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Planning Commission
City Council – Study Session
Today at 5:30pm
2 Agenda Items
Virtual and In-Person
Public's Right to Speak
Item No. 1 - MEMO - Municipal Judge Interviews
• Open for comment
Pursuant to Sec.8.2 of the Municipal Charter, the City Council shall appoint a presiding judge. The top two candidates have been referred to City Council to be interviewed for the position of Presiding Municipal Judge.
Past Meetings
City Council – Special Study Session
Mon, May 13, 2024 at 7:00pm
2 Agenda Items
Virtual and In-Person
Public's Right To Speak
Item No. 1 - MEMO - Lutheran Campus Height Survey
A survey was conducted between April 30th and May 8th by Magellan Strategies to obtain input from Wheat Ridge residents and to measure support for or against a proposed ballot measure to amend the City Charter to remove the building height limitations for those areas described as mixed use in the Lutheran Legacy Campus Master Plan. Representatives from Magellan Strategies will present the results of the survey at the May 13th study session.
City Council – City Council Meeting
Mon, May 13, 2024 at 6:30pm
9 Agenda Items
Virtual and In-person
Public's Right to Speak
Item No. 1 - ORD - WR Code of Law amend for Liquor Authority
Approved
The City has an eight-member, Council appointed Liquor Licensing Authority (LLA) that is vested with the authority to grant and refuse liquor licenses and other types of applications and permits, and hold show cause hearings for alleged violations, all in the manner provided by law. Over the past few years, the eight-member board has struggled at times to reach a quorum, delaying Wheat Ridge businesses from obtaining licenses and other resolutions in a timely manner.
Item No. 2 - ORD - rezone property at 10840 W 41st Pl
Approved
The owner of the property at 10840 W. 41st Place is requesting approval of a zone change from Agricultural-One (A-1) to Residential-One B (R-1B). The zone change will result in a zoning that encourages investment in the site and will enable the land use to become more conforming with the zoning.
Item No. 3 - ORD - rezone property at Parcel ID 39-193-01-01
Approved
Cogent Companies is requesting approval of a zone change from Agricultural-One (A-1) to Industrial Employment (I-E) to allow the site to be utilized for outdoor storage. The zone change will result in a zoning designation that would allow for use of the property unless and until it is developed as right-of-way.
Item No. 4 - agreement with 44th & Wadsworth LLC
Approved
Design and construction of the Improve Wadsworth Project necessitated the installation of a raised median on 44th Avenue which prohibits left turns from westbound 44th Avenue to a private driveway behind the FirstBank building. In response to many requests from the public, staff has coordinated with the property management company to open an existing access point from Vance St. at 43rd Avenue to allow temporary access to the shopping center and the private drive through the shopping center’s parking lot. The temporary license documents the terms of this agreement. The city will enter into a contract to perform the necessary work to open up this access within the next month or so. Funding will come from the Wheat Ridge Urban Renewal Authority.
Item No. 5 - MOTION - contrat with CEM for lap pool filters
Approved
The Wheat Ridge Recreation Center Lap Pool filters have sustained severe damage to an internal manifold. While a temporary fix was installed by staff to extend the life of the filters, the temporary fix is failing. The filters require immediate repair to safeguard the integrity of the lap pool and to prevent interruptions in service, possibly including a long-term closure. This motion is to award a contract to CEM Sales and Service to complete this essential work.
Item No. 6 - RESO - reverter on the Green at 38th
Approved
The City purchased property for the Town Center Park in 1982 using Jefferson County Open Space funding. Because Open Space funding was used, a Jefferson County Open Space reverter was placed on the Town Center Park which restricts the use of that property to public park and recreation purposes. The Town Center Park is no longer a viable option for a community park due to a number of factors including commercial redevelopment in the area. In the meantime, the City is currently developing The Green at 38th as a new community plaza and park on 38th Avenue, within a few blocks of the Town Center Park. To decommission the Town Center Park, Jefferson County Open Space has agreed to release the reverter and move it to The Green at 38th. This Resolution provides the Mayor with the authority to sign the associated agreement with Jefferson County to complete the effort of transferring the reverter.
Item No. 7 - RESO - zone change for Lutheran Legacy Campus
Approved
In less than three months, the Lutheran Hospital will move from its current location to Clear Creek Crossing. The City prepared for this move (and for the redevelopment opportunity it creates) by adopting the Lutheran Legacy Campus Master Plan in October 2021. A zone change and an amendment to the City Charter are both required to realize the community vision outlined in the Master Plan. This resolution takes the first step in formally advancing a city-initiated zone change of the Lutheran Legacy Campus.
