Lakewood Informer

Resident generated news about Lakewood, Colorado

Lakewood Informer

Resident generated news about Lakewood, Colorado

LAKEWOOD INFORMER

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Colorado nonprofit serving Lakewood’s homeless population in need of a new home

October 9, 2024/

Cross-post By Karen Morfitt, CBS News A resource for struggling families and those living on the street in Lakewood is in desperate need of a new location. Without it, Mean Street Ministry, which operates a food bank and day shelter along the West Colfax corridor, might not survive. “I was homeless and looking for a place to stay one night, stayed behind the dumpster here,” Rollin Huber said. The decision would change his life. “A gentleman from Mean Street came and got me at six in the morning and took me in,” Huber explained. Read the full article from CBS News

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No Increase to Crime Enforcement in Budget

October 6, 2024/

Lakewood Police Department continues to try to reduce crime through methods other than increased law enforcement. Crime reduction is not mentioned as an expectation or result-benefit to any department goal in the 2025 Budget Book. For example, to meet the goal of “preserving a safe and peaceful community“, the police department will “encourage residents to use alternative reporting options for non-emergency incidents“. This will allow police to respond to emergencies faster, but does not increase response time to all calls or increase number of calls responded to overall. Average response time and number of calls were not given. Lakewood Police have been critiqued for not responding to calls in Lakewood news. Presumably crime reduction will follow some of these initiatives. Other goals include “enhancing the public’s perception of safety“. For this goal, the police department will work with Human Resources to make sure police employees meet diversity standards, and ensure prompt completion of internal affairs cases. This assumes the public is aware of the results of internal affairs cases. To “provide the highest possible level of customer service to the citizens of Lakewood” the police will disperse grant funds in low- and moderate-income areas for code enforcement. There is no mention of enforcement targets, statistics, or crime enforcement priorities. For example, will drug use continue to be de-prioritized? Recently enacted new speed limits and traffic cameras are not mentioned. Lakewood Police are not asking for additional staff in 2025. Instead, they will take advantage of Artificial Intelligence to streamline police...

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Economic Development Fund Used for Homeless Initiatives

October 5, 2024/

The money for new pallet homes, or transitional housing units, will come from Lakewood’s Economic Development fund. The 2025 budget also shows the city expects to spend $9.5 million on land purchases for unspecific purposes, also from the Economic Development Fund. Lakewood is waiting to start the transitional housing program until land can be purchased somewhere. The city budgets $300,000 for pallet homes. These homes will be a new program that Lakewood will provide funding and support for, but may be owned and run by an outside organization with limited oversight. The Economic Development Fund has traditionally been used to develop economic opportunities in Lakewood, but in 2023, Lakewood re-interpreted the ordinance to include safety and general upkeep of the city. Previous discussion on the transitional housing program did not include a business analysis of any economic growth potential this program would provide. The $9.5 million for land purchases could be used for transitional housing land (for pallet homes), in whole or in part. By approving the budget, the city will have funds to allocate for purchases as it prioritizes. State of the Economy The budget presentation shows that median household income rose by 10% but the Jeffco employment rate is down by 1%, marking the need for more economic opportunities. Lakewood predicts just under 1% growth in sales tax which reflects the state of the economy.

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Lakewood to Increase and Overcollect Property Tax – Again

