Commissioner Faye Griffin was elected by the Board of County Commissioners to serve as the chair for 2014. Donald Rosier, who served as the board chair for 2012 and 2013, formally passed the gavel to Commissioner Griffin at the BCC meeting January 14. Griffin previously served as the chair of the board in 2011 and chair pro tem in 2013. The board chair serves as the presiding officer of the BCC and along with other duties, is responsible for conducting the BCC hearings and meetings.

The BCC elected Commissioner Casey Tighe to serve as chair pro tem for 2014. The chairman pro tem makes the majority of motions during the public hearings and in the event the chair is not present, presides as the acting board chair.

 

The commissioners also made appointments to represent the county on the following boards and commissions:

 

Chair Faye Griffin - District 1

• Board of Directors of the Law Enforcement Authority - chair
• Child and Youth Leadership Commission
• Jefferson County Head Start Policy Council
• Noxious Weed Advisory Board
• Rocky Flats Stewardship Council
• Urban Drainage and Flood Control District Board
• Boundary Control Commission - second alternate    
• Jefferson County Economic Development Corporation Executive Committee
• Jefferson County Economic Development Corporation Board - alternate
• Jefferson Parkway Public Highway Authority - alternate 

Chair Pro Tem Casey Tighe - District 2

• Board of Directors of the Law Enforcement Authority - chair pro tem
• Community Corrections Board
• Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee 
• E-911 Board
• Noxious Weed Advisory Board
• Jefferson Center for Mental Health Board
• Jefferson County Transportation Action and Advocacy Group (JEFFTAAG) - chair
• I-70 Mountain Coalition
• C-470 Corridor Coalition - alternate
• Colorado Counties, Inc. Legislative Committee - alternate
• Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) - alternate
• Jefferson County Head Start Policy Council - alternate
• Jefferson County Economic Development Corporation Executive Committee
• Jefferson County Economic Development Corporation - alternate
• Boundary Control Commission - first alternate   

Commissioner Donald Rosier - District 3

• Boundary Control Commission
• Colorado Counties, Inc. Legislative Committee
• C-470 Corridor Coalition  
• Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG)
• Jefferson County Economic Development Corporation Executive Committee
• Jefferson County Economic Development Corporation Board
• Jefferson Parkway Public Highway Authority Board
• Noxious Weed Advisory Board
• Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee - alternate
• Jefferson County Transportation Action and Advocacy Group (JEFFTAAG) - chair pro tem
• I-70 Mountain Coalition - alternate

The BCC, at its Jan. 7 hearing, approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the city of Lakewood for the management of the Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Formulas Grant (JAG). The county and city entered into a joint application to receive these funds. The city will act as the fiscal agent and the $16,551 will be supplemented to the Sheriff's Office expenditure budget. It will be used by the Office of Emergency Management to support its part-time Colorado LifeTrak Care Specialist. 

 

Jefferson County participates in the NFIP, which provides flood insurance protection to property owners. In order to participate in NFIP, Jeffco is required to have a sound floodplain management program. The floodplain regulations in the Jeffco Zoning Resolution and Land Development Regulation, makes up part of Jeffco's floodplain management program.

 

Jefferson County also participates in FEMA's Community Rating System (CRS), which requires an Insurance Services Officer (ISO) and an audit by FEMA of the floodplain management program. The CRS program requires a comprehensive approach to floodplain management, public outreach and annual reporting and in return, FEMA provides a discount on flood insurance premiums. Jeffco is currently a Class 6 and is the highest rated county in Colorado. Based on the rating, Jeffco citizens have saved approximately $70,000 annually on flood insurance premiums.

 

To learn more about the floodplain management, visit www.jeffco.us/planning-and-zoning/floodplains/.

Adding Courtroom Space

The BCC approved a $260,645 contract with A.D. Miller Services, Inc., to construct a new low-capacity courtroom and add a jury box in Courtroom 1-C. The added courtroom and jury box in Courtroom 1-C will allow greater flexibility on the types of cases that can be heard.

 

Jeffco presently has 31 judicial positions and 29 courtrooms. Judges are state employees, not county, but the county per statute must provide space for the courts

 

Funding for this project will come from the 2013 Five Year Capital Improvement Plan, which will be carried forward into 2014. The project will be completed in early 2014. 

Semi-Annual Update from Development and Transportation

At the Jan. 14 staff briefings, the commissioners were updated on the latest programs, services and achievements from the Development and Transportation Department , which is comprised of five divisions.

 

Airport

The Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport briefed the BCC on its quarterly fuel flowage, which is down five percent or a total of 3.4 million gallons. However, the airport does provide a profound economic impact for the Rocky Mountain area. The annual direct and indirect economic impacts improved from the 2008 study, which showed $368 million, to 2013 at $460 million. The local and state annual taxes linked to the operation of the airport totals $12.7 million. The airport also reported that it has completed a substantial part of the Runway Safety Area Project, which included relocating and improving State Highway 128/Interlocken Loop.

 

Building Safety

With convenient and easy-to-use online services now available to citizens, Building Safety reported the number of phone calls the office has received has decreased to 59,087 phone calls in 2013.  In 2013, the division oversaw 13,730 permits, 44,993 inspections, 2,339 plan reviews, and emailed 69,537 inspection results. Building Safety launched a new program providing contractor licenses and it has issued 176 contractor licenses.

 

Planning and Zoning

In 2013, Planning and Zoning worked with the Planning Commission, who adopted the roll-in of the Indian Hills, North Mountains and Central Mountains community plans into the county's Comprehensive Master Plan. Still left to be rolled in are the Evergreen Area and Conifer/285 Corridor Area community plans. The division developed and brought forth for adoption several regulations or amendments to current regulations. These include the Mixed Use Zone District, Water & Wastewater Regulations, Chicken and Bee Regulations, Floodplain Regulations and Park and School Fee amendments.

 

Road and Bridge

The Road and Bridge Division has put almost $7 million back into the local economy. This is through supplies and service contracts; from $3.15 million in asphalt supplies to $75,000 in guardrail repair services.

 

The division has been testing GPS programs to install in its vehicles for better efficiencies. The purchase order will be issued in March.

 

It completed a study on pavement conditions in district two and found that the average pavement condition is 73 out of 100. The division also worked heavily on flood repairs last fall, opening all the closed roads, but still has to finish about 25 percent of the fixes for less critical areas like ditches.

 

Transportation and Engineering

Transportation and Engineering stayed busy on several construction projects. These included Lena Gulch at South Golden Road, Chatfield Avenue from Ken Caryl Avenue to Garrison Street, Leyden Landfill and Ward Street reconstruction. For 2014, the division is planning to work on several projects that include South Golden Road from Quaker Street to Mount Vernon Road; Quincy Avenue from Kipling Parkway to Wadsworth Boulevard; and bridge replacement at McIntyre Street and Van Bibber.

 

To learn more about Development and Transportation, please visit www.jeffco.us/development-and-transportation/.