The BCC approved changes and made supplemental appropriations to the 2013 budget. These changes were due to unforeseen projects or increases after the BCC approved the 2013 budget in December 2012. Some of the supplemental appropriations include:

• $174,900 for the Clerk and Recorder's Office to make the final payments in the Anthem Recording System project that was completed in March. The project was originally budgeted in 2010 and carried forward to 2011 and 2012.
• $100,000 from the Conservation Trust Fund to help fund the Jessica Ridgeway Memorial Park project.
• $1,300,000 for the Road and Bridge Fund to pay for an increase in the asphalt budget that will be used to do repairs and overlays for the 2013 fiscal year, which will help decrease the backlog of needed maintenance.

For more information on the Jeffco budget, please visit www.jeffco.us/budget.

Representatives from the North Evergreen Area Trail (NEAT) program have been working with the county since 2007 to improve pedestrian safety in the Evergreen area through a network of trails and the project is coming to a close.

The BCC approved a contract with Naranjo Civil Contractors, Inc. for $263,999 to construct the last part of the NEAT trail. The initial funding will come from the Road and Bridge fund, but $249,477 will be reimbursed from the Colorado Department of Transportation's "Safe Routes to Schools" grant. In addition $25,000 will be provided by NEAT.

The project includes a six-foot wide trail along the north side of Sugarbush Drive from Placid Drive to the entrance of Bergan Valley Elementary School. This will complete the final phase of the NEAT program and is expected to be constructed during June and July.

The theme of this year's celebration-Unleash the Power of Age-encourages older Americans to stay independent, active and involved in their own lives and in their communities.

Jeffco has valuable services for older Americans, including the Seniors' Resource Center and the Jefferson County Council on Aging, which are committed to helping all individuals maintain their health and independence in later life.

The public is also invited the Aging Well Summit at WaterStone Community Church on Tuesday, June 25, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Board of County Commissioners approved a personal property tax refund incentive for Steelhead Composites, LLC.

According to its website, Steelhead Composites "aims to be the first company dedicated to the manufacturing, sales and distribution of high pressure accumulators for the hydraulic hybrid market. A hydraulic accumulator is an energy storage device that consists of a high pressure tank in which a non-compressible hydraulic fluid is held under pressure by an external source."

The company will receive a 50 percent rebate from the county for the first five years of operation. This is contingent upon the company meeting certain performance guarantees. This includes expansion of its business, hiring additional employees and investing the amounts for personal property, capital, equipment and real property as all set forth in its incentive questionnaire.

This rebate only applies to the county's taxable share and does not include any other taxing entities, such as the school district.