Item No. 8 - MOTION - payment to Bank of Oklahoma
Approved
On May 2, 2017, the City closed on Series 2017A Sales and Use Tax Revenue Bonds in the par amount of $30,595,000 with a net premium of $2,687,079 for a total of $33,282,079. The City’s first interest payment for 2024 is due June 1 in the amount of $249,900 and the principal and second interest payment is due December 1 in the amount of $3,249,900. Funds to cover the 2024 payments are budgeted in the 2024 2E Bond Fund budget.
City Council – Study Session
Mon, May 6, 2024 at 6:30pm
4 Agenda Items
Virtual and In-Person
Public's Right to Speak
Item No 1 - MEMO - UC Denver GIS Presenation
Councilmember Weaver has taught a project-based course in the spring for graduate students from CU Denver to tackle current geographical issues with geospatial tools such as GIS. Over the past few years, the course has partnered with City staff to create and address city-specific projects as part of the curriculum. The students will be presenting the outcomes of this semester’s projects to City Council.
Item No. 2 - MEMO - Residential Waste Engagement
The purpose of this study session is to provide City Council with an update on the Residential Waste Engagement project, including public engagement results to-date and to discuss next steps for the second, final round of public engagement to ensure alignment with Council priorities.
Item No. 3 - MEMO - 2023 B&C Annual Report
Staff has completed the first Boards and Commissions Annual Report. This report details the achievements of each public body included in the report through the 2023 calendar year, anticipated activities in 2024, and provides information regarding the members of each public body. Staff liaisons and commission members from the Election Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, and Cultural Commission will present an update on each Commission at the May 6th study session.
City Council – Special Study Session
Mon, Apr 22, 2024 at 7:00pm
2 Agenda Items
Virtual and In-Person
Public's Right to Speak
Item No. 1 - MEMO - Happiness Gardens Update
Councilmember Hultin requested a special study session on Happiness Gardens. Members of the Parks and Recreation Department will discuss how the garden has fostered community building across generations, honoring the rich history of agriculture in Wheat Ridge. Staff will provide information on how Happiness Gardens has transformed in recent years through grants and partnerships. Additionally, staff will share future plans for Happiness Gardens, as well as the recently acquired Randall Park property.
City Council – City Council Meeting
Mon, Apr 22, 2024 at 6:30pm
13 Agenda Items
Virtual and In-Person
Public's Right to Speak
Item No. 1a - RESO - budget supplement to re-encumber funds
Pending
On February 26, 2024, Council approved the reappropriation of 105 open purchase orders from the 2023 budget for a total re-encumbrance of $14,676,888.46. Three of those 105 purchase orders incurred payments in 2024 prior to the carryover, but the amount was not reflected in the re-encumbrance amount. As a result, the three purchase orders are now short of funds in the amount of the payment that was made. To continue or close out these projects in 2024, a supplemental budget appropriation in the amount of $415,911.71 is necessary to allow transfer of these funds into specific budget line items in the 2024 Budget.
Item No. 1b - RESO - budget supplement for DOLA grant
Pending
In late 2023, the Wheat Ridge Homeless Navigation Program was awarded $75,000 by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs through its Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) application, with funds to be released in April 2024. ESG is a federal, HUD-administered program, now supplemented with Proposition 123 funds. The grant award will be used to support the Navigation Program’s outreach and motel vouchering efforts.
Item No. 1c - RESO - IGA with Denver for Study
Pending
The City received a grant from the Jefferson County Open Space (JCOS) Trails Partnership Program for a trail feasibility study. The study will focus on the area between Creekside Park in Wheat Ridge and W. 52nd Avenue that is the border between Denver and Jefferson Counties to determine if an off-street trail connection is possible in this area to link together the existing Clear Creek Trail. Wheat Ridge will be accepting the Trails Partnership funding so an intergovernmental agreement with Denver is required to outline the terms associated with the management of this project.
Item No. 1d - RESO - agreement with Jeffco Open Space
Pending
The City of Wheat Ridge was awarded $45,000 through the Jefferson County Open Space (JCOS) Trails Partnership Program. The $45,000 award is 50% of the estimated cost for a feasibility study of the area between Creekside Park in Wheat Ridge and W. 52nd Avenue that is the border between Denver and Jefferson Counties to determine if an off-street trail connection is possible in this area to link together the existing Clear Creek Trail. To accept the grant and receive the funding, the City Council must direct the Mayor to sign the grant agreement.
