Monthly Archives: October 2008

At Monday night’s Council meeting, Judy introduced a proclamation urging the full realization of the Strategic Transportation Plan. The measure passed 11-1. Her comments in full:

Denver has worked hard over the last five years to develop the Strategic Transportation Plan. This document is important not only because it addresses the technical ways in which we will move people through our city, but because it will be the life blood of our communities. The travel shed concept threads transportation into the fabric of our communities in order to provide safe, healthy and vital connections to our jobs, to the services we use, to our homes, and most importantly, to one another. As the plan notes, a travel shed is an idea that “was derived from the theory of a watershed,” which is “a broad look at the inter connection of streams and tributaries that drain into a larger river basin. A travel shed takes a broad look at the collection of streets and mobility routes that feed into the larger, connected transportation system.”

The Strategic Transportation plan is reflective of the Mayor, and our various City departments, honoring the public’s commitment to a world class transportation system in the region. Each of the travel sheds featured in the plan are counting on the planned FasTracks enhancements as integral to the travel improvements promised in their neighborhoods. This is why Denver voters supported FasTracks and why, as Manager of Public Works Bill Vidal noted on September 16 during the Public Works Committee, that an underlying assumption of the Strategic Transportation Plan is that FasTracks will be completed to its originally planned extent by 2017. Manager Vidal reported that the Strategic Transportation Plan can only be fully realized if the FasTracks corridors are completely built out.

This is why I wish to commend Mayor Hickenlooper and the Metro Mayors’ Caucus, for taking the lead in supporting the full promised build out of FasTracks. As many of you are already aware, the Metro Mayor’s have formed a taskforce to study how the current economic situation may impact the build out of FasTracks. I endorse their goal that we do not sever a single community in a rush to cut costs. As noted on the Metro Mayors’ Caucus website, they “understand[] that a number of factors, including lagging sales tax revenues, may affect the implementation of FasTracks” and they further acknowledge “that the FasTracks plan may need to be modified to remain economically feasible.” However, the Caucus “urges RTD to select an implementation scenario that ensures that all of the corridors remain in the plan” and that “any further prioritization of these corridors should be made in a collaborative, regional process that incorporates input from local governments throughout the region.”

It is with this approach that we have a solid basis to fully realize the implementation of the Strategic Transportation Plan, which was developed after FasTracks was approved and is connected to every FasTracks corridor. For example, the Downtown Travel Shed in the STP “employment and attraction epicenter of the Denver Metro region.” The analysis of this travel shed points out that there are a several travel barriers that “that limit mobility within the shed” because of waterways, the interstate, connectivity challenges at intersections and more. The Strategic Transportation Plan recognizes that this shed is anticipating a drastic increase of 94% in transit trips by the year 2030. The recommendations for this shed note that:
Due to the drastic increase in transit trips forecast for this travel shed, major improvements in transit are recommended and are already underway. Travel routes in the FasTracks plan will converge at Denver Union Station, which is within the Downtown Travel Shed’s boundaries. Construction of the West, Gold, North Metro, I-70 East and U.S. 36 transit improvements will significantly increase transit capacity in the downtown area.

And while Denver Union Station in the Downtown Travel Shed can be thought of as the heart of our regional world class transportation hub, we need to embrace the Metro Mayors’ approach and make sure we do not sever connections to the outlying communities which may thrive, or wither, depending on the implementation of the Strategic Transportation Plan. For example, the plan recognizes that the River North Travel Shed features a number of neighborhoods, such as Globeville, that are isolated because of severe transportation barriers. This travel shed emphasizes the importance of connections to the proposed FasTracks commuter rail in the area to continue the redevelopment and rejuvenation we are finally experiencing in this previously neglected part of Denver .

So I’d like to encourage my colleagues to work hard with the Metro Mayors, the Administration and RTD so that we can fully implement the Strategic Transportation Plan we’ve worked so hard on over the last few years to create. It is with this plan that I believe Denver will be viewed as a world-class transportation hub in the heart of our country, and as a transit center which encourages all of our communities to thrive.

If you haven’t dropped off your mail-in ballot yet, do it tomorrow: the Denver Elections Division will staff a drive-through drop-off lane all day Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Elections Division is located at 3888 E. Mexico Ave.; the drive through will be staffed by sworn election judges and guarded by a Denver Police officer at all times.

Mail-in ballots can also be dropped on Monday, November 3, at any of the 13 early voting locations, or on Election Day, November 4, at any of 185 precinct polling places.

By the way, in case you missed it: a federal court ruled this week in favor of voters who’ve been purged from the rolls, reinstating them to active-voter status. The suit was filed by Common Cause of Colorado, Mi Familia Vota Education Fund, and the Service Employees International Union. Full details in yesterday’s Denver Post.

