A long-time resident and Lakewood Informer reader recently questioned the cost of an ambulance bill through West Metro. Here’s what we found out:
Ambulance rates vary based on the level of care provided and the location of the call. West Metro Fire Rescue’s rates have remained unchanged for over four years and are consistent with other urban/suburban agencies providing fire-based EMS response. Currently, bundled rates (BLS1 – ALS2) range from $1,275.00 to $1,650.00, with a mileage rate of $17.60/mile.
We have one response unit called the Advanced Resource Medic or ARM that responds to 911-generated calls when referred by the initial arriving engine or ambulance crew for patients with low-acuity medical needs that may benefit from treatment-in-place rather than a costly transport to the hospital. This unit also assists patients with navigating resources for both their immediate and long-term healthcare needs like primary care, home health care, assisted living, hospice care, and more.
The ARM unit is not dispatched to 911-generated calls like an engine and/or ambulance. Rather, the initial arrival crew responds to ensure there is not a life-threatening emergency and then refers appropriate patients to the ARM unit. Patients are billed separately for this service at lower rates than an ambulance transport to the hospital.
We do have automatic and mutual aid agreements with neighboring agencies to ensure timely response. These are typically reciprocal agreements that do not involve splitting costs. In the case of a patient transport to the hospital, the agency that performs the patient transport will charge their locally set rates.
Les Schwab Tires, one of the leading independent tire dealers in the United States, opened a new store at 2165 S Webster St in Lakewood on September 5, 2024.
This will be Les Schwab Tires’ first Lakewood location, and store manager Aaron Wheeler, who has been with the company for ten years, said he’s excited to bring the company’s great service to the community. Les Schwab Tires has a 70-year history of earning customers’ trust throughout the western United States and is top ranked nationwide by Forbes for customer service in auto repair and maintenance.
Because safety on the road depends on more than just great tires, every time Les Schwab touches customers’ tires, its people take the time to check the surrounding components to make sure everything is squared away and it’s safe to be on the road. Offerings include brake services, alignment, shocks, oil changes, custom wheels, batteries and more. The 11,961-square-foot Lakewood store will feature 6 interior bays.
The new location brings 16 great new jobs to the area, and the store is still on the lookout for passionate employees who want to build a career with Les Schwab Tires. The company offers a competitive package of pay and benefits designed to reward employees’ hard work. The company established its first profit-share program in 1954, and today it shares about half its profits with employees through generous health benefits, bonus and retirement programs. It also offers growth opportunities for everyone with comprehensive training programs and support that enable employees to build and advance in their careers.
A grand opening celebration with food, fun and prizes for the community is planned for Sept. 27-28.
About Les Schwab
Les Schwab Tire Centers (www.lesschwab.com) is one of the leading independent tire dealers in the United States, with more than 8,500 employees and more than 550 locations across Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Alaska. In every market, Les Schwab takes pride in doing the right thing − staying focused on providing superior value and building customers for life. The first Les Schwab stores were opened in small towns and rural communities with one guiding principle: provide our neighbors with high-quality products and unparalleled customer service. This single-minded focus on service continues today.
Google Fiber (GFiber) is celebrating its first customer to get connected to its high-speed internet network in Lakewood. Residents in the Eiber neighborhood can now sign up as additional network infrastructure is built out across the city.
In January 2024, GFiber secured over 13,000 square feet of prime space at the heart of Belmar’s Plaza.
This is the next step for GFiber in the Denver metro area. GFiber Webpass has been available in Denver since 2017. GFiber is continuing to build its network out across Lakewood, and will open service in those neighborhoods accordingly.
Construction in Westminster is set to start soon, and actively working on design and permitting for Golden, Wheat Ridge, and additional parts of Adams County.
GFiber is hiring in Colorado.
Lakewood customers will be able to choose any GFiber plan — 1 Gig for $70/month, 2 Gig for $100/month, 5 Gig for $125/month or 8 Gig for $150/month — all with symmetrical uploads and downloads and equipment and installation included at no additional cost, no annual contracts and no data caps.
Local businesses can sign up for GFiber for Business, offering Business 2 Gig for $250/month or Business 1 Gig for $100/month.
