Headlines — November 15, 2022

November 15, 2022

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Parents and Student Ask DPS Board to Rethink School Closures 

Students and families attended a Denver Public Schools Board Meeting yesterday to ask board members to rethink the closure of five schools. 

DPS administrators initially announced ten school closures, but last week revised the number to five.  Most of the schools slated for closure serve an elementary-aged population. DPS cites low enrollment numbers as families move outside of the district in search of more affordable housing.

The school board will vote on the matter later this week.

CD-03 Update

Results continue to roll in for races that were too close to call last week. The outcome of Colorado’s closely-watched third Congressional District is not expected until sometime tomorrow. That’s the deadline for counties to receive tallies from military and overseas voters.

As of Monday afternoon, Republican Representative Lauren Boebert held on to a narrow lead over Democratic challenger Adam Frisch. Representative Boebert is vying for a second term in the U.S. House, and leads by 1,112 votes. CD-3 is among a handful of races nationwide that will determine control of the house.

Most observers expect the Republicans to win a majority. But Adam Frisch remains confident. A  spokeswoman says they trust the process and will wait for the results. Frisch initially led the race, but Boerbert took a slim lead last week and has held on to it ever since.

For now, she leads by about one-third of one percent. That margin is slightly more than what would lead to an automatic recount.

Boulder Library District Supporters Claim Victory

Meanwhile, a measure to fund the Boulder Public Library has been approved by Boulder voters. A newly created Boulder Library District will provide dedicated property tax funding. That will allow the library to restore staffing and services, implement programs, and other services, severely slashed during the pandemic. Once the vote has been certified, a Board of Trustees will be established to guide the transition from City to Library operations.

Boulder Fire Rescue Announces New Community Outreach and Education 

Boulder Fire Rescue will launch a new round of community outreach and education efforts. Services include car seat checks, CPR training, and home safety checks.

Boulder Fire Rescue suspended many outreach services during the COVID-19 Pandemic, but community members can go to Boulder Fire-Rescue website to sign up.

Superior Board Repeals City Ordinance

The Superior Town Board voted 6-0 to repeal the approval of a downtown life sciences campus. The Board voted on a controversial ordinance for the development application of Coal Creek Innovation Park in August. The Daily Camera reports residents Ryan Hitchler and Jason Serbu submitted a petition for the town board to either repeal the ordinance or let residents vote on it. A special election would have cost the town about $75,000. 

The developer, PMB LLC, which had plans to redevelop the site, has the option to resubmit the application but can also choose to abandon the project.

Boulder Opportunities For Citizens To Provide Input On The Future Of Policing In Boulder

The City of Boulder is including opportunities for citizens to provide input on the future of policing in Boulder.

The city has created the Reimage Policing (strategic) plan. The plan is to serve as a guiding document for the Boulder Police Department. The city is looking for input from all citizens, including historically excluded groups.

Community members will be able to consider whether the plan’s proposed focus areas and strategies are likely to achieve the values the Boulder community has said matter most. A survey has been mailed to a random sample of households within the City of Boulder.

The same survey will also be made available starting Nov. 18 on the BeHeardBoulder.org website. The survey will be in English and Spanish. A Community Advisory Group is also in place, and it will assist in the organization of focus groups. The focus groups will include specific populations that are negatively affected by the current criminal justice system. The focus group and survey data will help inform future development of the Reimage Policing plan.

The survey will continue through Dec. 23.

Denver Homeless House Plan

The city of Denver will lease two East Colfax Motels to provide temporary shelter for the unhoused.

The nearly one million dollar contract will reserve 36 units in the Westerner and Sand and Sage motels on East Colfax avenue for temporarily unhoused families and for affordable housing.

The city will hand over management of the properties to Volunteers of America of Colorado next fall. They will operate the facilities until 2028 when, according to the city’s website, the city will begin to redevelop the units into affordable housing.

Broomfield Police is Asking the Public For Help

The Broomfield Police Department is asking the public for help locating an owner of a vehicle connected to a sexual assault report that occurred back in September. The car is described as a white 2009-2015 Toyota Prius with a symbol or sticker on both sides. Photos of the vehicle can be seen at a Walgreens at the corner of Midway Boulevard and U.S. 287, but police didn’t specify if the assault occurred in the same area. With any information, contact Detective Jennifer King-Sullivan at 303-438-6461 or [email protected].

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