How will the U.S. financial crisis affect the city budget in 2009? It’ll definitely have an impact, but chances are that Denver will suffer less than cities elsewhere in the country. Why? Because we have lower unemployment, lower inflation, and more stable home prices than the rest of the country.

While unemployment has increased to 6.0% over the last year and half, Denver’s unemployment rate falls below the national average at 5.3%. And despite the effects of the foreclosure crisis, metro Denver’s home prices have only gone down 4.7%, versus the national home-price decline of 15.9%. Further, national inflation has increased to 4.24%, while in the Denver metro area it stands at only 3.25%.

What does that mean for the Denver 2009 budget? Denver anticipates an overall 2.9% growth in revenues for 2009, but overall expenditures are expected to rise 5.0%. The increase in expenditures is due to one-time outlays on equipment and technology infrastructure that Denver has been putting off during our most recent lean years. The City will still maintain a 15% reserve of undesignated funds for unexpected expenses. Some of our reserve is required by state guidelines, but keeping a higher reserve level helps the City leverage funds at lower interest rates.

If you haven’t gotten your mail-in ballot yet, don’t panic. It should be arriving in the next day or two. Here’s the straight dope from Denver Clerk and Recorder Stephanie O’Malley:

“After an investigation by the Denver Elections Division into the whereabouts of the balance of the October 16 mail-in ballot shipment from our printing vendor Sequoia, it has been concluded that the ballots in question were never prepared by the vendor due to a technical problem with the data file on the vendor’s end. Denver processed mail ballot applications in a timely manner and did not incur any problems transmitting its data file to Sequoia. Sequoia did not report any problems with the file to the Elections Division, nor did they inform the Elections Division that they delivered only approximately half the requested ballots.

The ballots in question will arrive at the United States Postal Service’s General Mail Facility on October 27 [ie, yesterday]. In addition to the large batches of mail ballots prepared by Sequoia, the Elections Division has been sending small batches of ballots out daily immediately after receiving applications. The deadline for mail ballot applications is Tuesday [ie, today], and the last ballots sent from the Elections Division will go out that night.

We take this matter very seriously and want Denver voters to know that no one will be disenfranchised by this vendor error. The USPS has advised voters to mail their ballots by Friday, October 31. If voters have any concerns about the remaining time frame in which to return their mail-in ballot, they can drop them off at any of our early voting sites or the Elections Division when these locations are open. Voters may additionally return their voted ballots to any one of the 185 polling locations on Election Day.”

City Council will hold public hearings tonight regarding the proposed city budget for FY 2009. If you want to speak at the hearing, get a speaker card and return it to the Council secretary, Kelly Velez, during the recess at tonight’s meeting. The Denver City Council meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. in Council Chambers on the 4th floor of the City and County building, at 1437 Bannock Street . For more information about the hearing, contact Kelly Velez at 720-865-9360.

Tonight’s hearing is one of the final steps in a lengthy process of planning, evaluation, and approval. Here’s a basic road map:

• In the spring, the mayor’s office meets individually with each Council member to map specific priorities for each District, based on City Council’s general priorities.
• City departments then hold budget discussions with the Council’s Finance Committee.
• The departments meet with the City’s finance staff and the mayor’s office to begin drafting budgets.
• In the summer, the Council sets its annual budget and legislative priorities for the upcoming year.
• In the fall, the Mayor and City Council hold a series of televised budget hearings and address specific questions and concerns about the budget.
• The Mayor presents his final budget for City Council approval at the end of October

Judy and her staff track District 9 budget priorities throughout the year. They maintain an ever-changing Work Plan document that lists priority issues and concerns in each neighborhood. The types of information that are continually updated include:

• RNOs and their officers
• Neighborhood events
• Development issues, including zoning, board of adjustment cases, vacations and revocable permits issued
• Planning efforts
• Economic development
• Crime
• Grafitti
• Neighborhood inspection cases
• Public works projects
• Infrastructure projects

In the upcoming days, the blog will feature some of the specific District 9-related line items Judy that is monitoring. You can download a budget summary, or the entire document, from this page.

Upcoming events in the District:

• North High School will host a trick-or-treat street next Tuesday night from 5 to 7 p.m. There will also be an arts and crafts area for the kids. If you can donate either candy or arts/crafts materials, please get in touch with Melissa Craven (melissa_craven@dpsk12.org).
• Also at North High: a community cleanup will take place on Saturday, November 1, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. They’ll be working indoors this time, painting some classrooms and doing general cleaning. Contact Melissa (see the above item) for information.
• The LEAP home-heating program will be holding its annual fair over several days next week at various locations throughout Denver. The District 9 event will take place on Friday (that’s Halloween) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at theDenver Human Services headquarters, 1200 Federal Boulevard. Drop by to get some tips on keeping your home warm while cutting energy costs. There will also be staff on hand to help you apply for aid through the LEAP program. You can contact LEAP at (866) 432-8435 or online at www.denvergov.org/leap.

