LAKEWOOD INFORMER

On August 7, 2023, Lakewood City Council will decide on how the city will react to the state passage of HB23-1255, titled Regulating Local Housing Growth Restrictions. This state law would effectively overturn the votes of Lakewood’s residents. The Strategic Growth Initiative, which Lakewood called Residential Growth Limitation, was adopted as Lakewood Municipal Code 14.27 in 2019. Lakewood City Council Members have all acknowledged the deep feelings residents have for this issue, both for and against. Many Members have acknowledged a will to honor the votes of the residents, despite personal feelings. The question is, what can Lakewood do? On July 24, 2023, City Council approved a first reading of proposed Ordinance: “This Ordinance would readopt Lakewood Municipal Code 14.27 as a temporary, nonrenewable anti-growth law for the purpose of developing or amending land use plans or land use laws covering residential development or the residential component of a mixed-use development for a term not to exceed twenty-four months from the effective date of this Ordinance, with the intent that such new land use plans may be incrementally enacted, but will be fully enacted within twenty-four months from the effective date of this Ordinance, such temporary, nonrenewable anti-growth law attached hereto and incorporated herein, all in conformance with C.R.S. § 29-20-104.2, without waiving any Constitutional objections to C.R.S. § 29-20-104.2.“ There are multiple options Lakewood could take. Those options, as shared with City Council, include: Option 3 appears to be in line with the ordinance that passed first reading (above)....

Updated 7/31/23 Unlike other cities with strong elected officials, Lakewood City Council is very limited in the actions it can initiate. Councilors set broad objectives at the annual retreat and they are able to bring forth “Requests for Legislative Modifications” to get items onto the agenda during the year. Other than that, they are limited to voting for policies developed by city staff. Your job is to vote on the matters that are presented to you –Lakewood Deputy City Attorney, stated during City Council meeting Besides acting on those regular business items throughout the year, Council Members can make their mark by getting things on the agenda. From July 2022 through July 2023, the following 14 Requests for Legislative Modifications were all added to the agenda.  However, as indicated below, only seven of those items were approved for action: There is a perception by some Councilors who were denied action that the Councilors getting action approved were getting preferred treatment.  However, it might also be true that these Councilors work the process differently. For example, another trait common to almost all approved requests was that the work approved would NOT be done by City Council itself, but rather by other Lakewood agencies. For example, discussions regarding Additional Dwelling Units (ADUs) will be conducted by the Planning Commission. Minority-owned business and speed reduction studies were moved to the Lakewood Advisory Committee (LAC). Only two things were approved for Council to work on themselves: However, if we judge a City Council Members...

Lakewood Mayor Adam Paul received the Community Leadership Award from the Community Investment Alliance for his personal involvement with the Lakewood launch of an Extreme Weather Overflow Shelter. (news release here; link removed from lakewood.org) This was the first year for the shelter, which operated out of the Whitlock recreational enter.  During the Feb 27 Lakewood City Council meeting, the City Manager reported that 11 guests used the shelter the first night, and 33 guests were there the second. There is no doubt that Mayor Paul works tirelessly for the City of Lakewood. However, other Council Members would like to work tirelessly on the issues they care about and are often stymied as to how to do that. Councilor Springsteen says information is withheld. Councilor Olver is famous working towards a new dog park but cannot talk to staff about it for fear of undue influence. When Olver tried to offer opinions and discussion points on bike paths, there appeared to be a Council protest. What is the difference between Olver asking to help on bike lanes or dog parks and the Mayor lending leadership to the weather shelter and “helping resolve issues that arose during its operation”? Perhaps after Mayor Paul’s long tenure in Lakewood he has figured out a way to get into a leadership position in city operations. This may be something worth sharing because Lakewood Council Members seem to be continuously reminded that such a thing is not possible.

Following up on resident concerns raised in a recent interview discussing the newly approved “Green Remodeling” project, Lakewood Mayor Pro Tem Wendi Strom and the Sustainability Committee Chair, Glenn Weadock, responded that this was just research, that outcomes had yet to be determined and no policies have been set. The implication of project approval is that City Council and the Sustainability Committee agree that green remodeling is a worthy city goal to be sustainable and reduce greenhouse emissions. In this case, research may involve electrification, i.e., replacing gas with electricity in places such as your stove. Weadock writes: “The Lakewood Advisory Council is a research entity, not a policy entity. Our job is to provide relevant facts to policymakers so that they can make informed decisions. The “green remodeling” project is essentially an extension of work that the LAC has already done in prior years via the Renewable Energy Mitigation Proposal (REMP). The LAC sustainability committee will be studying the pros and cons of several types of electrification in the context of home renovation and remodeling. What the city council chooses to do with the information we provide, in terms of policy changes, will be up to them as elected officials, but it is certainly appropriate for Lakewood city government to evaluate the possibilities for making the city more sustainable for all its residents, and important to do so in a well-informed manner.” In the past, project researchers often interpret research approval as a mandate for recommendations to “do something”....

Cross-Post from Brother Jeff Lakewood City Council, NAACP and What Happens When Power Fights the Power. 30 Minutes with Councilwoman Anita Springsteen. https://www.facebook.com/jeff.fard/videos/2046875489008195 Highlights and notes from the video: Anita Springsteen discusses the latest on Lakewood City Council. Brother Jeff expresses surprise that Lakewood is seeing increased homelessness. They discuss Aurora’s outstanding fireworks show and Aurora’s policy of discouraging residents from giving money to panhandlers. Brother Jeff’s policy is “housing first”  – give people housing first and then address their issues. Springsteen sees a problem with criminalizing people who go to county jail over and over again who can’t make a bond and that doesn’t solve the problem. Springsteen highlights the case of Angela Selvage who died in a hit and run in May. Springsteen feels that people in her situation, down on her luck, do not have their cases investigated the same as others. They discuss the “hierarchy of handouts” – bailouts and scholarships seem ok but not giving to panhandlers. Brother Jeff gets a text inquiring if Springsteen knows about Jumbos Bar and Grill losing their license. She will look into it. (see the end of Joan’s interview where she notices an uptick in permitting issues on Nextdoor) An update on the death of Patricia Dilworth: She went missing in January, and her body was found a month later. Her death was ruled not a homicide. However, there is video surveillance showing Ms. Dilworth talking to someone when a car pulls up and Ms. Dilworth disappears. The owner...

Joan From Lakewood brings attention to gas stoves and possible changes in Lakewood in this video interview. Joan highlights state and federal laws that impact us and shows how other localities are reversing gas stove bans. Joan also talks about permitting issues she has seen on Nextdoor wherein businesses are having trouble getting their permits. *Joan wishes to correct her video statement regarding copper – she meant cobalt, mined in the Congo with negative health effects. Background: The Sustainability Committee of the Lakewood Advisory Commission received approval to research “green remodeling” during the July 10, 2023 Lakewood City Council meeting. Project Proposal Regarding Green Remodeling: “To identify and research possible policies and actions by the City to expedite “green renovation” in Lakewood’s residential buildings, for example through benchmarking of electrification; legislation; leveraging state and federal funds; and code enhancement to the existing Article 13, Renewable Energy Mitigation Program (REMP) and the Enhanced Development Menu (EDM).” Since this project has just been approved, there are no current results so that status of any recommendations, including gas stoves, is unknown. See “Lakewood Advisory Commission Adds Grassroots Leadership” for background on these grassroots projects that do not originate from City Council proposals. LakewoodInformer will be reaching out to those mentioned in the video for reaction and will update if necessary. Please reach out to highlight news you are watching.. Reader Recommended Business: First Link Technology