Monthly Archives: June 2009

On Saturday night, CBS-4 had a short spot on the Rude Rec mural unveiling; to see the video, click here. Below are a few camera stills from the event:

Judy is back from the National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO) conference in Los Angeles. Several other Denver officials made the trip, including Councilman Paul Lopez, Councilman Rick Garcia, Denver Public School Board member Arturo Jimenez, and the director of the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Affairs, Michael Roque. All attended via non-public funds (either scholarship money, as in Judy’s case, or other funding sources).

The upcoming 2010 Census was an important theme of the conference. Los Angeles Councilman Tony Cardenas spoke about the important role of elected officials in encouraging that everyone gets counted — particularly in communities such as District 9 that have large minority and poor populations. Individuals in those populations are four times as likely to go uncounted as an average citizen, and such undercounts can cause a community to backslide.

Arturo Vargas, the executive director of NALEO, passionately urged the audience to get involved in the census and do our part to make it as accurate as possible. The census strengthens democracy, Vargas said, and he promised that NALEO will be working with its members to monitor the census effort in communities across the country.

The Department of Commerce is responsible for conducting the census. Commerce undersecretary Rebecca Blank reminded the NALEO attendees there are only 279 days until census day. The rollout effort are available in 2010 Census: On the Brink of the Count.

Blank said that one of the most daunting challenges involved in the census is apathy — many local leaders consider the census to be a federal issue and don’t understand why it is important for people to get involved at the neighborhood level. Judy will be looking for ways to work with neighborhood leaders to encourage everyone in District 9 to get counted.

See the post directly below this one for important good news about the Commuter Rail Maintenance Facility.

One of Judy’s key graffiti-control initiatives takes another step forward tomorrow, when the new community mural at Rude Recreation Center is unveiled. Titled “Art is Justice,” the mural was created by youth from the Third Way Center and Lookout Mountain Youth Services Center, along with artists Delton Demarest and Jeremy Ulibarri.

The public is invited to a celebration of the new mural, located at 2855 W. Holden Place (near the intersection of Federal Blvd. and 13th Avenue). The celebration lasts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will include free food, performances from local dancers, and informational vendors such as the Sun Valley Youth Center, Colorado Department of Human Services, Denver Preschool Program, and Mexican Consulate.

Demarest and Ulibarri, both Denver natives, are known both locally and nationally for their graffiti art. The two artists led a group of 16 at-risk youth over a period of months to create the 15-foot by 70-foot mural in the pool area of Rude Recreation Center. The two local artists have completed many projects around the Denver area, including murals at the Sun Valley Youth Center, Aztlan Recreation Center, Swansea Recreation Center, Globeville Recreation Center, Athmar Recreation Center, and Santa Fe Arts District.

These restorative justice projects help to control graffiti by providing a constructive outlet for young graffiti artists. They enable participating youth to contribute to their community instead of harming it.

Judy and her staff teamed up with numerous partners on this project. They include the Division of Youth Corrections, Denver Parks and Recreation, Colorado Department of Human Services, Denver Police Department-District 1, Third Way Center, and Lookout Mountain Youth Services Center.

For more information, please contact Rude Recreation Center at 720.865.0570 or the Denver Parks and Recreation Marketing Department at 720.913.0691.

The design of the FasTracks Commuter Rail Maintenance Facility (CRMF) has been modified to address concerns raised over the past few months regarding the Fox North site — a location Judy lobbied for, alongside District 9 residents.

While public comments about the proposed CRMF have generally supported the recommended Fox North site, some have raised concerns about the potential economic and employment impacts that could result from the displacement of the Owens Corning manufacturing plant. RTD has developed a modified design for the Fox North site that enables Owens Corning to leave its manufacturing and administration buildings in place. Under the new scenario, RTD would purchase a small corner of Owens Corning’s site, currently used for storage and parking.

To create the modified design, RTD adjusted some standard operating practices. All of the modifications, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each, are summarized in the modified Fox North site map. The modified CRMF design will be included in the East Corridor and Gold Line Final Environmental Impact Statements. Both are expected to be published and available for public comment in August or September.

Please continue to stay involved in the East Corridor Environmental Impact Statement by visiting the project website at www.eastcorridor.com.

Judy’s in Los Angeles for the next couple of days, attending the National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO) conference. She’s there on a scholarship — no taxpayer money is being used to fund the trip — and will attend four sessions to learn frameworks for promoting healthier communities within District 9. Here is her Thursday a.m. dispatch:

This morning I am listening to the Honorable Adolfo Carrion, who works for President Obama as the White House Director of Urban Affairs He is speaking about the need for health care reform. The breakfast topic this morning is State of American Communities: Governing in Troupled Economic Times. It’s a very timely subject, as the Denver City Council is weighing various options for cutting the city budget and determining which services take priority.

