 Colorado Department of Local Affairs News
Greetings!
Greetings on behalf of everyone at DOLA. TBD Colorado continues to progress nicely as we move ahead into a second round of visits throughout the state on this grassroots effort. I want to take this opportunity to thank our DOLA Regional Managers and Regional Assistants for all of the outstanding work they've been doing to assist communities in this important effort.
I'm very much looking forward to an upcoming visit DOLA's South Central region May 8 - 9, where I'll be able to meet with mayors, county commissioners, city and county administrators and COG members to discuss their priorities and issues. My tour starts in Salida, progresses to Florence and Canon City and then on to Brookside. Thanks to those communities and leaders for taking the time to meet with me to share information and ideas for how we can continue to partner effectively, efficiently and elegantly!
As you most likely have heard by now, we anticipate DOLA will be going through an organizational change in the near future. Recent efforts to streamline and reorganize fire response activities in the state propose moving the Fire Management function within the Colorado State Forest Service to the Department of Public Safety (DPS). In addition, it is being proposed the Division of Emergency Management move from DOLA to DPS to locate all emergency management and response functions under one umbrella. While DEM may report to a different agency, we plan to continue to work together, building on local relationships and strengthening coordination of services whenever appropriate in order to provide the most effective service possible.
Best wishes and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely, Reeves Brown
Executive Director
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Conservation Trust Fund e-filing portal now available
We are pleased to announce the new system for entering Conservation Trust Fund (CTF) reports, the "e-Filing Portal," is now available! The paper form will no longer be posted as a printable document to mail in thanks to this new and improved way to efficiently enter data online.
For those who file reports, letters detailing how to access the system, including the secure User ID, have been mailed to our local partners.
Reports are historically due by March 31st of each year, but the due date has been extended to May 31, 2012, for this reporting year only to accommodate the transition for users of the new system.
For those who still need to submit their reports or have questions, a CTF training webinar is now available on the CTF website. To view the on-demand webinar, go to: www.dola.colorado.gov/ctf under the "Forms" tab.
The training link is posted directly under the e-filing portal link (look for the red "HELP" button!) and is only 11:19 minutes in length.
Man thanks to Tamra Hooper of the Division of Local Government and Andy Rollins of the Office of Information and Technology for their time and effort in making this new tool possible.
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Welcome our newest member to the Community Development Office team
 | Stephanie Troller
Main Street Coordinator |
DOLA's Division of Local Government is pleased Stephanie Troller will be joining the Community Development Office team. Stephanie will serve as the new Community and Economic Development Specialist where she will join Andy Hill, Tareq Wafaie and Marc Cittone. Her first day with DLG is May 7.
Stephanie comes from DOLA's Division of Housing where she worked as an asset manager. In addition to her housing knowledge, Stephanie brings great experience as an economic developer from her prior life in New Mexico and will add significant value to the Community Development Office within DLG.
Please welcome Stephanie as she becomes a new of member of this great team! Stephanie can be reached at (303) 866-2369 or
The Community Development Office empowers Colorado local governments by providing various technical and financial resources related to land use planning, economic development, and sustainable community development. Through workshops and training, one-on-one assistance, and an in-depth resource library, the Community Development Office offers creative solutions for helping local governments tackle complex problems.
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Presentation helps Aurora residents learn more about Senior Property Tax Exemption
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JoAnn Groff Property Tax Administrator
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The state's Property Tax Administrator, JoAnn Groff, joined Sen. Suzanne Williams and Rep. Nancy Todd for a town meeting on Saturday, April 28, where she did a presentation on the Senior Property Tax Exemption program. Groff, who serves as director of the Division of Property Taxation, leads the division's staff in coordinating and administering the implementation of property tax law throughout the state's 64 counties. Saturday's presentation was requested by Sen. Williams and Rep. Todd to provide residents of their districts information about how the senior property tax exemption program works, its impact on property owners and how this year's budget restored money for the program. About the recent meeting with Aurora residents, Groff said, "I always appreciate the opportunity to meet with citizens and groups to talk about the Division of Property Taxation's work and to share updates about laws that may impact them as property taxpayers. I want to thank Sen. Williams and Rep. Todd for inviting me to join their constituents for this opportunity." To learn more about the Division of Property Taxation and its mission, please visit the division's website. |
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Kudos Corner
We take pride in our work with you, our partners.
We'd like to share some of the positive things we hear from you to celebrate the good work we accomplish together (and to boast a little bit).
On May 11, Governor Hickenlooper will host several state employees for a special breakfast in honor of Public Service Recognition Week May 6 - 12. Each state agency has been asked to identify one employee to attend the event -- "someone who demonstrates superior service to the people of Colorado through the three E's: Efficient, Effective and Elegant."Several outstanding nominees were submitted to DOLA Executive Director Reeves Brown. Of those, he selected Bob Wold of the Division of Emergency Management.
Bob forms and fosters relationships with other state agencies, local governments, non-governmental agencies, and volunteer organizations that are vital to disaster recovery including organizing the State Recovery Task Force. Bob began recovery coordination for the Lower North Fork Fire on the second day of the fire and within two days, a solid plan led by local officials was in place. Bob performs his responsibilities without fanfare utilizing a skilled, yet humble approach. Please join us in congratulating Bob for this special recognition of his amazing work.  | Bob Wold
Division of Emergency Management |
Other outstanding DOLA nominees include: - Susan Niner, DOH
- Tareq Wafaie, DLG
- Kyle Hooper, DPT
- Cara McKeller, BAA
- Mike Kerrigan, DPT
- Rick Hanger, DOH
- Evelyn Hernandez, DPT
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