An accident on August 24 at 15th and Youngfield Street confirms all the worries of a local group regarding a proposed high-density apartment unit in their neighborhood. A car took the turn and ended up going into the house, causing serious damage and the house to uninhabitable for several days.
Exerpt from an email from a neighbor to City Council:
(Emphasis added)
To the officials at City of Lakewood,
The damage to Pablo and Jonna’s home was extensive to the point of rendering both bathrooms unusable and the home uninhabitable.
There are huge skid marks in the driveway, where the driver obviously braked, before impact. Pablo and Jonna were relaxing on their patio, when they heard the loud explosion. expecting it to be another accident at our intersection, they rushed out to the front. The driver was already trying to pull away and leave, but Pablo stopped them and had Jonna call 911.
We urge all of you to come here today to this site, and realize what we have been broadcasting for 14 months and to please take this seriously!! If you do not reconsider this intersection as not a viable option for and adding more than 300 + car trips daily along with pedestrians and school age children, then any consequences will no longer be unintentional but intentional. We are very offended by the developer and seemingly City officials too, claiming that we are NIMBY’s and are just using the dangers and safety issues as an excuse. We have in good faith tried working with all of you, but our valid concerns are not being heard. We will be contacting the media at this point. These tragedies will only increase and one death is too many.
Domino Service Dogs is a non-profit which trains one on one with owners and their dogs for various services like medical response dogs and floor retrieval dogs for wheelchair users. Rachel Griffin and Clare Johnson were there to represent ACBID. Together with Amy Gordon, media member for Domino, and Barb Henry, they turned dirt with gold shovels to symbolize the start of the project to replace the sign that had been previously struck by a car. Cake followed the ceremony. The grant money had become available to ACBID by a $300,000 rollover from another special district that had sunset this year.
ACBID has some $5,000 grants available for businesses to upgrade their security systems. For more information see the website alamedaconnects.org. The ACBID has regular meetings the first Wednesday at 7:30am.
Domino Service Dogs (DSD) is located at 6505 W Alameda Ave UNIT 102, Lakewood, CO 80226 and their website is dominoservicedogs.com.
There will be a public hearing on the Whippoorwill development on August 21 with the Planning Commission at 7 pm. This is the development residents have identified multiple problems with, which was previously posted in Lakewood Informer news at Concerns and Comments for Whippoorwill Dr. Lakewood resident organizers are asking for community support at this meeting.
On August 12, 2024, Lakewood City Council voted to approve a ballot measure that will permanently suspend TABOR limitations for Lakewood. All City Council spoke in favor of the measure except for Council Member Rich Olver, the sole nay vote.
There was some Council discussion about whether to include a sunset or not but in the end, the vote was to suspend refunds permanently. The Lakewood City Attorney cited a court case that would allow this permanent suspension. Lakewood’s previous suspension was only temporary.
A presentation by the Magellan consultants, who were hired to do a survey of Lakewood residents, claimed that 52 percent of the citizens were in favor of this policy.
There were three people that testified in person about this resolution: one in enthusiastic favor and two against. Online comments were almost evenly split.
This even split reflects the Magellan findings. On the other hand, 90% of Council supported the resolution.
One member of the public questioned the timing of this resolution being voted on the last week before school starts, thinking that was the reason there was not more feedback. Author Joan from Lakewood believes that most citizens feel the Lakewood City Council does not listen to public comment and that after spending $74, 000 it was a baked in vote.
“On July 12, the Lakewood City Council met in a public meeting to vote on a ballot proposal to allow them to keep and spend all excess funds they over collected with our 2024 property tax billing. By law, these excess funds would normally be refunded to us as required by TABOR. I Listened to the meeting on YouTube.. How could they over collect taxes? The County Assessor did a reappraisal in 2023 as required by State law. Overall, the appraised value of all properties increased by about 37%. This will happen again in 2025. By State law, the City Council is supposed to adjust the mill levy so the overall revenue equals the City budget. Governor Polis also sent a letter asking them to reduce the mill levy. They failed to do so. Instead, they intentionally kept a higher mill levy knowing full well they would collect millions of excess dollars. (about $8 million in 2024)”
That post includes a healthy discussion of the issue, along with a similar post by Wendy Shrader, who provided public comments on Monday.
