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BCC Outlines 2011 Legislative Priorities
Commissioners are considering state legislative issues for the 2011 legislative session, including an amendment that would allow all-mail ballots for all elections, saving the County more than $2 million in even election years. Counties were required to submit their legislative issues for 2011 to Colorado Counties, Inc., (CCI) by July 2, so a CCI steering committees could begin identifying county impacts. Jefferson County also contracts with Lombard & Clayton, LLC, a local lobbying firm, to represent the county's interests at the state capitol. As the county faces budget shortfalls in the coming years, all-mail ballot elections would be one place where commissioners can save taxpayer money. State statutes already allow all-mail ballots for elections other than the general elections, which are held in even numbered years. Because of the increased cost for polling place elections, the county estimates it spent more than $2.5 million on in-person voting in 2008, compared to about $1 million on mail-ballot voting, according to County Clerk & Recorder Pam Anderson. If the state allowed jurisdictions to hold all-mail ballot elections during general elections, Jeffco could save 40 percent to 50 percent of the administration costs per election. In the 2008 general election, about 73 percent of voters mailed in their ballots instead of voting at polling places. In the 2008 primary election, that percentage was 94 percent. Permanent mail-in voters make up 70 percent of the county. Commissioners also requested that staff and Lombard & Clayton continue to research and monitor several other legislative issues, including:- Specification in state statute that would address counties' authority to designate addresses.
- Clarification on site approval regulations and what types of improvements have to go through this process.
- Reduction of the number of elections needed to become a home-rule county from two to one.
- Monitoring of House Bill 10-1405, which would require CDOT to study which state roads within the Denver Regional Council of Governments region generate 80 percent of traffic from within that region.
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BCC Delays Decision on Table Mountain Development
Commissioners unanimously decided to delay a decision for a request to rezone 58 acres near Table Mountain to Sept. 14 and directed the applicant to meet with Open Space to further investigate access to his property through land recently purchased by Jefferson County Open Space.
The Highlands at Table Mountain, a proposed 34-home development on the northeast side of Table Mountain, first went before the BCC in 2007. The applicant, David R. Heimbecher, is requesting approval to rezone the land from Agricultural-2 to Planned Development. The original rezoning proposal identified an easement from West 53rd Drive from the south as the only access to the development. The Planning Commission recommended approval of the rezoning as proposed in 2007. During several public hearings before the BCC in 2007 and 2008, surrounding property owners voiced concerns about increased traffic in the area as a result of the new development. In 2008, the BCC continued the case indefinitely and sent the case back to the Planning Commission pending the applicant's investigation of a second primary access point to the property.
Under the proposal that went before the commissioners on June 29, the development would have access points from West 53rd Drive and West 57th Avenue with each access point serving 17 homes. The development also would have gated emergency access connecting the two residential areas. Commissioners again heard from several nearby homeowners who opposed the rezoning because of the traffic impact on the surrounding neighborhoods.
Since the 2007 and 2008 hearings, Jefferson County Open Space purchased property under the high-power electrical line between the property and Easley Road for plans to expand the nearby Van Bibber Creek Trail. Commissioner Kevin McCasky told the applicant that he was ready to vote no on the rezoning request and directed the applicant to submit a formal request to Open Space for an evaluation of using the recently purchased property as an access point.
The request is scheduled to go before the BCC again Sept. 14. Although the board will reopen public testimony, Board Chair Kathy Hartman strongly urged residents to limit testimony only to residents who may be affected by the access point via the Open Space property. |
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