WEEK OF JULY 6, 2023
VOLUME 22 | ISSUE 20
FREE
County commissioners approve homeless camping ban BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
normal, making it the 13th wettest year on record. Arapahoe County saw its fifth wettest May with 3.29 inches of rain above normal and Jefferson County saw its 7th wettest May with 2.28 inches of rain above normal. While some may have loved the gloomy days, listening to the sound of rain falling, for others, it posed an ongoing issue as well as citizen safety.
Amid an ongoing crisis of homelessness in the Denver metro area, Douglas County’s elected leaders unanimously approved a law to ban unauthorized camping on county property in areas outside of cities and towns. Area residents have expressed fears in recent months about the possibility of more shelter for people experiencing homelessness in Douglas County, a topic the county attorney addressed before the ordinance passed. “Our goal is to work with our partners throughout the state to make sure that shelter is available and we transport individuals who need that shelter to that already-existing shelter,” Jeff Garcia, county attorney, said at the June 27 county commissioners meeting. “We are not going to create new shelters in Douglas County.” The conversations about shelter and a long-discussed potential restriction on camping in the county are intertwined because of recent court cases along the Front Range. Commissioner Abe Laydon and others have referenced People v. Wiemold, a district court case out of Fort Collins where a judge ruled a man couldn’t be cited for violating a camping ban because there was no shelter available to him. “It is important to note that a party
SEE RAIN, P7
SEE HOMELESS, P10
The flooding damaged or destroyed nearly 485 miles of roads and 50 bridges across Colorado.
PHOTO BY JCPH
Storm season — the good, bad and ugly Getting too much of a good thing BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
When it provides vibrant green grass, supports the growth of native wildflowers and feeds our reservoirs, there is beauty in rain. But it also comes with a dark side as storms can wreak havoc and damage homes, vehicles and roadways.
This spring, parts of the Denver metro area saw record breaking amounts of rain along with a longer and more consistent rain pattern. “It’s almost biblical in nature,” said Bryan Weimer, Arapahoe County director of public works and development. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, Douglas, Arapahoe and Jefferson counties have seen rainfall above average. Over the past 129 years, Douglas County saw its fourth wettest May on record with 3.63 inches above
Landmark 20th
Evergreen Jazz Festival July 28, 29 & 30
Dancers Welcome!
Free Parking!
EvergreenJazz.org
303-697-5467
Big Talent! Small Venues! Great Setting! VOICES: 14 | LIFE: 17 | CALENDAR: 19
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