” said Hall.

task force to identify innovative solutions to maintaining the city’s infrastructure and reducing costs.

Although a zero percent water and sewer rate adjustment is possible for 2021, the need to invest in critical infrastructure re-

mains. A large portion of the city’s infrastructure was built in the late 1970s and early 1980s during a period of significant growth in the city. This infrastructure is now close to 50 years old and needs to be replaced.

City staff continue to recommend gradually increasing the city’s investment in construction projects that repair and replace the city’s existing infrastructure to maintain the high-quality service customers expect and deserve.

WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL

HERB ATCHISON Mayor 303-915-5625

ANITA SEITZ Mayor Pro Tem 303-817-5237

hatchison@cityofwestminster.us aseitz@cityofwestminster.us Term Expires: Nov. 2021

CITY EDITION

Term Expires: Nov. 2023

DAVID DEMOTT Councillor 303-881-2728

The Westminster City Council is elected at-large. Councillors represent all residents of the city, not specific wards or districts.

RICH SEYMOUR Councillor 720-773-2046

KATHRYN SKULLEY Councillor 720-255-5567

ddemott@cityofwestminster.us rseymour@cityofwestminster.us kskulley@cityofwestminster.us Term Expires: Nov. 2021

City Edition is the news and information resource for Westminster residents published by the Innovation and Communications Department.

Each city department contributes

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content for the publication. It is mailed to every resident of Westminster. Issues are available online at www.cityofwestminster.us/ cityedition.

Term Expires: Nov. 2021

LINDSEY SMITH Councillor 720-744-2316

JON VOELZ Councillor 720-923-6903

llsmith@cityofwestminster.us

jvoelz@cityofwestminster.us

Term Expires: Nov. 2023

Term Expires: Nov. 2021

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Big Dry Creek Sewer Project Improvements Begin The city is investing $32 million to repair and replace sections of large sewer pipe throughout the northern portion of Westminster. The Big Dry Creek Sewer Interceptor Improvements Project, which begins later this summer and runs through 2021, will increase capacity and ensure reliability of the city’s sewer system.

The first phase of construction involves lining existing pipes using a process called cured-in-place pipe (CIPP). This process is a cost-effective and reliable alternative to excavating and replacing pipe, reducing expense and disruption for residents and inconvenience for motorists and trail users.

Construction vehicles and workers will be onsite when the CIPP is installed, but there will not be heavy construction or road closures.

“The Big Dry Creek Sewer Interceptor Improvements Project

will enhance the city’s sewer system to ensure the reliable, highquality service Westminster residents and businesses expect,” said Project Manager Kent Brugler. “We are focused on minimizing public impacts as much as possible while also making sure our contractors perform quality work enhancing our existing infrastructure.”

The second phase of this project will begin this winter and will involve excavating, lining and replacing sections of existing pipe. Most of this work will take place along the Big Dry Creek between 110th Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard on the northern end, and east of the Butterfly Pavilion, just south of 104th Avenue near Westminster Boulevard. The work will impact the trails surrounding City Park.

Advance notice and trail detour instructions will be provided ahead of construction.

Image courtesy of C&L Water Solutions

Most homeowners and businesses will experience no impacts to water or sewer services.

Those near the project area will see construction activity and above-ground temporary sewer lines. Customers directly impacted by construction will be contacted personally with further details to minimize impacts as much as possible.

Learn more at www.cityofwestminster.us/ bigdrycreeksewerimprovements.

For more information contact the project team at 303-7063005 or bigdrycreeksewer@ cityofwestminster.us.

Season Peaks for Repaving Streets The city maintains 1,135 miles of streets to support the quality of life of residents, support the local economy and reduce longterm costs.

The Public Works and Utilities Department assesses the condition of streets every year using laser, GPS, and crack recognition technologies. A pavement management system is used to identify the most cost effective repairs based on the condition of every street.

The three million gallon, $9 million Sunset Ridge Tank Replace Project is nearing completion.

Paving and modifications to the existing elevated storage tank will continue through the summer. Thank you to the neighbors on West 97th Ave for their patience during construction!

The city’s overall street condition is “fair” according to these pavement management studies.

The city is investing $4.5 million in 2020 to preserve and improve city streets. An annual investment of $10 million is needed to maintain the current condition of city streets.

Visit www.cityofwestminster.us/ streetprojects to find a full list of projects.

The city is offering one-time $50 grants to residents financially impacted by the COVID-19 crisis to be applied to their water bill. Learn more and apply at www.cityofwestminster.us/waterbillassistance.

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What’s Changing with the Comprehensive Plan?

Westminster is in the last phases of updating the city’s Comprehensive Plan. The last significant update was in 2013, which introduced many great concepts that guided the city through the last decade. With the experience of the last decade in mind, the next version will address challenges the community has gone through and work to ensure the document is useful for guidance in the next decade.

What does the data say?

