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News from
Jefferson County
Want more news and information about Jefferson County? Subscribe to our monthly citizen newsletter that covers topics from all of the departments and divisions throughout Jeffco.
Simply click the link above or the icon below, enter the email address you'd like the newsletter to be sent to and then choose the "Jeffco eNewsletter" option. |
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Board Appointments
The BCC, at its Jan. 22 hearing, appointed Finance and Information Technology Director Holly Bjorklund to represent the county on the Foothills Animal Shelter Board.
To learn more about the Foothills Animal Shelter, visit www.foothillsanimalshelter.org.
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Parking Policy Updated
 At the Jan. 15 BCC hearing, the board approved proposed changes to county policy 3.4.3, which regulates the operation and parking of motor vehicles.
Along with clarifying language throughout the ordinance, changes also included:
- Amendment to clarify that trailers are vehicles and can be ticketed
- Addition of a business district to allow the Sheriff's Office to enforce the ordinance on right-of-ways in commercial areas. This does not authorize enforcement on private property.
- Eliminated the requirement that a vehicle be moved for at least eight hours within a 14 day period
- Increased the number of days, from 14 to 28, that a recreational vehicle or trailer may be parked on right-of-way per calendar year
- Eliminated the affidavit requirement for filing a complaint
For more information, please read the adopted policy. |
Improvements to West Chatfield Avenue Coming Soon
 The BCC, at its Jan. 22 hearing, approved an additional $181,357 to the county's contract with Merrick & Company for final engineering design and related services for the West Chatfield Avenue project. Merrick & Company has already completed the preliminary design for the project and came in as one of the highest rated firms for the final design services during the proposal process. Southeast Jefferson County One Half Cent Sales Tax funds are being used to fund this project.
A corridor study was completed for West Chatfield Avenue from West Ken Caryl Avenue to South Kendal Boulevard in 2004. The study recommended using the minor arterial street template, which consists of two through lanes in each direction, left-turn lanes, curb, gutter and sidewalks. Jeffco Transportation and Engineering is currently working on the section from West Ken Caryl Avenue to South Everett Way. After the final engineering design is complete, construction will begin on the improvements to West Chatfield Avenue later this year. |
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Sheriff's Office Receives Two Grants
 At the Jan. 22 BCC hearing the board approved two grants that will be awarded to the Sheriff's Office.
The first was an Emergency Supplemental Funds Sampson Road Fuels Hazard Reduction Program grant from the Colorado State Forest Service. The grant will help fund the Sheriff's Office's Fuels Mitigation Program, which works to reduce the hazardous fuel sources to prevent wildfires. The total cost of the project is $9,400 and will support the work of the hazardous fuels crew, which is entirely supported by grant funding
The second grant is from the city of Colorado Springs Police Department's Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, which had received the grant to support participants of the ICAC Task Force. Jefferson County Sheriff's Office was awarded a portion of these funds. The Jeffco Sheriff's Office will be utilizing its share of the grant, which is estimated to be $4,800, to send four investigators to the 2013 National Law Enforcement Training on Child Exploitation in May 2013. |
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Development and Transportation News
R oads were improved, guides and codes were updated and much more happened in 2012 for the Development and Transportation Department. Director Jeanie Rossillon and her staff provided the commissioners the latest about what their department has accomplished in its semi-annual presentation at the Jan. 15 staff briefings. Below are a few highlights of what was presented.
First up was the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport, which has seen an increase of 2.5 percent in fuel flowage. The Airport is working on several projects including widening Metro Airport Avenue and the extension of the Runway 11L Safety Area. It has received three Federal Aviation Grants that will cover the costs of 90 percent of both phases of the extension Runway 11L Safety Area project and the A17 Taxiway Run-Up Area. Down the road, the Airport is preparing for the annual Air Show that will be Aug. 16-18.
Next the commissioners heard from Planning and Zoning. It has been working on incorporating 11 community plans into the county's Comprehensive Master Plan, which is used by citizens, staff and decision makers to guile land use changes. Five have been completed so far and next up for review will be the North Mountains, the Central Mountains, and the Indian Hills community plans. Also up for review will be regulations on mixed use zone districts, water and wastewater, chickens and beekeeping, park and school fees, floodplain and grading.
 | | L to R: Transportation & Engineering Director Kevin French, Building Director Becky Baker, Road & Bridge Director Larry Benshoof, Development & Transportation Director Jeanie Rossillon, Executive Assistant Doris Allen, Airport Manager Kenneth Maenpa, Planning Zoning Director John Wolforth |
Third was the Building Division, which is in the process of reviewing the 2012 Building, Residential, Plumbing, Fuel Gas, Mechanical, Energy Conservation codes. Codes are updated every three years and the last time was in 2009. The Building Division continues to make obtaining Plumbing, Mechanical, Electrical and Re-roofing permit easy and convenient with online services. In addition the division emailed out 55,925 real time inspection results in 2012.
Fourth to brief the board was Road and Bridge. It has increased its asphalt patching 381 percent since 2008 by employing a rotomill machine to remove the existing pavement. It also overlaid 118 lane miles of asphalt roads in 2012. The division worked on several projects for its fellow division, Transportation and Engineering, including widening the shoulders of Simms Street from 80th to 82nd Avenue and 60th Avenue west of Easley. It also completed an extensive reconstruction of the Reynolds Ranch parking lot for Open Space. Additionally, improvements to the Metro Airport Blvd and Wadsworth Intersection were completed for the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport.
Last was the Transportation and Engineering Division, which also had a busy 2012. It worked on several capital improvement projects (CIP) including improvements to Quincy Avenue from Simms Street to Kipling Parkway and the rehabilitation of Myers Gulch Road Bridge. It completed safety projects such as LED Traffic Signal upgrades, raised pedestrian crossings at Continental Divide Road, Kipling Parkway median modifications and a new sidewalk on Fair Avenue. In 2013, for the CIP program, the division will be working on improvements at Quincy Avenue from Kipling Parkway to Wadsworth Boulevard, Chatfield Avenue from Ken Caryl to Everett Street and Lena Gulch at the Golden Road drainage area.
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View BCC Meetings Online!
 Did you know Jefferson County records each County Commissioners Hearing for rebroadcast on its website? You can also find recordings of other county meetings, videos of events and Jeffco's video program, Jefferson County Insights. To learn more, visit the Jeffco Media-on-Demand site.
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