Week of September 1, 2022
FREE
DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
LoneTreeVoice.net
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 17 | SPORTS: PAGE 22
Addressing homelessness is hindered by community opposition Officials hope for compromise
VOLUME 21 | ISSUE 28
Voters to decide on open space tax, broadband
BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Ballot measures approved
Douglas County has under 100 people who are unhoused and hundreds more in precarious housing, but county leaders say community stigma has so far hindered efforts to provide year-round shelter locally. Concerns about safety and funding were reignited at the Aug. 11 meeting of the Douglas County Homelessness Initiative, where a plan to expand the existing winter shelter network hosted by a variety of churches to a year-round program faced resistance from public commenters. One commenter said she only supported helping the people who want help, but not with a shelter. “I don’t want to see this beautiful area that we live in and we choose for this reason to have homeless to have drugs, to be downtown infiltrated,” the woman said. “We do not want to invite homeless into our area. I am very, very opposed to this.”
BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
SEE HOMELESS, P9
local governments from using public resources to provide broadband internet, said Arielle Hodgson, a management analyst for Lone Tree, during the city’s Aug. 16 study session. “Local voters can authorize their
Douglas County voters will decide whether the county will extend its open space tax and whether it will have the option to fund broadband throughout the community after the board of commissioners approved both ballot questions Aug. 23. The questions, which will be placed on the Nov. 8 ballot, were both approved unanimously. The Open Space Sales and Use Tax, which funds acquisitions and maintenance of county open spaces, trails, parks and historic sites, is part of the county’s 1% sales tax. In 2017, the fund was used to purchase Sandstone Ranch, a 2,038-acre property now available to the public for hiking, biking and equestrians. The ballot language would ask voters to approve an extension — not an increase — to the 0.17% sales and use tax, which was first approved in 1994. The tax is currently scheduled to sunset in January 2024. If the proposed ballot language is approved in November, it would be extended until 2039, or 15 years. The county has had several meetings with the Douglas County Open Space Initiative, a citizen committee created to seek commissioners’ support for the extension, to discuss the matter. The board’s hearing room filled with supporters during the Aug. 23 special meeting to discuss the open space tax extension. Commissioners
SEE LONE TREE, P2
SEE BALLOT, P9
Commissioner Abe Laydon answered questions from the attendees during the June FILE PHOTO 22 town hall on homelessness in Douglas County.
Lone Tree proceeds with adding November ballot question BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Lone Tree residents can expect to see two similar questions on the November ballot that centers around opting out of Senate Bill 152 — one for Douglas County and one specifically for Lone Tree.
Senate Bill 152, which was introduced in 2005, prohibits most uses of municipal and county public resources for infrastructure to improve local broadband services, or from providing these services directly or indirectly, according to Lone Tree’s website. It essentially limits or prohibits
BOND MEASURE APPROVED
School district looks to voters to approve funding P6
SECOND HAND LOVE
Finding prizes at unique thrift shops P14