A number of other Obama administration officials are here, including Cecilia Muñoz, White House Director of Intergovernmental Affairs; Nancy Sutley, chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality; and Rebecca Blank, Undersecretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs.

My workshop track for the week is called “Health Disparities and Latino Leadership; Working Together to Provide Solutions.” There are also workshops on the opportunities that green industries may hold for local economies; K-12 education in multiethnic communities; early childhood education; job creation; infrastructure; and a wide range of other issues that are relevant to District 9.

Here is the conference website. I’ll be back in Denver for the weekend!

In case you’ve forgotten, Mayor Hick will be in District 9 tonight to discuss the City budget with neighborhood residents. The meeting starts at 6:30 and takes place at the Ashbury Events Center, 3011 Vallejo St. If you’re planning to attend, you might want to read the Bell Policy Center’s analysis of the State of Colorado’s budget, which has a significant impact on the City of Denver’s budget situation. Here’s an excerpt:

State revenues will fall about $250 million short of appropriations for the fiscal year that ends next week, according testimony today by state economists before the Joint Budget Committee. Estimates from the economists are worse than their projections in March and show that the state’s economy was weaker than anticipated in the second quarter. . . . .

Individual income taxes dropped more than expected in the last three months, accounting for most of the difference from March’s projections. Sales taxes were also down due to the continued decline in sales of automobiles and other big ticket items such as furniture, electronics and appliances. . . . .

General Fund revenues for fiscal year 2008-09 will drop by about $1 billion, or almost 14 percent, from the previous year, according to economists from both offices.

Some difficult decisions will have to be made regarding the City budget, and cuts are inevitable. Tonight is your chance to let the Mayor know which parts of the budget he should protect most vigilantly.

Tomorrow is Bike to Work Day, and participation is usually high in Denver. To encourage a better understanding of bicycle traffic laws, the Denver Police Department has partnered with Bike Denver, Human Powered Transit Authority, Bicycle Colorado , B-cycle, and BID to produce the Spoke Card — a handy list of traffic laws that pertain to two-wheelers. Officers will be handing out Spoke Cards to cyclists tomorrow and throughout the summer. DPD and its partners will hold a press conference in Civic Center Park today at 2:30 to unveil the Spoke Card and to remind cyclists to ride safely — not just tomorow, but all the time.

Over the weekend, some inaccurate information was circulated regarding some of Judy’s activities in the northern neighborhoods of District 9, viz. Globeville and Elyria/Swansea. To correct those inaccuracies, Judy put together this statement about her work in those District 9 neighborhoods.

Two years ago, I moved my City Council office from the Highland neighborhood to a new location in River North, on the border of Globeville, Elyria and Swansea. I moved there for a specific reason: to be more engaged with those three neighborhoods.

While the city as a whole has enjoyed tremendous economic success over the last 15 years, the benefits haven’t been evenly distributed. One reason I moved my own office to River North is that we still have a lot of work to do in Globeville, Elyria and Swansea because of some of its challenging characteristics, such as wide spread industrial zoning and a major interstate running through the heart of the area. Yet I am heartened by other characteristics that have some very exciting potential. Just to name a few: these neighborhoods have deep cultural roots; a gorgeous natural amenity – the South Platte River; and a population of individuals and organizations that are willing and able to fight for their community. I believe in working with what is placed before me – and there are a lot of wonderful characteristics to work with in Globeville, Elyria and Swansea.

Another reason I moved my office further north is because of RTD’s FasTracks project. This factor could pose a great challenge for Globeville, Elyria and Swansea because both neighborhoods lie near the heart of the transit network. The buildout of FasTracks could impose new burdens on an area that already has to contend with freight trains, highway traffic, pollution, and noise. However, FasTracks can also be an amazing asset if we take advantage of the amenities it can offer. As chair of the Council’s FasTracks committee, I’ve fought doggedly to protect Globeville, Elyria and Swansea from negative FasTracks-related impacts. But, just as important, I’ve fought to turn FasTracks into an opportunity for the neighborhoods. If we make the right decisions, transit-oriented development could help Globeville, Elyria and Swansea prosper with new community oriental shops and restaurants, nice parks, great access to recreation on the South Platte River, improved bike and pedestrian traffic, resulting in a family-friendly atmosphere that will raise our quality of life.