More from LakewoodSpeaks.org
Argument in favor: “I strongly urge the City Council to approve this resolution because it empowers the voters to decide whether we should retain revenue from existing taxes for the most important city funding priorities.” – Kip Kolkmeier
“I support investing in Lakewood, and I support putting it to a vote from all residents.” – Joshua Comden
Argument against: “I personally enjoy my rights afforded by Tabor and generally opt to retain limits on revenue, as I think this is an effective method to ensure government thinks creatively and soberly how best to spend the revenue it does have.” – Michael Newman
“TABOR is the single best gift we voters have ever given ourselves and future generations.” – John Mohatt
The ballot language will be:
WITHOUT INCREASING CURRENT TAXES OR ADDING ANY NEW TAX, SHALL THE CITY OF LAKEWOOD, COLORADO, BE AUTHORIZED TO COLLECT, RETAIN AND SPEND THE FULL AMOUNT OF CITY TAXES AND ALL OTHER REVENUE COLLECTED FROM ALL SOURCES IN 2026 AND EACH YEAR THEREAFTER, IN EXCESS OF THE REVENUE AND SPENDING LIMITATIONS IN ARTICLE X, SECTION 20, OF THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION, AND SHALL SUCH EXCESS REVENUE BE SPENT ONLY AS FOLLOWS:
ONE-THIRD FOR PARKS, RECREATION AND OPEN SPACE;
ONE-THIRD FOR PUBLIC SAFETY-RELATED EQUIPMENT, SERVICES
AND/OR PERSONNEL; AND
ONE-THIRD FOR THE MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENT OF STREETS,
SIDEWALKS, PATHS AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND SHALL ALL SUCH EXCESS REVENUES BE MAINTAINED AND PRESENTED IN A SEPARATE BUDGET OR ACCOUNT OF THE CITY OF LAKEWOOD, COLORADO, TO PROVIDE FOR OVERSIGHT BY THE CITIZENS OF LAKEWOOD TO ENSURE THE EXCESS FUNDS ARE USED SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSES DESCRIBED ABOVE?
YES ________
NO ________
Scorecard: Approve Ballot Initiative to Permanently Suspend TABOR
A request initiated by City Councilor Rich Olver has been taken off the schedule, outside of normal Council procedures. Olver requested a study session for the Terumo BCT ethylene oxide emissions in 2023. According to Olver, the study session will no longer be scheduled, after Mayor Strom asked the Ward 1 Councilors if this was something they were interested in pursuing. Apparently, they were not. As a result, the Council approval for a study session has been overruled. This is an irregular procedure.
As previously reported in the Lakewood Informer news,Councilman Olver has renewed his request for this study session multiple times, including again recently. Unlike other Council Members whose requests are regularly approved, Olver does not usually get approval so this initiative caught attention as something other councilors would actually listen to.
However, when Olver asked about the status, Mayor Strom responded that she checked with Ward 1 Councilors and they didn’t think it was necessary. Comments from Ward 1 Councilors suggest that Council Member Sinks was not consulted. However, neither the Mayor nor any single Councilor have the ability to overturn approval of the full City Council.
Originally passed by consensus on June 12, 2023, Shahrezaei and Strom agreed at that point to hold the study session.
What changed?
At that time, Lakewood’s Mayor was Adam Paul. He did not schedule the session either.
The question here is, why do some people’s request get priority timing and some never happen.
Regarding the study session, Mayor Strom said, “There are not currently any plans to conduct a study session on this topic. Study Sessions are primarily scheduled based on our goals set in the planning retreat that happens early in the year, this topic was not one that is on that list for 2024. … While this topic has not been discussed in a study session, there have been other conversations occurring as needed based on community input and requests, as you can imagine that’s occurring predominantly in Ward 1. Heightened cancer risk is something that we take seriously, and we’ll continue to monitor the situation and respond accordingly.“
Council Requests for Action do not need to be previously discussed at the annual retreat. For example, City Council just approved a request to modify the Lakewood Advisory Commission. This item was not discussed at the annual retreat but will be heard by the full City Council. Ironically, that discussion was initiated by the Ward 1 Councilors and was approved July 8, 2024, including a hard deadline for results.
