Jeffco Wins Award for Road Project

Jefferson County's Transportation and Engineering Division, which is under the Development and Transportation Department, has recently received an award for its work on reconstructing West Chatfield Avenue. To acknowledge this accomplishment, the Board of County Commissioners (BCC), at its Feb. 14 hearing, along with Pete Adler, American Public Works Association (APWA), Colorado Chapter Treasurer, presented the award to Jeffco staff.

The award winning road project was funded by the Jefferson County Southeast Sales Tax Local Improvement District program. It was completed in three phases and cost $6.9 million dollars. The project was completed in the fall of 2011.

Chatfield was widened from two lanes to four from Wadsworth Boulevard to Everett Street. It also included safety improvements for vehicles, pedestrians and the local residents such as sidewalks, retaining walls, visual traffic calming that helps slow traffic to posted speed limits; and the removal of residential driveways from the arterial road.

What garnered attention and made this an award winning project, was Transportation and Engineering's approach of involving the more than 30 adjacent property owners from the start and working with them towards mutual solutions to limit the impact of the project on their properties.

The county, along with the contractor, Merrick & Company, designed the project to avoid total purchases of residential lots and created unique retaining walls that minimized easement needs and utility relocations. To also ensure that the property owners' needs were met, even improvements on residential front and side yards were made if they were affected by the construction.

Audit Committee OK'd

The BCC at its Feb. 14 hearing approved a resolution and policies that outline the formation of a new countywide Audit Committee. The committee will be comprised of five BCC appointed members with two-year staggered terms.  Members will be chosen based on their background and expertise in finance or auditing, as well as a basic understanding of the county government structure. Two of the five members will be government finance professionals working for other county or city governments.

While Jefferson County has had an informal audit committee in the past, the BCC created a new committee with a more formal structure and focus after asking the Administrative Services Department to review the prior structure. It recommended the development of a new structure to form a countywide audit committee that will provide additional financial oversight of the organization in coordination with the executive management team and the BCC.

The BCC will work with the committee to create an annual work plan and the committee will then implement that agreed-upon plan over the course of the year. The group will meet a minimum of four times a year or as deemed necessary by the BCC.

To learn how to apply for this and other county boards and commissions, visit http://jeffco.us/bcc and click on the Board & Commissions link on the left.

Board Approves VALE Grant Application

At its Feb. 7 hearing, the BCC approved the grant application between the county and the First Judicial District of Colorado Victim Assistance and Law Enforcement Board (VALE). The application is being submitted for the 2012-13 funding and if awarded would help to support one Victim Services Advocate salary in the amount of $54,954.

The VALE Board provides grant awards to assist the Sheriff's Office in providing expertise and skill in law enforcement victim assistance. This includes on-scene crisis intervention, follow-up contact and information or referrals. This award would help, in part, provide 24-hour access to trained professionals to assist victims and witnesses of crime and trauma to obtain the support and education necessary to overcome their victimization. 

Under Colorado State Statutes, specifically, the Victims Bill of Rights, the Sheriff's Office is required to provide this service. This annual VALE grant provides 78 percent of the funding that is required for the Victims Service Advocate.  The county provides the remaining 22 percent. The term of the grant if awarded is from July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013.