Connect with Jeffco! |
|
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. |
|
Board Appointments
The BCC, at its May 21 hearing, approved the appointment of Dr. Jeff Beckman to represent the county on the Foothills Regional Emergency Medical and Trauma Advisory Council (FRETAC). Dr. Patrick Offner was appointed as an alternate member.
FRETAC is comprised of members from Jefferson, Boulder, Clear Creek, Gilpin and Grand counties. Its mission is "to create, enhance and promote a systematic approach to the care of the ill or injured through quality improvement, injury prevention, disaster planning, and coordination of partners in the healthcare continuum." |
|
Employee Food Drive
At the May 28 BCC hearing, the commissioners passed a proclamation kicking off the 2013 Jeffco Employee Food Drive.
Jefferson County Public Health and Human Services are co-sponsoring the 19th annual Jefferson County Employee Food Drive, which will be held from June 4 through June 14, 2013. Donations from the food drive will be given to the Action Center, Arvada Food Bank and Evergreen Christian Outreach Center.
Last year Jefferson County Employees collected almost two tons of food and $3,500 in cash for the annual employee food drive. |
|
Commissioner Reports
Commissioner reports are at the end of the public hearing and consist of reports and comments from the Board of County Commissioners.
May 14
Commissioner Casey Tighe
- Discussed and thanked staff for the budget discussions that have begun.
- Thanked the stadium boards for attending the May 7 staff briefings and providing the BCC with updated information.
Commissioner Faye Griffin
- Noted that Chair Donald Rosiers' excused absence is due to his attendance at the Accelerate Colorado Business Mission in Washington D.C.
May 21
Commissioner Faye Griffin
- Attended the opening for Staunton State Park
- Thoughts are with those Oklahoma tornado tragedies
Commissioner Donald Rosier
- Echoed Griffin's comments regarding the Oklahoma tornado tragedies
- Attended the Sheriff's Office Shred a Thon
May 28
Commissioner Casey Tighe
- Encouraged employees to participate in food drive
Commissioner Donald Rosier
- Regarding Memorial Day, thanked service men and women for their efforts for their country
|
|
|
|
Public Hearing June 11 for Proposed Animal Control Regulations
 The BCC, at its May 14 hearing, set June 11 as the public hearing to discuss proposed amendments to its ordinance regarding animal control regulations.
The county has an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the Foothills Animal Shelter, the cities of Arvada, Lakewood, Wheat Ridge, Golden, Westminster and Edgewater to provide animal control and licensing. Some of the proposed amendments are necessary to match this IGA. Other changes are requested by the Sheriff's Office and include:
- Adding a definition of "Pet Animal," which replaces the use of "dog" in some references
- Adding mammals in references for reporting bites and stray animals
- Allowing the self-reporting of spay/neutering of dogs to obtain a license
- Adding a requirement that dogs that are kept or harbored in unincorporated Jefferson County for more than 30 days require a license
- Changing the county's hold time for strays from six days to five days to be consistent with all other cities and state statute
- Increase the penalty from $50 to $100 for failure to obtain a license, the second offense from $100 to $200, and an increase of $100 for each subsequent offense up to a maximum of $1000
- Increasing the penalty for failure to clean up dog feces in public places from $30 to $50 up to a maximum of $1000, the second offense from $60 to $100, and each subsequent offense from $30 to $50
- Reducing the fine for dog biting from $500 to $250 in a case where the dog is off premise and under the owner's control
- Revising and updating language for clarity
BCC hearings begin at 8 a.m. and are held in the first floor hearing room of the Administration and Courts Facility, 100 Jefferson County Parkway. |
|
Jeffco to Regionalize its Forensic Crime Lab
The BCC at its May 14 hearing approved an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the cities of Lakewood, Arvada, Golden and Wheat Ridge to regionalize forensic crime laboratory services for Jeffco law enforcement agencies. Funding to build the lab was previously approved by the BCC and construction is anticipated to be completed in May 2014. It is part of the Detention Center Expansion Project.
Currently the Sheriff's Office, Lakewood and Arvada have forensic crime labs, which process evidence from crime scenes to aid in the detection and prosecution of criminal offenders. There also has been an increase in the demand for forensic services, which has caused delays in case investigations due to the workload demands on the Colorado Bureau of Investigations Lab.