The Mayor’s Design Awards were handed out last night, and no fewer than 4 of the 15 winners are in District 9. They are:

• The Sugarcube Building, 1555 Blake Street, was recognized for its environmentally conscious design.
• Pasquini’s in Highland, 2400 W. 32nd Ave., got a nod for its cool neon signage and brick detailing.
• Little Man Ice Cream, 2620 16th Street, was honored in the “wild card” category for its whimsical, one-of-a-kind creativity.
• Ironton Studios, 3636 Chestnut Place in the River North corridor, garnered an award in the “Oh, Pioneers” category for sparking new development in an unheralded locale.

One other winner lies just a block or two outside District 9′s boundaries — the Redline Artist-in-Residence facility at 2350 Arapahoe, honored in the “Home Is Where the Art Is” category.

Full details in today’s Rocky Mountain News.

Due to the high number of mail-in ballot requests and a desire to maximize voter convenience, the Denver Elections Division will have two polling places open on Sunday, October 26. It’s the first time in state history that polling booths will be active on a Sunday.

The two locations that will be available on October 26 are 1) the Elections Division, located at 3888 E. Mexico Ave. , and 2) the Wellington E. Webb Municipal Office Building, 201 W. Colfax Ave. Both locations will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. These will be the ONLY locations open for early voting or mail-in ballot drop off on Sunday, October 26.

Denver Clerk and Recorder Stephanie O’Malley made the decision to open the two locations for an additional day because of the extremely high participation rates that are anticipated. More than 174,000 Denver voters have requested mail-in ballots to date, and voters are being asked not to wait to the last minute to return their ballots.

Early voting for the November 4 General Election begins today and will be available Monday through Friday for each of the next two weeks. There are 13 locations in all, beginning with the Denver Elections Division’s headquarters at 3888 E. Mexico Ave. Voting booths will be available there from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. throughout the early-voting period. The other 12 early-voting locations will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.:

• Barnum Recreation Center, 360 Hooker St .
• Christ Church United Methodist Church , 690 Colorado Blvd.
• Harvard Gulch Recreation Center, 550 E. Iliff Ave.
• Harvey Park Recreation Center, 2120 S. Tennyson Way
• Hiawatha Davis Recreation Center, 3334 Holly St .
• Manual High School, 1700 E. 28th Ave.
• Montbello Recreation Center, 15555 E. 53rd Ave.
• Montclair Recreation Center, 729 Ulster Way
• Rude Park Recreation Center , 2855 W. Holden Pl.
• Scheitler Recreation Center, 5031 W. 46th Ave.
• Tamarac Square Mall, 7777 E. Hampden Ave.
• Webb Municipal Office Building, 201 W. Colfax Ave.

Voters will cast paper ballots. Electronic voting machines will be available primarily for use by voters with disabilities if they choose to use them.

If you’ve filled out a mail-in ballot, you can drop it off at the early-voting sites during the hours they are open. These sites will also be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. for mail-in ballot drop off ONLY on Monday, November 3. There is no early voting on Monday, November 3.

Voters who decide to drop off their mail-in ballots at an early voting site are reminded to not drop off ballots outside of the listed hours or at any unsecured location.

Yesterday Judy sat in on a meeting of the City Council’s Economic Development Committee (not one of her regular committee assignments) for a briefing on the national economy. The presentation came from a couple of local experts: Jay Davidson, chairman and CEO of First American State Bank; and Rich Sokol, principal of Lakeview Investment Group. The Economic Development Committee (chaired by Councilman Charlie Brown of District 6) conducts business related to job creation, business development and other matters directly impacted by the current financial crisis.

Both experts agreed that the country is in a recession. Davidson, who has a wealth of banking experience, said the U.S. economy is being hurt by a serious liquidity crisis. But he added that he expects the financial environment to slowly come out of its current condition. “It will get a little worse before it gets better,” he said. “But don’t panic. Banks are willing to work with its customers to assist with foreclosure problems.”

Committee member Michael Hancock (Council District 11) asked Sokol what general investment advice he would give to the public. Sokol suggested that citizens “tighten their belts, cut back on spending, be frugal at Christmas, but at the same time . . . the market needs cash to flow.” He believes America has broken its “fever” and will begin to rebound, and he noted that housing markets in Colorado are better positioned those of other states due to a strong job market and geographic attractiveness.

Judy urges you to watch the entire discussion via streaming video on Denver 8 Online. This complete analysis of the economy from two financial experts will help you protect your financial investments.