VOLUME 121 | ISSUE 29
WEEK OF JUNE 1, 2023
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County approves first read of camping ban ordinance BY THELMA GRIMES TGRIMES@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Daughter died in 2020 from fentanyl poisoning
With little discussion and unified agreement, the Douglas County Commission approved the first reading of an ordinance to limit public camping and prohibit temporary structures on public property. With the initial approval, Garcia said the ordinance will now proceed to a second reading on June 20 where the commission is expected to take a final vote. At that point, Garcia said it will become law 30 days later. County Attorney Jeff Garcia said, “The goal of the ordinance as it’s been presented is to prohibit camping on public property without written permission by the county unless no other shelter is available. In addition, it limits the erection of temporary structures on county property without written permission from the county.” Those in violation of the ordinance can face a $1,000 fine. “The goal of the ordinance is to provide for public health, safety, and wellbeing. Especially for those using our county property and to assist those seeking shelter to find safe and appropriate shelter,” Garcia said. Garcia is confident the camping ban will hold up to possible legal challenges given court rulings in a case involving the City of Boulder. Last year, the American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU, filed a lawsuit against the City of Boulder, claiming the city’s camping ban, which had been in place since 1980, violates provisions of the Colorado Constitution.
BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
When Patti Lujan sees butterflies, she thinks of her daughter, Lauren, who passed away in 2020 at the age of 18. A senior at Littleton High School at the time, Lauren died from fentanyl poisoning after taking a counterfeit Percocet she got through the social media app Snapchat. As Lujan continues to cope with the loss of her daughter, she has now joined a legal fight against Snapchat, which she believes is partly responsible for her daughter’s death. She is among nine families nationwide participating in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the Social Media Victims Law Center against Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat. “I know she would want me to do this. She’d want me to get involved in this lawsuit and fight, and so I’m doing it,” Lujan said. SEE LAWSUIT, P6
Lauren Lujan, 18, passed away in 2020 from fentanyl poisoning.
VOICES: 12 | LIFE: 14 | CALENDAR: 17
COURTESY OF PATTI LUJAN
SEE BAN, P10
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