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08_22_24_AM_headlines kgnu
Fire near Lyons:
The Gultra wildfire burning in Clear Creek Canyon west of Golden has grown to over 200 acres.
U.S. 6 remains closed, and fire officials will evaluate reopening it today. As of last night, the fire was 60% contained.
According to the Jeffco Sheriff’s Office, there is no anticipation of any evacuations associated with this fire.
Witness reports indicate that the Gultra wildfire began Tuesday night due to a lightning strike.
Denverites will vote on substantial sales tax for affordable housing
The City Council voted 9-4 to refer the Affordable Denver sales tax measure to the ballot on Monday.
In November, Denver voters will decide on a 0.5% sales tax increase to fund affordable housing. Denver’s City Council voted 9-4 in favor of sending the tax to the ballot on Monday. The new tax would generate an estimated $100 million annually and be used to fund initiatives such as rental assistance and down payment aid.
Mayor Mike Johnston says the money will allow the city to build 45,000 new affordable housing units and support residents across income levels.
Amendments to the tax that City Council members supported on Monday included a sunset date, specifying that the tax expire in 40 years and that the city only use the money to benefit people making 80% or less of the area median income. Currently, Denver’s median income is around $90,000 for a single-person household.
Four council members, including Kevin Flynn, opposed the measure, citing concerns about a lack of public input and making an already unaffordable city even less affordable for low-income families.
The Affordable Denver tax will appear alongside a 0.34% sales tax increase for Denver Health. If both pass, the sales tax rate would rise to 9.65%.
Kroger sues FTC
Kroger, which owns King Soopers, the Colorado-based grocery chain, sued the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Monday in Cincinnati.
The lawsuit aims to stop the FTC’s administrative proceedings against Kroger’s proposed merger with Albertsons, claiming the actions are unconstitutional.
State attorneys general, including Colorado’s Phil Weiser, are on board with blocking the merger, saying it violates antitrust laws.
The trial that could potentially unblock the nearly $25 billion deal is set for September 30.
The FTC filed a separate lawsuit in Oregon to prevent the merger until the administrative proceeding concludes.
Kroger and Albertsons announced the merger in October 2022, stating it would help them compete with nonunion discount grocers like Walmart and Costco. They claim the merger would lead to $1 billion in higher wages, expanded benefits, and job security.
The United Food and Commercial Workers Union opposes the merger, arguing it would harm employees, suppliers, and customers by reducing competition and increasing prices. To address competition concerns, Kroger and Albertsons plan to sell hundreds of stores to C&S Wholesale Grocers.
In Colorado, they would sell 91 stores, including two Albertsons and the rest being Safeways. Kroger owns 148 stores in Colorado under the King Soopers and City Market brands.
Facultt experts say CU’s energy plan is not enough
Faculty and staff at the University of Colorado Boulder are criticizing a more than $40 million energy plant rebuild.
CU experts in green energy argue that the plan does not align with the university’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and suggest alternatives such as upgrading steam boilers and using power from the greener Xcel Energy grid instead of new natural gas turbines.
According to the Colorado Sun, CU administrators say the new plant will be more reliable and reduce nitrogen oxide emissions.
Chief Operating Officer Patrick O’Rourke responded to the critical faculty advisory report submitted earlier this year, stating that the new turbines offer necessary resiliency and compliance with new air pollution standards.
O’Rourke argued that the projected savings from the faculty’s alternative plan are minimal compared to their chosen approach.
Despite the criticism and request for further review, the university plans to proceed with their plan to rebuild, emphasizing the importance of stability and redundancy in power supply, according to statements made by O’Rourke.