New technologies are changing how we work, shop and move around the city. More and more residents have started to work from home since 2010 and online shopping challenges the business model for many shopping centers in the city. The emergence of ride sharing, electric vehicles and autonomous vehicles affect how residents view and use transportation infrastructure.

Westminster is a mature city with limited new land for development. With about 1,000 acres (less than 2 square miles) of vacant, developable land remaining, the city continues to strategically plan for these areas. The city has focused on infill and redevelopment opportunities, such as for Downtown Westminster and Westminster Station, which provide considerable land capacity above the vacant 1,000 acres.

Westminster’s water supply is finite. Remaining opportunities to increase water supply yield is primarily centered on increasing operational efficiency and reservoir management. A variety of factors, including water supply and infrastructure, must be weighed and thoughtfully balanced.

Westminster’s population is aging and becoming more di-

WESTMINSTER BEING SUSTAINABLE verse. The number of residents older than 60 has increased 57% since 2010 and now represents one out of five residents. The Hispanic/Latinx population also continues to grow, with 23% of all Westminster residents identifying as Hispanic/Latinx.

How does the new Comprehensive Plan reflect these changes?

Revised guiding principles and cross-cutting topics: The 2013 plan’s nine themes were reevaluated to emphasize the mature nature of the city with infill and development opportunities; the responsible management of water and other limited natural resources; and the desire to be one of the most sustainable, safe, and healthy cities in America. To supplement the guiding principles and the vision, five additional topics were integrated throughout the plan: education, equity, safety, resilience and health.

Revised future land uses: In tandem with water supply planning, the updated plan revises the land use categories and their distribution. This evaluation was necessary to ensure a balance of opportunities to provide for employment opportunities, housing and accessible locations for goods and services.

New goals: Several topics were identified through the public engagement process that are not addressed in the existing plan.

Some of these include: • Predictable and transparent development process

A community member studies the proposal at a comprehensive plan meeting and offers feedback.

• Healthy living, including food access • Reinvestment in existing neighborhoods • Housing to address changing demographics such as seniors and intergenerational households • Resiliency of the water supply system • Water conservation

We encourage the public to review the Draft Comprehensive Plan this summer. Be sure to keep an eye out for its release and specific dates for public meetings and online activities.

After the public has an opportunity to weigh in on the draft, the document will go through a review and adoption process by the Planning Commission and City Council later this year.

HOW YOU CAN BE INVOLVED: • Stay tuned for ways to provide input on the draft later this year • Sign up online to be notified by email of Westminster Forward updates and events at

www.cityofwestminster.us/ forward • Email us at westminsterforward@ cityofwestminster.us

Annual Report Highlights Stormwater Projects Westminster’s stormwater staff has completed its 2019 Stormwater Annual Report.

The report can be viewed at www.cityofwestminster.us/ stormwater.

This annual report highlights the hard work and collaboration of multiple departments to ensure the regulatory compliance and efficiency of the city’s stormwater program.

The annual report covers: • Maintenance of existing cityowned drainageways (in collaboration with the Streets Division and the Parks, Recreation and Libraries Department) $150,000

• Emergency spill response and remediation for hazardous spills – 43 cases • Household hazardous waste program – 10,168 pounds/5.1 tons

• Public education and outreach as it relates to stormwater pollution • Active construction site inspection program – 57 sites/677 total inspections • Post-construction site treatment facility inspection program – 10 total inspections • Capital project improvements - Dry Creek Valley Ditch lining project to mitigate seepage - State’s first interactive mapping technology called Fishviews for all of the city’s drainageways • A community rating system which provides a reduced flood insurance rate for those that elect to carry federal flood insurance

• Street sweeping (managed by the Streets Division) – 1,107 miles of roadway • An upcoming 2021 Stormwater Asset Management Study, which provides an accurate location and condition assessment for all our underground stormwater infrastructure, i.e. pipes, manholes, inlets, etc. The study will allow for preventative maintenance, repairs and cleaner waterways • Floodplain mapping, regulation and emergency response

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Harris Park Community Vision Plan Moves Ahead Throughout 2019, a cross-departmental team of city staff led a community outreach process to establish a future vision for the Harris Park mixed-use core area. The primary study area is generally bounded by 72nd Avenue to the South, Irving Street to the east, 74th Avenue to the north, and Bradburn Boulevard to the west.

A series of three community workshops and two community stakeholder “focus group” meetings have been held to inform development of the Harris Park Community Vision Plan.

Work on the plan has been moving forward since then, with the project team presenting an update on the plan progress to City Council in July. Once work on the draft plan is completed, the city will be reaching out to the community to help further refine the plan.

After public feedback is incorporated, the project team will bring the final draft to Planning Commission for review before

being presented to City Council for plan acceptance.

Understanding that the Harris Park community wants to see quick results from the planning process, staff have already begun work on implementation, with projects scheduled to begin towards the end of this year. Additional work is underway to identify projects for 2021 based on the priorities set forth in the Community Vision Plan.

