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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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Commissioner Reports
Commissioner reports are at the end of the public hearing and consist of reports and comments from the Board of County Commissioners.
June 11
Commissioner Casey Tighe
- Congratulated county employees and the Sheriff's Office for being organized and professional when dealing with the Bluebell fire last week
- Toured the Emergency Operations Center
Chair Donald Rosier
- Echoed Commissioner Tighe's comments regarding the fire and thanked the fire districts
- Attended the Colorado Counties Inc (CCI) summer conference and discussed wildfire mitigation and the implementation of Amendment 64
June 18
Commissioner Casey Tighe
- Discussed the recent fires and encouraged prevention and urged both residents and county staff to be prepared
Chair Donald Rosier
- Discussed fire prevention and how citizens who live in fire prone areas should protect their property with preventative measures and clearing slash
- Attended "Sand in the City" hosted by the city of Arvada
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Updates to Animal Control Ordinance Approved
 The Foothills Animal Shelter is operated under an Intergovernmental Agreement between Jefferson County and the cities of Arvada, Lakewood, Wheat Ridge, Golden, Westminster and Edgewater. Starting in August, the Foothills Animal Shelter will administer the dog licensing program. All proceeds will go towards the operating costs of the shelter.
The county recently amended its Animal Control Ordinance to allow for the change of program administration from the Sheriff's Office to the shelter. Additionally, the Sheriff's Office proposed changes to the ordinance to help with enforcement. The BCC approved these amendments at its June 11 public hearing. Some of the changes, requested by the Sheriff's Office, include:
- Adding a definition of "Pet Animal," which replaces the use of "dog" in some references
- 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, and increased $100 for each subsequent offense with a maximum of $1,000
- Increasing the penalty for failure to clean up dog feces in public places from $30 to $50 mandatory minimum fine, $100 for a second offense, and an increase of $50 for each subsequent offense with a maximum fine of $1,000
- 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
The changes go into effect July 20. |
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Ordinance Adopted Prohibiting the Operation of Marijuana Establishments
After Amendment 64 was passed, many questions about how to implement it have arisen. Until these details are figured out by the state of Colorado and the Department of Revenue, the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners has decided to adopt an ordinance that prohibits marijuana establishments in unincorporated Jeffco.
The BCC approved the ordinance at its June 18 public hearing and it will sunset on Feb. 1, 2015. Under the Colorado Constitution, counties are allowed, 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. |
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Scholarship Winner Announced
At the June 11 Board of County Commissioners meeting, the commissioners were joined by Jeffco Treasurer Tim Kauffman and the Sheriff's Office Division Chief Jeff Shrader to present Stephanie Panza with a $500 college scholarship from the Colorado County Officials and Employees Retirement Association (CCOERA), the County's retirement plan provider. Kauffman and Shrader serve on the Board of Directors for CCOERA.
CCOERA is a non-profit association formed in 1968 by Colorado state statute. Its sole purpose is to provide retirement benefits to employees of Colorado local governments. Each year several CCOERA board members contribute the stipend they received as board members to fund the college scholarship program. Employees from participating CCOERA entities and employees' children are eligible to apply for the scholarship.
This year's winner, Stephanie Panza, is the daughter of Anne Panza, manager of construction management for the county's Facilities and Construction Management Division. Stephanie recently graduated from Columbine High School and plans to attend School of Mines this fall. Among her many activities, she was a member of her high school's National Honor Society, editor of the yearbook, participated in volleyball and track, and was an intern for the National Renewal Energy Laboratory. |
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June 18 is Elder Abuse Awareness Day
 Jefferson County's older adults helped build the foundation for the county and state we enjoy today, and abuse of older adults is a tragedy inflicted on a vulnerable segment of the population that crosses all socio-economic boundaries.
To promote a better understanding of abuse and neglect of older persons by raising awareness of the cultural, social, economic and demographic processes affecting elder abuse and neglect, the BCC proclaimed June 18, 2013 as Elder Abuse Awareness Day in Jefferson County.
The county is a community leader in elder abuse education, awareness and prevention through the Aging Well project, the Summit on Aging and the Jefferson County Aging and Adult Services Office.
Aging and Adult Services constantly strives to prevent elder abuse by providing the community with information on elder abuse and neglect, both as a method of providing education and as a way of challenging community members to take a stand against violence. It partners closely with the Jefferson County District Attorney's Elder Abuse Unit, all law enforcement jurisdictions in the county and the courts. It also joins with numerous community agencies to promote stability and independence by providing financial, medical assistance and other support service to elderly and disabled adults.
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Development and Transportation News
 At the June 11 BCC hearing, the commissioners gave the OK on three items for the Development and Transportation Department.
The first item was an expenditure of $335,255 to Jviation Consultants Inc. for professional engineering and construction management services related to the construction of the Taxiway A Run-Up Area at the county's Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport. The purpose is to enhance the safety of the existing Runway 11L/29R and Taxiway A by providing smaller, piston-driven aircraft an area to stage while safely allowing for larger jet aircraft to access the runway without delay. Ninety percent funding will be reimbursed from a Federal Aviation Administration Grant. Five percent will come from the Colorado Department of Transportation.
The second item was an approval of a contract with Arvada Excavation Co. for $210,000. The contract is to excavate, haul and place soil as part of the remediation efforts at the former Leyden Landfill. The project is required as part of the 1993 settlement agreement associated with the closure and remediation of the former landfill.
The third item the BCC approved was a contract with American Civil Constructors, Inc. for $3,475,641. The contract is for roadway improvements on West Chatfield Avenue from West Ken Caryl Avenue to South Garrison Street. The county is adding sidewalks, curbs and gutters, concrete medians, drainage items and asphalt resurfacing. The project is being funded with the half-cent southeast sales tax.
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Grants to Assist Sheriff's Office
 The BCC at its June 11 hearing approved the acceptance of two grants for the Sheriff's Office.
The first is a $30,000 grant from the Colorado State Forest Service that will be used to help fund the Fuels Mitigation Program. The program, in place since 2007, supports fuel crews working to decrease the threat of wildfire in Jeffco by reducing hazardous fuels.
The second grant is from the Colorado Department of Safety, Division of Fire Prevention and Control. It is for $1,875 and will support the purchase of five Bendix-King portable radios for the Emergency Management Office.
The BCC also approved a grant application for the Limited Gaming Impact Program through the Department of Local Affairs. If awarded, the Sheriff's Office could receive $61,910 to mitigate costs related to gaming impacts. |
Personal Property Tax Refund
The Board of County Commissioners at its public hearing on June 11 approved a personal property tax refund incentive for Terumo BCT, Inc.
According to its website, Terumo is a "a global leader in blood component and cellular technologies...with the unique combination of apheresis collections, manual and automated whole blood processing, and pathogen reduction coupled with leading technologies in therapeutic apheresis and cell processing."
The company will receive a 100 percent rebate, only on its new investment, from the county for the first ten 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 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. |
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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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