Jefferson County has several elected officials and dedicated employees, but did you know that it also has lots of volunteers who contribute to the decisions that shape Jeffco? The Board of County Commissioners (BCC) appoints more than 300 volunteers to boards and commissions that oversee things from liquor licensing to preservation of open space.

One of the most critical boards is the Planning Commission. This board is responsible for reviewing a wide variety of land use cases and making recommendations to the BCC.

"The Planning Commission works in conjunction with staff from Planning and Zoning to thoroughly review land use cases before making recommendations or final decisions on applications. These are the folks who drive out to the sites, hear public testimony, which can last for hours, put emotions aside and then make recommendations and decisions that are best for the county," said Planning and Zoning Director John Wolforth.

It also reviews and adopts updates to the county's Comprehensive Master Plan. This plan is very important to Jeffco and provides guidelines to both the county and citizens when it comes to making land use decisions. It is comprised of several smaller sub area plans, such as the South Plains Area Plan, which outlines land use recommendations for a large portion of South Jeffco.

The Planning Commission meets the first, second and fourth Wednesdays of each month and its public hearings begin at 6:15 p.m. at the Administration and Courts Facility, 100 Jefferson County Parkway.

Commission members are compensated $20 per meeting and $20 per field trip when visiting the case sites. It is comprised of seven voting members who serve three-year terms and two associate members who serve one-year terms.

So does this sound like what you want you would like to get involved in? If so, go online today to apply. 

Water supply and bees, what could these two items have in common?  Both are subjects of proposed changes to county's Zoning Resolution and the pubic is invited to review and comment on them. 

There are two ways to get involved. The first is to review the drafts online. The drafts can be found on the main Planning & Zoning page, www.jeffco.us/planning, by clicking on one of the "resolution revisions" announcement links.

The second is to attend the public hearings. The Planning Commission reviews them first and make recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners (BCC), which makes the final decision on proposed changes to the Zoning Resolution. Hearings are held in first floor hearing room of the Jefferson County Administration and Courts Building, 100 Jefferson County Parkway. Public testimony is welcomed and encouraged. 

Water Supply and Wastewater Regulations

The water supply and wastewater regulations are being revised to provide clear requirements for the development community and citizens as well as providing an effective method for evaluating water availability. The BCC will hear the item on Tuesday, March 19, at 8 a.m.



Chickens, Bees and District Consolidation

Residents of unincorporated Jefferson County may soon have the opportunity to keep chickens and bees in their backyards. As a result of many inquiries and requests to keep chickens and/or bees on residentially zoned properties, Jeffco Planning & Zoning staff is proposing a change to the Jefferson County Zoning Resolution that would allow a limited number of chickens and bees. The BCC will have its public hearing on it March 26 at 8 a.m.

The Front Range is no stranger to wildland fire. A revival of our evacuation levels, and collaborative efforts with the Ready, Set, Go! initiative amplify our existing emergency preparedness public education efforts. Our aim is to achieve the common goal we all share; preventing a loss of any kind.

With large fires occurring year round, evacuations have become more commonplace. We encourage the adage, 'when in doubt, get out!' If you feel threatened, go! Keep in mind, in some cases, there is no time for formal evacuation notifications due to quickly changing conditions.

Evacuation Levels

Level 1: Be ready. There is an incident in the area. Residents are advised of the level 1 evacuation and are asked to leave if they need additional time to exit an area or have health conditions (especially respiratory conditions that could be made worse by smoke). Residents are encouraged to move livestock and pets out of the area, and to prepare for a full evacuation. Evacuations are voluntary, but residents are encouraged to leave if concerned. There will be no road closures in effect in most cases.

This is when you are thankful you took appropriate planning actions, long before the threat of a wildland fire. You've already created defensible space by clearing brush and other fuels away from your home. You've used fire-resistant landscaping and hardened your home with fire-safe construction measures. You assembled emergency supplies and belongings in a safe spot. And, you planned escape routes and made sure all those residing within your home know the plan of action. Need help with your emergency planning? Click here for the Jefferson County Emergency Preparedness Guide.

Level 2: Leave soon. Residents are notified there is a full evacuation and are informed to leave. Evacuations are mandatory and entry to evacuated areas may be denied. Residents are encouraged to evacuate as soon as possible. Residents MAY have time to gather necessary items, but doing so is at their own risk.

Level 3: Leave immediately! Residents are notified there is immediate and imminent danger, and they should evacuate immediately. DO NOT delay leaving to gather any belongings or make efforts to protect your home. Leave immediately and as quickly as possible. Doing so will not only support your safety, but will allow firefighters to best maneuver resources to combat the fire.

Ready, Set, Go!

Don't let the first time you educate yourself on wildland fire be in the aftermath. Join with us and be a part of Ready, Set, Go! Ready, Set, Go! is designed to teach individuals how to best prepare themselves and their properties against nature's threats, and how to be best prepared to evacuate.

The Ready, Set, Go! initiative is a three step process, or action plan, to prepare properties long before a fire is upon you; get set to depart from ones home; and to understand the role of evacuation in our area. The initiative significantly increases the safety of the homeowner and family. Not to mention, it allows the firefighters to best do their job of extinguishing the fire, thus increasing the chance of saving homes and loved ones. 
 

Last year, 38,291 deeds of trust were released. This was in an increase of 19.5 percent from 2011.

A Release of Deed of Trust is a written request by the mortgage company or lender, or a title insurance company, to the Public Trustee. The purpose of the release is to remove all or a portion of the property from the lien created by a Deed of Trust. A Deed of Trust is an agreement between three parties: the grantor (owner/borrower), the beneficiary (lender) and the public trustee. When recorded, a Deed of Trust creates a lien against the grantor's property. When the terms of the Deed of Trust are satisfied, a request of Release of Deed of Trust must be recorded to remove the lien from the property.

Chapman also discussed how the number of foreclosures was at its lowest since 2005. Her office opened 2,650 foreclosures in 2012, which is 8.7 percent less than 2011 and 34 percent less than 2009, when Jefferson County opened the most foreclosures, 4,027, on record.

View the entire report to learn more.