A Code Enforcement Solution?

At the Ward meetings recently held we learned about the new Code Enforcement program entitled Clean Sweep. Today’s Sentinel also carried an article on the program. You should know by now whenever government announces a new solution to an old problem is generally an admission the old solution was a failure.

Council member Robin Tichy stated that four years ago Code Enforcement in the City wasn’t the best it could be. How about still, and why hasn’t the problem been previously corrected? Do we need a Council election to instill a new commitment? The City has budgeted seven code enforcement officers. That’s 280 hours a week. Let’s hope the new packaging doesn’t result in the same result.

She is also very proud of our City Hall and other employees who are leaving their desks on Fridays to help clean up some sore spots in our parks and open space areas. She did not mention that the Friday event is utilizing some very highly paid members of the staff. Is there a shortage of work for them to do in their primary jobs? Are the employees hired to maintain our parks so over worked that assistance is needed from other employees? It sounds like there needs to be some adjustments in their budgeting process and priorities.

The 104th Ave Blemishes

You have driven eastbound along 104th Ave. from automobile row to the Red Lobster. You have probably driven on the left, inside lane near Ura Lane and Quivas more than a few times as well. I just want to confirm what the old timers know; the lane is inside Northglenn. Those are our bumps, dips and patches; not Thornton’s. Old timers also know those areas have been a problem for years and the solution is to replace the sub base.

On the 9th I pointed out the City has not carried out capital street projects amounting to a budgeted amount of $1,050,000 this year. I have a project for them that is worthwhile and it is a lot cheaper. Let’s fix the blemishes for good.

Candidates' Forum

The public is invited to a candidates’ forum to be held on Monday October 3rd at the O’Meara Ford conference room beginning at 7:00 P.M.

The event is sponsored by the Metro North Chamber and Metro North Newspapers. Questioning will be by the owner and managing editor of the newspaper and a representative from the League of Women Voters.

The event will be taped for a later broadcast on our Channel 8.

Corporate Express

You have probably already read in the Sentinel that Corporate Express is coming to town. Two hundred employees will be locating in the vacant building at 112th Ave. and Huron. I had occasion to be in the building while it was occupied. Before going to RTD I did some driving for Classic Charters and took a group to a Rockies’s game.

When representatives of Corporate Express and the broker contacted the City for some assistance in providing adequate parking, the Council acted wisely. The amount of assistance was quite modest compared to some other ideas.
Having an additional two hundred employees in the community should certainly help some of the surrounding businesses. It could also help to sustain our real estate values. The additional traffic could be a downside that we will have to deal with in the near future. All in all, welcome to our community.

A Challenge Response

In my flyer I state the Mayor, Council and Manager were guilty of deficit spending in that they overspent the General Fund. They reduced the year end balance from just over $20 million to just over $8 million in the period from January 1, 2002 to January 1, 2005. If you call me at 303-457-0858, I will fax the page from their official, required audit.

Deception or Ignorance

While I was handing out flyers this morning I ran into a resident who was informed by an elected official that no fence could be built along the west side of Huron south of Kennedy because the income level of the area did not meet federal requirements.

The reason for this misinformation lies in the fact that the City has been using money from the Community Development Block Grant program to construct a fence along Washington Street instead of using the General Fund. The fencing properly is a General Fund project just as much as streets, medians and parks. There is only one reason the City has been using the CDBG money for the fencing. The Mayor, Council and Manager have been using it for other, soft, overhead purposes.

I would like to quote from the State of Colorado web site the purpose of the CDBG grant program. “The primary objective of the State’s program is the development of viable urban communities, by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment and expanding economic opportunities, principally for persons of low and moderate income.”
(http://www.dola.state.co/ then Local Government then Financial Services and, on the left, CDBG)

In my flyer I state I fully support correcting the encroachment of Croke Reservoir under Huron. Once this problem is corrected, there will be fencing along Huron financed by the General Fund where the expense belongs. The misuse of the CDBG grant program must be halted. The excuse for not constructing the fence is invalid.

Housekeeping

For your convenience, I have placed a link to the right which will take you directly to the City Council agendas. You can pick the meeting of interest by date. The same link is on the official website of the City: www.northglenn.org
The link to my email is tied to Outlook. Outlook Express will not work. I have no control over it.
Now that my flyer has been delivered to all areas except for one, I will attempt to have useful information added to this Web Log a minimun of twice a week. I will complete the delivery of the flyer within the next few days.
I have yard signs advertising this site available. If you believe the information is useful, please contact me. I will also have yards signs ready shortly after October 1st.
I have seven messages on this page. All prior posts will be found in the link entitled Archives.
Phone is 303-457-0858 Please call during the evenings, on weekends or leave a message.
Thank you for visiting.

September 8th Sentinel Article

The issue contained a story about the proposed retail development between the recreation center and the proposed movie theater. The Mayor discussed the condition that the Council imposed on the selected developers, Opus Northwest/Goldberg on September First. If the company doesn't not put up $465,000 in a few days, the City will terminate the agreement and go with an alternative. I will give you the likely conclusion.

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At the July 2004 meeting of the Urban Renewal Authority the City Manager revealed the major recreation center expansion project that lost at the polls. He also discussed the proposed retail area next to the center. It is the same area discussed in this Sentinel article. At that time he stated that the City staff might be the best developer. You can imagine his disappointment when the Council took the high road by going with Opus/Goldberg.

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The Mayor would not divulge plan B,C and D in the article. Throwing out the professionals and casting the fate of the area with the City Manager and his staff is the Mayor's Plan B. I sincerely hope that the majority of the Council will reject his and her plan and stick with experts in the field. The development could be a asset to the community.

Dream On-One

If you attended the joint Ward 4 & 3 social or theWard one social recently, you heard from City staff members about current activities and some overdue projects that they have planned for next year.

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You will also be hearing more wonderful news in the future from the City's new public relations firm. I'll let you know how much you will be paying for this information as soon as I obtain it. The firm's goal is to sell you on the City's future and its current elected officials.

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In evaluating the wonderful plans they will reveal to you, it is only fair to consider their current track record. Last Fall the City approved a Capital Improvement Plan for 2005. I would like to quote the Plan's section entitled, "Street Construction & Maintenance." $350,000 120th Ave. Bridge replacement-$600,000 W. 112th Ave widening
$100,000 Community Center Drive Improvement-Total: $1,050,000

When you are out and about, check out this year's promises. If this failure wasn't enough, you may be interested to know that the street sealing program for this year was cancelled. You didn't miss it in your neighborhood alone. Dream On!

Driveway to City Hall

How many weeks can the City Manager, Mayor, Council Members and City employees drive by this waste of water and not conclude there is a problem with their power of observation and their dedication to the preservation of a valuable resource? I know of three.

A Tribute to Bill Goodspeed

I met Bill last year when he heard about my efforts to publicize the proposed recreation center project. In a short time he started to share a tremendous amount of information concerning activities at the City. With over twenty years of public service behind him, I found his grasp of municipal issues to be the most comprehensive of any member of any Council I had previously served. It was through his insight that we were able to demonstrate to the public the serious problems with the use of the Water Fund and the recreation center expansion project.

For a few years Bill will be missing from his Council chair but he will be ever present defending you and keeping an eye on all of the candidates who take an oath to serve you come January. Bill was our choice to run for Mayor this year. Many of you had been contacted by his friends and supporters in a genuine effort to encourage him to run. I was one of them. I look forward to his continual involvement in protecting Northglenn's future. Thank you Bill