In my six years as District 9 representative, my staff and I have tackled some major initiatives in Globeville, Elyria and Swansea, and we’ve scored some big wins. In fact, the first item in the list below involves a stringent public planning process to take in wide-reaching public input for the vision my constituents would like to achieve in the Elyria and Swansea neighborhoods. Other helpful planning materials have been created for the area by various community groups. It is my belief that those materials can contribute to a fair, City-sponsored plan involving an inclusive and far-reaching public process. However, planning isn’t the only work we’ve done in Globeville, Elyria and Swansea, and below you can find a list of some of our other efforts: Continue reading →

The City Council is ready to unveil its priorities for the 2010 budget year. Setting priorities was unusually complicated this year because of the budget situation, one of the most difficult in recent memory. In setting priorities, the Council had to uphold efficiency and accountability in all City departments while maintaining core services and aligning expenditures with the City’s basic needs.

The Council has prioritized five areas of concentration in which to exercise leadership in 2010:

1. Economic and environmental sustainability: Capitalizing on federal stimulus funding, the Council encourages economic development investments that will implement existing plans. Job creation should be the top focus as resources are directed in ways that will make the economy and environment sustainable for years to come.
2. Neighborhoods: Strong recreation, library, and cultural opportunities take on renewed significance in tough economic times, as Council strives to prioritize people over things and stabilize distressed Denver neighborhoods. Council supports efforts that foster community pride and neighborhood spirit such as block parties and street fairs. Similar to years past, an emphasis on coordinated Neighborhood Inspection Services remains critical.
3. A Well-Planned City: Council has adopted numerous plans establishing a vision for a well-planned city and specific strategies and recommendations for achieving it. In hard times, it can be easy to lose sight of the vision. Council will strive to keep the vision in mind as they monitor actions to assure coordinated and fiscally efficient implementation of recommendations in the Strategic Transportation Plan, the FasTracks station area plans, Parks and Recreation plans, and others. The Strategic Parking Plan and the Solid Waste Master Plan evolving strategies will be scrutinized for coordination, financial savings, and accountability.
4. A Safe and Clean City: Council recognizes that safety is basic to the quality of life in our city, and it continues as a top priority for all districts. The continued investment of mill levy dollars in the maintenance of our public infrastructure is wise fiscal policy and keeps people working. Council will continue to do more with less as they work with neighbors and all departments to reduce graffiti.
5. Children and Families: The Council will collaborate wherever possible to find efficiencies with Denver Public Schools, supports maintaining school and neighborhood health clinics in underserved communities, and efforts that help preserve strong families and protect vulnerable populations.

Finally, the City’s new Zoning Code will consume much of the energy and attention of the Council in the next six months. Setting an ambitious goal of adopting the new code by year’s end, Council recognizes that citizens must receive adequate information and continue to give feedback about this effort. Passage will culminate years of study and input from thousands of residents on a new land use vision for Denver . The draft code and information on public meetings is available at www.newcodedenver.org

For a complete list of Council goals and priorities go to: City Council 2010 Budget Goals.

Tonight marks the first in a series of community meetings hosted by Mayor Hick, seeking public input on the City’s 2010 budget plans. Tonight’s meeting is in southwest Denver (see details below), but you might want to mark your calendar for next Tuesday, June 23, when the Mayor will be in District 9.

Next Tuesday’s meeting will be held at Ashbury Events Center (30th Avenue and Vallejo Street) and will run from 6 to 7:30 p.m. And the following afternoon, (Wednesday, June 24) the Mayor will be holding court at the Denver Public Library, just outside District 9, from noon to 1:30 p.m.

The City must trim $70 million over the next 18 months to balance the budget. The City has already taken a number of steps already to cut costs and find efficiencies, including

• reducing the size of the City’s fleet
• consolidating the City’s payroll
• reducing the number of positions hired
• scheduling furlough days
• reducing pay increases for City workers
• centralizing finance functions

If you can’t attend any of the public meetings, you can review the City’s presentation and participate in an online survey at www.denvergov.org. For additional information or to share your feedback, call 3-1-1 or send an e-mail to heather.barry@denvergov.org. If you require special accommodations at one of the public meetings, please send a request to Heather Barry at least three business days before the meeting you wish to attend at 720-865-9103 or heather.barry@denvergov.org.

The community meetings are planned for:

Southwest Denver
Thursday, June 18
6 to 7:30 p.m.
Brentwood Methodist Church
1899 S. Irving St .

Northwest Denver
Tuesday, June 23
6 to 7:30 p.m.
Ashbury Events Center
3011 Vallejo St.

Downtown/Central Denver Meeting
Wednesday, June 24
Noon to 1:30 p.m.
Denver Public Library
10 W. 14th Avenue Parkway

North/Central Denver
Wednesday, June 24
6 to 7:30 p.m.
John son & Wales University
7150 Montview Blvd.

Northeast Denver
Thursday, June 25
6 to 7:30 p.m.
Green Valley Ranch Recreation Center
4890 Argonne Way

Southeast Denver
Tuesday, June 30
6 to 7:30 p.m.
Washington Park United Methodist Church
1955 E. Arizona Ave.