Item No. 1e - MOTION - appoint BOA Members
Pending
Section 2.53(e) of the City of Wheat Ridge Code of Laws states “…any board or commission member who shall change their personal residence to an address outside the city or the district they represent shall cease to be a member of the board or commission…” Betty Jo Page was previously appointed to a District I seat on the Board of Adjustment. She has since moved into District II. She was removed from the Board and she has re-applied for a District II seat. Thomas Burney who holds a District II seat is a resident of District IV. Staff is requesting to appoint Betty Jo Page to the District II seat currently occupied by Thomas Burney and to appoint Thomas Burney to the vacant District IV seat. This will place both members in the districts in which they reside. This will leave a vacancy in District I for which staff will recruit.
Item No. 1f - MOTION - contract with OpenGov
Pending
In 2021, City Council determined a priority of the City must be to streamline permitting and licensing to assist the business community in working with Wheat Ridge and provide greater customer service. Following a two-year evaluation period of systems and existing business processes, the City has selected five systems to drive efficiency and modernize business practices. The second system to be purchased and implemented is OpenGov which will facilitate permitting and licensing for our contractors as well as improving code enforcement visibility.
Item No. 2 - ORD - Amend WR Code of Laws re Public Notice
Pending
Prior to the public hearing for a quasi-judicial application, the zoning code currently requires that the City send letter notice of the hearing to owners and occupants within 600 feet of the subject property. The proposed ordinance extends this letter notice to 1000 feet.
Item No. 3 - RESO - agreement with Renewal Wheat Ridge
Pending
U.S. Retail Partners, LLC (the “Developer”) redeveloped the vacant Walmart retail building within the Applewood Village Shopping Center in 2019 which resulted in new retailers such as Hobby Lobby, HomeGoods, Sierra Trading Post, Ulta, Eyeglass World and Chick-fil-A. To assist in the redevelopment, the City and the Wheat Ridge Urban Renewal Authority dba Renewal Wheat Ridge (RWR) entered into a Cooperation Agreement dated May 13, 2019 which authorized the City to pledge a 1.0 cent sales tax increment to the project for a period of five years up to a maximum amount of $2,000,874. The sales tax pledge will expire in 2024. Due to the emergence of the COVID crisis shortly after the new retailers opened, and other economic factors, the sales tax pledge is estimated to generate only $390,471, well short of the $2,000,874 originally estimated by revenue modeling. The Developer has requested an extension of the sales tax pledge for another ten years, without amending the maximum sales tax pledge of $2,000,874.
Item No. 4 - ORD - Amend WR Code of Laws re Liquor Authority
Pending
The City has an eight-member, Council appointed Liquor Licensing Authority (LLA) that is vested with the authority to grant and refuse liquor licenses and other types of applications and permits, and hold show cause hearings for alleged violations, all in the manner provided by law. Over the past few years, the eight-member board has struggled at times to reach a quorum, delaying Wheat Ridge businesses from obtaining licenses and other resolutions in a timely manner.
Item No. 5 - RESO - budget amendment for storm sewer repairs
Pending
In November 2023, Wheat Ridge citizens favorably supported an extension of a ½ cent temporary sales and use tax to be used for constructing sidewalk gaps, sidewalk, bike lane, roadway and drainage improvements. Recent storm sewer pipe failures have resulted in the need to access funds for these repairs. As bonds for these improvements will likely not be issued until the fall of 2024, at the earliest, it is necessary to declare the City’s intent to use bond proceeds for these improvements and, when financing occurs, to be reimbursed with proceeds from the bonds for these expenditures.
Item No. 6 - RESO - IGA with Denver for UASI
Pending
The State of Colorado received an Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grant award for approximately $504,588 to purchase a mobile command post vehicle for the City of Wheat Ridge Police Department. Wheat Ridge is responsible to appropriate a 20.1% match of funds and to approve an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the City and County of Denver to receive the mobile command post vehicle. The grant award amount may increase or decrease slightly before the vehicle is delivered. To account for this uncertainty, this supplemental budget appropriation will approve matching funds up to an amount not-to-exceed $115,000 to ensure adequate funding is available for the City’s required matching funds.
Item No. 7 - RESO - Jeffco Historical Landmark Designation
Pending
The Wheat Ridge Historical Society and the City of Wheat Ridge were approached by the Jefferson County Historical Commission about applying to the County Landmark Designation Program for the Wheat Ridge Historical Park and the Baugh House. Both properties can be submitted as a single application. As the City owns the buildings and properties, City Council support for the application to the county program is needed and Council would need to direct the Mayor to sign the Owner Consent Form that is part of the application.
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