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Chocolate Lovers Extravaganza Feb. 13

Join Jefferson County employees on Feb. 13  for the 2012 Chocolate Lovers Extravaganza. The event is open to anyone that loves chocolate and will be in the atrium of the Administration and Courts Building, 100 Jefferson County Parkway. It begins at 11:30 a.m. and goes until the chocolate runs out.

Jeffco and court employees are volunteering homemade chocolate goodies that will be sold to raise funds for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Jefferson and Gilpin counties. CASA helps abused and neglected children.   

Don's Dawgs &

and Friends!!!

Join our celebrity chefs, Commissioners Donald Rosier, Faye Griffin and John Odom on Feb. 13 to raise some cash for the Foothills Animal Shelter.

Our chefs will be selling hot dogs and asking for donations starting at 11:30 a.m. and will be in the Foothills Cafe located on the lower level of the Administration and Courts Facility, 100 Jefferson County Parkway.

  Love Your Pet...

Spay & Neuter! 

Call 720-407-5215 to make your appointment for one of the Saturday or other regularly scheduled spay/neuter clinics.

Dogs are $75 for a spay and $65 for a neuter. Cats are $40 for either a spay or neuter. Appointments must be scheduled in advance.

Every February, in honor of the national campaign of Spay Day (held the last Tuesday of each February and on Feb. 28 this year), Foothills Animal Shelter increases education and awareness around the importance of spaying and neutering. It can not only make pets healthier by decreasing the chance of certain cancers, but can also reduce pet overpopulation and unwanted litters of puppies and kittens.

It's like Spay Day all year round for Foothills Animal Shelter. Last year, 4,323 pets were spayed and neutered at the shelter. Not only does the organization spay/neuter pets up for adoption, but also offers the surgery at a low-cost to the public year-round.

For more information, visit

Tower Open at Metro Airport

On Monday, Jan. 23, 2012, the newly constructed Air Traffic Control Tower at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport became operational.  

The south side location of the new tower, at 11001 Control Tower Drive, in incorporated Jefferson County, should minimize shadowing from the existing hangars and other structures. The new structure is 125 feet tall and improves the air traffic controllers' line-of-sight. An additional 7,000 square foot base building was constructed in connection with the tower for office and FAA Airway facilities.

The original tower, which opened in 1967, stands at 62 feet high. The FAA hopes that the new tower will lead to safer, more efficient airspace around Metro Airport.

The tower construction has been a multi-year project. Initial site analysis was conducted in October 2002. Construction of the facility was completed by Hensel Phelps.  

Jefferson County also played many important roles in this process. The Jefferson County Road and Bridge division, along with the Airport and County Engineering, constructed Control Tower Drive, creating access into the tower facility. Additionally, the Airport staff has been essential in ensuring the transition to the new facility went smoothly; installing a new Airport Controlled Lighting System, relocating the AWOS (Airport Weather Observation System), and transferring telecom to the new building.

The Board of County Commissioners, at its Jan. 31 public hearing, adopted a resolution presented by the Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder to conduct the June 26, 2012 Primary Election as a mail ballot election. Although Jefferson County has conducted mail ballot elections in every odd-numbered year since 1993, this will be the second time the county will coordinate an even-year election by mail ballot. The 2010 mail ballot Primary Election cost the county nearly half a million dollars less than the 2008 polling place primary, and had a voter turnout that was more than 10 percent higher.

"We showed in 2010 that a mail ballot election is a very successful model for a primary and our voters responded positively," said Clerk and Recorder Pam Anderson. "Many of the comments we received requested all elections to be mail ballot elections," she added.

Between January 17 and 31, the Jefferson County Clerk & Recorder received public comment on whether to conduct the Primary Election by mail ballot. Eighty-eight percent of public feedback submitted to the Clerk and Recorder's Office was in support of this election model.

"Ninety-four percent of the people who voted in the 2008 Primary Election chose to cast their ballot by mail, even when polling places were available," said Anderson. "Based on that information, the potential cost savings to the county's taxpayers and the public comments we've received during the last few weeks, we are very pleased to be able to use this model for our Primary Election."

Mail ballot elections provide a convenient means for voters to participate and have been shown to increase turnout. Eighty percent of active registered voters in Jefferson County have already declared a preference to permanently vote by mail ballot.

Ballots for the 2012 Primary Election will be mailed to voters the week beginning June 4 in advance of the June 26 Primary. While voters will receive ballots by mail, service centers will be open throughout the county from June 4 through Election Day for voters to obtain a replacement ballot, vote in person, or handle any other election related matter.

Please visit www.votejeffco.com for more information.

Low-to-Moderate Income Tax Assistance  

by Kris Kinzli, Jeffco Human Services 

What is VITA?

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program is a service that provides FREE income tax preparation and e-filing for low to moderate-income taxpayers. Any individual or family that makes $49,500 per year or less is eligible to take advantage of this service.

Where is a VITA Site in Jefferson County?

Jefferson County Child Support Services

3500 Illinois Street, Suite 1300

Golden, Colorado 80401

VITA is available on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. No appointment necessary.

What type of returns can we prepare?

VITA sites can prepare basic Federal and Colorado State returns including:

• Income from wages (reported on a form W-2), Social Security benefits, pensions and retirement accounts, interest and dividends, self-employment income with simple business expenses, and proceeds from the sale of stocks and bonds where the cost basis is provided.
• Credits including the Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, credit for dependent care expenses, education credits, and qualified residential energy credits.

What type of returns we cannot prepare?

VITA sites are not allowed to prepare the following:

• Schedule C (Profit or Loss From a Business); Schedule D, & Schedule E
• Form 3903 (Moving Expenses); From 2106 (Unreimbursed Employee Business Expenses); & Form 8606 (Nondeductible IRA)

What to bring to the VITA Site?

• Proof of Identification: Social Security Cards or ITINS for you, your spouse, and all dependents in your household.
• All wage and earning statements (W-2, W-2G, 1099's etc.)
• Any other information concerning your income and expenses for 2011
• Bank routing number and account number for Direct Deposit
• Copy of last year's return (if available) 

New Director for Career & Family Support Services

by Kris Kinzli, Jeffco Human Services 

Megan comes to Jefferson County with a great deal of professional management experience having worked in executive roles for large communication companies in Colorado. In addition, Megan has more than 10 years of government, regulatory and agency management experience including her recent position for the city and county Denver. She has a law degree from University of Michigan Law School and an undergrad in Political Science from Metropolitan State College of Denver.
  
"At this stage in my life, I feel it's important to positively impact the world we live in.  Human Services is involved in so many positive changes under Lynn Johnson's direction and it will be great to be a part of an innovative and cutting edge team," says Megan. 
 
At one point in Megan's life she had to turn to the social services system for assistance.

"Having been in the system, I know what it's like. Everyone who walks through these doors has the potential to achieve his or her goals and become anything he or she wants to be. I am a great example that anything is possible when one is treated with dignity and respect."
 
As she looks towards the next six months, Megan realizes she has a tremendous amount to learn. She will be tapping into the expertise of the staff and asking lots of questions so she can understand what goes on here. 
 
Lynn Johnson stated, "Megan comes to us with a wealth of experience. She understands the programs both from a customer perspective and a business perspective. We are excited about her innovative leadership practices and the positive contributions she will bring to Career and Family Support Services and the entire department."

Frolicking February Public Health Updates

by Nancy Braden, Jeffco Public Health