October 3, 2024/

Including explanation from Bob Adams Lakewood will vote on a property tax increase on Monday. This will be done through the normal budget appropriation and mill levy certification. It is not called a tax increase anywhere. However, the 2025 Budget Book,  page 62, explains that a temporary reduction in the mill levy rate will lapse in 2025. As a result, Lakewood residents will pay 6% more property taxes and Lakewood will collect an extra $15.5 million in 2025. In 2023, former Councilor Mary Janssen fought to get Lakewood to comply with the Lakewood City Charter and only collect revenues that are legally allowed. That equated to a property mill levy rate of 3.85%. Lakewood Charter has a revenue cap, not a tax rate cap, to protect its residents from windfall taxes, like abrupt property assessment increases. City Council did not agree to Janssen’s original proposal, but they did lower the mill levy to 4.28 mills. For one year. Now that year is up. On Monday, the Council will vote to approve the full mill levy of 4.711 mills, thereby increasing the rate by 0.431 mills from 2024. Your property taxes will go up again this year. “Natalie Menten, board director with the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) Foundation, emphasized the importance of TABOR’s protections: ‘According to paragraph 7(c), the maximum annual percentage change in each district’s property tax revenue equals inflation in the prior calendar year plus annual local growth (new construction). That safety cap protects taxpayers and gives very...

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Don’t miss Zikr Dance Ensemble in Lakewood this Fall!

October 2, 2024/

Press Release What: Zikr Dance Ensemble’s “Secrets” Where: Lakewood Cultural Center, 470 S. Allison Parkway, Lakewood, CO When: Friday, October 25, 2024 at 7:30pm (MT) Details: Tickets start at only $34!  Available at https://bit.ly/ZikrLakewood2024. Zikr Dance Ensemble’s 2024 Fall Season is entitled “Secrets”. Highlighted on the program will be the world premiere of David Taylor’s “Liturgies” and a newly expanded version of the stunning “Ripples In The Sand”. Set to the electrifying Dune film score by Hans Zimmer, Ripples will feature new costumes and choreography and a breathtaking fabric canopy covering the entire stage. Also featured will be a reprise of audience favorite “Mobile”, the iconic miniature masterpiece by former Ballet West and San Francisco Ballet choreographer Tomm Ruud. Rounding out this mesmerizing evening of contemporary, multi-media dance will be Taylor’s “Altar”, and “Oracle”, a journey into the mysterious world of the ancient Greek Oracle of Delphi. Sponsors: SCFD; Denver Ballet Guild; National Endowment for the Arts; Colorado Creative Industries; Community Foundation Boulder County; Colorado Gives Foundation; Denver Ballet Theatre Academy; Ouray County Performing Arts Guild; Highlands Ranch Community Association; Danah Fayman Performing Arts Fund; The Ute Events Center; Premier School of Dance   Zikr Dance Ensemble is a contemporary ballet company located on Colorado’s Front Range. Currently celebrating its 15thAnniversary Season under the direction of Artistic Director and principal choreographer David Taylor, Zikr offers a spectrum of works that pay homage to transcendent dance rituals and metaphysical concepts from many different ancient world cultures throughout history.  The company’s original contemporary...

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City Uses Budget Presentation to Push TABOR Retention

September 30, 2024/

The 2025 budget presentation included a sales pitch to keep your TABOR refunds. Each department made note of which projects would be funded by TABOR and made a simple statement along the lines of “Without the additional TABOR revenues, the city will have less revenue.” Lakewood’s Chief Financial Officer, Holly Bjorklund, dedicated extra slides detailing how TABOR retained tax funds were used, by the specific project and by the department, to make an impressive list of accomplishments. Staff did not note which projects would go away if sales tax revenue decreased. There was no note detailing ways to increase sales tax revenues through economic development. No Council Member asked to spend less. TABOR retained funds accounts for 1.23% of all funds. In contrast, sales tax is the biggest source of revenue at 41%. Sales tax is also used for parks and police and all other city functions. It would be normal to focus on the bigger percentage of funds to present a clear budget picture. Instead, Lakewood focused on the single-digit, smaller source of funds. Coincidentally, Lakewood initiated a ballot vote to retain these funds permanently into the future. TABOR is the most mentioned fund but among the least significant. All this focus on TABOR by the city is to influence the upcoming vote that the city sponsored. If you have any doubts about Lakewood influencing your vote, see the list of TABOR-funded projects that the city has thoughtfully provided on its website. On October 7, City Council will vote...

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