By regionalizing the forensic services to one lab, each of the participants will have better and timelier access to these services and solving crimes. Each of the participating entities will share in the operation costs and with Lakewood and Arvada providing the staffing. |
Ordinance Regarding Open Carry Approved
With a 2-1 vote, Commissioner Donald Rosier in opposition, the BCC approved an ordinance regarding open carrying of firearms in county buildings. Recent instances of open carrying of firearms in certain county buildings required a law enforcement response to address safety concerns of employees and customers.
The ordinance allows the county to prohibit open carry of firearms in designated county buildings. Buildings will only be designated if the Sheriff's Office deems it necessary after a vulnerability assessment is conducted. If a open carry is prohibited in a county building, it will be posted at public entrances. The ordinance does not affect the carrying of firearms under concealed carry permits. |
Planning and Zoning May 21 Cases
Zoning Resolution Amendments
The BCC approved amendments to sections one and six of the Zoning Resolution, which will require the county to review the Comprehensive Master Plan when evaluating special use cases. The changes also further clarify that certain nonconforming uses may be legalized and expanded through the special use process.
Green Gables
The BCC approved the preliminary and final plat for the Green Gables case. The property, included a golf course that ceased operations, is located at the corner of West Jewell Avenue and South Wadsworth Boulevard. The applicant wishes to subdivide the property and develop it as mixed-use that includes commercial, low to high density residential and public parks/trails.
|
What's FIT?
At the May 21 staff briefings, the Finance and Information Technology (FIT) Department presented to the BCC an overview of the department and what its current activities are. FIT is headed up by Holly Bjorklund and is comprised of three divisions, Budget and Risk Management, Accounting and Information Technology.
Budget and Risk Management
 This division is divided into the Budget Office and Risk Management. The Budget Office prepares and finalizes the annual county budget. This is a year-long process that includes budget amendments, revenue forecasting, salary and benefit projections, certifying the mill levy and holding several public hearings on the budget. The 2014 budget has begun with a series of meetings with the BCC and department heads/elected officials. The completed proposed budget will be presented Oct. 8 at staff briefings and Oct. 15 at the BCC's public hearing.
Risk Management handles workers' compensation claims, general liability claims, oversees the government safety program and the county's insurance.
Accounting
The Accounting Division is responsible for accounts payable, receivables, capital assets, inventory, debt management, and the county's general ledger. It is working with the Budget Office to improve the Cost Allocation Plan, which provides a cost to the services that county offices provide internally to other divisions and departments. This division also includes the Payroll Office and Purchasing. Purchasing is responsible for processing purchase orders, contracts, formal bids for services or products for county departments.
Information Technology (IT)
 The IT Division is more than just computers. This division provides all network and telecommunications, email, records management/archives, geographical information services (GIS), audio/video services for conference rooms, and Help Desk/PC support. Along with these duties, IT is working on capital projects such as upgrading the core network and expanding virtual server and storage capacities, all while working with the challenges of increases in demand and external security threats. This division also has come up with some out-of-the-box initiatives such as donating old PCs to Warren Technical High School and to the Jefferson County School District.
|
Public Hearing Set on Proposed Ordinance Prohibiting Marijuana Establishments
At the May 28 BCC hearing, the commissioners heard and approved the first reading, which sets the public hearing date, for a proposed ordinance that would prohibit marijuana establishments in Jeffco. The public hearing is set for June 18. BCC hearings begin at 8 a.m. and are in Hearing Room One on the first floor of the Administration and Courts Facility, 100 Jefferson County Parkway.
The Colorado Constitution allows counties, if they choose, to prohibit the operation of marijuana cultivation facilities, marijuana testing facilities, marijuana product manufacturing facilities and retail marijuana stores through the enactment of an ordinance. The ordinance would sunset on Feb. 1, 2015.
At the public meeting on May 28, the BCC also adopted by resolution a temporary moratorium that prohibits the establishment or operation of any private marijuana club, business, organization or commercial operation that permits, promotes or otherwise encourages or facilitates the on-premise consumption or transfer of marijuana or marijuana products, or the on-premise cultivation of marijuana. The temporary moratorium also prohibits the cultivation or processing of marijuana, except in a residential dwelling, which lawfully constitutes the primary residence of the cultivator/processor for personal use.
The temporary moratorium will expire in six months, and gives the county time to investigate and develop any appropriate regulations. |
|
|
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.
|
|
|
