LAKEWOOD INFORMER

Cross post from the Colorado Accountability Project …the issue here isn’t one along party lines.  It’s one where an arrogant group of politicians have no compunctions about limiting the public’s ability to see what they’re doing.  And they do this in direct defiance of voters saying they want more transparency. I take this CORA vote the same way.  This is legislators thumbing their nose at everyday Coloradans like you and me.  Read more at the Colorado Accountability Project Editor’s Note: Lakewood has taken no position on this or any other legislative item, including: prohibiting residential occupancy limits, higher density construction , more statewide land use control, allowing local law enforcement to cooperate with ICE The Lakewood Legislative Committee meets March 7 at 3 pm. An explanation of HB 24-1296 from the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition The introduced version of House Bill 24-1296 had given records custodians the power to consider anyone — except a journalist — as vexatious if that person demonstrated “an intent to annoy or harass a custodian,” limiting their access to public records under CORA for 30 working days and making them go to court to challenge that designation. Read more…

Cross post from the Colorado Accountability Project …the issue here isn’t one along party lines.  It’s one where an arrogant group of politicians have no compunctions about limiting the public’s ability to see what they’re doing.  And they do this in direct defiance of voters saying they want more transparency. I take this CORA vote the same way.  This is legislators thumbing their nose at everyday Coloradans like you and me.  Read more at the Colorado Accountability Project Editor’s Note: Lakewood has taken no position on this or any other legislative item, including: prohibiting residential occupancy limits, higher density construction , more statewide land use control, allowing local law enforcement to cooperate with ICE The Lakewood Legislative Committee meets March 7 at 3 pm. An explanation of HB 24-1296 from the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition The introduced version of House Bill 24-1296 had given records custodians the power to consider anyone — except a journalist — as vexatious if that person demonstrated “an intent to annoy or harass a custodian,” limiting their access to public records under CORA for 30 working days and making them go to court to challenge that designation. Read more…

Public comment from a Lakewood, Colorado local, Marge Callum, had over 45 million views as of March 5, 2024. The clip has been posted for 48 hours at this time. Great job making local and national news, Marge! Posted on @elonmusk.

Public comment from a Lakewood, Colorado local, Marge Callum, had over 45 million views as of March 5, 2024. The clip has been posted for 48 hours at this time. Great job making local and national news, Marge! Posted on @elonmusk.

Guest post by Lenore Herskovitz On March 1 and 2, 2024 City Council held its Annual Planning Meeting. Mayor Strom and Councilor Stewart organized the event. The City used the same facilitator as last year (Point b(e) Strategies) but unlike last year there was no recording of this meeting. Ironically, one of last year’s priorities was “Effective, accountable, transparent, and data-informed government”. This seems like an appropriate time to look back on how successful the Council has been in achieving its 2023 goals (3 of the 6 proposed goals will be discussed). The first: Secure, inclusive, and affordable neighborhoods. The focus regarding housing was provided by the Strategic Housing Plan which was discussed in a Study Session in the beginning of 2023 and then at the end of the year. This is an ongoing process. Additionally, the Housing Policy Commission was going to take up where the defunct Development Dialogue Committee left off in April, 2022 targeting, in part, affordability and inclusionary zoning. The Housing Policy Commission spent close to a year formulating Short Term Rental (STR) legislation. Once this passed in March 2023 the Commission was free to take on the other housing issues. Their first meeting was held in May of last year. Two following meetings occurred ending in July, then nothing for the remainder of the year. Two proposed meetings were cancelled. The second: Short and long-term solutions for the unhoused. There has been some progress in this area with the opening of RecoveryWorks Navigation Center and...