The concept of not talking about anything unless it was approved at the annual planning retreat is relatively new and seems to applied selectively. Some topics, like public safety, have been denied multiple times.
Ward 1 Council Member and Mayor Pro Tem Shahrezaei comments, “I’m in favor of hosting study sessions on topics that interest constituents. I am confident Charley Able and I did a good job keeping Ward 1 constituents updated during the EPA rule making process. Neighbors participated in the multiple EPA Q&A sessions and have been additionally updated on this matter. I have not heard once from a community member asking for Terumo to come in or a general update during a council meeting. These neighbors are informed on the matter already and I believe that because they rallied quite a bit on the topic in 2022.“
“It will be helpful for all of Council to hear that information” Council Member Shahrezaei, June 12, 2023.
Ward 1 Council Member Glenda Sinks responds, “Are you familiar with the Open Meetings law that forbids us from discussing business off the record? We follow that law to the nth degree.“
Councilor Sinks identifies the problem exactly. How did this item fall off the agenda completely?
Lakewood, Colorado, June 10, 2024 –The Ridge Pinehurst, an Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care rental community in the Denver, CO area owned and operated by The Ridge Senior Living, has been featured in a British television program as one of the “World’s Most Luxurious Retirement Homes.” The 45-minute documentary, which aired in the UK on June 9, showcased senior living communities that redefine luxury and vitality for their residents.
Photos by Robb Yagmin, Pinehurst
The documentary, produced by the independent production company ScreenDog Productions and the first episode of the series, followed several residents of The Ridge Pinehurst in a “day in the life” format, offering viewers a glimpse into the vibrant lifestyle at the community. The Ridge Pinehurst was featured alongside The Palace at Coral Gables in Miami, Florida, and Danny House in Sussex, England.
“The Ridge was selected because it is a bona fide luxurious senior living community which feels like a slick, modern, hotel spa with state-of-the-art wellness facilities, beautiful artwork, and surrounded by open countryside and mountain scenery,” said Ed Kellie, Founder and Exec Producer of ScreenDog Productions. “Every retirement home we feature is different, but they all complement each other and are all truly luxurious. The Ridge felt like it would stand out for people particularly interested in wellness, sports, and the great outdoors.”
Diane Macheers, Vice President of Corporate Communications for The Ridge Senior Living, expressed pride in the recognition. “It is such an honor to be recognized as one of the world’s most luxurious senior living communities. But what was even more important to us was that the team from London found our residents to be inspiring, fun-loving, and full of vitality. That is the kind of life we want to promote at The Ridge Senior Living, and we believe that came through so completely in the production.”
ScreenDog Productions, known for its audacious formats and unique perspectives, has previously produced notable programs such as Channel 4’s recent hit “The Jury: Murder Retrial” and BBC’s “Stacey Dooley: Stalkers.”
The documentary premiere was July 19, 2024 and was a grand event. See some pictures from seniors right next door to Lakewood.
The Westword has posted a in-depth look at the history of ketamine use in Colorado, highlighting efforts by Lakewood’s own Anita Springsteen. Springsteen witnessed and video recorded an incident of involuntary ketamine dosing by West Metro Fire, and her video contradicts the official story of an agitated individual. Five years later, she is still fighting and bringing a spotlight to the issue.
“As the five-year anniversary of the McClain tragedy approaches, Colorado is widely regarded as being in the vanguard of efforts to reform the use of chemical restraint.”
“Springsteen filed a complaint with CDPHE about the paramedics’ actions in Axtell’s case. She received a letter stating that the department had investigated the matter thoroughly, including “interviews and meetings with persons with knowledge of the event in question,” and determined there were no grounds for disciplinary sanctions. But that investigation didn’t involve talking to Springsteen, an eyewitness, or viewing her video, which contradicts the paramedic’s account of the incident.”
“… delirium was a convenient excuse for police agencies looking to elude liability for in-custody deaths. It also became a ready-made justification for paramedics to bring out the ketamine. “
