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August 6, 2013
In This Issue
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Commissioner Reports...
Contractor Policy Approved
BCC Approves Recommend Grants
Special Districts Given Green Light
Updates from Development and Transportation

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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. 

 

 

Commissioner Faye Griffin

  • Encouraged everyone to go to the county fair 

Chair Donald Rosier

  • Discussed playground rebuild that he had participated in for Foothills Park and Recreation

 

  

 

Contractor Policy Approved

After reviewing a draft at the July 23 staff briefings, the commissioners moved forward with a Building Contractor Policy and approved the new policy at its Aug. 6 public hearing.

 

The policy creates a contractor license program for the county that will be implemented Jan. 1, 2014. Currently the county does not license contractors as part of the building permit process.

 

The policy will improve records by requiring registrations; improve contractor accountability by requiring annual reviews; and increase contractor code knowledge by requiring evidence of a state license, a license from an authorized jurisdiction or an International Code Council (ICC) contractor exam. There will be a flat $50 fee to cover the administrative costs of the program. 

BCC Approves Recommend Grants

Scientific and Cultural Facilities DistrictThe BCC approved the recommendations from the county's Cultural Council Board for 2014 Scientific & Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) grant funding. The list now moves on to the SCFD Board for final approval and the grants will be distributed to the organizations Oct. 23, 2013. The grants, which total $890,180.99, are funded through tax dollars generated by the SCFD sales tax approved by voters.

 

The Cultural Council Board reviewed and interviewed 86 applicants from different cultural and scientific organizations requesting grant funds for their 2014 programs. Some of the organizations that applied include the Center for Arts Evergreen, Conifer StageDoor Theater and Foothills Art Center Inc.

Special Districts Given Green Light

The BCC approved the service plans for three potential special districts. The county approves the service plans and the special district, which is a governmental entity with taxing authority, is approved by voters within the boundaries of the district. The special district provides a specific set of services to the specific area it covers. Private property within the district boundaries are subject to taxes and or fees imposed by the district.

 

Some special districts include ambulance, fire protection, park and recreation, and in the case of the newly proposed districts, metropolitan districts. Sometimes metropolitan districts take the place of a homeowners association. The benefit is that the taxes are included in the property taxes (mill levy) and are then tax deductible. Metropolitan districts can be used as a tax-exempt financing mechanism used to install, operate and maintain public infrastructure within the special district boundaries.

 

The first approved was the Silver Leaf Metropolitan District, which will cover a new residential development. The development will have 50 patio homes and is located at South Kipling Parkway and West Coal Mine Avenue. Potential services will include parks & recreation and street improvements.

 

The second special district was the Reserve at Meadows Metropolitan District that will cover a new 82 unit residential development located at South Ward and South Simms Street. Potential services include, water, sanitation and street improvements.

 

Table Mountain Metropolitan District was the third special district approved. It will cover a new 176 unit residential development located east of McIntyre Street near West 50th Avenue. Potential services include street improvements and mosquito control.

Updates from Development and Transportation

Development and Transportation Director Jeanie Rossillon and her staff shared the latest news and updates on various projects with the commissioners at staff briefings. Below are some highlights from the report.

 

Planning and Zoning

First up was Planning and Zoning, which has continued to update several community plans including the Indian Hills, North Mountains and Central Mountains. Community plans give area-specific guidance to the county and citizens when developing in these areas. Updates to park and school fees, floodplain regulations and accessory dwelling units are in the works and will be presented at future BCC meetings.

 

Planning and Zoning also touched on recently passed regulations. The division has issued eight bee-keeping permits, 19 chicken-keeping permits and three short-term rental permits.

 

Road and Bridge

Road and Bridge has a new GPS vehicle tracking program. It is expected to save money by reducing idle times and help create more efficient routes for snow plows and other county vehicles.

 

The division is working on a pavement conditions study, which looked at all paved roads in District two. The study inventories roads and rates conditions. This allows for better budgeting and road conditions throughout the county. Road and Bridge is also in the process of obtaining a lease for property near C-470 and Quincy to store and process asphalt rotomillings.

 

Transportation and Engineering

T & E has taken on a very large project of identifying and geographically locating every Jeffco traffic control and street name sign. This creates a more accurate inventory and assists staff in locating and knowing which kind of signs need to be replaced. So far the department has inventoried 40,897 signs and the project is 90 percent complete.

 

The division is also working on updating the county's traffic signal system, completing the NEAT trail in Evergreen, improvements to Chatfield Avenue from Ken Caryl Avenue to Garrison Street, and preparing for improvements to Quincy Avenue from Kipling Parkway to Wadsworth Boulevard.

 

Airport

Fuel flowage is down 10 percent and operations are down three percent compared to 2012 for the first six months of 2013 at the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport. There are two major Airport Improvement Projects progressing on schedule and within budget. Projects include construction of the State Highway 128/ Interlocken intersection and runway safety area improvements.

 

In May 2013, one of the Airport's primary tenants, Pilatus Aircraft, unveiled the concept PC-24 Versatile Jet at the European Business Aviation Conference, and it is scheduled for production in Stans, Switzerland by 2017. The aircraft will then be sent to the Airport for completions for most orders in North and South America. The Airport will also be the site of the upcoming annual Rocky Mountain Air Show, Aug. 16-18.

 

Building Safety

The Building Safety Division has been working with changes and new regulations concerning the state plumbing board. The county has 12 months to update its plumbing codes when changes are made by this board. There also is a new requirement that all inspection staff be certified in residential and commercial plumbing. Fortunately, staff is already certified in residential, and nine are certified in commercial plumbing with six in the process of becoming certified. 

  

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.