To review summaries of the three community workshops along with other materials, please visit: www.westminstereconomic development.org/places/ historic-westminster/ harris-park-area-plan

Fire Department Publishes 2019 Annual Report Recently the Fire Department published their 2019 Annual Report. The report is an engaging, comprehensive overview of the many services provided by the department and a review of its operational performance.

The Annual Report includes an update on the progress and achievements made towards the 2019-2023 Strategic Plan, a budget overview, community outreach efforts, fire response, and operational performance data and trends.

The department aligns their strategic goals with the city’s Strategic Plan.

View the department’s 2019 Annual Report at www.cityofwestminster.us/fire.

Hot, Dry Summer Leading to Increased Water Usage The weather since May 1 has been hotter and drier than average. Combined with more people at home because of COVID-19, residential water usage was 33% higher compared to June 2019.

The city’s water supply is currently sitting in a strong position and a drought declaration is not planned at this time. As of July, Standley Lake’s water level was dropping with city staff closely monitoring a trend to hotter and drier conditions. Climate predictions for the next few months represent the first reliable signals of a potential upcoming drought.

Please do your part to keep lake levels high and avoid higher bills by using water wisely. The less water we use in 2020 translates to more water available in 2021.

Find tips and programs to help keep your yard green while lowering your water bill at www.cityofwestminster.us/conservation. Irrigation consultation participants save an average of $150 off their annual water bill.

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Rapid COVID-19 Tests Available for Residents Without Insurance As the COVID-19 public health crisis continues and the number of new cases rise, the city is committed to protecting the public’s health. To that end, the city has partnered with Adams County to bring a 44 foot RV/mobile COVID-19 rapid testing site to The MAC Recreation Center at 3295 West 72nd Avenue for uninsured residents and people experiencing homelessness.

A second site is at the former Adams County Human Services building, located at 7190 Colorado Blvd. in Commerce City.

Testing and medical services are administered by Advanced Urgent Care and Occupational Medicine.

The testing site at The MAC is initially open Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., but additional hours or days may be added.

The former Adams County Human Services building location will be open every Friday

from 2-7 p.m., but also may expand. The testing program at both sites are scheduled to continue through the fall.

These sites seek to provide COVID-19 testing for those without insurance. If individuals have insurance, they may be referred to the nearest Advanced Urgent Care location. Depending on insurance coverage, there may be applicable co-pays.

The test includes a telehealth

consultation with a health care provider, so the testing process may provide results in approximately 15 minutes, but participants should plan for at least an hour for the entire process.

No appointment is needed at the testing sites and residents will be served on a first-come, first-served basis. Also, you do not have to be symptomatic to get the test.

“We are proud to partner with

Adams County, along with healthcare and nonprofit organizations, to increase COVID-19 testing opportunities for the Westminster community,” said Westminster Mayor Herb Atchison. “We are especially focused on providing testing for individuals who do not have health insurance benefits at this time because the needs are so significant across our community.”

The initiative is one of several the city has implemented as part of its WestyRISE recovery efforts. Other programs include business grants, housing resources and the ongoing Westy Front Porch Food Drive.

The site at The MAC was coordinated by the city’s Innovation and Communication Division, Parks, Recreation and Libraries Department, IT Department, Fire Department, Police Department and the Economic Development Department.

Emergencies Can Happen Anytime, So Be Prepared September is emergency preparedness month and the city’s Fire Department encourages you to be prepared. Having an emergency plan will not only keep you safer, but make dealing with the incident and the aftermath a whole lot easier. Now is a great time to prepare for the type of emergencies that are likely in our state.

DISCUSS. Talk with those in your household to plan and prepare how your household will respond to emergencies that are most likely to happen where you live, learn, work and play. Where are emergency items kept? How will you contact each other if

phone lines are tied up or not working? Do you have two places designated to meet if you are not together when the emergency occurs (one close to home and one away in case you can’t get home)?

If you need to evacuate your home, what is the route and where will you go? Who is responsible for your pets? Does everyone have emergency contacts programed in their phones or written down and kept in a wallet/backpack?

COLLECT. Have a kit of basic items that you would need during an emergency in your home and cars. Some items to con-

sider include water, a radio, a flashlight, batteries, a blanket, snacks, a first aid kit, medications, a list of needed medications, a multi-purpose tool, copies of important documents, family and emergency contact information, cash, extra phone chargers and maps.

LEARN. What is the emergency plan where you work or go to school? Do you know several ways to exit the buildings you are in regularly? Do you know where to go if there is a tornado in the area? Where can you find out if there is an emergency in your area and whether you need to take action?

Westminster residents can sign up for emergency alerts via smart911.com. You can also tie all of your family’s mobile phone numbers to a home address with smart911. In addition to local TV, radio, web, and social media you can go to emergency information websites and follow them on Twitter or Facebook.

For more emergency preparedness information, visit readycolorado.com, ready.gov, redcross.org and www.cityofwestminster.us/ EmergencyManagement.