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This week we take a look at efforts to reduce ozone pollution across metro Denver, including Golden. Golden Ridge has a neighborhood meeting to discuss development. Mountain lions are sighted in north Golden and a new ice cream parlor is coming to downtown. Find out about the mayoral campaign and upcoming city council meetings.
1. Denver's (and Golden's) Ozone Problems
2. Golden Ridge Neighborhood Meeting
3. Mountain Lion Sightings in North Golden
4. New Ice Cream Parlor Coming to Downtown Golden
5. News from the Campaign Trail
6. City Council Meeting Agenda: Thursday, November 1
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1. Denver's (and Golden's) Ozone Problems
Golden and the rest of the Denver Metro region continue to struggle with ozone pollution, and on November 20th we will almost certainly go into what's known as "ozone non-attainment" under the Clean Air Act. Ozone pollution is particularly problematic for kids, our older residents, and anyone with asthma or other respiratory ailments. It's a perfect example of a challenge that is fundamentally regional: although Golden suffers from some of the highest ozone pollution levels in the state, for the most part it's caused by things outside of Golden over which we have very little control. Some of the major sources include vehicle emissions across the Denver Metro region, new oil and gas drilling across northeastern Colorado (especially in Weld County), and our coal-fired power plants.
Part of our problem is geographic. The major ozone pollution problems occur on hot summer days, and on the days when levels are the highest the winds tend to blow lightly to the west, trapping the pollution in the Golden valley. Reducing ozone pollution in Golden requires both state-level efforts and cooperation with our Denver Metro neighbors. I represent Golden on the board of the Denver Regional Council of Governments, and last year I persuaded the organization to push for stronger statewide ozone pollution standards. The state's Air Quality Control Board agreed and improved the standards.
Next week I will propose that the Golden city council adopt a resolution supporting efforts across the Denver Metro region to reduce ozone pollution. I modeled my proposed resolution on one adopted by the Denver city council a few weeks ago. It expresses support for state and regional air quality efforts to get a handle on this growing problem. Resolutions like this are important because they help highlight the issue and because they signal our commitment to continuing to work with our neighbors to keep the air we breath clean.
The newspapers have covered this issue quite a bit lately, including one on air quality violations in Jefferson County and another about our upcoming "ozone non-attainment."
2. Golden Ridge Neighborhood Meeting
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about some of the rumors about condemnation in the Golden Ridge area. While the rumors about condemnation are totally false, there is a very real possibility that the owners of the mobile home park might at some point decide to redevelop their property, and I think it's extremely likely that the owners of the undeveloped property along Highway 6 will do something with their property at some point. As private property owners, they have the right to do this, but I'm also really concerned about protecting our existing neighborhoods.
The approach the city council has been taking is to react to proposals by developers. I don't think this is the best approach. I think we can do better, and am strongly supporting working with the Golden Ridge neighborhoods to craft a neighborhood plan that proactively spells out a vision for the Golden Ridge area. Although most folks won't probably get exactly what they want - there are some diverse views among residents, other property owners, and neighbors - the residents will have a major role in crafting that plan and it will probably be much better than the alternative of just reacting to developer proposals. I will publicize any future neighborhood meetings on this, and I welcome your thoughts about the future of Golden Ridge.
3. Mountain Lion Sightings in North Golden
We've had a number of mountain lion sightings in the North Table area and other parts of North Golden, and quite a few folks are concerned about keeping their families and their pets safe. On Wednesday evening I attended part of a meeting hosted by the Colorado Division of Wildlife and the Golden Police Department (I split my time between this meeting and the Golden Ridge meeting). One major take-home message: we live in mountain lion country, and we need to be cautious, especially at night, dawn, and dusk. Keeping an eye on our kids and pets during those hours is particularly important. The other major take-home message: the Division of Wildlife folks are taking the concerns seriously, and if you see or encounter a mountain lion you should call them right away. They will track and capture a mountain lion that is behaving particularly aggressively toward humans, but they have a pretty short window to get their hounds out to where the cat was.
If you see a mountain lion, call 303-291-7227. If the lion appears to be acting unusual or aggressive, call 911 immediately. Also, the Colorado Division of Wildlife has some good information about what to do if you run into a mountain lion.
4. New Ice Cream Parlor Coming to Downtown Golden
Some great news: it looks like we'll have a new ice cream parlor on Washington near 13th! Last night at our city council meeting we considered a request by the owners to allow some tables outside on the sidewalk in front of what is known as the Linder building. It would probably look a lot like what we have at other downtown coffee shops, with the seating located on the brick paver strip close to the street. This leaves the main sidewalk clear for pedestrians, and in this case there would be more space on the sidewalk for pedestrians than is the case for most other downtown outdoor seating arrangements. I think it makes sense to promote outdoor seating downtown as long as we make sure that people can still walk along the sidewalks, especially during the busier times like summer weekends. Earlier in the year we approved outdoor seating at Windy Saddle Cafe, and that has seemed to work pretty well at getting more people outside without clogging the sidewalks.
5. News From the Campaign Trail
The ballots are all out and the deadline for turning them in is coming up fast. Your ballot must be received by the Jefferson County Elections Department by 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 6. You can either mail your ballot (I suggest at least a few days before the deadline) or drop it off at City Hall (911 10th St. in downtown Golden) or the Jefferson County building. If you are registered to vote and haven't yet received your ballot you will want to call the Jefferson County Elections Department right away. You can reach them at 303-271-8111.
The Golden Transcript also published a nice comparison of the three mayoral candidates. It doesn't seem to be up on their web site yet but I have a .pdf I can send anyone who wants to see it, or you can grab this week's issue of the paper. The Rocky Mountain News also wrote a story on Golden's elections with some information about each candidate.
If you want to volunteer for my campaign during this last week and a half just let me know and I'll plug you in.
Finally, I'm very pleased that the Golden Transcript endorsed me in my campaign for mayor, writing: "In our opinion, it's time for a new approach to council," "Smith is the candidate with the qualifications," and "It is time for a new vision from a new, proactive mayor as we move toward the future." You can read the full Golden Transcript endorsement at their web site.
6. City Council Meeting Agenda: Thursday, November 1
We have a city council study session scheduled for next Thursday at 7 p.m. You can download the agenda on the city's web site. Some of the agenda items including our ongoing review and discussion of the proposed 2008 budget and a continuing discussion of the proposed Downtown Character Plan.
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Jacob Smith
Golden City Council
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(303) 216-1680
smithforgolden.com
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