Centennial
Citizen
Arapahoe County, Colorado • Volume 12, Issue 4
December 14, 2012
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourcentennialnews.com
City streamlines contract process Council increases city manager’s authority By Deborah Grigsby
dgrigsby@ourcoloradonews.com The City of Centennial has voted to streamline its contracting process by increasing City Manager John Daniels’ signature authority on select routine contracts and expenditures, as long as they meet certain criteria. City council unanimously approved a resolution that gives Daniels the power to execute a prescribed list of expenditures ex-
ceeding his $300,000 spending authority, in an effort to increase efficiencies within local government. According to a staff report, the move is designed to reduce the number of routine contracts and purchases reviewed by council, by approving a list of contracts and purchases specifically identified within the 2012 Revised and 2013 Adopted Budgets to be executed by Daniels. “This really isn’t anything new or exiting, but it is important,” said District 1 Council Member Vorry Moon. “We do this every year; we’re always looking for ways to improve efficiency, save money and be good stewards of taxpayer dollars.” By resolution, the city manager currently
has authority without city council approval to execute a variety of expenses, provided they have been appropriated and funds exist and don’t exceed $300,ooo for public work or capital improvement or $150,ooo for items not related to such. Moon cautioned this is in no way an opportunity for a financial free-for-all. “Council has a very strict set of checks and balances,” he said. “The city manager can’t authorize anything that is not already funded and in the budget.” The list of items Daniels is authorized to execute includes facilities and fleet services, animal services, engineering services for land use, street rehabilitation programs
Pot officially becomes legal Washington state may offer glimpse of future By Ryan Boldrey
rboldrey@ourcoloradonews.com
Eyeing a menorah made entirely of ice, 17-month-old Branden Kregas is ready to celebrate Hanukkah at the annual Hanukkah on Ice event at the Family Sports Center in Centennial. Celebrants from around the metro area gathered Dec. 9 to celebrate the Jewish Festival of Lights with skating, music and traditional Hanukkah food. Photos by Deborah Grigsby
A real ‘cool’ Hanukkah
Festival of Lights celebrated at ice rink
By Deborah Grigsby
dgrigsby@ourcoloradonews.com
Metro-area Jewish families gathered to celebrate Hanukkah in one of the coolest ways ever — on the ice at the Family Sports Center in Centennial. Sponsored by the Chabad of South Metro Denver, Hanukkah on Ice attracted more than 150 skaters for an afternoon of classic Hanukkah music, traditional foods cooked in oil and the lighting of a giant menorah carved entirely of ice. “Hanukkah is a message for all people,” said Rabbi Avraham Mintz. “Hanukkah reminds us to stay positive and that ultimately, good will triumph over evil, and this is meant to be a welcoming environment for everyone, no matter where you are on your journey.” Now in its seventh year, Hanukkah on Ice has steadily gained popularity. “This event has really grown in size,” said Marnina Kregas, accompanied by her husband and children, Alexander, Cameron and Branden. “When it first started about six years ago, I think there were probably only 30 to 40 people, but look at it now. It’s
and public works items including signal maintenance and repairs and other miscellaneous capital improvements. Because the city executes a number of contracts throughout the year, the process becomes cumbersome, with each item exceeding Daniels’ authority requiring a presentation to city council at both a study session and regular council meeting. Each study and regular session requires a staff report to be generated, along with any related presentation material. The regular session also requires a resolution to be prepared for approval by city council. The city said the current workflow adds at least a month to the approval process, barring any major changes.
Children gather around Rabbi Avraham Mintz as he lights candles on a menorah made of ice during a Hanukkah celebration at Family Sports Center in Centennial. The eight-day holiday commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple at the time of the Maccabean revolt in 165 B.C.E. great!” Children sang the traditional blessing and crowded around Mintz as he lit candles on an elaborate waist-high ice menorah placed in the center of the rink.
“This is really becoming our family tradition; each year we’ve come back, we’ve had an addition to the family” said Kregas with a grin. “We definitely look forward to Hanukkah continues on Page 7
The state of Washington may provide Colorado with some ideas of how — or how not — to handle the legalization of marijuana. As the reality of legalized pot in Colorado became official Dec. 10 when Gov. John Hickenlooper signed a proclamation, certifying the vote, marijuana advocates in the northwest coastal state had already been legally lighting up for a few days. According to an Associated Press story that ran Dec. 7 — one day after pot officially became legal in Washington — the Seattle Police Department instructed its officers only to issue verbal warnings in cases of public use and not to write citations as offenders of the public use law flocked to the Space Needle to celebrate legalization. According to the story, police spokesman Jonah Spangenthal-Lee wrote on the SPD Blotter that officers would be advising people to take their marijuana inside. “The police department believes that, under state law, you may responsibly get baked, order some pizzas and enjoy a `Lord of the Rings’ marathon in the privacy of your own home, if you want to,” Spangenthal-Lee wrote.
On the home front
Lawmakers in Colorado, led by Hickenlooper’s recently appointed task force, are still figuring out details of the new Colorado law. Will local law enforcement act the way of Seattle’s police force? No one can say for sure when it comes to municipalities such as Denver, Boulder or some of the more liberal-leaning mountain towns, but in Douglas County, lighting up in public will definitely cross the line. “I’m the type of guy where what you do in your house is your business, but once you bring it out to the street it’s a different ballgame,” said Douglas County Sheriff David A. Weaver. “Especially with our youth. If someone (possessing pot) is coming from a school, there’s a problem there.” Under Amendment 64, marijuana remains illegal on school grounds throughout the state, and even the University of Colorado at Boulder recently announced pot would not be allowed on campus or in campus dormitories. Pot continues on Page 10
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